Candida- The Silent Epidemic

[aragorn]

I was just reading some recommended threads about Candida on Curezone - 'Candida & Candidiasis: The Yeast Infection Syndrome Forum', ( _http://curezone.com/forums/s.asp?f=460&ob=d&c=4) There was an interesting posting about glutathione(direct link to entire thread is: _http://curezone.com/forums/fm.asp?i=1243481#i).

Now I know this is kind of repetition from my earlier post, and you guys have brought up glutathione earlier, but in the Curezone-post there's many good references to more interesting studies on the subject and I really think it's essential to see and go through those "official" studies to get some valuable information. In most cases, when searching for the studies, you can just read the summary - but that's often all you need (and can understand!). It's amazing how much actually has been researched about these things!

Glutathione deficiency has been found to be virtually universal in autoimmune diseases. This deficiency has two major implications: detox failure and viral/microbial activation. Glutathione plays a major role in detoxification. This deficiency impairs the body’s ability to get rid of toxins.

Consequently, people slowly become toxic, storing away poisons in fatty tissue, muscles, organs and the brain. This cellular detox failure can make people canaries to their environment.

To detoxify successfully, this glutathione deficiency must be addressed.

Because glutathione is a potent antiviral and anti-microbial weapon, glutathione deficiency compromises antiviral and anti-microbial defenses, and actually stimulates viral replication. Raising glutathione levels inside the cells can stop the replication of almost any pathogen.

A glutathione deficiency compromises our ability to keep old viruses dormant and fight off bacteria. This is why so many people test positive for EBV, CMV, HHV6, Mycoplasma, and Chlamydia Pneumoniae, etc.

Indications are that glutathione can stop the replication of any intracellular microbe, including HHV6, Chlamydia Pneumoniae, and mycoplasma. Dr. Cheney found that some of his patients were becoming virus free after using a glutathione-creating undenatured whey protein for approximately 6 months. Showing that the increased levels of glutathione were indeed able to handle the viral infections.

There has been a good deal of research that show how important glutathione is.

Immune depressed individuals have lower glutathione levels when fighting disease. Lymphocytes, cells vital for your immune response, depend on glutathione for their proper function and replication. Immunology 61: 503-508 1987 .

Cellular depletion of Glutathione has been implicated as a causative, or contributory factor in many pathologies including Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cataracts, arteriosclerosis, cystic fibrosis, malnutrition, aging, AIDS and cancer (Bounous et al., 1991).

In addition, Glutathione is essential in supporting the immune system, including natural killer cells (Droege et al., 1997) and in the maintenance of T-lymphocytes (Gutman, 1998).

It is known that as we age, there is a precipitous drop in glutathione levels. Lower Glutathione levels are implicated in many diseases associated with aging, including Cataracts, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, atherosclerosis and others. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 47: 1021-28 1994

Antioxidants are well documented to play vital roles in health maintenance and disease prevention. Glutathione is our cell's own major antioxidant. Why not use what is natural? Biochemical Pharmacology 47:2113-2123 1994

Low glutathione has been demonstrated in neurodegenerative diseases such as MS (Multiple Sclerosis), ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's, among others. The Lancet 344: 796-798 1994

Glutathione detoxifies many pollutants, carcinogens and poisons, including many in fuel exhaust and cigarette smoke. It retards damage from radiation such as seen with loss of the ozone. Annual Review of Biochemistry 52: 711-780 1983.

The liver is the main detoxification organ of the body. In the liver we find very high concentrations of glutathione, as it is a major factor in numerous biochemical detoxification pathways. Numerous studies have demonstrated that patients with compromised liver function due to alcohol abuse have significant reduction of glutathione in the liver. (Lamestro, 1995)


Glutathione is essential for the maintenance of Vitamin C and vitamin E levels according to Martensson. He found that as glutathione levels decreased, a corresponding decrease in ascorbic acid and vitamin E followed, which led to systematic mitochondrial death, which in turn leads to a cessation of cellular metabolism.

(It is this mitochondrial death, at first just a dysfunction, that may cause the fatigue found in autoimmune illnesses.)

The over-toxicity causes extensive free radical damage. Inhibits cellular function. Disrupts energy production by the mitochondria. Consequently the primary energy the cells produce is anaerobic which leads to extensive lactic acid buildup in the cells. And more toxicity.

Cheney explains that fatigue becomes worse. Pain increases. You feel sicker. Memory suffers as toxins and free radicals damage the brain, and not enough oxygen gets into the brain. Deep brain structures like the hypothalamus eventually are injured and cause problems with virtually every hormone in your body. They lose their ability to rise and fall according to signals or demands from the body making it harder to respond to changing situations. Actual damage to the DNA of the energy producing mitochondria can occur. Further limiting energy.

As toxins cause free radical damage, you end up with low levels of all the free radical scavengers. They get used up dealing with excessive free radicals produced by the excessive toxins.

Some researchers believe that supplements other than oral glutathione may be more effective in raising blood levels of glutathione. For example, in one trial, blood glutathione levels rose nearly 50% in healthy people taking 500 mg of vitamin C per day for only two weeks.10 Vitamin C raises glutathione by helping the body manufacture it. In addition to vitamin C, other nutritional compounds that may, according to preliminary research, help increase glutathione levels include alpha lipoic acid,11 glutamine,12 methionine,13 S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe),14 and whey protein.15 Vitamin B6, riboflavin, and selenium are required in the manufacture of glutathione. The extent to which any of these nutrients effectively increases glutathione levels in humans remains unclear.

_http://www.vitacost.com/science/hn/Supp/Glutathione.htm

Per serving, asparagus, avocadoes, asparagus, squash, okra, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, spinach, walnuts, garlic, and raw tomatoes have the highest glutathione content compared to other vegetables and are particularly rich dietary sources of glutathione.

_http://www.nutritionadvisor.com/glutathione_foods.php

Following the last link above there's references to more studies:

Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant and detoxifying agent whose protective role has been demonstrated in numerous clinical studies. GSH is synthesized rapidly in the liver, kidneys, and other tissues of the body, including the gastrointestinal tract. This process is effected by aging and disease, as both of these conditions result in reduced tissue and blood levels of glutathione. Dietary forms of glutathione are efficiently absorbed into the blood, however the same is not true for glutathione supplements in humans. When healthy subjects were given a single dose of up to 3,000 mg of glutathione researchers found there was no increase in blood glutathione levels. (Witschi A, Reddy S, Stofer B, Lauterburg BH. The systemic availability of oral glutathione. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 1992;43(6):667-9.) The authors of this study concluded "it is not feasible to increase circulating glutathione to a clinically beneficial extent by the oral administrating of a single dose of 3 g of glutathione." Johnson and coworkers (Johnston CJ, Meyer CG, Srilakshmi JC. Vitamin C elevates red blood cell glutathione in healthy adults. Am J Clin Nutr 58:103-5, 1993) found that blood glutathione levels rose nearly 50% in healthy individuals taking 500 mg of vitamin C daily. Vitamin C facilitates an increase in blood glutathione levels by supplying the body with a nutrient that is critical to the manufacture of it.

In addition, to vitamin C, dietary sources of glutathione and several other nutritional compounds can help increase glutathione levels including N-acetylcysteine (NAC), alpha-lipoic acid, glutamine, methionine, and undenatured whey protein (Bounous, G., and Gold, P., The biological activity of undenatured dietary whey proteins [Immunocal]: role of glutathione, Clin. Invest. Med. (1991) 14(4):296-309.). N-acetylcysteine has been used in combination with glutamic acid (or glutamine) and glycine (Clark, J. at _www.cfsn.com) and in addition, NAC has been studied in combination with dietary proteins (Quig, D., Cysteine metabolism and metal toxicity, Alternative Medicine Review (1998) 3(4):262-270.).

 

[dantem]

Just to add that there's also a kynesiology test about candida. I really don't know how it works but in the past I had quite an hard shot of candida in my bowels and the kynesiologist I was meeting found it by crossing his fingers while touching my right arm, after dozens of sessions to test for food intolerances.

Two weeks after I was found positive on candida doing a lab test, and my doctor just cannot believe it!

In one and half year I swallowed all kind of pills, antibiotics, probiotics (oh, so few unfortunately!), spirulina, anti-fungus drops and other stuff. Then pasta, pizza and bread were forbidden, as I really cannot digest anything like that during that period (literally...). Then I've got really better after I changed my job. I was doing a job with brutal day and night shifts, and getting back to a more balanced sleeping pattern helped a lot too.

 

[Gimpy]

Alternative sweetner info here: http://abouterythritol.homestead.com/


I've used stevia as a sweetner for years, it's a South American herb. While some people equate it with chemical sweetners like splenda, I've never had a problem with it. Stevia's been blocked from being sold in the US as an alternative to chemical sweetners, but it appears that its been passed at long last. My Hubby brought home a box of stevia that was blended with erythritol. I wasn't sure what that was, and being cautious, checked it out. The site above is interesting.

The problem with researching sweetners is the dearth of objective info. Stevia has a longer history of use in Europe and Japan to draw from, but I'm not finding much on erythritol.

The interesting bit is this:

What Erythritol does NOT do:

Erythritol does not promote tooth decay.

Erythritol does not promote harmful bacteria or fungus in the gut.

Erythritol does not raise insulin or glucose levels.

***************************************

In the fight against candida, this may be a good ally. :)



Gimpy
still looking into this and other
subjects

 

[Laura]

Here's a comparison of candida symptoms to Gluten Intolerance:

Candida vs. Gluten Intolerance Symptoms
The symptoms of gluten intolerance are very similar to candida symptoms.

The following list of common symptoms of low level Candida albicans infections was found on a web page. I have used it as a framework to compare with some of the symptoms of an undiagnosed gluten intolerant person. (Celiac and gluten intolerance are used interchangeably below, though they really aren't. Celiac disease refers to a damaged intestinal mucosa. Gluten intolerance can be a sensitivity without much measurable damage):

Chronic fatigue - One of the most common celiac symptoms.

Weakness - One of the most common celiac symptoms.

Dizziness - About 5% of celiac patients get nerve damage that can vary from tingling and numbness in the feet to confusion, memory loss, dizziness and loss of balance, visual abnormalities. This sometimes happen in the absence of GI symptoms. Epilepsy (with calcification in the brain) does respond when gluten is fully removed.

Headaches - Common celiac symptom.

Cold sweats and/or night sweats - Have never heard of it as a celiac symptom.

Feeling bad all over, like having the flu - Typical celiac symptom, to the extent one thinks of flu as diarrhea, weakness, and muscular/bone aches and pains.

Muscle and joint pains - Common celiac symptom.

Sore throat - Not generally considered a celiac symptom, but I have heard reports from a few members of a support group. Also have heard about swollen glands in the neck.

Low grade fever - Not a known celiac symptom.

Numbness, especially in the hands or feet - See dizziness above. Another celiac symptom is called peripheral neuropathy (possibly due to folic acid deficiency). Also abnormal or impaired skin sensation (paresthesia), including burning, prickling, itching or tingling. Also the celiac FAQ lists central and peripheral nervous system disease.

Asthma - Celiacs are more susceptible to having allergies, possibly due to a deficiency of magnesium.

Chronic sinusitis - Celiacs are more susceptible to sinus problems.

Allergies - Celiacs are more susceptible to having other food intolerances and allergies.

Irritability - Common celiac symptom.

Abdominal pain - Common celiac symptom.

Constipation or diarrhea - Both common celiac symptoms.

Gas - Very common celiac symptom.

Chronic athlete's foot or jock itch - Not known as a celiac symptom, but celiacs would be a weakened host for fungi.

Yeast rashes - What does a yeast rash look like? Some celiacs have had eczema and hives clear up when going gluten-free. Also 5% of celiacs get dermatitis herpetiformis, which is very itchy rash which is most commonly on the outside of elbows, knees, top of buttocks, or on the back shoulders, neck and scalp.

Feeling worse when deprived of sugar containing foods or simple carbohydrates such as potatoes - An undiagnosed celiac can have food cravings as they are malnourished.

Feeling weaker on damp days or after bathing - Not a celiac symptom.

Feeling worse when exposed to mold, dust, chemicals, or pollutants - Celiacs are more susceptible to having allergies.

Elevated Epstein-Barr virus titers, indicating a recent reactivation of the virus - Don't know.

Heart pains - Not known as a celiac symptom. However, with severe anemia, there are often uncomfortable heart palpitations. Also, I suppose heartburn could be a symptom as some celiacs vomit after gluten consumption.

General reproductive problems - Infertility is a known celiac symptom in both sexes. It is due to malnourishment. Also gynecological disorders like spontaneous abortions.

Chronic vaginal infections - Don't know, but the host body is weakened.

Premenstrual syndrome like symptoms - Anecdotally a celiac symptom.

Irregular menstrual cycles or unusual menstrual pain - Untreated celiac women often have low estrogen levels and an erratic or non-existent menstrual cycle (amenorrhea). For young untreated celiac girls, the onset of menarche can be delayed. Women with a long history of malabsorption will sometimes reach menopause at a younger age; in some cases as early as in their late twenty's. Anecdotally unusual menstrual pain is a celiac symptom.

 

[Laura]

Candida Symptoms in Men

Candida Symptoms in Males

Many of the Candida symptoms in males are the same as they are for women, but there are a few unique aspects. Candida is believed to occur more often in women, but the truth is that it occurs in high numbers for men as well, but it is reported and diagnosed less frequently.

Men are less likely to be diagnosed with Candida for two reasons:

- One is because they don't seek help for their symptoms. the symptoms of Candida in males are often dismissed or denied by the man. He will just live with them because he thinks its unmanly to talk about them or get help. Men are socialized to just live with pain and discomfort rather than address it.

- The second is that Candida in males get mislabeled all kinds of other disorders, because there is a lack of education about Candida in the mainstream Medical society.

Males with Candida tend to get these labels:

* Chronic Prostatitis

* Hyperactive

* Learning Disabilities

* Attention Deficit Disorder

* Conduct Disorder

* Anger or Rage Disorders

* Alcoholic

* Drug Addict

* Anti-social Disorder

* Autism

The instigator in all these conditions can be Candida. Several other factors such as food allergies, hypoglycemia, nutritional deficiencies, chemical sensitivities etc, may be the culprit as well, but these too are all part of the Candida syndrome. Where you find one, you usually find the others.

One of the most common organs to be affected by Candida is the brain and the nervous system. When this happens, it results in a variety of Candida symptoms in males that exhibit themselves as psychological or cognitive problems.

Other common Candida symptoms in males that don't fall under an actual disorder label may consist of irritability, cognitive difficulties, depression, inability to concentrate, fatigue, restlessness, anxiety, forgetfulness, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, frequent stomach aches, indigestion, heartburn, excessive shyness or feelings of being self-conscious, rashes and many more.

As children males with Candida typically experienced a lot of earaches, which resulted in antibiotics that only aggravated the Candida. As children and as men they may get in fights a lot and have difficulty excelling in school. They may be underachievers, due to Candida inhibiting brain function.

Two more very common Candida symptoms for males are jock itch and athletes feet. In these cases the Candida has localized in the feet or the genitals.

 

[ana]

Thank you so much, for this info, Two years ago I started having some problems; I felt really nervous, with
imbalances, feeling dizzy, feeling pain and abdominal distension and I was segregating lot of mucus.

I went to the doctor and first time she thinks it was Anxiety, later I went again and she gives me a gastritis diet, with a gastric protector. A week later I started to feel better, but from time to time I feel like this again.

know I think Candida is the answer, I'm going to talk to my doctor and start with the dietary changes, You know, I used to go to the mountain to search mushrooms, I will continue doing it but of course without eating them...

 

[Gaby]

And related to the topic of heavy metal toxicity and candida/leaky gut, seems that scientists are starting to realize its importance in psychology:

Excerpt From:
Gut & Psychology Syndrome

Gut & Psychology Syndrome: A No-Holds-Barred Look at the Strong Link
between Gastrointestinal Disorders and Emotional/Behavior Issues

by BodyEcology.com
www.bodyecology.com


Seemingly incurable disorders like depression, autism, ADD and eczema
all have one thing in common: gut problems. [...]

Most people think that psychological problems like depression,
bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are "all in our heads" and that
diet and lifestyle have nothing to do with it.

With conditions like autism, dyslexia, ADD, ADHD and dyspraxia on the
rise, mainstream medicine is expecting to find the origin of these
disorders in our genes.

These seemingly "incurable" disorders are being treated with drugs
that only mask the symptoms and have troubling side effects...if they
work at all.

Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD, MMedSci (neurology), MMedSci
(nutrition) has a different point of view. As a mother of a young son
who was diagnosed with autism, Dr. Campbell- McBride believes that
these children and adults are falling into the "gap" of our medical
knowledge.

Today Dr. Campbell-McBride's son is a bright, happy teenager who has
been fully recovered from autism for years. Dr Campbell-McBride used
a specific diet that was focused on healing his intestines to reverse
his condition.

The bottom line is that people who have the brain related and
neurological problems are suffering needlessly because of we lack
knowledge about our gut and our brain and how they work together. All
of the above disorders have surprisingly common traits: gut problems.

Through Dr. Campbell-McBride's research and clinical experience, she
realized that a child's digestive system holds the key to his or her
mental development.

In her groundbreaking book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome, Dr. Campbell-
McBride uncovers the link between a variety of disorders (learning
disorders, psychological disorders, eczema, asthma, allergies and
more) and the condition of our digestive system. The verdict is that
what we eat and drink plays a much bigger role than we might think.

Gut and Psychology Syndrome provides information that is easily
understood by the beginner and thorough enough for the advanced. It
shines the light on why all diseases begin in the gut, how to rebuild
your gut flora (beneficial bacteria that helps boost your immunity)
and establishes a roadmap for recovery.

Suggestions for diet, detoxification and supplementation are
provided, along with recipes so you can begin nourishing yourself and
your family to health.

Donna Gates and Dr. Campbell-McBride met at a conference on autism in
Chicago several years ago and became close friends. Raised in Russia
where fermented cabbage, kefir and Kvass are part of an every day
diet, Dr. Campbell-McBride already understood the value of fermented
foods although she had not written about them.[...]

 

[Gaby]

Lactobacillus acidophilus modulates intestinal pain and induces opioid and cannabinoid receptors

http://www.nature.com/nm/journal/v13/n1/abs/nm1521.html

Abdominal pain is common in the general population and, in patients with irritable bowel syndrome, is attributed to visceral hypersensitivity. We found that oral administration of specific Lactobacillus strains induced the expression of mu-opioid and cannabinoid receptors in intestinal epithelial cells, and mediated analgesic functions in the gut—similar to the effects of morphine. These results suggest that the microbiology of the intestinal tract influences our visceral perception, and suggest new approaches for the treament of abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome.

 

[Regulattor]

For the last 10 years I've developed serious seasonal allergies, manifesting in its peak (March/April) as asthma. So I went to all kind of doctors just to return home with full bag of medicine based on corticosteroids. Depending on season, in general my health was deteriorating.

Something must be done, so I have started to search for alternative solutions because of taking all those medicine I felt like pumpkin. Whole spring under drugs makes me even more ill.

Thanks to this forum I've discovered whole new approach to subject of health and I've make some radical changes in my diet, resulting in obvious benefits. But... it wasn't enough.

Last spring I've done live blood (Darkfield) analysis and just now I can see huge significance in this thread, because I've been actually watching live broadcast from my blood and Ms. Candida was on the show. I was even able to see my own leukocytes releasing histamine due to allergic reaction.

So I can only recommend this kind of blood analysis, because you can effectively notice eventual fungal contamination as well as other numerous problems and I'm providing here some citations and links to make this subject more familiar although darkfield analysis was already mentioned in Laura's Leaky Gut Syndrome post.

_http://www.methodsofhealing.com/Types_of_Healing/darkfield-microscopy-live-blood-analysis/
Darkfield Microscopy

Darkfield Microscopy, also known as Live Blood Analysis, is a special technique through which people may see their own live blood cells on a video screen. Unlike typical blood tests, which are based on chemical analysis, with Darkfield Microscopy the blood sample is assessed visually and the patient’s blood cells, as well as other bodies the exist within the blood stream such as bacteria and micro-organisms, can be observed in their living state. It is thought that by observing the blood in this way, a health professional will be able to detect nutritional disorders before outward symptoms have developed.

Darkfield Microscopy Description

In Darkfield Microscopy, the health professional and the patient together observe “live blood”. Substances that may be observed in a live blood sample include: white blood cells, red blood cells, plasma, microbial activity, undigested food, fungi, and crystals.

Since under darkfield microscopy, the blood is, in fact, alive, the movement of the blood cells may be observed: white blood cells attack waste matter while red blood cells move around actively.

In the body, red blood cells carry oxygen to the organs and tissues. All the cells in the body require oxygen to remain healthy and if the red blood cells are not doing their job it is only natural that an adverse health condition results. It is thought that cancer is a by-product of oxygen deprived tissue.

Darkfield Microscopy Techniques

A drop of blood is pricked from the patient’s finger using a fine needle. The blood is placed on a glass slide and then examined using a special darkfield microscope. The magnification of the microscope is usually in the order of 1000x. Most practitioners will have their microscope connected to a video screen so that the patient may see the live blood sample for theirself. The practitioner will point out cells that are in damaged or in a degenerative state.

The term darkfield refers to the microscopic image having a dark background. Light objects, such as blood cells, show up against the dark background. Darkfield microscopy relies on a very bright light being directed at the sample at such an angle that the reflection of the light is sent to the lens. Under standard “brightfield” conditions, the light is shined directly onto the the sample. It is thought that darkfield microscopy better allows for certain elements within the blood stream to be observed.

Darkfield Microscopy Rouleau Effect

When Darkfield Microscopy is performed, the practitioner will be looking out for what is known as the “rouleau” effect. This is where red blood cells clump together, just like a stack of coins. It is thought that the rouleau effect is devastating for oxygen distribution within the blood as the red blood cells are too stuck together to move freely.

If a rouleau effect is observed under darkfield microscopy, this may indicate to the health professional that the patient should improve their diet.
Darkfield Microscopy Criticisms

Darkfield Microscopy is not a treatment that is recognised by conventional medical science. Critics claim that live blood analysis under Darkfield Microscopy does not allow for blood parts to be properly identified. It is claimed by critics that anything that may be properly observed through darkfield microscopy is already visible under convention blood analysis. It is also thought by adherents to conventional science, that the rouleau effect does not indicate any specific disease and is thus of no use for the purposes of diagnosis.

_http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg21897IW_4 (nice video, please do not take it like advertisement)
_http://www.dolmahk.com/sdp/315563/4/cp-1260153.html
_http://www.drdavidmarquis.com/livecell.shtml

Thanks to all of you gils and guys here I've gather considerable weaponry for oncoming fight which I have intention to win!

 

[Laura]

Fungal meningitis spreads in Pacific Northwest

Rare infection slowly making its way down Washington-Oregon coast

WASHINGTON - A fungus that causes meningitis has sickened 19 people, four of whom died, in Oregon and Washington over the past four years, researchers report at a meeting of microbiologists and infectious disease experts.

The new findings indicate that the culprit, a yeast-like fungus called Cryptococcus gattii, is spreading gradually down the West Coast. Before 1999, the fungus was rarely encountered in North America. But that year a case cropped up on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Since then, more than 200 people in British Columbia have been diagnosed with illness stemming from the fungus.

C. gattii naturally lives in foliage, particularly eucalyptus and rubber trees. Once airborne and inhaled, the fungus can infect people and animals. It doesn't spread from person to person or between people and animals.

A related fungus called Cryptococcus neoformans causes lethal infections in immune-compromised people, such as those with HIV. While none of the 19 patients in Oregon and Washington had HIV, 11 were immune-compromised by other ailments or medications, says Sarah West, an infectious disease physician at the Oregon Health Science University in Portland. She reported the findings at a joint meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the American Society for Microbiology.

Like C. neoformans, C. gattii can be dangerous. Apart from the four deaths, 13 of the 19 patients required hospitalization longer than 11 days, West says. Ten of the patients had lung infections, five had meningitis and four had both, she says. Doctors treated the patients with antifungal drugs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta is now monitoring these two states, as well as Montana, Alaska, Idaho and California, for C. gattii infections.

C. gattii normally shows up in subtropical parts of Australia, New Guinea, India and South America. Scientists speculate that the fungus made its way to North America from one of those regions, resulting in the Vancouver Island outbreak. West says some evidence suggests the fungus might have found a home in fir trees.

George Thompson, a physician at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, says the key to controlling C. gattii will be to raise the level of suspicion surrounding the fungus. In North America, he says, "I think people just don't look for it" as a possible explanation for troubling symptoms.

C. gattii can cause a prolonged cough, headache, fever, chest pain and other nondescript symptoms. Of the 19 Washington and Oregon patients, 12 went more than a week before being properly diagnosed.

C. gattii causes disease in people only sporadically. Most of those who come into contact with either form of cryptococcus don't become ill, says Jeremy Farrar, an Oxford University physician based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. An HIV infection and other forms of immune suppression clearly place people at risk. But other people who get lung infections or meningitis from either form of cryptococcus might just be unlucky, he says.

"My guess is that in some very tiny way, these people have some defect in their immune system that makes them susceptible to crypto," he says. That flaw is likely to be hardwired into a person's innate immunity and not in the immune cells and proteins that make antibodies in response to specific pathogens, he says.

Since no such specific immune flaw has been identified, predicting who might be naturally susceptible remains a puzzle, he says.

How the fungus moves from place to place is equally mysterious, and existing antifungal drugs are sometimes inefficient in stopping an infection, says Thompson. He has developed a mouse model of the disease and is testing drugs against C. gattii in the animals.

"I think we may have seen only the tip of the iceberg with C. gattii-caused infections in the United States," he says.

 

[Gaby]

http://www.wellnessresources.com/tips/articles/lactoferrin_keeping_candida_friendly/?source=Email&camp=news110308

Lactoferrin – Keeping Candida Friendly
Saturday, November 01, 2008

Byron Richards, CCN

Lactoferrin is the primary germ-fighting compound naturally occurring in breast milk, acting synergistically with other compounds like monolaurin. It is a normal part of your body fluids and secretions (saliva, blood, tears, and mucous), providing important protection at points where germs come into contact with you.

Lactoferrin is a potent nutrient for natural balance and helpful immune support. Hundreds of studies demonstrate the power of lactoferrin to help defend you against Candida, bacteria, and viruses. It is a key player in the natural defenses that have enabled the survival of the human race.

Early immune system research on lactoferrin focused on its ability to bind iron (it puts iron in a safe cage and transports iron). It has long been known that free iron impedes immune cell function and enables many pathogenic bacteria and Candida to grow. It is rather disturbing that garbage-quality iron supplements, which rapidly produce free iron in the digestive tract, are routinely used in infant formulas, food fortification, many low-quality dietary supplements, and as prescription items for those with anemia. Such iron compromises immunity and promotes digestive imbalance and the overgrowth of harmful bacterial and Candida.

Researchers soon found that lactoferrin, in addition to its iron-sequestering talent, possessed multiple strategies for naturally bolstering immunity and knocking out problems. It prevents bacteria and Candida from forming hostile gangs (biofilms) and from sticking to human cells. It can help human cells modulate their responses to be more resistant to infection, as well as helping immune cells perform more efficiently. It can directly enter bacteria and Candida, disrupting their cell membrane and crippling their energy production systems, either killing them directly or enabling other parts of your immune system to fight a weakened opponent. It can also bind to viral particles and interfere with viral replication as well as occupy receptors on human cells and block a virus from entering.

A Sample of the Lactoferrin Research

Lactoferrin possesses two known direct anti-microbial peptides called lactoferricin B and lactoferrampin. Researchers exposed cells of Candida albicans and E. coli to lactoferrin and then watched what happened under a high power laser-scanning microscope. The lactoferrin was taken up into the cell membranes of both organisms within a few minutes, and then proceeded to disrupt the integrity of their cell membranes, which either kills them directly or enables the immune system to fight an easier battle. The researchers observed that it was the lactoferrampin peptide that disturbed Candida, whereas the lactoferricin B disrupted E. coli. This indicates that lactoferrin uses multiple strategies depending on the type of problem.

In addition to direct cell membrane damage a recent study showed how once lactoferrin entered into Candida it proceeded to wreak havoc. The lactoferrin readily absorbed into the Candida cell through the potassium channels of the Candida cell membrane (a new finding). Since nutrient influx through potassium channels would be a normal way Candida is trying to nourish itself and stay alive, it must think that lactoferrin is something of nutritional value rather than a Trojan horse. In essence this is like poking a hole in the defense shield and propping the door open. Other research shows that once this happens then calcium from the fluids outside of the Candida cell rushes in, raising the internal calcium level three fold. The excessive calcium is taken up by the Candida’s mitochondria (cell engines) which cause them to malfunction and generate massive numbers of free radicals that kill or weaken the Candida. This is a rather clever way of killing an enemy – creating a nutrient imbalance that sets off an energy-crippling and deadly chain reaction using the Candida’s own energy systems to self destruct.

At the same time, lactoferrin helps boost front line immune troops so they are better at fighting Candida. It supports the function of neutrophils and macrophages, boosting direct immune system Candida-killing ability up to 50%.

It is important that Candida not form gangs, transitioning from its form as single cell into hyphae that form the weed-like biofilms that represent a Candida overgrowth. Lactoferrin has been shown to inhibit this process, even helping drugs break up such gangs when the drugs were not effective by themselves.

Recently, researchers looked into the ability of lactoferrin to help out with infections in newborn children, as toxic sepsis resulting from such infections is a major health concern. They exposed various nasty gram positive bacteria and Candida albicans to either strong antibiotics or anti-fungal drugs in combination with lactoferrin. The synergistic combination raised effectiveness of germ-killing 50% - 90%, depending on the concentrations used. The researchers were pleased to see that less drugs were needed to get an effective killing response, an important point because the toxicity of such drugs could itself be a major problem to a newborn child.

A major point in maintaining natural Candida balance is keeping the normal Candida in your digestive tract as a single cell happy farmer and not letting it join together in a troublesome gang. A recent animal study showed that lactoferrin was able to prevent the spreading of Candida into its weed-like gang (biofilm), compared to mice that got no such help and were therefore subject to significant Candida overgrowth.

Lactoferrin is a natural component in your saliva and must be present in adequate amounts to keep Candida in balance. A study was carried out comparing 30 healthy people to 25 people with oral Candida and 35 people with oral Candida and other significant health problems. Healthy people had normal levels of lactoferrin in their saliva, whereas those with oral Candida had statistically significant low levels of lactoferrin. The lowest levels belonged to those in the worst health. Further analysis of these patients saliva showed that it lacked the ability to inhibit Candida growth. Furthermore, the immune cells in these patients’s saliva had defective weapons systems that reduced their ability to kill Candida. Several years later the same researchers continued to document that low levels of lactoferrin in the saliva were found in patients with oral candida (11 +/- 9 microg/ml, compared to the healthy level of 33 +/- 14 microg/ml). The researchers concluded “These results conclusively suggest that oral candidiasis is associated with salivary gland hypofunction and that decreases of salivary antibacterial proteins induce Candida overgrowth.”

In a novel experiment mice were immuno-suppressed with prednisone and then colonized with Candida. One group of mice was given lactoferrin and their immune systems remained competent and were able to kill Candida, compared to the non-lactoferrin mice. The lactoferrin supplement mice had less Candida in their mouths and improved function within their lymphatic system to combat Candida.

Another problem with Candida overgrowth is that it sticks to mucosal linings and spreads like a weed. A study with vaginal mucosal lining cells showed that lactoferrin not significantly reduces Candida from sticking; it actually helps detach Candida if it has already latched on. This finding is likely to apply to other mucosal linings such as the lungs, sinuses, and digestive tract.

Collectively, this information shows that lactoferrin exerts its Candida management strategies through a variety of natural mechanisms, strategies so safe they work in babies and so effective they work in everyone.

Short Chain Fatty Acids

Short chain fatty acids are known to have potent anti-bacterial and anti-Candida properties. Two of these, lauric acid (12 carbons long) and caprylic acid (8 carbons long) are found in breast milk along with lactoferrin, implying their synergistic compatibility. I have reviewed lauric acid (monolaurin) in another article. It is effective against gram positive bacteria. Interestingly, caprylic acid is helpful in combating many gram negative bacteria such as campylobacter, E. coli, and salmonella (common food contaminants). Both monolaurin and caprylic acid can kill Candida.

Undecylenic acid is yet another short chain fatty acid (11 carbons). This one is not in breast milk but occurs naturally in your sweat, no doubt helping to keep Candida in check on your skin. It has been in use as a topical antifungal for years, in many over the counter products. Importantly, it has been shown to help prevent Candida from transforming itself into the weed-like gangs that cause problems.

These simple nutritional fatty acids act as powerful natural immune support. Along with lactoferrin they form a basic approach to helping maintain Candida in a state of friendly balance that is associated with healthy digestion and overall health.

More links in the text available at http://www.wellnessresources.com/tips/articles/lactoferrin_keeping_candida_friendly/?source=Email&camp=news110308

 

[Laura]

Study links autism and wet weather

Children in California, Oregon and Washington are more likely to develop autism if they lived in counties with higher levels of annual rainfall, suggesting that something about wet weather might trigger the disorder, according to a study released Monday.

Among possible explanations: Bad weather could lead to more television and video viewing, which in very young children has been linked to language development problems.

Or staying indoors could cause a deficit of vitamin D, the "sunshine vitamin" increasingly found to play a vital role in health.

"If it rains a lot, children spend more times inside," said Sean Nicholson, a Cornell University policy analyst and an author of the study published in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. "It could be that there was something positive outside that they're getting less of, or there's something in the indoor environment that's harmful."

How about candida???

Doctors seek answers on mould mystery

Fungus expert Joan Bennett did not believe in so-called toxic mould - the cause of "sick building syndrome" and many lawsuits - until her New Orleans home was flooded during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

When she got a whiff of the foul air that the black goo had created in her home, she decided to change her research focus and try to find out how and if the fungi that took over most of the flooded homes on the Gulf Coast might make people ill.

"The overwhelming obnoxiousness of the odor and of the enveloping air made me start to believe in something that I had never believed in before - sick building syndrome," Bennett, of Rutgers University in New Jersey, told a news conference.

But it has been more difficult than she thought.

Bennett believes that moulds could potentially cause illness in certain susceptible people via volatile organic compounds - gassy versions of chemicals produced as the organisms metabolize food.

She has been unable to show this in the lab so far. But she told a joint meeting of the American Society for Microbiology and the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

She has tested various moulds on the laboratory roundworm C. elegans. "Sometimes the worm swims away and sometimes the worm does nothing and sometimes the worm eats the fungus," Bennett said.

"I am actually looking for something that has never been discovered by methods that have never been worked out."

Yet hundreds of lawsuits have been filed - and some won - by people claiming mould in their homes or workplaces has made them ill.

Dr David Denning of the University of Manchester in Britain said it is plausible that moulds and fungi would emit volatile organic compounds.

Genetic Sensitivity

If these can be found, they could form the basis of diagnosing fungal illness as well - perhaps using a breath test. People with fungal infections of the lungs, such as aspergillosis, would release these chemicals when they breathed.

"A certain group of severe asthmatics - about a million people - are sensitive to a number of different fungi," Denning told the news conference. These include Aspergillis and Candida.

"This is almost certainly a genetic issue," he added. "If you have (a) predisposition (to asthma), you probably have an additional predisposition to fungal sensitisation."

 

[Laura]

New diabetes rate up 90 percent in past decade in US

The rate of new cases of diabetes soared by about 90 percent in the United States in the past decade, fueled by growing obesity and sedentary lifestyles, U.S. health officials said on Thursday. Diabetes experts said the findings show there is no end in sight to the diabetes epidemic.

Newly diagnosed cases of diabetes rose to 9.1 per 1,000 people annually between 2005 to 2007, up from 4.8 per 1,000 from 1995 to 1997, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. {...}

Nine of the 10 states with the highest rates of new cases were in the South: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia, which had highest rate among states at 12.7 per 1,000 people. Arizona was the only state in the highest 10 not in the South.

Gonna eat your Halloween candy this year? Think again!

Candida 3
Candida albicans is a diploid fungus (a form of yeast), which is capable of sexual reproduction but not of meiosis, and a causal agent of opportunistic oral and genital infections in humans.

Systemic fungal infections (fungemias) have emerged as important causes of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients (e.g., AIDS, cancer chemotherapy, organ or bone marrow transplantation).

In addition, hospital-related infections in patients not previously considered at risk (e.g. patients in an intensive care unit) have become a cause of major health concern.

fauxbaux was very brave and recorded her experiences with this dreadful diploid creature. Good quality information and free exchange of ideas are essential for understanding of the problem - and then getting better. Go easy on that Halloween candy this year!

Candida sufferers - There Is Hope (Part 1)

Story of my struggle with systemic candida which ventures into Part 2 explaining the measures that have helped me fight it. [/quote]

Go to link to see videos and rest of story.

The three best reasons why you should avoid fructose like the plague ASAP

We all know that consuming sugar can be detrimental to your weight loss plans, especially if you are livin' la vida low-carb. The overconsumption of sugar is arguably one of the most ignored causes of obesity, diabetes, and other health ailments in the world today. But why has sugar become such a major part of our society unlike in past generations? It all goes back to around the time my generation was born in the early 1970s when manufacturers decided to stop using sucrose, aka table sugar, as the primary sweetening agent found in most soft drinks at the time and switch it over to fructose, a form of sugar extracted from fruit, instead. Sounds innocent enough, doesn't it? But not so fast. Prior to the switch from sucrose to fructose in the 1970s, the average American consumed about 1/2 pound of fructose, mostly in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), annually. In 1997, wanna know how much fructose people in the United States were eating? Hold on to your hat because this is a SHOCKER - 60 POUNDS A YEAR!!!

The part that really stinks to high heaven is the fact that HFCS is in EVERYTHING nowadays. It's almost impossible to pick up very many foods at all in your local grocery store without coming across this health menace. That's one of the major concerns science journalist Michael Pollan shared in his outstanding book The Omnivore's Dilemma. You may be wondering what's so bad about fructose compared with sucrose. There are three primary metabolic issues at work that should shed some light on this:

- Fructose needs the liver to break it down

The process of metabolizing fructose uses up lots of energy molecules called Adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. When this happens, the body reacts by feeling really tired and repeating this strain on the liver has been found to cause fatty liver disease and could lead to metabolic syndrome. Additionally, the more fructose that is in your system, the greater risk you are putting the protein in your body. And that's not a good thing at all!

- Fructose needs sucrose to be absorbed properly

The abundance of fructose combined with the lack of sucrose in the modern diet means most people are putting a strain on their lower intestine to digest the fructose. This causes pain gas and abdominal issues, including bloating and diarrhea.

- Fructose doesn't just add calories, it's harmful on its own

While most of the so-called health "experts" talk about sugary sodas as merely "empty calories," the fact is the fructose in them is what causes the most problems in the weight and health of those who consume it.

This is a scary thought for me personally because I used to consume the equivalent of 16-20 cans of Coca-Cola on a daily basis before I started on a low-carb lifestyle change. That's about 45g sugar, all in the form of high fructose corn syrup, per can. So I was guzzling down - BRACE YOURSELF - upwards of 900 grams of sugar (much of which is fructose) just in my soda consumption before going on the Atkins diet. And we won't even talk about the HFCS that was in all those snack cakes I used to eat, too! EEEEEEK! I thank the good Lord above that I didn't do major damage to my body putting my body through fructose shock treatment because the negative side effects of this sugar are difficult to ignore despite the best efforts being made to defend HFCS by the apologists at the Corn Refiner's Association. They assert that it is merely a natural product that everyone should be eating as part of their healthy diet. Yeah right! Just wait until you see what this stuff does to your body and we'll see if you buy into that lie.

Studies have already shown that fructose speeds up the process of becoming obese, but it gets even worse than that! Fructose is KNOWN to raise your triglycerides which also leads to obesity and metabolic syndrome. Uric acid is raised in the body and the risk of getting gout increases leading to inflammation of the arteries which rapidly begins clogging your arteries (see, it's not the fat you consume, but the SUGAR in the form of fructose that leads to cardiovascular problems). Many people also have fructose intolerance, similar to lactose intolerance with milk-based products, that causes their body to experience severe cramping, gas, stomach pain, indigestion, and worse. In light of my horrendous consumption of 900+ grams of fructose just from sodas before 2004, you might think you can get away with a lot less of that with no ill effects. But you would be wrong. The fact is all you need is as little as 60g fructose commonly found in ONE large soft drink from McDonald's or Super Big Gulp from 7-11 and the potential damage to your liver and the accumulation of body fat will commence. Is there any wonder how my weight ever got to be over 400 pounds now?

The scary part about fructose is that it is not just in sugary soda. Most people get hundreds of grams MORE of this stuff in their body when they eat foods like bread, cookies, cake, ketchup (yep, HFCS is in it, too!), snack cakes, and even fruit. You'll notice all of those foods just happen to be HIGH-CARB, too, so it's yet another reason why you should be livin' la vida low-carb. But even those of us on the low-carb lifestyle should be mindful of the fructose that is put in barbecue sauce and other grilling condiments because of something known as advanced glycoslated end products, or AGEs. This one should be easy to remember because AGEs lead to an advancement in aging. We already know a high-carb/high-sugar diet leads to age-related macular degeneration and a whole host of other health ailments, but this one should make you pay close attention. AGEs are created when a chemical reaction happens from proteins being heated in combination with fructose sugars. Toasting or grilling leads to a process known as cartelization where the protein reacts to the fructose it comes in contact with to cause stiffening of the arteries and an increase in blood pressure. The AGEs also damage your kidneyes, eyes, and essential organs. Our bodies will absorb 10 percent of the AGEs we consume - enough to cause some serious damage if you are not careful.

Fructose and all other sweetners feed candida.

White Sugar Now Coming From Genetically-Modified Sugar Beets

This year saw the first commercial planting of genetically modified (GM) sugar beets in the United States, with that sugar to hit the food supply soon after.

Farmers across the country will soon be planting Monsanto's Roundup Ready sugar beet, genetically engineered for resistance to Monsanto's herbicide glyphosate (marketed as Roundup). John Schorr, agriculture manager for Amalgamated Sugar, estimates that 95 percent of the sugar beet crop in Idaho will be of the new GM variety in 2008, or a total of 150,000 out of 167,000 acres.

Approximately 1.4 million acres of sugar beets are planted in the United States each year, primarily in Minnesota and North Dakota's Red River Valley, as well as the Pacific Northwest, Great Plains and Great Lakes areas.

In response to the anticipated flood of GM sugar onto the food market, the consumer group Citizens for Health has launched an email campaign to pressure three major sugar and candy companies to refuse the new product. In 2001, American Crystal Sugar, Hershey's and M&M Mars all promised that they would not use GM sugar; Citizens for Health is asking consumers to email those companies from the group's Web site and urge them to keep that promise.

"Since half of the granulated sugar in the U.S. comes from sugar beets, the infiltration of GE sugar beets represents a significant alteration of our food supply," Citizens for Health says on its Web site. "Unlike traditional breeding, genetic engineering creates new life forms that would never occur in nature, creating new and unpredictable health and environmental risks."

In 1999, candy companies' refusal to purchase GM sugar scuttled Monsanto's first attempt to introduce Roundup Ready sugar beets.

 

[Mountain Crown]

There is an extraordinary use of High Fructose Corn Syrup in the food industry.

 

[agni]

Would two week fasting eliminate condida or it can survive through that ?

The following really struck a chord with me, it pretty much sums me up:

Males with Candida tend to get these labels:

* Chronic Prostatitis

* Hyperactive

* Learning Disabilities

* Attention Deficit Disorder

* Conduct Disorder

* Anger or Rage Disorders

* Alcoholic

* Drug Addict

* Anti-social Disorder

* Autism

The instigator in all these conditions can be Candida. Several other factors such as food allergies, hypoglycemia, nutritional deficiencies, chemical sensitivities etc, may be the culprit as well, but these too are all part of the Candida syndrome. Where you find one, you usually find the others.

One of the most common organs to be affected by Candida is the brain and the nervous system. When this happens, it results in a variety of Candida symptoms in males that exhibit themselves as psychological or cognitive problems.

Other common Candida symptoms in males that don't fall under an actual disorder label may consist of irritability, cognitive difficulties, depression, inability to concentrate, fatigue, restlessness, anxiety, forgetfulness, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, frequent stomach aches, indigestion, heartburn, excessive shyness or feelings of being self-conscious, rashes and many more.

Did i just get hosed by candida thinking i am being self-conscious ? :o

As children males with Candida typically experienced a lot of earaches, which resulted in antibiotics that only aggravated the Candida. As children and as men they may get in fights a lot and have difficulty excelling in school. They may be underachievers, due to Candida inhibiting brain function.

I grew up in a city with very high level of pollution: Oil refinery, chemical plant (polymers) and protein-vitamin-factory (i am not sure if i am translating it right. It's "белково витаминнык комбинат" in rus.)

The last one as far as i know is a major source of Candida since they grow misc. bacteria cultures there. So the whole town seems to be constantly exposed to Candida.

Now i am wonder if high crime & aggressiveness of the people in town i grew up are related to Candida. 80% of teens seem to be involved or had ties to street gangs, where they did nothing but get drunk and beat up or pick on people just out of entertainment and showed no regard to any other human being.