A yeast is a type of single-celled organism found throughout nature—in the soil, on vegetables and fruits, and in the human body. Candida albicans is a very common variety of yeast, frequently present in small quantities in the intestines and in a woman’s vagina. It is not harmful under normal conditions (that is, when its numbers are few), but it can cause considerable damage when its colonies grow and multiply. Candida then becomes pathogenic, transforming from a simple yeast into an aggressive fungus. This potential for mutating from a benign organism to a pathogenic one is why William Crook, M.D., describes Candida as a kind of microbiological “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Candidiasis causes a lengthy and diverse list of allergic reactions which makes it particularly difficult to diagnose. The symptoms can range from sleep disturbances, fatigue, and digestive difficulties to joint pains, food cravings, and emotional problems. Candida can cause a person to develop food allergies, according to James Braly, M.D., medical director of Immuno Labs in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, by burrowing into and damaging the intestinal lining. This may cause breaches in the lining, allowing food particles to seep out of the intestines and into the bloodstream (a condition known as leaky gut syndrome).
