Xylitol is not necessarily good for candida but it is a great sugar substitute that won’t aggravate a current infection and can help alleviate any sugar cravings that you may have while following an anti-candida protocol.

Xylitol, a type of polyol, is a sugar alcohol. It tastes slightly less sweet than normal sugar but also has less calories and a much lower glycemic index (glucose is 100, xylitol is 8). Xylitol is found naturally in plums, strawberries, raspberries, cauliflower, and spinach. However, it is metabolized differently than regular glucose or fructose sugar.

Xylitol produces a “cooling” effect in the mouth, which makes it a great substitute for gum or candies. Therefore, those with diabetes or insulin resistance or those avoiding sugar on an anti-candida diet could still fulfill their sweet tooth by consuming a xylitol flavored treat every once in a while.

In addition to being used as a low-glycemic sugar substitute, xylitol has additional health benefits. For example, xylitol has an anti-microbial effect on bacteria like Streptococcus pneumonia and can be used to prevent ear infections (otitis media) in children, as found in a study by Tapiainen. For ear infections, xylitol can be administered as a nasal spray or by chewing gum, with chewing gum being the preferred method since chewing and swallowing helps massage the eustachian tubes, which helps with lymph flow.

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Xylitol is also commonly recommended to help with dental cavities or caries. This has been demonstrated in hundreds of studies, including but not limited to those by Scheinin, Isokangas, Kandelman, Alanen, and Mäkinen. Since oral bacteria do not metabolize xylitol, they do not create the same cavity-producing metabolites as they would from sugar so replacing sugary foods with xylitol helps to prevent cavities and tooth decay. In addition, a study by Mäkinen found that chewing xylitol-containing gum has even been found to help with teeth re-mineralization.

Xylitol has other, though less common, uses as well. According to Gracey, Rowland, and Livesey, xylitol can have a prebiotic effect since it is a low-digestible carbohydrate. This means that xylitol is fermented in the colon to make short chain fatty acids (SCFA), which promote good gut flora. Of greater benefit, SCFA can help decrease the risk for colon cancer. Also, a study by Shafer found that xylitol can increase satiety by slowing gastric emptying so it may be helpful to use for those individuals who are trying to lose weight. In addition, when chewed as a gum, xylitol can help people with xerostomia, a symptom of chronic dry mouth due to decreased saliva production, common in those with Sjogren’s syndrome.

Xylitol is available in many forms. It can be used as a nasal spray to help with allergies, sinusitis, and ear infections. Xylitol is also used in foods to help lower the sugar content, which is great for those with candida or diabetes. Additionally, it is found in chewable gummies, toothpaste, powder, lozenge, or syrup.

As for dosing, health benefits have been seen in those using as little as 8g a day. For ear infection prevention in young children, 8-10 grams of xylitol in divided doses after meals works best. For cavity prevention, 7-20 grams in divided doses throughout the day, usually as gum, can help. Gums like Epic or Spry have 1.06g and 0.72g xylitol per piece of xylitol respectively whereas brands like Trident only have 0.17g of xylitol per piece. In other words, you’d have to chew six times the number of Trident pieces to get the same amount of xylitol found in one piece of Epic gum.

There are no known interactions of xylitol with medications. However, in higher dosing (>20g), xylitol can cause loose stools, diarrhea, gas, and/or bloating so those with these symptoms from other conditions, such as IBS or IBD, may want to avoid xylitol altogether.

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There is evidence that shows that xylitol can kill Lactobacillus acidophilus which are good bacteria apart from bad bacteria. It thus seems possible that consumption of xylitol can lead to dysbiosis which is something that anyone with candida would want to stay clear from considering the already existing dysbiosis that follows candida infection. It may be better to avoid xylitol when on a candida diet.

Reishi mushrooms may help eliminate candida through its immune-stimulating and anti-microbial effects. While more research is needed, based on its actions, reishi could be an important part of an anti-candida protocol.

Reishi (Ganoderma) is referred to as the “divine mushroom” in Japan or the “spirit plant” in China. While there are six different types of traditional reishi, only three are part of the Ganoderma genus. Red reishi, called that for its red brick color, is Ganoderma lucidum, and is the most medically active of the reishi fungi. Ganoderma tsugae is also referred to as red reishi but is not as effective or commonly used. Ganoderma sinensis is called black reishi and is commonly used in China. To avoid confusion, use of the term “reishi” in the rest of the article will be solely referring to Ganoderma lucidium since it has the most researched and known medicinal effects.

Reishi has been used for thousands of years in Traditional Chinese Medicine for its ability to increase longevity. This may be due to Reishi’s adaptogenic and immune-stimulating effect. Adaptogenic herbs essentially help the body adapt to stressful situations so a person avoids becoming worn-down and ill due to long-term exposure to daily stress. As for immune-stimulation, Reishi contains beta 1,3-glucans which are herbal constituents that help to stimulate the immune system. Reishi also specifically contains ganoderic acids, which have been shown to inhibit tumor metastases, and ergosterol, also known as pro-vitamin D2, which induces apoptosis, an important mechanism in cancer prevention.

Reishi is most widely known and well researched for its ability to support the immune system as well as its cancer-fighting properties. Additional research has been published in recent years highlighting the types of cancers it can benefit. The most noteworthy implication involves HPV (human papilloma virus). Several HPV strains are associated with cervical cancer, which lead to the creation of the controversial HPV vaccine, to help promote immunity against a few HPV strains. According to a study by Lai, Reishi extract significantly suppressed expression of a known cancer-causing HPV strain. And additional studies by Cheng and Xu, found that constituents like ganoderic acids, actually inhibited human cervical cancer cell growth. While more research is needed, it appears reishi may be a natural alternative to preventing HPV infections and subsequent cervical cancer. In addition, reishi can complement conventional cancer treatments as it protects against the harmful effects of chemotherapy and radiation.

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Reishi can be greatly beneficial for other diseases as well. Due to its anti-histamine effect, it can be an important part of an allergy, bronchitis, asthma, or respiratory wellness protocol. Reishi has also been known to help with hepatitis, arthritis, or just assisting with recovery from a long illness. Reishi is also great for cardiovascular issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, or atherosclerosis. In fact, according to a study by Jin, patients who had high blood pressure that was unresponsive to medication, when started on 220 mg of reishi extract tablets a day, the vast majority of patients experienced significantly decreased blood pressure. Reishi has also been used to lower blood sugar in diabetics as well as possibly help with insomnia.

Reishi can be taken internally as a liquid or alcohol extract of the dried mushroom, a powder, or even as a tea. Studies suggest that the most healing properties can be gained from taking reishi in an alcohol extract. However, reishi tea appears to be most associated with promoting longevity. If you’re taking an alcohol or liquid extract, using 30 drops two-four times a day can be taken without any adverse effects. However, reishi, like most adaptogens, doesn’t act quickly and is better if taken over a long period of time.

Overall, reishi is a very safe herb and can be taken indefinitely with no harmful effects. In rare instances, some people may experience a mild upset stomach from taking reishi. The only people that need to take caution if trying to use reishi are people on blood-thinning medications like warfarin or those with clotting disorders since reishi can act as an anti-coagulant in high enough doses. Also, if you are an organ transplant recipient or are on immunosuppressive therapy, you should consult your doctor before taking reishi to avoid complications.

There is no evidence that shows that reishi feeds candida and in fact, is more likely to help eradicate candida due to reishi’s anti-microbial and immune-stimulating effects. Reishi has a bitter taste so it may be better to opt for an extract than a tea. High-quality reishi can be obtained from your herbalist or TCM doctor and always look for Ganoderma lucidum reishi extracted from the fruiting bodies of the fungus and not the mycelium. The fruiting bodies have been shown to have significantly greater medicinal effect than the mycelium and cannot be used interchangeably.

Psyllium husks have been used as medicine for centuries for a wide range of health conditions. However, they have not been demonstrated to eradicate candida or affect the gut flora in the GI tract. Regardless, psyllium can still be useful in treating candida since ingestion of psyllium husks may ensure daily bowel movements, which is key to maintaining a healthy digestive system as well as being an important component of a candida protocol to mitigate any die-off side effects.

Psyllium seeds come from the plant Plantago ovata. This tiny shrub can produce around 15,000 tiny seeds per plant. Psyllium husks and seeds act as a bulk laxative, meaning they help to shorten the stool’s transit time through the GI tract. This is mainly accomplished by increasing the water content and weight of the stool, which activates receptors in your gut to stimulate peristalsis, the wave-like muscle contractions that help you have a bowel movement. The husks and seeds contain mucilage, which acts to soothe irritated and inflamed tissue. Psyllium seeds can be purchased with husks, without husks, or you can purchase psyllium husks by themselves without seeds. Plantago ovata leaves have a different medicinal effect than the seeds so make sure you are buying psyllium seeds or husks and not the whole Plantago plant.

As mentioned above, when it comes to candida, any positive benefit derived from consuming psyllium is due to its laxative effect in ensuring toxins from die-off are eliminated properly. A study by Al-Schamma found that psyllium had no effect on eradicating yeast. And while some claim that psyllium helps promote good gut flora, according to a study by Elli, psyllium has no probiotic or prebiotic effect. That being said, there are no known negative interactions between consuming psyllium and being on a candida diet.

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So while psyllium is not directly helpful for candida, it is great for various gastrointestinal and endocrine conditions. Studies by Everson, Chan, Davidson, and Segana found that psyllium seeds, consumed daily, can actually lower cholesterol. And according to a study by Rodiguez-Moran, patients with type 2 diabetes that ingested 5g of psyllium three times a day before meals lowered their fasting blood sugar, LDLs and triglycerides. Another study by Pastors found that regular psyllium ingestion before meals lowered insulin release by 17% in type 2 diabetics. In addition, studies by Wolener and Bergmann demonstrated that ingestion of dried psyllium husks can slow gastric emptying, leading to increased satiety after meals and prolonging hunger for more than 6 hours.

Psyllium has also been found to be helpful for IBS, a catchall diagnosis for GI issues that cannot be explained by another diagnosis. A study by Bijkerk compared psyllium consumption (soluble fiber) and bran (insoluble fiber) in patients with IBS and found that those who consumed psyllium had greater relief of their symptoms whereas those that consumed bran had a worsening of symptoms.

While psyllium is generally regarded as safe, an allergic reaction can occur in rare instances. Also, due to it’s bulky nature, those with difficulty swallowing should not try to ingest psyllium. Since psyllium increases transit time in the bowel, it should not be taken at the same time as other medications. Psyllium ingestion at the same time as medications lowered the amount of medication that was absorbed into the bloodstream, effectively lowering the dose that was received, as demonstrated by studies by Fernanzed and Etman. Taking psyllium a few hours before or after medications can easily prevent this from happening. Again, since psyllium increases transit time, it is not recommended to take it at the same time as a probiotic or supplements, which have a similar absorption to medications.

To incorporate psyllium as a part of your candida protocol, take 1 tablespoon of psyllium seeds or husks in 8 oz of water daily. Letting the seeds or husks soak for several hours prior to ingestion allows the psyllium to become gel-like and better assists the GI tract in digestion as well as reducing inflammation. Psyllium can be taken at any time of the day but it is generally recommended in the morning or at night. Bowel movements can occur 6-12 hours after taking psyllium, so plan accordingly.

Psyllium is available as a whole seed, husk, seed with husk, powder, or in a capsule form. Metamucil, commonly recommended by doctors for constipation and regulating bowel movements, is a fiber supplement made of psyllium husks. However, Metamucil has added sugar to the product so a bulk psyllium would be of more benefit. While psyllium is available as seeds, husks, or powder, since the powder is processed, it may lose a small amount of its mucilaginous effects so the whole seed or husk would be the best form to try. Psyllium seeds and husks seem to work equally well and are sometimes used interchangeably in medicine. Other herbs that act as bulk laxatives include flax seeds (Linum usitatissimum), marshmallow root (Althaea officinale), and slippery elm root (Ulmus fulva). They may be combined with psyllium for encouraging regular bowel movements.

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Psyllium has not been shown to cause a die-off reaction from candida but can help reduce symptoms since it will increase the transit time of bowel movements. If extra support is needed, combining psyllium with bentonite clay and drinking large amounts of water may actually further help mitigate any candida die-off effects. As for long-term use, think of psyllium as another fiber source, like vegetables. There are no problems with taking psyllium daily for long-term use as long as it is taken away from any medications or other supplements.

Don’t let this probiotic fool you. While the fermented probiotic drink yakult seems like it would be helpful to combat candida by repopulating the GI tract with beneficial bacteria, the added sugar in Yakult outweighs any benefit. Eric is not a big fan of yakult either.

Yakult is a fermented probiotic dairy drink that was created in Japan in 1935 by Dr. Minoru Shirota. It mainly contains the bacterium Bifidobacteria breve and the proprietary bacterium Lactobacillus casei Shirota (LcS). Yakult is growing in popularity around the world and is now sold in 31 countries, with its newest factory located in the United States.

In general, with any probiotic drink or supplement, restoring the proper balance of good bacteria is important for the management and prevention of a wide variety of chronic diseases, but is also crucial for overall health since 70% of your immune system is located in your GI tract. To find out if you have candida in your gut watch the video below:

Yakult contains about 8 billion CFUs (colony forming units, the standard measurement of strength of a probiotic) so it is a relatively strong probiotic. However, for many chronic conditions, supplementation with 50-100 billion CFUs over a 6-month or even one-year period may be necessary to fully restore the proper GI bacteria balance. Canxida Restore is your best option when it comes to probiotics for candida.

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The main reason why yakult would not be beneficial for candida, and in fact, may even exacerbate the condition, is the relatively high sugar content.  We have talked a lot about candida and sugar connection, we have even written a comprehensive article on the topic which you can read. Yakult comes in 2.7 oz bottles and contains 11 grams of sugar in that small container. Of the six ingredients in yakult, two of them are sugar, added to make the drink more palatable. Yakult recommends drinking a few bottles a day so if you drank 8 oz of Yakult, you would be consuming more sugar than an equivalent 8 oz can of Coke. There are hundreds of other probiotic drinks and supplements that don’t have added sugar so it is better to opt for one of those instead in our case we recommend canxida restore.

While it won’t help with candida, yakult may offer some benefit for other chronic conditions that aren’t as sugar sensitive. For example, studies by Ishikawa and Kato found that people with ulcerative colitis (an autoimmune disease of the colon) who ingested approximately one serving of yakult a day had higher rates of remission than those in the placebo group and had no adverse effects. Another study by Gleeson demonstrated that daily consumption of yakult decreased the frequency of respiratory infections in athletes and appeared to enhance the body’s immune response and defense. In addition, a study by Wada found that children undergoing chemotherapy who consumed Yakult daily had a decreased need for antibiotics as well as lower fevers. Another benefit from consuming yakult is its effect on biotin. Biotin (also known as vitamin H) comes from several food sources but is mainly a by-product of our intestinal bacteria. Biotin deficiency is associated with dry skin, insomnia, depression, and lethargy. In a study by Hayakawa, a patient that was deficient in biotin consumed yakult regularly and had a noticeable increase in her biotin levels as well as some improvement in her symptoms.

In order for probiotics to be best absorbed, it is recommended to take them with food, since it reduces the amount of acid in the stomach, allowing more bacteria to survive and be transported to the small and large intestine. Yogurt is a food that contains probiotics so it is fine to be consumed on its own. However, since yakult comes in small containers, eating a snack or small meal with the probiotic drink, would ensure more bacteria survive the acidic environment of the stomach to actually repopulate the intestines.

While there are no major side effects associated with consuming yakult, those with lactose intolerance may want to avoid consuming this drink since it does contain skim milk powder. And as discussed above, due to the relatively higher sugar content, those with diabetes or pre-diabetes should consult their doctor if they are considering consuming yakult on a regular basis due to its potential effect on blood sugar levels.

A less common use for yakult is in enemas to help repopulate the large intestine with beneficial bacteria. Surprisingly, yogurt enemas have been used for over hundreds of years for various GI complaints (for more on enema ideas make sure to read our comprehensive enema solutions for candida it covers everything you need to know about doing proper enema). While yakult could be a replacement for the unsweetened yogurt in yogurt enemas, a better alternative would be to use a probiotic powder in water. So even though yakult might taste delicious, an unsweetened yogurt, kefir, or probiotic supplement would be more beneficial in supporting gut bacteria for those with candida.

What is your experience with yakult? Share and comment below.