A Closer Look At Candida albicans – Friend Or Foe?

More than 70% of healthy people have Candida albicans inside their body, a fungus that normally colonizes in the mouth, gut, and birth canal.

In the right places, small communities of Candida support overall wellness, limiting the growth of harmful fungi and stimulating the immune system. Candida also aids with nutrient absorption and digestion. It feeds on by-products found within the body, like dead tissue and sugar from the diet.

When your inner ecosystem is in balance, the mucosa of the gut wall is sealed and healthy. Candida overgrowth is then kept in check.

However, when your ecosystem is out of balance, Candida has an opportunity to rapidly grow and take over its environment. Candida overgrowth drives away healthy bacteria and further weakens immune function in the gut.

Like an aggressive weed, Candida can even make the gut “leaky”. It does this by growing tentacles and burrowing into the mucosa lining of the gut, causing chronic inflammation and increased permeability.

Once the gut is leaky, Candida has the opportunity to spread beyond the gut. Systemic Candida overgrowth can affect every tissue in the body.