Candida overgrowth is a serious health condition that is becoming more common each and every year.  Millions suffer from this condition without even knowing. This is because it can cause several different symptoms in the body. 

Candida overgrowth is typically caused by poor diet and antibiotic overuse.  This is because the standard American Diet (SAD) does not nourish the gut microbiome like traditional foods can.  This allows bad bacteria and yeast to flourish in the gut.  Also, antibiotics can disrupt the normal flora in the gut and create a positive environment for yeast and bacteria to thrive.

Luckily, there are several natural strategies that can inhibit the growth of candida and create a healthier microbiome.  One of the best strategies is incorporating specific raw green juices that can effectively expel a candida overgrowth from the gut.  However, before we talk about these specific raw green juices, let’s first talk about what Candida is.

What is Candida?

Many are confused about what Candida actually is.  For those unaware, it’s yeast that is naturally present in all healthy human guts.  When the microbiome is healthy, Candida is not a problem.  A microbiome full of healthy bacteria will naturally stop it from overgrowing.

However, when conditions become favorable for Candida due to poor diet and antibiotic overuse, problems begin to arise.  It is an opportunistic yeast which has the ability to morph into a pathogenic fungus if the conditions are right.  When Candida enters its fungal form, negative symptoms begin to arise in the body.

If left untreated long enough, this pathogenic fungus can make its way into the small intestines.  This is often referred to as small intestinal bacteria overgrowth (SIBO) and can cause symptoms such as irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies, bloating, and histamine intolerance’s (1)(2).

It should be noted, that SIBO does not happen overnight.  It can take several years for a full blown SIBO condition to develop.  Unfortunately, early symptoms typically go unnoticed.  It’s not until serious symptoms begin to arise that individuals begin to take notice of a possible Candida overgrowth in the body.

What are the Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth?

The problem with candida overgrowth is that symptoms vary immensely from individual to individual.  This can create confusion and is the biggest reason why many are unaware that they suffer from this condition.  However, there are a few tell-tale signs that are associated with Candida overgrowth in the body.

• White coating on tongue
• Bloating after Eating
• Low Stomach Acid / Indigestion
• Inconsistent Stools (frequent changes between constipation and diarrhea)
• Mineral deficiencies despite healthy whole foods diet
• Rashes after eating
• Food sensitivities/allergies
• Histamine intolerance

These are the most common symptoms when it comes to Candida overgrowth in the body.  Depending on the severity of the condition, you may suffer from one or two of these symptoms or you may suffer from all of them.  Regardless, positive steps need to be taken in order regain the health of microbiome and inhibit the growth of Candida.

Diet Strategies for Combating Candida

If you follow a standard American diet and suffer from Candida, changing diet is an absolute must.  This means ditching all sugar, processed foods, packaged foods, and alcohol.  Switching to a whole foods diet is mandatory for inhibiting the growth of pathogenic bacteria and fungus in the body.  A simple rule of thumb; if you can’t find it in nature, then don’t eat it!

However, many eating a whole foods diet can still suffer from Candida overgrowth.  When this occurs, diet strategies need to be put into place that can aid the body in elimination of the pathogenic fungus.  Also, the incorporation of specific raw green juices is extremely beneficial and we will talk more about this below.

With that said, the best way to inhibit the growth of Candida is by starving it out.  This means cutting of its food supply which happens to be primarily sugar.  Even if you follow a whole foods diet, excess sugar from fruits can be problematic.  If possible, only eat fruits that are in season.  Until symptoms of a pathogenic overgrowth disappear, a low sugar diet can be highly beneficial.

Also, animal foods are extremely nourishing for anyone dealing with Candida as it provides the protein, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals needed by the immune system to fight off the overgrowth.  Although this website is primarily based around the amazing health benefits of juicing, we don’t let any vegan or vegetarian dogma get in the way of what actually works.

Key Points For Building an Anti-Candida Diet

• Consume a low sugar diet
• Incorporate high quality animal foods
• Use coconut oil and olive oil in all your dishes (natural antifungal) (3)(4)
• Limit fruit intake (preferable in season)
• Eat fermented foods (avoid if you have a histamine intolerance)
• Use a high quality sea salt (natural antifungal and cleans the digestive system)
• Use oregano, garlic, turmeric, ginger, and bitter herbs in all of your cooking
• Mix 2 Tbsp. of ACV and ½ tsp. of Cayenne pepper daily in water and drink

How Juicing Helps Fight Candida

Depending on what you juice, juicing can either help feed or eliminate bad bacteria in the body. As mentioned before, sugar feeds candida in the body.  Elimination of excess sugar is vital if you wish to inhibit the growth of it.

For this reason, all raw juices contain at least 70% dark leafy greens, 10% herbs, and 20% sour fruits.  Sour fruits such as grapefruit, green apples, cara cara, limes, lemons, and blood oranges are all excellent choices.  These fruits still have many medicinal properties still intact and do not contain as much sugar as sweet fruits.

Incorporating herbs such as ginger, cilantro, parsley, and turmeric in all your juice recipes will have tremendous benefits towards inhibiting the growth of pathogenic fungus and bacteria.  Ginger has potent anti-candida properties and is excellent at for fighting against the problematic fungus (5). 

Juicing daily in combination with good diet is an excellent strategy for combating pathogenic overgrowths naturally in the body.  Many foods can be introduced back into the diet once the overgrowth is gone.

The Candida Ginger Blast Recipe

Below is our favorite juice recipe for combating bacteria and fungal overgrowths in the body!  Also, many of the recipes found in our Juice Me Better Juicing Recipe Book can also help inhibit the growth of candida.

Recipe:

• 1 small ginger rhizome (size of pinky)
• 4 Stalks of Celery
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• 1 green apple
• 5 cucumbers

We find that drinking this raw juice first thing in the morning kick starts the detoxification process and provides endless energy.  It’s important that you drink the juice away from your meals so that the body does not become overwhelmed. Don’t eat at least 2 hours before or after consuming this raw juice.

Also, for those new to juicing, be sure to check out our comparison and buyers guide page for the best juicers on any budget.  This page contains information that can help you choose the best home juicer no matter what your budget may.  It also goes over the juicing basics that you should be made aware of before purchasing any home juicer.