Can candida overgrowth be the cause of Leaky gut?

Have you been experiencing unexplained fatigue, food & chemical sensitivities, sugar cravings, dandruff & fungal nail infections? Probably these are some of the un-common & unrelated symptoms which are due to overgrowth of candida- yeast & fungi in our gut. 

There has been evidence that candida overgrowth has now been showing up more & more. However, it is not commonly acknowledged by conventional medical professionals. Lot of people have been struggling from this peculiar disease for years- often not considered a potential microbial problem by doctors who live under false assumption that unless there are no external symptoms, candida overgrowth cannot be the cause of diseases such as chronic allergies & Celiac disease.

We all have heard of Candida! What is Candida anyway? Candida is one of the many fungal groups found in your gut. It is a polymorphic yeast that lives in your mouth & vagina. It is a clever microbial which takes many forms & can invade your body given an opportunity. Candida forms a white glossy colony in our body. Candida, like all other yeasts, thrive on sugar as its primary energy source. It is a very efficient sugar fermenter , producing ample acid & alcohol  as a part of the fermentation process. One of the species of Candida- Candida Albican is a major culprit in causing symptoms as mentioned above. Besides Albican, there are many more who can cause treacherous symptoms & conditions such as C.parapsilosis, C.krusei &  C.tropicalis.

Basic rule is bacteria keeps yeast & fungi from growing inside our gut. Candida over grows when hormonal fluctuations can reduce hydrogen peroxide producing lactobacilli. That is all the basics about candida.

Now let us discuss how Candida impacts your gut. 

The way microbes lives in any environment is determined by:

1. Mutualism: When both parties benefit from the arrangement. The best case in point here is Probiotics & other lactic acid bacteria. We provide them food through our meals & they release beneficial by-products- short chain fatty acids- butyrates, vitamins & minerals that helps our body to grow & thrive & keep pathogens at bay.
2. Commensalism: When only one party benefits while others are unaffected. Microbes living in our gut that feed each other without harming or benefit us fall under this category. They live happily fed & housed by us & offer no benefit in return. Candida are such microbes. 
3. Parasite: This is a situation where our body suffers. Our body provides home to microbes but we suffer & pathogens thrive at our expense.

Gut microbes that Commensal that live in our body not causing any trouble can seize an opportunity to overgrow. In such a case commensals such as Candida becomes opportunistic. The reason we call Candida polymorphic is it can survive in our body in both fungal & yeast forms. It essentially means, it can quickly grow in search of food & can damage our tissues. Biofilm production(1) is a major reason why it is difficult to eradicate Candida.

Candida is negatively impacts our gut lining & can produce inflammatory & leaky situations in the gut however the question arises can Candida cause leaky gut ? Candida possesses invasive potential, thereby causing unfavourable symptoms & hence attracting life threatening diseases. As such Candida contributes to gut dysbiosis & amplifies damage caused by leaky gut. In fact, it creates holes in gut lining, damages intestinal barriers & causes inflammation. This means foreign invaders such as yeasts, fungi & microbes passing through the gut. Abundance of Candida plays an important role in situations of leaky gut.

So how does Candida overgrow?

In a gut aligned diet that feeds our beneficial bacteria which in turns products SCFA such as butyrate, lactic acid bacteria & immune system keeps candida under control. However due to some nutrition & lifestyle factors that happen concurrently & frequently that it makes candida turn opportunistic.

1. Nutrition: When we eat a lot of  high sugar, high yeast, low fibre & antibiotic filled animal product consumption, we are feeding yeast with their favorite food.
2. Alcohol: Alcohol is made through fermentation of yeast. Alcohol has the ability to kill our brain cells thereby reducing the ability of RBC to carry oxygen. This directly impacts our stress response, insulin & cortisol secretion.
3. Antibiotics: Overconsumption of antibiotics kills off bacteria that keeps growth of candida under control.
4. Stress: Stress creates acidic environment thereby providing an opportunity for yeast such as candida to grow.
5. Toxin Exposure: Many chemicals & toxins mimic estrogens in our bodies that encourages Candida growth.
6. Gut dysbiosis: Imbalance in gut microbiome abundance & diversity leads to overgrowth of gut bacteria.

In fact our modern & stressful lifestyle promotes gut dysbiosis & yeast( such as candida) & resulting in diseases such as celiac that are found in origin in candida overgrowth.

Symptoms linked to candida overgrowth include abdominal bloating, acne, lethargy, recurral oral or vaginal thrush, headache, constipation, poor memory, irritability, alcohol intolerance, recurring sore throats, blocked noses, ear aches, mood swings, nausea & burning sensations ultimately leading to Crohn’s diseases, chronic fatigue symptoms. Inflammatory bowel disease. Since Candida is polymorphic, it can be attributed to a myriad of symptoms & hence such a huge list of symptoms. Candida interacting with our gut can cause problems through ethanol , one of its by-products. End result- Candida can cause chronic amounts of alcohol needed to be processed by our liver, thereby depleting vital minerals, vitamins, liver enzymes & amino acids. This results in inflammation & oxidative stress. Needless to mention that since Candida thrive on high sugar & yeast foods cresting pressure on cortisol, fluctuations in sugar level & weight gain.

Candida has symptoms similar to gut inflammation, acid reflux or SIBO. A known fact is overabundance of one microbial group leads to decreased abundance of others. In case of candida overgrowth, it leads to reduced abundance & diversity of beneficial bacteria groups & hence resulting in gut dysbiosis.

Given the fact that Candida overgrowth can lead to digestive issues, crohn’s & celiac diseases, what foods can balance /reduce the abundance of candida?

Garlic and onions, Turmeric, ginger cinnamon, green vegetables, chia seeds, flax seeds & bone broth  

When you remove the Candida’s food source they begin to die-off along with other species that used the same food sources.

In this process your gut often show symptoms such as Fatigue, lethargy, Headache, bloating, gas, constipation, sweating & nausea. 

So if you are facing a myriad of these unrelated symptoms, probably you are suffering from Candida overgrowth. Getting a gut microbiome sequencing/testing done can help you learn what foods can balance candida & avoid those which feed candida & other less beneficial bacteria. Sign up for our free discovery call here to learn about your current gut microbiome composition.

Source:  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3560528/