Crohn's Disease And Yeast - The Link Between Candida And Crohn's Disease

Crohn’s disease and yeast present in the intestine seem to have a link, as it has been noticed that when some people with Crohn's disease were given treatment for Candida albicans, they seemed to get better and were symptom free!

 The human intestine contains yeast, such as Candida albicans, cells that are similar in size to that of our cells. They are kept in check by the immune system and the intestinal bacteria. Some of the intestinal bacteria are harmless and others can cause harm.

 

Some of the friendly bacteria prevent the body from reacting to harmful bugs such as, salmonella and others that may cause diarrhea. The friendly bacteria do not cause any harmful effects, but when we ingest certain drugs such as antibiotics, these bacteria are destroyed or flushed away from the body, causing an imbalance. Yeast and other "bad" bacteria may increase in number and as the body has no friendly bacteria, the body gets weak and susceptible to infections. The more antibiotics given, the better the yeast thrives, as the good bacteria are all gone to check their growth.

 

When intestinal yeast grows beyond a certain acceptable limit, the person may start experiencing major health problems. Candida cells are very adept at evading the body's immune system. Studies have shown that Candida cells are never completely cleared, as they are very hardy and have several mechanisms to evade the defense system. The constant effort to fight off Candida can cause the immune system to fail, leading to diseases such as, the Inflammatory Bowel diseases.

 

Studying the link between Crohn’s disease and yeast has failed to reveal, why the immune system malfunctions, causing inflammation associated with Crohn's disease. The inflammation is perhaps to make conditions hostile for Candida cells to thrive, but the disease is still shrouded in ambiguity. The yeast antigens end up stimulating the T and B cells of patients with Crohn's disease.

 

The yeast cell wall comprises of a substance called Mannan. Patients with Crohn's disease have a higher level of antibodies against Mannan. The patients also have low levels of mannan-binding lectin, because of MBL gene mutations.

 

Various anti-fungal medications are administered along with probiotics, which has proved to be effective in treating Candida. Nystatin, Diflucan, Sporanox, and Lamisil are some of the drugs, usually prescribed to treat Candida. Yogurt is also said to be good source of probiotics.

 

Crohn’s disease and yeast are linked, as many patients diagnosed with Crohn's disease seemed to get better, once they were given treatment for Candida and asked to adhere to a strict diet. The drug prescribed for Candida seemed to be ineffective, as long as, the patients consumed intestinal yeast producing foods such as, fermented foods, alcohol, vinegar, and cheese. When the patients followed a strict diet and underwent the treatment, their conditions improved remarkably with many of them remaining symptom free for many years. Patients also have to avoid chocolates, coffee, and diary products. Refined sugar and flour, treated meats, mushrooms, and nuts also have to be avoided. Since, so many foods are eliminated, it is crucial to give the patients adequate supplements of essential vitamins and minerals.

 

There are some who agree that there is a connection between Crohn’s disease and yeast, and some who disagree, but the fact is many aspects of the disease are still unclear.