What is systemic yeast (Candida)?
Candida albicans is a fungal organism that is present in everyone’s intestinal tract. It is normally kept under control by the immune system and by beneficial intestinal bacteria. This balance is upset when these bacteria are destroyed (typically by antibiotics), when our immune function is impaired (typically due to stress or illness), or when we develop environmental or food sensitivities. Once that balance is upset, Candida begins to proliferate and invade and colonize our body tissues. It most commonly appears as a vaginal yeast infection or as oral thrush. But Candida albicans can also spread inside the body and become a systemic problem.
