Is Candida Cleansing Safe?

While there are no commonly known health risks to a candida cleanse, being aware of side-effects, dietary needs, and taking certain precautions is important for a safe and effective cleanse.

Health Considerations

Long-term health conditions may require extra caution when thinking of a candida cleanse. You may need to wait on a cleanse until talking to your doctor or naturopath about any safety concerns. Antifungal blends may have drug contradictions, food allergies and sensitivities must be considered, and maintaining the needed nutrients during a cleanse or diet are all factors when establishing the safety of any cleansing program.

Those on medications or with diabetes, leaky gut, weakened immune function, or other health concerns may want to evaluate what type of detox or cleanse would be best, as well as understand safe supplements. For example, extra fiber from psyllium husks is often recommended for a candida cleanse, however the husks can cause unnecessary cramping and bloating, or more severe responses for those who have leaky gut. Natural sources of fiber, such as acacia, flaxseed, and chia offer safe alternatives to psyllium. If you have a compromised immune system, adding in zinc, vitamin C, and probiotics are important to promote healthy immune function.

Considerations During the Cleanse

Helping the body detoxify and maintaining proper nutrition during a cleanse is critical for proper candida elimination and reduction of side-effects. Avoiding carbohydrates and sugars may misguide some to think that foods such as meat or salty snacks are acceptable, or that only two or three types of vegetables can be consumed. However a balanced diet should include 5-7 servings of diverse veggies to ensure the body gets proper nutrition.

Weight-loss is often regarded as a benefit, however rapid weight loss can be concerning. Along with getting nutrients, plan to eat 5-6 times per day: 3 regular meals and snacks every 2-3 hours so that your body is well-nourished throughout the day. Bowel movements should be regular, occurring 1-3 times per day to ensure that candida is properly being expelled.

Some cleansing programs suggest juicing to detox the body, however important nutrients are often missed in a purely liquid cleanse. The most important considerations for cleansing is to make food from scratch, supplement nutrients to fight and cleanse yeast as well as support the immune system, and include a variety of nutrients (whole grains, healthy oils such as coconut and olive oil, and a variety of vegetables. One suggestion is to eat food that encompasses all six colors of the rainbow).

Are Side-Effects while Cleansing a Safety Concern?

When the body begins fighting candida, candida fights back. The fungi may try to escape through the skin, causing rashes. Epsom salt baths, tea tree oil, and aloe vera gel can be used to relieve external discomfort. Bad breath, foul-scented urine and stools, and other differences in the body are other commonly reported symptoms of candida leaving the body.

Many people experience dizziness, hunger, fatigue, moodiness, and other side-effects during a thorough cleanse. While these symptoms are understandably concerning, they are normal as part of the die-off caused by yeast.

Candida die-off (Herxheimer response) occurs when the candida cell dies and releases toxins into the body. Dizziness, muscle pain, fatigue, worsened sinuses, and itchy skin are just a few reactions to candida die-off. If symptoms become intolerable, you can reduce any antifungals by amount or frequency(though products such as CanXida help prevent die-off), or relax your diet (such as allowing fruits) with an understanding that the candida will take longer to clear out. You can also take additional supplements such as molybdenum to help absorb and prevent die-off effects. Extra fiber and water can flush out the toxins, as well.

Other Options

Don’t feel you can go through a cleanse? Sometimes the safest way to fight candida is with healthy diet changes that are not so restricted. Even if a yeast cleanse is not best for you, everyone can add more fiber, gluten-free whole grains, and veggies and into their daily regimen while cutting back and removing on gluten, white flour, added sugars, caffeine and alcohol. Added supplements, especially probiotics, vitamin C (to help immune function), antifungals such as oregano oil or grapefruit seed extra, and zinc (which candida kills in the body) can help fight candida and heal the body over an extended period of time.

Leave a Reply