Candida- The Silent Epidemic

[Gaby]

I forgot to add Rice to the bad list and Oats to the good list.

Remember that oats are considered a source of gluten too and whole rice (not white rice) it is a very nutritious option.

 

[tridean]

I think the rice traded on commodity exchanges is white rice

 

[ScioAgapeOmnis]

Did anyone look into activated charcoal to help detoxify the body?

Here is an article that describes the detoxification and medicinal properties of activated charcoal:

_http://www.quantumbalancing.com/news/charcoal_poultice.htm

Activated Charcoal Universal Antidote and Detoxifier
Richard C. Kaufman, Ph.D.

Activated charcoal is a highly absorbent gritty black material commonly found in air and water filters. Activated charcoal is created by carbonizing organic matter in a kiln under anaerobic conditions and activating the material with oxidizing gases like steam or air at high temperatures. This oxidative process erodes the charcoals internal surfaces and increases its adsorption capacity by creating an internal network of very fine pores. Usually bone char, coconut shells, peat, coal, petroleum coke, and sawdust are the starting materials for making activated charcoal.

Early Uses Of Charcoal

The medical uses for charcoal date back to the Egyptian Papyrus of 1550 B.C. During the time of Hippocrates (400 B.C.) physicians treated epilepsy and anthrax with charcoal. In the 1700s charcoal was often prescribed for bilious problems (excessive bile excretion). After the development of the charcoal activation process (1870 to 1920), many reports appeared in medical journals about activated charcoal as an antidote for poisons and a cure for intestinal disorders.

Contemporary Charcoal Use

Modern research has validated most of the early uses for charcoal and discovered exciting new applications. This article will discuss the many important therapeutic uses for activated charcoal;(1,6)

* Universal antidote for drugs, chemicals and poisons.
* Systemic clearance of drugs and intoxicants.
* General detoxification.
* Anti-aging and life extension.
* Reducing cholesterol, coronary disease and arteriosclerosis.
* Counteracting pathogens.
* Intestinal complaints.

Antidote For Drugs, Chemicals and Poisons

Activated charcoal has the well-earned reputation of being a universal antidote. It can adsorb most organic chemicals, many inorganic chemicals and countless poisonous substances before they can cause harm. How well activated charcoal really works in practical situations depends on several different factors:(8)

* The type of toxicant (its chemical structure and physical properties)
* The amount and type of charcoal ingested.
* The length of time from toxin ingestion to activated charcoal ingestion.
* The contents of your intestinal fluids and intestinal transport efficiency.

As a general rule, a single large dose of activated charcoal should be taken as soon as possible after ingesting a poison. The amount of activated charcoal should exceed the toxic substance by a factor of eight (a ratio of 8:1). In other words, if youre poisoned with 5 grams of a chemical, you need to take at least 40 grams of activated charcoal. Other researchers recommend different dosages. Some experts believe a 10 to 1 ratio is correct. Still other experts recommend a fixed amount of 50 to 100 grams. I recommend ingesting a minimum of 50 grams of activated charcoal as a counterpoison, because ingesting large amounts of activated charcoal is harmless, and taking too little is ineffective. Besides, how often in the case of an emergency can you precisely determine the amount of the poison?

The actual effectiveness of the activated charcoal will vary, so take more than you think you require. Activated charcoal should be taken within 30 minutes of ingesting the poison. The longer the delay, the less effective activated charcoal will be. On some poisons delaying more than 30 minutes decreases the effectiveness of the activated charcoal as an antidote by up to 60%. The bottom line is plain and simple. Keeping activated charcoal in your medicine cabinet and taking it if you are poisoned could save your life and your money too. It has been estimated that use of activated charcoal for treating poisonings could reduce the stay in intensive care from 3 or 4 days to one, saving over $100,000,000 in health care costs and preventing unnecessary disability and death.(11)

Systemic Clearance of Drugs and Intoxicants

Nowadays, activated charcoal is often used to clear drugs and intoxicants that can enter the body through the intestinal tract, and even by injection and other routes. The systemic clearance of toxic substances or detoxification by activated charcoal is accomplished by taking multiple daily doses. Activated charcoal detoxifies the body in several manners:(4)

Purifies the 6-8 liters of digestive fluids that are secreted daily which in turn helps remove foreign substances from the blood.

Absorbs the intoxicant substance and its metabolites that are excreted into the small intestine from the biliary (bile) tract, preventing their reabsorption.

Absorbs drugs that diffuse back into the stomach and intestines.

Decreases the detoxification work load of the liver.

Activated charcoal shortens the time it takes an intoxicant to leave the system and decreases the duration and intensity of symptoms.(15) People who take activated charcoal after drinking alcohol or taking recreational drugs such as cocaine or amphetamines recover quicker. I recommend activated charcoal as part of a drug recovery program to ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce drug craving. Other nutrients that help are the neurotransmitter precursors L-Tyrosine, L-Tryptophan, L-Phenylalanine, Choline and DMAE (Dimethylaminoethanol).

Even experts disagree on the best way of using multiple doses of activated charcoal to remove intoxicants. Most protocols are based on experience with drug overdosages. In actual clinical situations, the activated charcoal regimen is optimized to the patient. The doctor considers the type of toxic substance, severity of intoxification, digestive functions and electrolyte balance. For mild overdoses and intoxification, I suggest up to 80-100 grams divided into 4-6 daily doses of powdered activated charcoal until the symptoms are eliminated. Consult an expert who can optimize your regimen. For a dangerous overdosage call your physician or hospital imwww.ely.

General Detoxification

Very few health practitioners realize that activated charcoal is the best single supplement for enhancing detoxification. Detoxification is an on-going biological process that prevents toxins (from infectious agents, food, air, water, and substances that contact the skin) from destroying health. Chronic exposure to toxins produces cellular damage, diverse diseases, allergic like reactions, compromised immunity and premature aging.(14)

To use activated charcoal in a detoxification plan, I recommend about 20 grams a day of powdered activated charcoal be taken in divided daily doses for several months or the duration of the detoxification program.

In addition to activated charcoal, the ideal detoxification prescription includes sauna baths, exercise, a special diet, and supplements (unsaturated fatty acids, vitamin C, niacin, proteolytic (protein digesting) enzymes, liver support phytonutrients and a comprehensive multiple nutrient formula.(9)

Anti-Aging and Life Extension Dr. V. V. Frolkis, a famous Russian Gerontologist, and his colleagues have discovered that activated charcoal is a potent life-extending agent. Activated charcoal has been found to increase the mean lifespan of older test animals by approximately 40% and their maximum lifespan by approximately 34%.(2)

Activated charcoal decreases the age-related increase in the brains sensitivity to drugs and toxins.

Activated charcoal normalizes cholesterol and lipid metabolism.

The regular use of activated charcoal improves the adaptive functioning of essential organs (the liver, kidneys, and adrenals). That translates into better defense mechanisms.

Microscopic tissue analysis shows that activated charcoal prevents many cellular changes associated with aging-decreased protein synthesis, lower RNA activity, arteriosclerosis, and organ fibrosis. So the cumulative effects from activated charcoal are longer life and improved overall health.(19)

A recommended protocol for anti-aging and life extension benefits is as follows: On two consecutive days each week, take about 30 grams each day of powdered activated charcoal in divided daily doses. Take charcoal in the morning, at midday and before bed on an empty stomach. Avoid excessive calories or unhealthy foods on those days.

Reducing Cholesterol and Coronary Artery Disease You can help your heart and circulatory system by taking activated charcoal. Activated charcoal lowers the concentration of total lipids, cholesterol, and triglycerides in the blood serum, liver, heart and brain. In one study that was reported in the British journal, Lancet, on patients with high cholesterol, 8 gm of activated charcoal taken three times a day lowered total cholesterol 25%, lowered LDL cholesterol 41% and doubled their HDL/LDL (high-density lipoprotein/low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol ratio. Microscopic tissue examination studies have shown that a daily dose of activated charcoal may prevent sclerotic changes in the heart and coronary blood vessels. To help your heart and blood vessels, I suggest the following: 12-17 grams of activated charcoal twice a day for one month under the guidance of a physician who can measure cardiovascular improvements and cholesterol levels.(5,15)

Counteracting Pathogens

Activated charcoal reduces the activity of some viruses. So if you catch a cold or the flu, try activated charcoal. You may suffer less and heal faster. Activated charcoal also prevents the poisonous activity of many harmful bacteria in the human body by adsorbing the toxins and enzymes that they generate. Studies have shown that activated charcoal is an effective treatment for dysentery, cholera, and many infectious conditions of the digestive tract.(16,17)

Systemic Candidiasis

Activated charcoal can be an effective adjunct to any regimen for the treatment of systemic Candida albicans infections. Activated charcoal adsorbs much of the toxins that Candida produces that otherwise would be absorbed by the blood and carried throughout the body. These toxins produce pathological changes in tissues and organs and interfere with proper immune function. Candida toxins cause allergic reactions and are responsible for the debilitating symptoms of Candidiasis.

Activated charcoal also suppresses the growth of intestinal-based yeasts.(3) Activated charcoal counteracts the Herxheimer reaction--a severe, short-term exacerbation of Candida symptoms caused by the copious amount of toxins produced by dying yeast cells. The Herxheimer reaction is often so unpleasant that patients abandon treatment before completion. Activated charcoal is one method for alleviating the symptoms of yeast die-off so people can continue their treatment and not suffer.

I suggest 20-30 grams of powdered activated charcoal a day in divided dosages on an empty stomach until the problem is eliminated. The larger amount is taken for more severe situations. Again, a reminder: do not take required medications within 2 hours of taking activated charcoal.

Intestinal Complaints

Activated charcoal has been used by physicians since the last century to treat various intestinal complaints. Abdominal distension (bloating) and flatulence respond favorably to treatment with activated charcoal. Diarrhea caused by food poisoning, bacteria, nervousness and other factors is usually alleviated by taking activated charcoal.(10) Some physicians have used activated charcoal to stop bleeding from ulcerative colitis and calm spastic colons.(12) Activated charcoal is the best intestinal deodorant available. Taking activated charcoal counteracts decomposition products from food (such as beans) that cause flatulence and diarrhea. Individuals with malodorous stools should reach for activated charcoal. Travelers to foreign countries would be wise to pack activated charcoal. In my opinion, activated charcoal is the most practical way to effectively counteract food poisoning. To alleviate intestinal disorders with activated charcoal, I recommend the following. As an antidote for food poisoning, take 20 grams of activated charcoal two to three times daily. For other intestinal complaints, 5 to 10 grams of powdered activated charcoal twice daily.

Charcoal Is Safe

Toxicology studies have proven that activated charcoal is basically harmless. Ingesting high dosages does not interfere with sleep, appetite or well being--or cause major problems. There are several undesirable effects of using activated charcoal that can be avoided by complying with the following directions. Activated charcoal is highly adsorbent; when it is ingested at the same time as medication, supplements and foods it may decrease their absorption and utilization. Therefore, always allow 2 hours before and wait 2 hours after using activated charcoal to eat, take supplements or swallow medication. Activated charcoal has a natural tendency to cause constipation. That can be counteracted by taking a mild herbal laxative with the activated charcoal. Finally activated charcoal harmlessly blackens your stools. Although black-gray stools look strange, they can be used to calculate your bowel transit time. Just measure the length of time from taking activated charcoal to the appearance of darkened stools.

Not All Charcoal is Alike

Numerous companies manufacture activated charcoals, each of which can have different adsorptive capacities. Different source materials and manufacturing procedures give each brand of activated charcoal its own pore diameters and internal volume that determine its adsorption capacity. The U.S.P. (United States Pharmacopoeia) standard for activated charcoal specifies an internal surface area of 1000 m2/g (square meters per gram). Recently, several companies have begun manufacturing Super activated charcoals, with up to 3 times the internal surface area per gram and far greater adsorption power than standard activated charcoal.(3)

Powders, Capsules, or Tablets? Because of the large volume of charcoal that is needed, it is easiest to take liquid preparation of charcoal powder. For example, to take 30 grams of charcoal a day in capsules would require that you swallow about 60 capsules. Furthermore, activated charcoal tablets are not effective. They take too long to disintegrate and release the activated charcoal.

Ideal Charcoal Preparation - (see VRPs EnteraKlenz)

Unfortunately, a simple water and charcoal mixture is unpalatable and messy. It tastes like a charcoal briquette, and blackens your teeth, gums and tongue. These problems can be avoided by ingesting a powdered activated charcoal complex that contains a thickening agent like bentonite, with added flavors and mild sweeteners.

Research studies showed that that the addition of bentonite significantly improved the palatability of an activated charcoal and water slurry. Bentonite acts as thickening agent that reduces powdery mouth-feel and improves the taste without reducing the efficacy of activated charcoal. In fact, bentonite is an enterosorption agent and a poison antidote in its own right. For example, bentonite has been shown to bind and reduce the poison paraquat. The addition of chocolate further enhances the palatability of activated charcoal in research studies and practical experience.(12,13)

Reprinted with permission of Journal Of The Megahealth Society, Vol. 5, No. 3, Issue #23 ISSN 0891-5334. Copyright 1989 by MegaHealth Society, now Cognitive Enhancement Research Institute (CERI), publishers of Smart Life News. CERI explores the latest research and treatment for Alzheimerss, Parkinsons, Downs syndrome and age-associated mental impairment in normal, healthy adults.

References
D.O. Cooney, Activated Charcoal Antidotal and other Medical Uses. Marcel Dekker, New York and Basel, 1983.
V. Frolkis, et al., Enterosorption in prolonging old animal life. Exp. Gerontol. 19; 217-25, 1984.
E.P. Krenzelok and M. B. Heller, In vivo comparative effectiveness of five commercial activated charcoal products. Vet. Hum. Toxicol, 28; 498, 1986.
K. Kulig, et al., Management of acutely poisoned patients without gastric emptying. Ann. Emerg. Med. 114:562-67, 1985.
P. Kuusisto, et al., Effect of activated charcoal on hypercholesterolemia. Lancet 16: 366-67, August 1986.
J. Mattson and H. J. Mark, Activated Carbon. Marcel Dekker, New York and Basel, 1971.
G. Park, et al., Expanded role of charcoal in the poisoned and overdosed patient. Arch. Int. Med. 146: 969-73, 1986.
Reduction of Human Organchalide Burdens, Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education, Los Angeles, California, 1983.
J. A. Riese and F. Damrac, Use of activated charcoal in gastroenterology: value for flatulence and nervous diarrhea. J. Am. Ger. Soc. 12: 500, 1964.
W. Watson, Factors influencing the clinical efficacy of activated charcoal. Drug Intelligence and Clinical Pharmacy 21: 160-66, 1987.
Navarro RP; Navarro KR; Krenzelok EP Relative efficacy and palatability of three activated charcoal mixtures. Vet Hum Toxicol, 19(8):6-9 1980 Feb.
Gwilt PR; Perrier D Influence of thickening agents on the antidotal efficacy of activated charcoal. Clin Toxicol, 19(8):89-92 1976.
Topuzov EG; Beliakov NA; Malachev MM; Umerov AK; Solomennikov AV; Gritsenko IV; Kokaia AA Use of enterosorption in biliary tract cancers complicated with mechanical jaundice. Vopr Onkol, 42(2):100-3 1996.
Beloshitski(r)i VV A clinico-biochemical basis for the use of enterosorption in severe craniocerebral trauma Lik Sprava, 42(5):145-8 1997 Sep-Oct.
Krylov AA; Beliakov NA; Sapego AV; Stolov SV Enterosorption in ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract with concomitant intestinal dysbacteriosis Ter Arkh, 68(2):24-7 1996.
Riechkina OO A clinical assessment of the detoxifying effect of enterosorption in treating tuberculosis of the respiratory organs in children Lik Sprava, 5(5):62-4 1998 Aug.
Andreichyn MA; Lutsuk OS; Andreichyn SM; Kopcha VS [The enterosorption treatment of patients with acute intestinal infections and chronic colitis with diarrhea Lik Sprava, EA-(7-9):147-51 1996 Jul-Sep.
Andreichyn MA; Lutsuk OS; Andreichyn SM; Kopcha VS Enterosorption as a method for prolonging life. Fiziol Cheloveka, 22(7-9):131-5 1996 May-Jun.

The above link also explains how to make a poultice from it (a paste of activated charcoal + water + flaxseed to help keep it together I guess on a paper towel and taped to the area of the liver or wherever you want to apply it). But I don't know how effective such a thing would be, more research is needed for this, but also for the benefits of taking it orally - which according to the above article seem to be pretty darn good.

Here's a link that lists more uses of charcoal, many of which seem safe to try to test its effectiveness:
_http://www.betterthangreens.com/Catalog_208.html

Charcoal and its Effectiveness

INJURY There was a lady who had injury underneath her eyes after falling. Her whole head was painful and her cheeks were swollen. After applying a hot charcoal poultice, her pain and swelling subsided. A boy fell on a rock and injured his knee severely. He was taken to the doctor but there was no improvement of his injury. He was given hot and cold treatment twice a day followed with a charcoal poultice. A few weeks later, his swelling was gone and his health returned again.

FEVER Don't use ice on the head when fever is present. Use cold water instead. Use hot poultice over the abdomen area. Place a charcoal poultice and heat on the abdomen and drink charcoal mixed with water. It's more effective to use hot water than cold ice.

INFECTION OF THE EYES AND EARS When the eye gets red due to infection, apply poultice. If the eye feels better with a hot poultice, apply hot charcoal poultice. Otherwise, use a cold charcoal poultice. For ear infection, apply charcoal poultice externally over the infected ear.

INDIGESTION, DIARRHEA, GAS, STOMACH ULCER, ULCERATIVE COLITIS, BED-RIDDEN PATIENTS Mix 1-2 teaspoonful of charcoal powder with a cup of water and drink using straw or take 2 capsules or 4 tablets 3-4 times a day. Take charcoal powder and olive oil mixture for indigestion to cleanse the stomach and bring healing. Take 1-2 teaspoons of charcoal and mix with 1,000cc of water and let the charcoal settle. Use the water for charcoal sensitive children, ulcer patients and people suffering constipation instead of water for the most effective results.

HALITOSIS (BAD BREATH) Brush teeth with charcoal powder or hold charcoal tablet in the mouth. Avoid overeating and snacking. Use charcoal tablet in the mouth or rub charcoal powder on the infected area for infection or sore.

SNAKE OR SPIDER BITE Mix charcoal powder with olive oil or flaxseed powder and water. Put over the bite to relieve pain and adsorb poison. Use a charcoal poultice as soon as possible. In case of snake bite, change the poultice every 10-15 minutes and take 10 tablets or 2-3 tablespoons of charcoal. If the pain continues, place ice bag over the bite and continuously injestcharcoal.

INFLAMMATION AND INFECTION Activated charcoal adsorbs bacteria, virus, bacterial poison, hormone, tissue fluid, and pus to prevent swelling and infection from external wounds, bacteria, poison, and allergies. Renowned leader of preventive medicine Ellen G. White wrote, "When the patient was agonizing due to pain and indicated that he was dying, I recommended charcoal poultice. I have suggested use of charcoal and the patient was able to fall into deep sleep and was healed. I prescribed this treatment to the students who had infection due to injury on the hand. Infection was removed; pain was relieved and was quickly healed. I think you might laugh at this but if I could give this treatment a strange name and use it then it would be effective to a well-known doctor."

INFANT JAUNDICE An infant had a high bilirubin level was given charcoal water (1/2 teaspoon mixed with a cup of water) every 2-3 hours. It's more effective to feed charcoal water when the infant is 4 hours than 12 hours. Feed charcoal water to infant until baby can't drink anymore. Remove all clothing and sunbath baby 1 hour per day.

SORE MOUTH, THROAT AND TONSILLITIS Rub charcoal powder inside the mouth. Use charcoal powder to brush teeth. Mouth will be blackened but the healing will be faster because charcoal will cleanse the mouth. In some cases, sleep with the charcoal tablet. Soar throat is healed also with the same method. Use the same method for tonsillitis and apply charcoal poultice for faster recovery.

SPRAIN Few months ago, my mom called, asking what she should do for ankle sprain. I told her to place the ankle in the hot water for 3 minutes and the cold water for 30 seconds and keep going from hot water to cold water for 15-20 minutes. Then make a charcoal poultice to place over her sprained ankle. After that regimen, she became a missionary because she has experienced the effectiveness of charcoal.

BEE STING I was stung on the cheek; my friend on the palm, my neighbor was stung on the right eyelid, and another person on his leg. All of us used charcoal poultice over and were able to experience relief.

GASOLINE, PETROLEUM, LIGHTER GAS Intake large amount of charcoal to adsorb these toxins.

DAMAGED LIVER Charcoal adsorbs poisons from the bloodstream which stops the spreading of poison caused by damaged liver. Take large dose of charcoal to prevent blood from getting poisoned.

IMPROPER METABOLISM Six adult kidney failure patients were given activated charcoal for 4-8 weeks. Their triglyceride level was decreased by 67%. The patients experience itchiness due to chronic kidney failure can benefit from taking charcoal.

INGESTED POISONOUS MUSHROOM A person who ingested poisonous mushrooms within the past 24 hours can be effectively treated by charcoal. An unconcious patient should be administered charcoal by the gastrointestinal method.

PAIN Abdominal pain, pain from sore throat, sprain, arthritis, pleurisy, and any other pain can be relieved by charcoal poultice. It only takes 10 minutes to subdue pain.

SYMPTOMS FROM OVER USING TYLENOL, ASPIRIN Take charcoal. As soon as poisonous substance was taken, take charcoal (twice as much as the poisonous substance) mixed in water. Continue to take charcoal (8-10 times more than the poisonous substance).

ANEMIA AND PAIN DUE TO CANCER Anemia due to poison caused by cancer can be treated with charcoal. The hemolytic poison can be adsorbed by charcoal and pain in other parts of the body can be relieved by charcoal poultice. The dog that had cancer was treated with charcoal poultice, was cured of cancer whereas the mouse didn't have such a great result.
POISON IVY Take 8 tablets, 4 capsules or take 2 tablespoons of powdered charcoal 2 times a day, everyday and take charcoal bath (add charcoal to bath water). Use charcoal poultice on the area affected.

PROPERTIES OF CHARCOAL

Because charcoal can pack molecules of ammonia gas into its crevices, it can attract and hold 80 quarts of ammonia gas per one quart of pulverized charcoal! This process is called adsorption, or attaching onto rather than taking inside, as in absorption.

In 1733, Scheele made an experiment with charcoal in which a gas was trapped in an inverted tube with charcoal, the lower end of the tube being submerged in a container of mercury. As the gas was adsorbed by the charcoal, a vacuum appeared in the tube and sucked the mercury up into the tube.

Pharmacist P.F. Touery, in 1831, making a demonstration of the effectiveness of charcoal before the French Academy of Medicine, survived after swallowing 15 grams of strychnine (ten times the lethal dose) and an equal amount of charcoal --about three tablespoonfuls.

Charred toast and other scorched food in the kitchen are fats, carbohydrates, and mineral salts, the very parts burned away in charcoal, leaving only charred cellulose.

The skeletal structure remaining in true charcoal is inert, where as the remaining substances in charred food can react unhealthfully with the body, and even act as cancer-producing agents.

The activation process was not invented until after the turn of the 20th century, but charcoal was already recognized as a useful healing agent even though only regular charcoal was then in use.

Following activation of charcoal with pressurized steam or strong acid, the surface area of one cubic centimeter is 1,000 square meters!
This expanded surface is due to the fact that charcoal particles have thousands of crevices, pits, grooves, and holes which, when opened out, make quite a large surface area.

USE OF CHARCOAL

When Do You Use Charcoal?

Charcoal is used for internal and external infection and poisoning. Cases of injury, fever, eye and ear infection, gastritis, internal disorders, halitosis, poisonous spider or insect bites, bee sting or snake bite, any inflammation, colitis, indigestion, cellulites, diarrhea, gas, jaundice, and ingestion of gasoline, petroleum, lighter oil can be benefited.

How Much Charcoal Do You Take?

Charcoal comes in powder, capsule, and tablet form. For a normal adult, 1 tablespoon of powder, 3-4 tablets, or 2-3 capsules can be taken. Take 2-3 times a day.


Reference: There is a theory that if you take charcoal regularly for a long time, bodily nutrients can become insufficient. We don't recommend taking charcoal regularly over a year but up to 12 weeks, there seems to be no problem. If you take charcoal powder, make sure mix it with water, otherwise, charcoal powder can enter into

Different Charcoal Usage:

Gastric disorder, colitis, liver disorder and other internal disorders: mix honey 200 gram (7 oz.), olive oil 200 gram(7 oz.), charcoal 300 gram (1.5 cup), eucalyptus oil 5 drops then take 1-2 spoonfuls morning and night.

For tonsillitis, infection in abdomen, and sore throat: use a charcoal poultice for hot and cold treatment. Ingest 1-2 tablespoons of charcoal.

The wikipedia article mentions some of those uses as well:
_http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Activated_carbon

What I do know is that it is used in water and air filtration systems (like in a fishtank). Many sources also claim that activated charcoal is probably the best known odor eliminator in a room. Just put fist-sized pouch somewhere in a stinky room and within a day or so or that stink should be gone and it should last for a few months before needing replacement or re-activation. It is also used to keep fridges and freezers fresh and odor-free, which is good to prevent odor contamination where odor from food influences how other food smells and tastes. There is a cute little product that uses activated charcoal called "Fridge It" that is like a purple cube that you can hang in your fridge.

Apparently it is an even better odor absorber than baking soda, which is traditionally known to be a good one. The advantage of baking soda is you can use it directly on fabrics and carpets to suck up all the bad smells out of them (including smelly cars), just sprinkle a thin layer on the fabric and leave overnight and vacuum the next day and voila.

Also, it seems white vinegar is in a similar league with baking soda for being great odor eliminator and simultaneously a multi-purpose cleaning agent just like baking soda. It seems to me that if you have some activated carbon (charcoal), baking soda, and white vinegar, you can basically totally avoid practically all chemical cleaning products.

A bunch of uses for baking soda, some being medicinal too like for rashes, burns, and insect bites:
_http://lifehackery.com/2008/07/22/home-4/

A bunch of uses for white vinegar (I think apple cider vinegar would work too but that one is way more smelly):
_http://www.vinegartips.com/

Those 3 items which apparently are completely non-toxic and edible have so many uses it makes me wonder why anyone would ever need expensive and harmful chemicals in the house.

 

[seek10]

Something I just stumbled upon.

Looking at all those foods we need to avoid, and then comparing them to the commodities that make up the Ag and Soft commodities markets (I trade markets), the list is long with all these foods to avoid - have a look at this:

Sugar
Wheat
Coffee
Cocoa
Orange Juice
Corn

I don't know about Soy, what is the situation with Soy.

The only other edibles on the list of traded commodities is Cattle and Hogs

Is cocoa part of anti-candida diet?. I see some contradictory information regarding this on internet.

 

[Nathan]

Correct me if I'm wrong but cocoa should be fine if there's no added sugar. You'd just want pure cocoa (organic if possible). By itself, it shouldn't taste anything less than extremely bitter. You can always add xylitol anyway.

 

[Renaissance]

Correct me if I'm wrong but cocoa should be fine if there's no added sugar. You'd just want pure cocoa (organic if possible). By itself, it shouldn't taste anything less than extremely bitter. You can always add xylitol anyway.

I suppose one of the reasons some may recommend staying away from coco is because it has small amounts of caffeine...and that feeds the beast.

 

[seek10]

Correct me if I'm wrong but cocoa should be fine if there's no added sugar. You'd just want pure cocoa (organic if possible). By itself, it shouldn't taste anything less than extremely bitter. You can always add xylitol anyway.

I suppose one of the reasons some may recommend staying away from coco is because it has small amounts of caffeine...and that feeds the beast.

you right , it does contain caffeine.

Does cocoa contain caffeine?

Yes, in very small quantities.
Cocoa beans

Cocoa beans undergo a process of drying and fermentation to develop the flavour and colour. The amount of caffeine in the beans varies with the type of beans and the degree of fermentation.

In an analysis of cocoa from various sources the following percentages of caffeine were found:

Percentage of Caffeine

Average (22 samples) 0.214

Maximum 0.416

Minimum .0162
Cocoa powder

Cocoa powder contains caffeine. Depending on the degree of fermentation and the type of cocoa beans, the caffeine content will vary from 0.1-0.5%. In cocoa powders made from well fermented African cocoa beans the caffeine proportion is in general very low: 0.1% or less.
Chocolate

Levels of caffeine range from 2 to 23 milligrams in a typical 40 gram bar of milk chocolate and from 2 to 7 milligrams in a 227 gram glass of chocolate milk; both are the equivalent of that found in cups of decaffeinated coffee. A 28 gram piece of bittersweet (dark) chocolate contains from 5 to 35 milligrams of caffeine, still well under the approximately 75 milligrams of caffeine found in a 227 gram cup of instant coffee or the 140 milligrams found in the same amount of brewed coffee.
Cocoa butter

References:
The cocoa manual. Cacao de Zaan, 1993, p 91-92)
Chocolate and health. A scientific overview for the health professional. Chocolate Manufacturers Association of the USA, 1997

 

[Sinapi]

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for contributing to this thread and educating everyone about candida and its effects on human health. There's an absolute treasure trove of information here. :)

I'm kind of confused about whether or not mushrooms are okay for the diet. I've been on the diet fairly strictly (absolutely no gluten or refined sugars, only fruits eaten are tomatoes and peppers etc.), and I have not eaten any mushrooms or other edible fungi, because I've read that candida feeds on fungi. However, one of my friends keeps asserting that mushrooms have anti-fungal properties and are good for you, so I did a little bit of research. In addition to what spyraal mentioned about them, I saw that this guy named Paul Stamens, who is an expert mycologist, said that quite a few species of mushrooms have antimicrobial properties towards candida, including shiitake mushrooms. Part of the book that said that bit can be found here:__http://books.google.com/books?id=NPI8_-omzvsC&pg=PA296&lpg=PA296&dq=paul+stamets+candida&source=bl&ots=38oz00ii0I&sig=18dbYdbtGA4Bl9EjVkZYgKHWdOQ&hl=en&ei=mxrBSvrCJZLMsQObiZVU&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5#v=onepage&q=candida&f=false (on page 58).

So, can I eat the species of mushrooms that have shown anti-candida properties? Or, should I disregard this and simply follow what nearly every other candida diet page says? Then again, many anti-candida pages also say that you can't eat tomatoes, even though they have shown anti-fungal properties and are advocated in this thread. I'd appreciate some advice to clear up my confusion. Thank you. :)

 

[Wanderingjo]

Hey guys,

I'm new to this candida nightmare. Although my doctors all say that I have fibromyalgia...after much research I truly believe that my issue is a severe systemic fungus overgrowth.

I've read so much on this stuff that I think my head is spinning. I'm trying to quickly determine a plan of attack because at this rate I dont think I can function at work for much longer.

I know that I need to start the diet.

I do have a couple of questions on that. Are all alcohols prohibited? I was wondering if I can drink wine? Also, what about decaffeinated coffee or tea? I know it still has a bit of caffeine in it, but i just love the taste of coffee.

Next I know that I need to Kill it. Someone suggested to me to just use a concentrated Grapefruit seed extract. Is that enough to do the job on its own?

I've also thought about throwing in a cleanse and maybe adding the activated charcoal.

And of course I've already started on taking Mega Flora to add good bacteria.

I've seen a lot of stuff about threelac or fivelac but I'm not sure that those would work by themselves. Seems like they are primarily probiotic. I didnt see anything in the ingredients that are antifungal.

I appreciate any and all advice. Thanks for any remarks.

 

[Gimpy]

Hi Wanderingjo! Welcome to the 'yeast wars'.

I do have a couple of questions on that. Are all alcohols prohibited? I was wondering if I can drink wine? Also, what about decaffeinated coffee or tea? I know it still has a bit of caffeine in it, but i just love the taste of coffee.

If you run a search in this section, you'll find that alcohol and coffee are totally out of the picture. No decaf either. :( :( :( :(

Its a big hurdle for me too, and probably the single biggest factor against any success on my part. I like hard cider and I can barely function without coffee in the morning. What I'm doing is the Ultra Diet and supplementing with probiotics first, to gently loosen the candida first and heal my leaky gut.

Someone else put a really awesome gut healing protocol in one of the threads, I don't remember who did it, but I do have the post:

Thought I'd share my experience in fighting Candida and how I managed to avoid the Herxheimer effect completely by healing the intestinal walls first and fighting the candida afterwards. Hopefully this can be helpful for some people!

I have been fighting Candida since January 2009 (eight or so months), mostly comprising of skin problems which are noted in several places on this forum as being common for men suffering from candida overgrowth. I suspect my overgrowth came from a poor diet. At my work, we have free drinks, so in summer last year I was consuming a bottle of Coke a day. Sure, I was avoiding the aspartame, but that's a truckload of sugar and quite a poisonous beverage to consume regardless. Add to this, regular intake of pasta and white rice. Hello itchy, inflammed armpits.

I have in the past suffered from itchy, inflammed armpits here and there, and simply fixed it with one or two applications of a cortisone-based cream. Only this time, it came back with a vengeance, to the point where I woke up with my armpits covered in what I thought was sweat - only there was no sweat odour. It would stain white clothes with a straw-colour and despite many showers would continue to excrete and stain my clothes. Whatever it was, it wasn't good. I was prescribed a cream and a round of antibiotics. Hello candida takeover.

As soon as the cream and antibiotics finished, the problem got worse. And spread to other parts of my body, including my inner thighs, groine, inside the elbows, neck and face. I had red skin around my eyes that I first thought was sunburn (from falling asleep on a plane after returning from a holiday). After a few days, the sunburn sensation faded but the redness did not. It remained there for TWO WEEKS before becoming dry. I suffered from incredibly dry (and in some places itchy) skin. So by March this year, I recalled skimming over a thread on Candida in this forum and decided to give it a read. I don't know why, but I thought this could be the problem. Who knows how many years it could've taken me to figure out the cause if it wasn't for this forum!

I spent two months on the Candida diet, occasionally attacking the Candida and suffering severe Herxheimer effects. My friends thought I was making it worse - despite the many times I explained what die-off was. The moment I attempted to go after the candida, everything got worse. Even trying weak attacks for just a day would cause problems. Problems that rendered me a horror to look at in public (which is a problem when you travel through the city to work every day). The candida diet gave me more energy, but actually killing off the candida was frustrating. There was clearly too much of it and exploding the candida cells was flaring up my existing skin disorder.

I visited several naturopaths (who knew less than I did about candida, unfortunately) before finding one who specialised in candida and detox. While still following the candida diet as detailed here, I was off to a good start and had already developed healthy eating habits. What this particular naturopath helped me do was avoid the Herxheimer reaction completely and get rid of my candida without making my skin problems worse. How? I asked her as my jaw literally dropped. Why hadn't I found this on the internet? Had I not looked hard enough?

In a nutshell, the approach is to heal the intestinal walls first. The candida cells have made tiny holes in the walls through which toxins leak. When you traditionally kill off the cells, they explode and fragments of the outer shell passes into the blood stream. (The common belief is that the entire dead candida cell passes through, but the naturopath insisted this is false as the cells are too big to pass through the holes they make.) The outer shell fragments cause the Herxheimer effect. It's a great sign that you're killing off the candida, but 1) kill off too much too fast creates a breeding ground for more candida and 2) you get the nasty die-off symptoms. This alternative approach, however, heals the intestinal walls FIRST, then kills the candida AFTER. So she was basically going about it in the opposite way. I was sceptical at first, but decided to try. I was given SB Pro to dislodge the candida and G-tox Express, a mix of ingredients that heal the intestinal walls.

SB Pro contains Saccharomyces Boulardii 250mg per capsule, which is in effect a friendly yeast that fights Candida. It is much used in France, where they refer to it as the yeast-fighting yeast. It gently dislodges the candida from the intestines, which are then passed out through urine. It is believed that Saccharomyces boulardii is simply more efficient than candida and other unwanted organisms when competing for the space in the intestines, making it valuable for preventing as well as treating candida overgrowth. Another possibility is that Saccharomyces boulardii interferes with the binding of candida and other infectious organisms to cell in the intestines. Either way, the end result is candida gets crowded out. And the key here is that Sacch Boulardii does not kill the candida yeast cells, causing them to explode. So while your intestines are still swiss-cheesed, you're not going to get any nasty cell fragments making your symptoms worse.

G-tox Express claims to support gastrointestinal mucosa, enhance detox and assist in elimination of heavy metals. Alkalises urine and supports elimination of toxins from kidneys. I was given this to heal the holes the candida had punctured in the intestines.
Quote
Contains per scoop:
Curcuma longa (Tumeric) extract - 3750mg
Galium aparine (Cleavers) - 3000mg
Glycyrrhiza glabra (Licorice)-deglycrrhized - 2500mg
Spirulina - 2500mg
Aloe vera powder - 2500mg
L-Glutamine - 2000mg
Potassium citrate - 2000mg
Coriandrum sativum (Coriander) - 1000mg
Larch Arabinogalactans - 1000mg
Citrus pectin - 500mg
Fucus vesiculosis (Kelp) powder - 250mg
Zinc sulphate, equivalent to elemental zinc - 15mg.

My intake was:
-G-tox Express 1.5 scoops, twice daily
-SB Pro x1 capsule, twice daily
-Candida diet as detailed in this forum.

After this, I undertook a stool sample, which showed high amounts of yeast and low levels of good bacteria. It looked like candida was winning the war.

Week 4:
Stopped G-tox Express, the intestines should have healed by now.
Weekends (attack phase):
-Parex x2 capsules, twice daily
-Gastro AG 1tsp, twice daily
Weekdays (healing phase):
-SB Pro x1 capsule, twice daily
-Slippery elm x2 capsules, twice daily
-Vitanox x2 capsules daily

Parex helps get rid of intestinal worms and parasites.
Quote
Contains:
black walnut (fruit hull dry) 500mg
Chinese wormwood or Qing Hao (herb dry) 400mg
Barberry (root bark dry) 400mg
ginger (rhizome dry) 250mg
gentian lutea (root dry) 200mg
Spanish oregano oil 2mg
cinnamon bark oil 2mg
thyme oil 2mg.

Gastro AG is a prebiotic powder.
Quote
Prebiotic arabinogalactans 3000mg, which is equivalent to dry herb Larix occidentalis 37.5g.

Slippery elm helps maintain a healthy lower gastrointestinal tract and helps with leaky gut. Also settles and soothes the digestive system.
Quote
In each capsule: 400mg of stem bark powder.

Vitanox protects and maintains healthy capillaries, maintains peripheral circulation and is a potent antioxidant. Also, strangely enough, it contains 12.5mg caffeine. I'm not entirely sure these ingredients were necessary, especially with green tea in it.
Quote
Contains:
grape extract (equivalent to dry seed) 6g
turmeric extract (equivalent to dry rhizome) 2g
green tea (extract equivalent to dry leaf) 4.17g
rosemary (extract equivalent to dry leaf) 1g.

7 weeks into this program, my skin problems had been 90% eliminated. The last 10% were to prove stubborn and difficult to get rid of. Typical of candida, from what I've read.
I stopped Parex and SB Pro and was re-introduced to G-tox Express and introduced to a new supplement:
-Ultra Flora Restore x2, twice daily
Quote
Per capsule of live organisms: lactobacillus acidophilus 11.5 billion organisms, bifidobacterium lactis 11.5 billion organisms, lactobacillus rhamnosus 2 billion organisms.
Essentially, it's just a fancy probiotic.

By Week 11, I was given a zinc test. Basically you drink zinc in liquid form and describe the taste. If it tastes foul and disgusting, your zinc levels are good. If it tastes a bit horrible, your zinc levels are low. If it tastes bland, you are extremely deficient in zinc. And it's a downward spiral; the more deficient you are in zinc, the less you absorb, and the more deficient you become. Nice, huh?

I had stopped Gastro AG, Slippery Elm, Vitanox and G-tox Express. Still taking the fancy probiotic, the following supplement dosages were increased to:
-Omega 3 1000mg twice daily
-Vitamin C 1000mg, twice daily (powder form)
-Zinc (equivalent to elemental zinc) 22mg, twice daily (powder form for fast replenishment).

Week 17, skin problems 95% eliminated.
Another zinc test. This time it took about 5 seconds to taste a bit digusting. So my zinc levels are improving, but are certainly not where they should be. I also took a candida blood test. Completely negative. This suggests to me that the levels of candida are so low they are not even registering in my bloodstream. That means my intestinal walls are finally healed - no leaky gut - and there isn't enough candida to make new holes. I doubt I am completely candida-free (free of the mutated candida, I mean), but it looks like I'm on the home stretch.

My current supplements can be purchased anywhere. A good probiotic, plus the zinc, vitamin C and Omega 3 - all of which have been thoroughly discussed in this

forum and in particular in the candida threads. The crucial supplements were the G-tox Express, which healed my intestines, and the yeast-fight yeast (Saccharomyces Boulardii), which gently dislodged the candida. If I had to do this again without the help (or expense) of a naturopath, I would source these ingredients and take the appropriate dosage.

Week 23, skin problems 98% eliminated.
All I have to complain about now is dry skin around my eyebrows and a dry scalp, which I have sufferred from since my youth. Everything else has healed up. My naturopath told me that she is certain virtually all skin disorders and problems are directly linked to the gut, because the gut and skin are inextricably linked. If you have a problem or imbalance of flora in your gut, you have a skin problem. She is certain that ezcema and most other skin disorders could be cured at the source by solving problems with the gut. And you know what? I think she's probably right.

After this is completely eliminated and I have good levels of zinc again, the next step is a lactose allergy test from a local dector, then back to the naturopath to detox the liver and kidneys, in that order. It will be nice for once to have a liver that isn't overloaded. And an infrared sauna/blanket and reverse-osmosis water can't hurt either, now can it?

Hope this helps!

 

[Beau]

I do have a couple of questions on that. Are all alcohols prohibited? I was wondering if I can drink wine?

All alcohol feeds candida, so on the anti-candida diet it is prohibited.

Also, what about decaffeinated coffee or tea? I know it still has a bit of caffeine in it, but i just love the taste of coffee.

Actually, decaf is worse than regular coffee because of the process of removing the caffeine. So ALL coffee is out. Tea is fine though, a good substitute.

 

[Vulcan59]

Hi Wanderingjo,

As this is your first post, would you kindly make an intro in the Newbies section. Read through that thread to see how others have done their intro.

 

[Jacques]

Someone else put a really awesome gut healing protocol in one of the threads, I don't remember who did it, but I do have the post:

Here's the post by Nathan

http://www.cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php?topic=10573.msg103000#msg103000

 

[Wanderingjo]

Thanks for the info!

I think i'm going to try to follow Nathan's guidelines. I dont suppose anyone knows if you can buy G-Tox Express in the US though? The only place that I've been able to locate it is in Australia. I'm afraid to look and see how much shipping is.

I'll also be posting to the newbie section shortly. :D

 

[Nienna]

Hey guys,

I'm new to this candida nightmare. Although my doctors all say that I have fibromyalgia...after much research I truly believe that my issue is a severe systemic fungus overgrowth.

Hi Wanderingjo

I would like to highly recommend the book Treating and Beating Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome by Dr. Rodger H. Murphree. He has several tests that you can do to find out what other problems you may have that are contributing to your health issues. And, yes, candida can be a factor, but there are a lot of other things to look at, also.

And he insists that getting a good, deep, restorative sleep is very important and gives tells you what you need to do to get it.

Anyway, just throwing this out there for your consideration.