Yeast are single celled organisms that are neither animal nor vegetable. More properly they are a fungus and exist on the surface of all living things. There is normally a small amount of these organisms in the lower intestines of humans. They are kept in check by friendly bacteria and in turn keep them in check in a symbiotic balance that helps maintain the health of the person.
In people the primary yeast of concern is called Candida Albicans. Besides being present in the lower intestines, Candida is also normally present in warm moist folds of skin, and women’s vagina.
Over time there are factors that will begin to throw the balance between yeast and bacteria out of alignment. When this happens, the yeast population explodes and overwhelms the friendly bacteria. When this occurs in the intestines, then several negative things can take place.
First, the yeast are no longer contained in the lower intestine and begin to move up into the areas of digestion in the small intestine. At this point they feed on the food that is present and will give off gas as part of their metabolic process. This can result in sense of bloating after eating and a noticeable sensitivity to certain foods.
Second, the yeast will begin to burrow into walls of the intestines and create small holes. This is believed by many to
be the basis for what is called the Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS).These holes in the intestinal wall begin to allow not only yeast into the blood, but also their toxic metabolic byproducts. These can affect both the nervous system and the metabolic system of the body and are thought to be related to a variety of illnesses.
Third, the small holes begin to allow partially digested food particles to enter into the blood stream. This is in turn is thought to be connected to various immune system and auto-immune conditions, as these food particles settle into parts of the body which are then attacked by the immune system.
Fourth, exploding yeast populations will result in the morphing of the normally quiet yeast organism into a ferocious version of itself which attaches to the skin and causes what we know as yeast infections. Then after a while the yeast will rapidly go back to their quiet state and the “infection” will disappear as the yeast temporarily use up the excess food that stimulated their rapid growth.
Yeast overgrowth is believed to be on the increase in the population and in particular, among women. Is is speculated that Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is also connected with yeast overgrowth. This is a difficult matter for doctors to indentify since yeast does exist to some degree in all people. Also when yeast burrow into the small intestines, the holes they make may not be large enough for the yeast to enter the blood stream, just the metabolic by products.
It is possible to test for excess quantities of yeast metabolites in the blood if you know what to look for and indeed, some connection has been made for Fibromyalgia. But given that yeast can produce up to 180 known metabolites with varying degrees of toxicity, it is not an easy matter to know which one(s) to look for.
A further problem can occur in that treating for yeast overgrowth with medications tends to not eliminate the problem. This can be in part due to the yeast adapting to the medication. The best solution involves using known natural methods to help your body get rid of the yeast and then begin to heal the damage done. This needs to be done in conjunction with changes in diet and lifestyle,
