Understanding Candida Overgrowth: Symptoms, Diet & Natural Approaches

Question
Hi, recently I went to a naturopathic doctor who is confident I have a fungal infection (I think he means intestinal).  He wants to put me on a candida cleanse diet and have me take a bunch of supplements he's selling (which is pretty much probiotics, anti-fungal supplements, and liver and kidney cleansers).  I decided to hold off on that since the supplements are too pricey for now and I wanted to do more research.  I discovered that not much evidence supports the diagnosis of an intestinal overgrowth of Candida albicans.  I don't even have signs of a candida infection anywhere so the doctor based his diagnosis on my past medical history.  Is "intestinal" candida infection a real medical condition?  It seems a number of websites support the condition while a number of others dispute it so I don't really know who to believe.

Answer
Shane,

I have practiced integrative and preventive medicine for 12+ years and to this day have "NOT" jumped on the band wagon of this whole systemic candida infection thing.  I personally don't buy into the argument that all that is Candida is evil nor do I believe the "allergy" tests prove anything other that one was exposed and has mounted the usual immunological response to this foreign fungi.  True systemic candidal/fungi infections that traverse the bloodstream are often fatal and cause extreme morbidity.  Those patients are often times admitted to hospital for IV therapy that is extreme.  Gut colonization of candida while not optimal, does not in my opinion cause all the ills reported in many web sites nor by many "fringe" practitioners, but does pad their bank accounts significantly with repeat office visits, lab testing and supplement sales.

A survey of published peer reviewed literature just does not back up those claims, so I cannot justify testing or treating my patients for this supposed condition.

JP Saleeby, MD
www.Xlibris.com/WonderHerbs
www.WellnessOneAmerica.com