There are literally trillions of bacteria living in our digestive tract, making up the normal “microflora.” These bacteria generally play a supportive role in the health of the colon by helping to synthesize vitamins, degrade toxins, and produce natural antibiotics. Candida, a yeast-like fungus, also normally inhabits the gut in small amounts. However, if these yeast organisms are allowed to grow unchecked, the harmonious balance between yeast and bacteria is upset, resulting in intestinal candidiasis or what has been called the yeast syndrome. Not only can this overgrowth cause problems such as vaginal infections and oral thrush, but candida can release byproducts, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream and may travel to many areas of the body. A variety of symptoms may then occur as the immune system attempts to deal with these foreign molecules. As a result, intestinal candidiasiscan be an underlying cause of chronic, difficult to diagnose health problems. Below is a list symptoms that may be associated with yeast overgrowth.
