Do Antioxidants Help With Candida Infections?

by Eric Bakker N.D.

Before I discuss whether antioxidants are good for Candida, let’s define antioxidants.

Antioxidants are compounds that help limit the ability of free radicals to damage our cells. Free radicals are substances that are generated from things like cigarette smoke, high stress, and pollution.

Some foods have a higher ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity). They measure this by putting samples in a test tube and measuring the ability to reduce the free radical potential of pollutants.

Berries have the highest ORAC value, meaning they can quench free radical readily. That’s one of the reasons I grow so many berries myself. Blueberries and black currants have some of the highest ORAC values.

You can consider antioxidants as powerful cleaning aides for the body. They stop the damage from toxic substances. Vitamins A, C, E, and the mineral selenium are all antioxidants.

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Antioxidants aren’t just good for fighting Candida. You’ll want to have a diet rich in antioxidants to keep you in great shape as you get older. A sixty-year-old like me can easily feel like a 40 or 50-year-old just by having an antioxidant-rich diet.

Unfortunately, I have patients in their 40s who look like they’re 70. It’s a result of years of smoking and drinking far too much alcohol. If you don’t counter these habits by eating the right kinds of food, you’re going to age much faster than you should. In my opinion, that’s where the saying, “people dig their own graves with their teeth,” comes from.

That’s why I always promote eating fresh, healthy foods. If you eat blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, goji berries, avocados, Brazil nuts, the brassica vegetables, and small amounts of dark chocolate, you’re getting a dose of antioxidant. A small glass of red wine each day will also

provide valuable antioxidants. Just don’t use antioxidants as an excuse to eat a slab of chocolate and drink a bottle of wine each day.

When it comes to antioxidants, think color, think fresh, and think frequency. Eat these foods regularly. Not only for Candida but for your general well-being.

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About Eric Bakker N.D.

Eric Bakker ND has completed almost ten years of study and has almost almost 25 years of clinical experience in natural and integrative forms of medicine, and has pursued continuous post-graduate study in Australia, America, India as well as in New Zealand.

Eric is the past Vice President of the NZ Natural Medicine Association and is currently on their editorial advisory board.