Latest / hol+ with Dr. Taz MD | The Future of Medicine is Holistic / Candida Overgrowth: How to Actually Spot the Signs, Understand Your Symptoms and Know What to Do Next
Transcript
- S08E11 - Candida Full Episode Transcript [00:00:00] I'm about to go into contested territory, into a topic heavily debated, [00:00:05] sometimes verified, sometimes dismissed, but in the middle of all that is [00:00:10] you, the patient. Let's talk about candida. If you've got sugar cravings [00:00:15] you can't explain, bloating that will arrive with every single afternoon, brain fog, [00:00:20] fatigue, and here's the tip, a white coating on your tongue, you [00:00:25] may have an issue with candida, a yeast that lives in our guts and is [00:00:30] natural and normal for all of us to have. But in today's environment and [00:00:35] landscape, I see over and over an overgrowth of candida. [00:00:40] But we continue to dismiss this as something that's not real and something we [00:00:45] don't need to pay attention to. This debate started a long time ago, almost 40 years [00:00:50] ago, when researchers and scientists started to talk about fungal overgrowth [00:00:55] and is it something that they needed to be thinking about and really training [00:01:00] clinicians to look for. The answer at the end of the day was no, but only with a lot of [00:01:05] back and forth in between with people arguing and debating [00:01:10] and saying sometimes that this is real and sometimes that it's irrelevant. [00:01:15] So let's get a little bit into the debate and see what's going on. And I wanna share [00:01:20] with you a study that was done about 20 Let's see, this study is about 20 [00:01:25] years old. Researchers took 22 healthy people, no symptoms, [00:01:30] no illnesses, and then tracked them over six months. They gave them a three-day course [00:01:35] of antibiotics and followed them, and every single one of them [00:01:40] originally was carrying candida, and then over the course of the six months, every [00:01:45] single person's levels of candida were out of control. What the study answered [00:01:50] was that, first of all, candida is real, and secondly, candida levels [00:01:55] change depending on what you're doing in your body or with your body. But then there [00:02:00] were arguments against candida as well. So here's another study that came out from a [00:02:05] gastroenterologist at Weill Cornell who wrote a piece for the International Scientific Association for [00:02:10] Probiotics and Prebiotics calling most candida claims misinformation.[00:02:15] He points out that a study of 150 patients with fungal overgrowth [00:02:20] couldn't actually attribute their symptoms to the fungus, 'cause nobody ever documented whether [00:02:25] the treatment for it actually helped. So that's fair criticism, right? It's a real hole, [00:02:30] and I think that's something we keep seeing kind of in the integrative and functional medicine world, [00:02:35] where there's an opportunity to do more diligent and effective research. But the [00:02:40] challenge that we have as a clinician and in the exam room is that the research is [00:02:45] not catching up to what we are seeing, and you, the patient, is caught in the middle. [00:02:50] So yes, we need more research on candida and more controlled studies, and [00:02:55] our clinics, uh, hope to do that in the years ahead with the population base that we have.[00:03:00] But we can tell you whether you are a child, a teenager, someone in your [00:03:05] 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, or beyond, candida is real, [00:03:10] and we're actually able to look for it, measure it, and see what the progress [00:03:15] of it is, and that's been some of the greatest success stories that we've seen in practice. [00:03:20] We can try and begin the story with you. Stick your tongue out for a second [00:03:25] and take a look at it. Again, if you're driving, be careful. If your tongue is coated and [00:03:30] you have a white, thick coat, Ayurvedic medicine, Chinese medicine, [00:03:35] and even today, to a certain extent, conventional medicine tells us that is a [00:03:40] sign of some level of yeast overgrowth, more than likely [00:03:45] candida, because it is the most predominant yeast in the body So again, that [00:03:50] could be your starting point. But there are so many other ways to know that candida is [00:03:55] an issue for you. One of the things that we have seen over and over again is [00:04:00] symptoms like bloating or brain fog, weight gain are all often driven [00:04:05] by candida. Candida also seems to be intricately related [00:04:10] to the concept of insulin resistance. So for example, when there is a shift in [00:04:15] the microbiome towards a higher candida or higher yeast state, that is [00:04:20] also when we see more insulin resistance, and the two are interconnected. More [00:04:25] yeast, more candida, higher blood sugars, higher fasting insulins, higher [00:04:30] A1Cs, higher visceral fat, more fatty liver, more belly fat. I can [00:04:35] go on. It's definitely a path, right, that we see play out [00:04:40] over and over again. I should say pattern. Definitely a pattern we see play out over and over again [00:04:45] Let's bring in one more variable, because I often talk about the three-hit theory and how there are three [00:04:50] hits for everything and everything is interconnected. For many of our patients with [00:04:55] PCOS, what we find, or now PMOS, what we find is that [00:05:00] they have candida as the root gut cause that then drives the insulin resistance, [00:05:05] that then influences expression of the androgens, 'cause they're a little bit more [00:05:10] androgen sensitive to begin with. So you have this candida insulin androgen [00:05:15] triangle, which is driving the autoimmunity and inflammatory response of something [00:05:20] like PCOS or PMOS. We also know that when there [00:05:25] are higher levels of candida, and we've been able to measure this in practice, there is a higher [00:05:30] histamine response. So many of the patients that come in with MCAS, mast cell activation [00:05:35] syndrome, for example, or chronic allergies, chronic urticaria, [00:05:40] are all, at the end of the day, candida patients, believe it or not, and we find that [00:05:45] candida is the root cause of that. We also find candida tied [00:05:50] to many skin infections, whether it is psoriasis or vitiligo or [00:05:55] psoriatic arthritis or eczema or acne. Bottom line, what the [00:06:00] microbiome is doing is important. It always has been. But what's getting missed [00:06:05] in the exam room, and also in research, is the importance of screening and [00:06:10] understanding what to do for candida or for yeast overgrowth. [00:06:15] Those are some of the common conditions and symptoms that I will see and my team will see at Hol+ [00:06:20] over and over again with candida. But then we go into how do we [00:06:25] nail it, right? Beyond the coated white tongue, beyond the symptomology that I just talked [00:06:30] about, what else can we do to help somebody understand if this is a risk [00:06:35] for them? And this is where testing and screening actually does make a difference. [00:06:40] A lot of times you have to test at multiple points, and again, [00:06:45] really embrace that idea of patterning and trending and tracking to make a [00:06:50] diagnosis of candida. We look at blood level tests. We look at a candida [00:06:55] IgA, IgM, and IgG. Each of those tell us something about [00:07:00] candida. Is it in the gut? Do you have an active infection, or were you exposed to it before? [00:07:05] We like to look at stool tests as well to see if you're growing candida in your stool. [00:07:10] It's oftentimes a quick reflection of what's going on in the gut. And then there are other [00:07:15] yeast markers that you can measure in urine or also in blood to help [00:07:20] make that determination. I wanna pause here because I see this pattern all the time. [00:07:25] People are doing the research, they're listening to the podcast, they're trying to take better care of themselves, [00:07:30] and they still feel so stuck, especially when it comes to their health, their hormones, [00:07:35] their stress, and even taking care of their families. That's why I created The Circle. [00:07:40] The Circle is my private membership where we go deeper into these topics with real [00:07:45] guidance, demos, live sessions, and a supportive community. If you wanna try it, there's [00:07:50] a one-month trial available right now. You can learn more at [00:07:55] Holplus.co/circle. That's [00:08:00] Holplus.co/circle or just click the link in the description below and use the code YouTube.[00:08:05] Now let's continue the conversation. But once you have an understanding that candida [00:08:10] is the risk for you, then it's important to build a plan that gradually helps to [00:08:15] reverse it. And this again enters yet another contested area of [00:08:20] medicine. First, there's the acceptance that candida is real. Now there's the [00:08:25] acceptance, okay, it's real, but what do we do about it? And here's where it [00:08:30] needs to be a personalized story, and I wish I could make it simpler. But what I can do is make you an [00:08:35] advocate for your own health so you can start to think about this and ask for some of these things as you [00:08:40] move forward. Candida comes from a number of different sources. There [00:08:45] are genetics that drive candida. In particular, MTHFR [00:08:50] C677T is a gene that drives a tendency towards yeast or [00:08:55] candida. In addition to the genetics though, we know that [00:09:00] consuming a diet high in fructose or processed foods and refined [00:09:05] carbohydrates is going to contribute to candida in anyone, whether you have the genetics or you don't.[00:09:10] But if you have the genetics, it's going to make it so much worse. You'll have a much [00:09:15] more exaggerated response to it. We also know that hormones [00:09:20] impact candida. Low progesterone states trigger higher yeast states, [00:09:25] as do low estrogen states. It's fascinating. It's that gut hormone connection [00:09:30] again We know, for example, that certain medications, [00:09:35] like antibiotics that I cited in the study, and even antidepressants and [00:09:40] anti-anxiety medications can skew the microbiome towards [00:09:45] candida. Everything is connected. The environment plays a [00:09:50] role in this as well. The toxins that we get exposed to day in and day out, [00:09:55] glyphosate, the pesticide now in our drinking water and in so many different [00:10:00] places, influence the load of candida as well. And last but certainly not [00:10:05] least is stress. There's a strong connection between cortisol [00:10:10] and the stress response and an overgrowth of yeast in the body, specifically in [00:10:15] the gut. We can always argue chicken and egg, what came first? Did cortisol crash the [00:10:20] hormones or the neurotransmitters, and that impacted the gut? Or did cortisol crash the [00:10:25] gut, which then impacted everything else? You can debate all that stuff, but it doesn't matter when you [00:10:30] take the holistic approach. Because if you enter this conversation understanding [00:10:35] that there are three hits to everything, and everything is interconnected, and the journey [00:10:40] of health and the roadmap of health is really more about connecting the dots and winding your [00:10:45] story together, then you understand arguing and debating about what came [00:10:50] first is irrelevant. Instead, helping to really [00:10:55] nail that this is the thing that's driving all these different symptoms is much more [00:11:00] helpful Once that acceptance happens and once that diagnosis is [00:11:05] made, turning candida around really involves a holistic [00:11:10] plan, and that's why it's so frustrating. You know, in the early days of practice, I would tell people to go on these [00:11:15] candida diets, and they were miserable. It took everything out. It took out, [00:11:20] you know, dairy and gluten and sugar and yeast and alcohol, and people were like, "What do I [00:11:25] eat?" Right? Not everybody wants to live on protein and lean meats and [00:11:30] vegetables all the time. As I've practiced over the years, my tone has changed a bit, and [00:11:35] I've realized that we wanna do things that are sustainable and realistic. So now my [00:11:40] recommendation is usually can you be candida-free from a dietary [00:11:45] standpoint at least 80% of the time? Meaning take out the biggest [00:11:50] hits, the biggest culprits, which are dairy and alcohol and sugar. [00:11:55] If you can take those three out, go dairy-free, drop alcohol [00:12:00] for six to eight weeks, really watch your intake of refined sugar, maybe we [00:12:05] can let up a little bit on the yeast products and the gluten and all this other stuff.[00:12:10] But pair that type of diet with a plan to minimize candida in your [00:12:15] body, and that means going on the right probiotics so that you can balance out the gut [00:12:20] microbiome. In patients that are a little bit more severe, we will do things to [00:12:25] minimize the load of candida, whether those are natural herbal supplements like berberine [00:12:30] or we're moving more towards, uh, doing medications like an [00:12:35] antifungal to lower the load. Again, at the end of the day, it's really looking at the [00:12:40] patient and trying to get that story. The frontiers in medicine are exciting because they're looking at [00:12:45] things like peptides to minimize candida. So KPV, for example, is a peptide that we've [00:12:50] seen a lot of benefit from that helps to lower the load of candida in the body.[00:12:55] So for each patient, we're trying to stitch together what really makes sense. Are you mild, moderate, or [00:13:00] severe? And that sometimes will determine what we reach for in the toolbox. [00:13:05] But we also know that hormones will influence this, medications will influence [00:13:10] this. You know, for anyone going through PCOS, perimenopause, menopause, on [00:13:15] fertility treatments, off fertility treatments, and everything in between, candida [00:13:20] is sort of a running theme that we are looking for to see if we need to [00:13:25] do anything in that regard. And in the weight loss and metabolic health conversation, [00:13:30] candida needs to be accounted for as well. So as we're going through [00:13:35] this idea of candida, again, I started by saying this was a highly contested and highly [00:13:40] debated topic in medical literature, where most doctors dismiss it, most [00:13:45] gastroenterologists dismiss it, and don't believe it's a condition that necessarily [00:13:50] needs to be treated. I would push back. I would say, yes, I [00:13:55] understand that some of the research that's been done to date has probably not been effective in [00:14:00] nailing it, but I think we need better research, and I think we need to [00:14:05] control for things like where hormones are and what the environmental load is, and [00:14:10] what a normal or acceptable level of healthy bacteria and candida is [00:14:15] given the environment we live in today. There are so [00:14:20] many successful patient stories that I could tell you where once we treated [00:14:25] candida as the root cause, that is when something like MCAS went away, [00:14:30] or POTS got better, chronic urticaria got better, or even hormone [00:14:35] imbalances improved. And that once we balanced hormones effectively, [00:14:40] which you can do, that's when candida got better. And that [00:14:45] candida, if you are seeing it, is really a sign and a signal to begin [00:14:50] with the gut as your first stop when it comes to roadmapping out your health [00:14:55] So while this topic is debated and contested and [00:15:00] maybe buzzed around in the wellness world or dismissed in the medical world, [00:15:05] I urge you to take the middle path. As a holistic and integrative and functional medicine [00:15:10] doctor that has been seeing patients for a really long period of time, this is real. [00:15:15] The research is behind, and I need you to connect the dots on your [00:15:20] story so that you can change the course of your health. If you think you might have [00:15:25] candida and you're curious, we have so many resources for you. Of course, you can book an [00:15:30] appointment at Hol+. Head over to Holplus.co\appointments if you want [00:15:35] to really begin a personal roadmap in understanding what your variables are [00:15:40] when it comes to something like candida or you're dealing with an autoimmune disease that nobody's been [00:15:45] able to really nail. But if you just want to dip your toe into this [00:15:50] conversation, we have a lot of things within our store if you head over to [00:15:55] shop.Holplus.co which do target candida as a starting step. [00:16:00] But regardless, even though we use these products and we talk about them day in and day out, [00:16:05] each of you should own and know your story and really [00:16:10] have a partner to help you along the way. All right. This is an important topic. I think [00:16:15] candida's only getting worse. It applies to our children, it applies to our seniors, and everybody in between. [00:16:20] Share this with someone who might need some help in understanding around the [00:16:25] idea of candida. And don't forget, I'm posting episodes here every week. [00:16:30] Subscribe to the podcast where we really try to push the future of medicine forward. [00:16:35] Before you go, remember healing doesn't happen all at once. It happens in [00:16:40] moments. If today's episode gave you one of those moments, subscribe and keep [00:16:45] learning with me. The next video is right here, and it picks up right where this one left off