During one of my first visits with a functional medicine doctor whom I had decided to see in order to finally solve my immune system issues, it was suggested that I had an overgrowth of the yeast Candida, which might be affecting the way my body responded to viruses and colds.

Candida is a yeast that exists in our bodies. Under normal circumstances it is not problematic. However, some doctors believe that if Candida grows out of control, it can create some issues. In my case, the doctor thought it could be leading to leaky gut syndrome, an increased permeability of the intestinal lining which allows partially digested food, toxins and bacteria to pass through the intestines into one’s bloodstream. It is believed that a leaky gut leads to chronic inflammation, which makes people sick. Usually, healthy bacteria keeps our Candida levels under control, but there are a few factors which can lead to Candida overgrowth:

• Eating a diet high in sugar
• Drinking alcohol
• Taking antibiotics
• Taking oral contraceptives
• A weakened immune system
• Steroids
• High stress levels
• A lack of physical activity

Though the jury still seems to be out about whether or not an overgrowth of Candida causes digestive issues or whether or not leaky gut is even something with which one can be diagnosed, one of the main treatments besides antifungal medication and a probiotic is following a no sugar diet. Despite the controversy, most medical professionals do seem to be able to agree that sugar can be problematic, and the level of sugar in the typical American diet is out of control. Despite eating healthy for most of the day, I admit that my sweet tooth was running the show – I was a chocoholic! With that in mind, and in an effort to lower the inflammation in my system, I decided to follow through with a round of anti-fungal meds, a probiotic and three month long no sugar diet. 

By the end of the three months, I had lost about seven pounds. I also noticed that my histamine reactions were a lot less intense. I was able to come off of my daily, year round allergy meds, and when I did get a bug bite or a minor scratch, it healed up almost immediately. Over the rest of the year, I only got sick once and it wasn’t anything intense. Prior to this treatment, I had endured six rounds of significant viral illnesses (including three bouts of COVID) over a two year period. My “seasonal” allergies were really all year round (I carried a tissue on me at all times due to a perpetual runny nose) and bug bites and minor scratches took a long time to heal. 

These days, I keep my sugar intake very low. As a result, my immune system seems to be functioning a lot more effectively and this past spring, I only needed to use a non-steroidal nasal allergy spray for one week (when every plant around me was blooming) and my skin issues have calmed way down.Yay!

If you’re thinking about cutting out or cutting down on the sugar in your diet, please read more about how to do so in another one of my posts. There you will also find suggestions on how to shop for no/low sugar items in the grocery store.