I’d like to thank Chris and Danny for a very enjoyable podcast. Thanks to the great hosts and the great questions submitted by the audience, I think it came out really well.
Chris gave our book a great recommendation even before it was published and really introduced us to the blogosphere; we’ll always be grateful for that.
A little note about our posting schedule: We didn’t do a food post on Sunday because Shou-Ching is away at a conference. Food posting will be back next Sunday. Also, I’ll be continuing our Low Carb Diet and Thyroid series shortly; it should be a very interesting series.
Thanks, Chris and Danny!
via this link:
Great podcast Paul! I allways learn something new from you!
Best,
Mario.
Excellent podcast. Thank you.
The discussion of “essential” fatty acids made me wonder whether someone battling inflammation *not* caused by an excess of n-6 (e.g. caused by infection or autoimmunity) would benefit by increasing n-3 for its supposed anti-inflammatory properties.
Hi Paul,
It’s possible, although too much n-3 can also make matters worse. More likely to help in autoimmunity than infection, since n-3 tends to resolve immune responses and that’s not what you want against infections, unless the immune response is excessive.
Thanks, Paul, great podcast! I hope to hear more from you in this format in the future.
I was especially interested when you and Chris mentioned that, if an entire group of foods cannot be tolerated, that is something that should be fixed. I’ve been diagnosed with Spondylitis, and like many with this disease, starch seems to cause flare-ups. What strategy do you recommend for fixing such a problem?
Really enjoyed the interview. Great questions and illuminating answers. Even the earthquake yesterday did not stop me from listening.
Great podcast Paul. You mentioned at about 21 mins that for candida probably optimal 600-800 carb calories. Is this right or can it be lower?
Hi Evan,
The problem with starch leading to spondylitis is usually a Klebsiella infection so you avoid starch for a while but work hard to change your gut flora with probiotics, fermented vegetables, and probably antibiotics that work against Klebsiella.
You also want to make sure you’re well nourished, have suitable vitamin D levels, etc. Anti-biofilm strategies like polysaccharide digesting enzymes, possibly with EDTA added, can be considered too.
Hi Sue,
It can be lower but you don’t want to generate ketones so not too much lower. It depends on how severe the infection and whether it is systemic or confined to the gut. The more severe/systemic, the more you want to eat carbs.
Hi Paul,
Like Sue, I’m very interested in the Candida/ketone relationship. A family member has chronic acne, and I believe you have noted in previous comments that acne might result from circulating toxins from Candida. What I don’t understand is, if yeast can metabolize ketones with their mitochondria, can’t they metabolize glucose as well? Why would they prefer one over the other?
Hi Kate,
They can metabolize glucose as well, but two factors:
(1) Ketones are water-soluble and diffuse to the yeast, so they are more accessible than any other kind of macronutrient which is usually found with human transporters.
(2) Inside the body, serum glucose levels are regulated and don’t vary much. So eating more carbs doesn’t increase blood glucose over a 24 hour period. But eating a ketogenic diet does substantially increase ketones.
So on the ketogenic diet they have ketones plus blood glucose of 90 mg/dl, and on a higher carb diet they have no ketones and blood glucose still 90 mg/dl. The first is better for the yeast.
In the gut, things are different. There ketones are lacking and food carbs matter.
Ah ha. Got it. Thanks!
Paul I’m confused about Sue’s question from your podcast interview, you’re now saying 600-800 carb calories a day, yet you advised me previously for treating a fungal infection of the gut (comments on Errata) to get 400-600 carb calories per day, plus your book and many previous articles all state that 600 carb calories a day is the approximate limit that the liver can process daily and excess over that amount will lead to glucose toxicity, correct? Wouldn’t this only help feed the fungi?
BTW, I’ve been following your advice strictly for nearly 4 months now, except I normally eat 200-400 carb calories per day, and my acne has completely cleared up. My skin “feels” different, it was like I could feel a change in the texture of my skin. In almost 20 years of trying every prescription drug, lotion, cleanser, etc, this is the first thing that has worked (accutane worked for about 1 year). I do nothing to my face now but wash it once a day and follow the PHD =D
And on a related note, I recently had a bunch of blood tests done and my fasted blood glucose was 100mg/dL. I didn’t expect this but I did a little research and found that gluconeogenesis may raise fasting blood sugar and it’s generally nothing to worry about? I do eat around 600 protein calories daily (sometimes more?) in addition to the 200-400 carb calories. Although it seems to be working, I thought this higher blood sugar would be undesirable for curing a fungal infection? Maybe I’m pushing my body into manufacturing a high amount of glucose from protein and ideally I should lower protein a little and increase carbs? I might add that I’m very active too. I weightlift a few days a week and run some too, although I keep exercise short and intense.
Hi Hunter,
Well, as my “Carbohydrate and the Thyroid” post discusses, how much glucose we utilize is a little unclear. 600 to 800 calories/day is a reasonable guess, but it can be elevated during infections such as fungal infections. So say 700. Normally it’s good to eat a little less than you need and manufacture the rest, I think, but in Candida, maybe not.
I’d definitely say 400 is the minimum for an effective anti-Candida diet, that should keep you out of ketosis and give the immune system a little glucose to play with.
In your case, if 200-400 is working for you, you should stick with it. It’s rare that people have only one problem (eg Candida).
It’s great news that 4 months of our diet is better than 20 years of medicine! (Puts feather in cap.)
The high fasting blood glucose is a reflection of your low carb intake and the body’s glucose conservation efforts. You probably have the high rT3/low T3 combination we talk about that is preventing cells from taking in glucose from the blood. That’s OK as long as you feel good. But you might do better with more carbs and less protein. I would recommend that actually. But just experiment and see.
Best, Paul
Hi Paul,
I have a follow up question to the one that Kate asked. I can see what you say about yeast and other eukaryotes being able to process both glucose and ketones, so to better “starve” them, you would want to give them only glucose but not ketones.
What is the mechanism with bacteria? As prokaryotes, are they unable to process ketones or what is it about a ketogenic diet that makes them tend to starve. I have issues with most FODMAPs foods, and I suspect it is a SIBO issue, so if I can get the bacteria sorted out, I may have a greater flexibility in my diet. Right now ketogenic diet feels much better for me, which is another indication that maybe this is SIBO.
Thanks in advance for your help,
Karin
Hi JKC,
Yes, bacteria are unable to metabolize ketones. In ketosis, blood glucose levels fall, sometimes as low as 60 mg/dl, as do insulin levels, so that intracellular glucose levels are lower throughout the body and glycolysis is shut down. This means that in cells that receive glucose by passive diffusion glucose levels may be decreased 30% and in cells that receive it via insulin they may be decreased by much more.
There is a second effect. Ketosis normally occurs in times of fasting, starvation, or resource scarcity. Evolution has adopted it as one of the signals of a need to conserve and recycle protein and therefore upregulates autophagy (self-digestion of junk proteins and organelles). Autophagy also leads to digestion of bacteria and viruses, and is a key part of immunity. This effect is especially strong in neurons. So ketosis not only starves bacteria, it enhances immunity.
Of course, this is an advantage for infections in the body (or inside cells), not for gut infections that live in gut biofilms outside cells. So it might be of minor use against SIBO, but the biggest help would be depriving the gut of foods that the bacteria eat.
Best, Paul
Thank you for the podcast, Paul. I’ll be looking forward to the next one.
As Chris suggested, it would be entertaining to collect and see all the diet blogger’s typical diet in a side-by-side comparison, including SAD.
Thanks,
Mark
Paul, I did not have rT3 tested because I didn’t know about it, but I did recently have total T3 tested and it was 93ng/dL, which is in normal range but on the low end. This blood test however was taken after a couple months of increased carb intake, iodized salt intake and occasional kombu seaweed, and I had been supplementing 225mcg Iodine pills for about a week. My TSH, as well as a ton of other stuff, was taken at the same time. I hadn’t had any kind of blood test in over a decade though so I really have no baseline to compare anything against. Well, now I do. I will try increasing carb intake slightly to replace some protein intake and see how that goes for a few months.
Hi Paul,
You’re eating dinner ~8:00 made me curious, what time do you typically go to sleep and wake up?
Also, when you have berries for dessert after dinner, do you wait a certain amount time after dinner so that you’re not eating fruit with protein?
Thanks,
Mark
Hi Mark,
Usually about 11 pm, up at 7 am.
Berries – it depends. We’ll usually wait a bit, until we’ve digested dinner a little. 30-40 minutes. And we eat slowly. Fructose with PUFA are as much a concern as fructose with protein.
Awesome podcast! If one does have candida or a similar fungal or protozoal infection capable of using ketones, should one limit or avoid coconut oil?
Also, can you go into more detail on how to use the activated charcoal or bentonite to investigate what’s behind your symptoms? Package directions seem to indicate one dosage for aggressive treatment and another for everyday detox. Thanks so much!
Hi Meeses,
I think coconut oil is generally beneficial for the gut but tends to promote systemic invasion of Candida. Moderate amounts are usually helpful but whether this is true or not depends on the nature of the infection (systemic or gut-confined). Extra virgin olive oil is equally good in the gut and doesn’t promote systemic invasion, so that is another good oil.
Re the detox aids, I would quickly explore various doses to see if there’s any evidence that it’s helping you at all. If it helps, then I would try to find the minimal dose that delivers benefits.
hi paul, please can you tell me more about what you know how coconut oil can promote systemic invasion of candida? i think that is exactly what happened to me! thank you.
Hi Paola,
Coconut oil is ketogenic and ketones can feed Candida, promoting invasion.
aha, so but are you saying that is something specific to coconut oil or any oils? what if i substitute coconut oil with lard? or butter? would i logically expect the same effect?
Hi Paul,
I bought The Perfect Health Diet when I saw it recommended at the Healthy Skeptic. Thanks for writing it and making it available to the general public. What a gift. I started implementing information from your website even before I read the book. I have a few questions… I have fungus on my right foot, toenails included; I have a hard time staying asleep, but no problem getting to sleep; and I grind my teeth at night. Soaking my foot in vinegar clears up the skin but not the toenails. Trying amino acids for a good night’s sleep as per The Mood Cure by Julia Ross had the opposite affect on me, keeping me awake all night. Even the herb Valerian keeps me awake at night. But I was surprised when taking a tablespoon of coconut oil in a cup of bone broth at lunch also kept me awake all night. What is going on here? I would love to clear up this fungus that I’ve had for the last 10 years (I’m 52) and get a good night’s sleep without waking up at 2 or 3am and having a hard time sleeping after that. From reading a bit on your website it seems the kombucha and kefir I so love to drink, as well as taking a probiotic pill, may be making fungal problems worse? And do sleep issues and teeth grinding have any connection to fungal issues?
Kathy, my husband tried 5HTP for his sleep problems, and the next day asked me if I had given him a stimulant. He didn’t try it again.
Also based on The Mood Cure, I tried tyrosine, 1 x 500 mg per day, then DLPA, 1-2 x 500 mg per day, and after a month of feeling GREAT developed some nasty insomnia and then skipped heart beats.
We have since steered clear of single aminos, despite lots of good reports from others.
I think it can be helpful to separate sleep problems into: Problems falling asleep? Or, problems staying asleep.
Sorry, I hit send too soon!
For not being able to stay asleep….things that helped me….getting off gluten and being GF for some time (meaning, magical healing did not occur overnight), getting a GI stool test done and treating a gut fungal infection and correcting bacterial imbalances, getting a sex hormone panel done and addressing low progesterone relative to estrogen.
I also have to manage stress (light exercise, sitting meditation), and be careful with alcohol consumption late at night.
HTH!
Hi Paul.
I enjoyed the podcast and I just bought the book. Can you tell me the best way to attack tinea versicolor? I thought I had it licked, but I’ve gotten a few minor breakouts recently. I thought dairy was the culprit, but now I’m not so sure.
Thanks,
Ben
Hi Kathy,
Waking up in the middle of the night was a problem I had when I had a lot of fungal die-off toxins, that was fixed with cholestyramine. You might try charcoal or bentonite clay instead, both are over the counter. Teeth grinding was another issue I had, that went away when I took antibiotics.
It’s possible teeth grinding could be caused by fungi, but I suspect it’s usually bacterial.
The coconut oil causing trouble is consistent with a fungal infection, as it can generate ketones which promote fungal growth; or in the gut it can cause die-off and you can get toxicity.
Yeast-containing foods may be problematic, they can promote fungal growth and even fungemia.
I think the best place to start would be to get nystatin and cholestyramine from your doctor and work on improving the gut by taking them along with probiotics and fermented vegetables.
I generally oppose amino acids, except leucine sometimes (not in your case).
The other thing your doctor could help with is diagnosis. As Michelle says, a stool test would be very helpful.
For supplements, gradually adding iodine will help.
Best, Paul
Hi Ben,
Tinea versicolor is a Pityrosporum infection, so topical antifungals like ketoconazole should work. Have you done those?
Hi Paul.
When I was originally diagnosed years ago, I was given Diflucan. I guess that’s fluconazole, not ketoconazole. That got rid of it but it came back. Since then I’ve mostly treated it with Selsun Blue applications. That usually gets rid of it after a few applications, but not permanently.
Back when I took the Diflucan, my diet was not great. But more recently with the Selsun Blue, I thought my diet was locked in and the tinea wouldn’t come back. But it did. I’ve been working out (and sweating) a lot and it’s hot here in NY. Those conditions seem to trigger it. Do I think I should try ketoconazole and then really focus on diet + probiotics, fermeted vegs to keep it at bay?
Thanks again,
Ben
Hi Ben,
The topical ointments are safer than the systemic ones. Since it’s a skin infection, Pityrosporum doesn’t usually do well in the body, it makes sense to use a topical treatment.
There are a variety of topicals and some may work better than others, so you can try several and experiment. But I think with good diet and nutrition — especially our recommended supplements — and topical treatments you should be able to get rid of it.
Best, Paul
I assume if coconut oil is bad for fungus/protozoa, then ghee from grassfed cows is also not optimal for that condition. EVOO it is, then! Thanks!
Hi Michelle,
Thanks for the input. Have done all that you suggested except for seeing a doctor for testing. I’ve avoided the doctor for years after being told fungus just happens to us as we age and that there’s not a whole lot that works to permenantly clear it up, and teeth grinding is probably an anger issue. Time to go find a another doctor!
Kathy
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your prompt answer. Gives me direction as well as the push I need to go find a doctor. Would consuming coconut oil in smaller amounts, say 1/2 tsp a day, gradually increasing, be the ticket? Or no coconut oil at all? The Nystatin kills fungus but not bacteria? Cholestyramine inhibits fungus from circulating back into the body, similar to the effects of ingesting charcoal and bentonite clay? And what kind of bacterial infection caused your teeth grinding?
Grateful for your help,
Kathy
Hi Meeses,
Ghee is fine. Coconut oil is mixed — antifungal, but also antibacterial, and ketogenic which promotes fungal invasion. Olive oil – the oil is inconsequential, but EVOO has polyphenols which are toxic to fungi. Olive oil isn’t as rough on probiotic bacteria as coconut oil.
Hi Kathy,
Small to moderate amounts of coconut oil are fine, just consume enough carbs to avoid ketosis.
Yes, nystatin is antifungal and doesn’t have antibacterial action so far as I know.
Cholestyramine binds fungal toxins, eg cell wall components. This reduces toxicity. Yes, like charcoal or bentonite clay. You only need one of those, choose your favorite.
My teeth grinding was probably due to Chlamydophila pneumoniae, but no way to be sure. Doxycycline cured it. I had had it about ten years.
that answers my questions! thanks!
Hi Paul,
Appreciate the information.
By the way, I find myself laughing out loud at some of your posts. Great sense of humor!
Kathy
@ Kathy,
I was relieved to get some targeted testing done because I was weary of “trying this and trying that” and not really feeling any better.
When I had the GI stool & antibody test done (2007?), I found a gut fungal infection, bacterial overgrowths, toxoplasma = positive, and gluten intolerance.
I started a protocol to address the problems on the GI test (except the toxo–meds are VERY expensive), and I had a follow-up GI test which showed the protocol was working.
Just having something more solid to go on (pre- and post-testing), helped my outlook a LOT. Even though I didn’t feel a whole lot better yet, I felt confident I was correcting the root problems contributing to my declining health.
With the encouragement & assistance of my doctor, we began looking for weak areas (running tests) and fixing the problems we discovered. When I began to see improvements on follow-up testing, it was most definitely a morale booster.
IME, my labs improved before my symptoms did. And, several weak areas had to be addressed/fixed before it all began to come together for me and I could actually say wow, I feel so much better than before! It did not happen overnight.
I am a big believer in chronic, or stealth infections causing disease and a decline in well-being. In the book, The New Arthritis Breakthrough, Dr. Thomas McPherson Brown discusses the early warning signs of rheumatoid disease before any manifestation of joint pain. He includes, beginning on pg. 128, fatigue, anemia, depression, anxiety, reduced mental acuity, etc.
I certainly had all of that before my first arthritic flare in 2008. Doxycycline to the rescue!
Keep hunting, Kathy!
Michelle,
did you have any gut symptoms?
Where do you live? sounds like you have one of those rare good docs.
Ellem
Hi Ellen,
No, I didn’t suspect gut problems based on any obvious symptoms I was having.
Several years ago, I had started to read a Yahoo Group called Hormones and Health Naturally, where getting a GI-2 test done from Diagnos-Techs Inc. Lab was generally recommended as a good starting place for beginning to solve health problems.
I was largely ignorant of all things diet and health at the time, but eager to learn and begin to feel better. So, I started with that test, and as mentioned in the post above, the results revealed some big problems.
I live in the Chicago area. For purposes of narrative simplicity, I say “my doctor” as if it is one person. In reality, I’ve put together a patchwork of help since 2007. An MD in Chicago, a PhD on the west coast who does consulting over the phone, an MD who was my college roomie, self-ordering some tests through Direct Labs, the Yahoo Group I mentioned, the Roadback.org Support Board, supportive friends who are interested in this stuff too, and even driving ten hours in the winter to western Iowa to see an MD who would prescribe Doxy for my arthritis.
It wasn’t simple or easy, and it was often two steps forward and one back. I feel very fortunate to have stumbled across some good info and good people (such as this blog!).
HTH,
Michelle
Michelle,
Glad to hear how well you are doing. Thanks for the encouragement. Am looking for a new doctor and have greater confidence to ask for the assistance I need. Am also open to antibiotics, and anti-fungal drugs like Nystatin, where before would never consider them because I thought they caused more harm than good. Have reconsidered many things after reading the Perfect Health Diet book and website. What a relief to have some direction rather than “trying this and that”!
Kathy
Thanks Michelle,
I never tested because I had no gut symptoms and I accidentally discovered that going grain free resolved my arthritis (non rheumatoid) and helped greatly with my sleep. That was close to 12 years ago. But the sleep issue has waxed and waned for me since then. After reading your comment, I will not rule out the possiblity of testing in the future.
Kathy,
I also have both the interrupted sleep with no problems falling asleep as well as the foot and toenail fungus. All very longstanding.
Now that I am taking all the measures Paul suggested for me in May (on comments in the Jan 04 post Experiences, both Good and Bad on the Diet) I am finding that my feet issues are responding well to topical treatments with this:
http://www.longcreekherbs.com/nail-soak-faq.php
As far as the sleep, I am coming to believe that for me there are numerous factors. Right now fungal die off seems to be the major one. I am taking LOTS of charcoal. I am tryng to get a script for the choly.
As I mentioned above, going grain free was a big help. As was understanding that I had some major blood sugar dysregulation going on. Doing a few home testing post meals was very revealing. I recommend it for anyone with mysterious problems.
It helped big time for a while. But it also led me to go VERY low carb <30 and doing ketogenic things such as IF and lots of coconut oil, all of which exacerbated the fungus greatly. Who knew?
I find that meditation helps me. Especially after a few weeks of sticking to a regular schedule ( a major challenge). Possibly, the regular am and pm time out regulates the circadian rhythms and the meditation itself helps with the adrenals.
Oh yes, there is a woman named Monique on the Trying Low Oxalates Yahoo group who had the same sleep problem. Hearing her story led me to experiment with greatly restricting oxalates. It helped somewhat. Mainly I think because I had been consuming almonds in moderate but regular amounts and had no idea how high ox they were. Now I eat a wide variety of vegs but am very careful about amount, frequency and kind of nuts.
HTH
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
Thanks for the referral back to the post/comments of January 4th, which I have now read and find of further help. Will look into the topical foot treatments at Long Creek Herbs.
After cutting back on coconut oil and adding all the supplements suggested by PHD I am sleeping 6 hours straight and can dose the next two hours, a ginormous improvement.
Kathy
Oh, and I upped my carbs! Delightful!
First, I got your book for Christmas — and in my home we have a rule that we can’t buy things for all of November and December for ourselves, because someone else may buy it as a gift — what a mistake to put it on my list! 🙂
Regarding tinea versicolor, which I also have battled off and on for 13 years (I’m nearly 30), do you see this as possibly being an infection that could be a reason for the high-LDL I’m experiencing? I’ve read through your articles on the high-LDL problem in paleo-land, and increased my safe starch intake (I discovered that my gut actually enjoys the white rice, yay), but wasn’t sure if the infections piece was unique to internal infections.
Hi. In Kathy’s post (above) from Sept. 4/2011, she mentions that,
“After cutting back on coconut oil and adding all the supplements suggested by PHD I am sleeping 6 hours straight and can doze the next two hours, a ginormous improvement.”
My question is, since insomnia is my main problem (brought on by food intolerances), why did she cut back on coconut oil?
Jill
Please ignore my post above, about reducing coconut oil.
I found my answer in one of the earlier posts.
Hi Kenny,
Tinea versicolor is usually due to a fungal infection (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinea_versicolor, which blames Malassezia).
I’m not aware that fungal infections cause high LDL. I would expect that they are distinct problems.
Hi Jill,
I think immune activity of some kind is often responsible for difficulty sleeping; any kind of infection or gut dysbiosis can produce this. Kathy had independent evidence of fungal infections, and very low carb or ketogenic dieting is bad for fungal infections. In your case, food intolerances are often caused by a gut dysbiosis causing a leaky gut. You might consider a stool test like this one: http://www.metametrix.com/test-menu/profiles/gastrointestinal-function/gi-effects-microbial-ecology. Sometimes it will turn up the underlying cause of the leaky gut.
Best, Paul
Paul, can’t thank you enough for your reply.
I ordered your book earlier today, and once I understand more I will write with specific questions. I’ve taken many stool tests, and do in fact have leaky gut, among other things. But I don’t know what to ask!
Thanks again.
Hi Paul and Kenny,
re: PJ> “I’m not aware that fungal infections cause high LDL. I would expect that they are distinct problems.”
This made me think of the reverse, where high LDL promotes fungal infections …
http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=4066
The Exception: Candida
HDL may promote fungal infections. A recent study found that infusion of reconstituted HDL enhances the growth of Candida (25).
LDL also seems to promote fungal infections. In LDL receptor knockout mice, which have high levels of LDL, there is decreased resistance to Candida (37, 38).
OxLDL also loses its normal anti-infective role against Candida. Worse, it inhibits production of antibodies against Candida albicans (63), thus actually hurting anti-fungal immunity.
Candida is an unusual pathogen that is unusually well-adapted to living in the human body. It has learned to turn an important part of human immune defense to its own advantage.
Conclusion
High serum cholesterol protects against a host of bacterial and viral infections and some parasites, but increases risk for Candida fungal infections.
Thanks,
Mark
Hi Mark,
Yes, you’re right, the causality would make sense the other way, with high LDL promoting fungal infections.
Hi Paul,
Great interview with Chris!
I have a question about the metametrix gi profile. Prior to the test I started taking VSL#3 for “IBS” so my gut flora appears to be getting better (had done the Genova test 4 months ago which showed 0 lactobacillus) but with the DNA analysis used by the new test, it came up that I have 4+ of an un-identified yeast/fungus, possibly ingested mold? I don’t understand what this means. My doctor said to lay off the moldy cheese but my naturopath thinks it needs to be addressed & recommended candaclear (which I’ve used in the past just as a precaution) and a no sugar diet. In the interview you advise against going too low carb when fighting this kind of problem in the body. So how would you know if it has spread? Is yeast/fungus related to allergies? I have problems with mucous in my sinuses & painful earaches at times. I clean my ears with hydrogen peroxide & if it’s really bad I’ll use an ear oil and/or oregano oil. I also have a small scaley patch that looks like a herald patch (from pityriasis rosea which I had many years ago) on my arm. I used a ketocanzole shampoo & it seemed to get better, but hasn’t entirely gone away. So I’m not sure if my infection is limited to my GI tract or not.
It also showed that I have some type of parasitic infection, also taxonomy unavailable and lists that it could be protozoan or non-human? My doctor hopes that by continuing VSL#3 my gut will balance out & hopefully the parasite will move on to better pastures. I should also mention that I have problems digesting fats. My pancreatin is normal so she suggested adding lypase. As far as diet goes, I stay away from gluten, nuts, fruit, beans & nightshades for the most part. I drink kombucha but haven’t learned how to make the other fermented foods yet.
Would you address these issues more aggressively? Any observations would be greatly appreciated!
All the best,
AnGela
Hi AnGela,
Symptoms that can be caused by systemic fungal infections include hypothyroidism, sinusitis/rhinitis, ringworm, rosacea, reduced energy.
Your sinus and earache problems, plus the skin patch, do sound like signs of a fungal infection that has disseminated.
Generally speaking, environmental molds are not good at invading the human body, you need a human-adapted species like Candida. However, environmental molds can generate toxicity from their cell wall components.
Metametrix tests for DNA so it’s finding live fungi in the gut, not just toxins from environmental mold. It could be the molds from cheeses, but those are probably not very dangerous.
Assuming you do have a disseminated fungal infection, I definitely believe it should be treated.
Whether to treat the parasite is a judgment call but I would look into it, as all such parasites suppress immunity and might make the fungal infection / invasion more likely.
My belief is it’s best to beat these things back with treatment. Age is a major risk factor for fungal infections, as immunity seems to decline in the elderly, so keeping a fungal infection around may be tolerable for now but it could lead to bigger problems down the road.
Best, Paul