There are four categories of pathogens that we have issues with: bacterial, viral, parasitic, and fungal. The key to winning the challenge is a strong immune system, which is composed of good diet, nutritional support, exercise, detoxification, sleep, sunshine, clean water, and de-stressing. Sometimes we need to get some help from God's medicine chest - herbs.
1. Change your diet when dealing with a yeast/Candida overgrowth. Cut out the sugar, honey, refined carbohydrates, starches (breads, pasta, white rice), milk, fruit (except for green apples), and alcohol. Foods that help combat a yeast/Candida overgrowth are: garlic, coconut oil, onions, leeks, green apples, ginger, and pomegranates.
2. Along with diet, there are a number of natural items to help you win the battle. Some of the better known agents to use in fighting Candida are:
- Raw garlic (does NOT destroy beneficial bacteria in the gut)
- Clove Oil
- Tea tree oil
- Oil of oregano (This does work towards killing all bacteria in the gut)
- Olive leaf extract (does NOT destroy beneficial bacteria in the gut)
- Undecenoic Acid
- Grapefruit seed extract (very effective and does NOT harm beneficial bacteria)
- Diatomaceous Earth (It is silica from the shells of diatoms that will help to quickly remove Candida from the intestinal walls)
- Black walnut (Warning: Do not use if pregnant or lactating.) (does NOT destroy beneficial bacteria in the gut)
- Pau D’Arco (Warning: Do not use if pregnant or lactating.) (does NOT destroy beneficial bacteria in the gut)
- Berberine (does NOT destroy beneficial bacteria in the gut) (Berberine will lower blood sugar and blood fats)
- Barberry, Goldenseal, and Coptis Chinensis (contain Berberine) (Warning: Do not use if pregnant.)
- Wormwood (Warning: Do not use if pregnant.)
3. Pro-biotics are needed to support a healthy flora. A good pro-biotic product will have live cell cultures of beneficial bacteria in the billions per capsule. Yogourt and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, and keifer also provide the healthy bacteria needed in the gut to restore balance. Good foods to consume, but may not have the count needed to restore balance in the gut. Although the evidence suggests that probiotics can often be taken at the very same time as anti-fungals, many natural anti-fungals are also mild anti-biotics and perhaps better to take at least an hour apart.
Anti-Pathogen
Chart
Anti-Pathogens |
Anti- |
Anti- |
Anti- |
Anti-Parasitical |
Amargosa |
|
|
|
* |
Bee propolis |
|
* |
* |
|
Black
walnut hull |
|
* |
|
** |
Cajeput oil |
* |
* |
|
|
Caprylic acid |
|
* |
|
|
Carrot
juice |
|
* |
|
|
Cat’s Claw |
* |
* |
* |
|
Chaparral |
** |
** |
* |
** |
Chlorine
dioxide |
** |
** |
** |
** |
Cloves |
|
* |
* |
** |
Coconut oil |
|
* |
* |
|
Colloidal silver |
** |
* |
* |
|
Echinacea |
* |
* |
* |
|
Elderberry |
|
|
** |
|
Forsythia |
** |
|
** |
|
Garlic |
** |
** |
** |
** |
Ginger |
|
|
* |
|
Golden Seal |
* |
* |
|
|
Grapefruit seed extract |
* |
** |
|
** |
Honey, raw & organic |
** |
|
* |
|
Honeysuckle |
|
|
* |
|
Juniper |
|
|
* |
|
Lemon balm |
|
|
* |
|
Licorice |
|
|
* |
* |
Lomatium |
|
|
** |
|
Male Fern |
|
|
|
** |
Nano-Silver |
** |
* |
** |
|
Neem oil |
|
|
|
** |
Olive leaf extract |
* |
** |
** |
** |
Oregano
extract |
** |
** |
** |
** |
Papaya |
|
|
|
* |
Pau d’ Arco |
* |
** |
|
|
Peppermint
oil |
* |
** |
* |
* |
Pumpkin
seed |
|
|
|
** |
Shitake
mushroom |
|
|
* |
|
Scullcap |
|
|
* |
|
Tea Tree Oil |
** |
** |
|
|
Thyme |
** |
* |
|
* |
Usnea |
** |
* |
** |
|
Undecylenic
acid |
|
** |
|
|
Wormseed |
|
|
|
** |
Wormwood |
|
** |
|
** |
Yarrow |
|
|
* |
|
Zinc |
|
|
* |
|