Candida

Candida is a yeast that is normally present in the healthy bowel, and if your bowels and your immune system are healthy it will live in harmony with your body. This balance can be upset by antibiotics, steroids, stress or a weakened immune system, and candida can proliferate in the gut and cause a lot of medical problems that are difficult to pin down, but can include recurrent vaginal thrush, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), chronic fatigue syndrome, food allergy or food intolerance, depression and lowered resistance to infections. Unfortunately most doctors don't know much about candida and are often of little help, but nutritionists can usually help, as can the books below.