Candidiasis

One of the most intriguing question often asked by someone who suffers from allergy is, "Why does one get an an allergic reaction now and not previously?"

Twenty years ago, I thought that one of the most common predispositions to cause allergy was the presence of candida in our body.

Nowadays everyone is jumping into the bandwagon and pushing candida as the culprit. This has caused a great number of probiotics in the market promoting their use in combating candida. 

What is Candida? 

Simply put, they are the 'bad guys' in our tummy as opposed to the 'good guys' of probiotic. Generally the good and the bad live in harmony within the gut and all is well. What often change the equilibrium is, ironically, the medical profession: doctors who prescribe antibiotics liberally even for minor cough and cold. The antibiotics destroy the bad guys, yes, but also the good guys. When the bad guys return, you may find that you have less good guys to fight the bad guys.

The Chinese Sinsehs (traditional medicine practitioners) are no better. The indiscriminate dispensing of steroids for all sorts of ailments from skin disorder to arthritis and minor muscular problems compounds the problem. With the overuse of too much chemicals plus the combination of candidiasis, the explosion of allergic conditions occur.

Once candida is diagnosed to be overwhelming the body causing allergic conditions, I would prescribe probiotics to treat the allergy. However, one has to understand that not all probiotics are the same: the number of probiotics, source as well as the species in the probiotic is important. There are, of course, the 'Rolls Royce' of probiotics and the 'Proton Saga' and depending on your allergy condition, some may need the best and some don't.

The Lesson: The diagnosis of candidiasis is paramount in treating allergy.

My learning continues….