Causes of fungal yeast overgrowth
There isn't really one main cause to fungal yeast overgrowth. Some people are just better at perpetuating yeast growth than others. Some of the conditions that perpetuate such growth can be high estrogen, low tissue oxygen, or a low pH. These are conditions where yeast are able to thrive. If you take prescription drugs, multiple antibiotics, long-term antibiotics, or have a history of taking birth control pills, these can all result in a yeast problem. With antibiotics in particular, the "healthy bacteria" in your gut are destroyed along with the "bad bacteria", giving the yeast an opportunity to multiply. A high sugar consumption can also cause yeast overgrowth. Foods to look out for include carbohydrates, processed food, sweet fruits, and fruit juices. Yeast love sugar, so these foods only feed them and encourage more growth.
Treating fungal yeast overgrowth
Dr. Berglund takes a "weed and seed" approach to treating fungal yeast overgrowth. Imagine a lawn full of dandelions. Those dandelions represent the yeast. You could pull all the dandelions or use a weed killer, but before long, the dandelions would simply grow back. In order to keep your lawn looking green, plush, and healthy, you'd need to re-seed it so that the grass "takes over" and leaves no room for the dandelions to grow.
Sure, there may be a few that pop up here and there, but it's a natural part of life. The overgrowth, however, which was causing your lawn to be a field of yellow, is under control once your lawn is fully seeded.
Eliminating "problem foods" is also a big step in the treatment process. Since yeast live off of sugar, it's important to eliminate sugar-containing foods like:
-
fruit juice
-
anything with added sugar
-
anything with added corn syrup
-
desserts
-
sweet fruits (limit to one or less per day)
-
soda
-
dehydrated fruit/raisins
​
Fungal yeast overgrowth: Yeast/fungus is a microorganism that is not a virus, bacteria, or a parasite. It's a whole different grouping. Dr. Berglund uses the terms fungus and yeast together. Many doctors diagnose someone with candida or candidiasis, but often times do not find the specific yeast organism "Candida Albicans" growing in the patient. For that reason, Dr. Berglund uses the more generic term "yeast/fungus" to avoid making a wrong diagnosis. Yeast/fungal organisms that can grow in the human body are found everywhere. For that reason, fungal yeast overgrowth is not a condition brought on by poor hygiene. Typically, the term "yeast" is used when the organism can grow in a warm, moist environment (like the human body, a loaf of bread, wine, beer, etc). We call them fungi when they grow in cooler, more external areas (like the toenail, mushrooms in the yard, etc). Some do one or the other and some can grow both ways.
Signs & symptoms
Signs & symptoms
-
gas/bloating
-
diarrhea
-
low blood sugar
-
food/sugar cravings
-
itching around anus
-
thrush
-
diaper rash
-
acne
-
ringworm
-
eczema
-
skin itchiness/redness
-
"Kool Aid (red) rash" around mouth (kids licking lips)
-
athlete's foot
-
fingernail/toenail fungus
-
hyperactivity
-
attention deficit disorder
-
lack of impulse control
-
vaginal yeast infections
-
swimmer's ear
-
bladder infection
-
hormonal imbalance
-
mental fogginess (confused, spaced-out, blank stares, day dreaming)
-
inability to concentrate (having to re-read the same thing multiple times
-
poor short term memory
-
lethargic/laziness
​
External signs & symptoms
Yeast love warm, moist (sweaty) areas. Itchiness and/or redness in these areas can be an example of fungal/yeast overgrowth:
-
armpits
-
crotch
-
feet
-
anus & surrounding area
-
back of neck along hairline for those with long hair
-
around breasts for those with large breasts
-
skin folds in overweight individuals
-
anywhere skin touches skin
-
around elastic waist bands (non-breathing material)
-
in areas where a person wears clothing that is polyester, nylon, spandex, latex, etc (non-breathing materials)
-
people who are frequently wearing wet clothes