The Effects of Candida on the Immune System

Does candida affect the immune system or does a weakened immune system affect candida? 

That question is a little like the old  chicken or the egg question.  The answer is yes, to both parts because candida is often a byproduct of a weakened immune system but candida also can create a weakened immune system.

How Candida Can Weaken a Healthy Immune System

Did you know that 40%-60% of your immune cells are located in your intestinal track?  That makes them vulnerable to anything affecting the intestinal tissues.

When the yeast-like Candida albican organisms living in your intestinal track begins rapidly reproducing they also start producing more and more  toxins.  Each yeast cell produces more than 75 substances that are known to be toxic to humans, so the more yeast cells there are, the more poisons there are being pumped into your body.

Toxins put your immune system on red alert.  Your immune system begins working harder and harder to try and  eliminate the poisons but the toxins just keep coming,  making each part of your immune system weak and weary, no longer able to keep up with the continued onslaught.  As a result, you begin to experience the multitude of candidiasis symptoms and at the same time make yourself vulnerable to other health problems.

If your candida progresses to the point where you develop leaky gut syndrome, the problem becomes even more serious.  When the candida reaches an advanced state, its roots become almost spear like and create tiny holes in the intestinal walls.  Now you have toxins leaking directly into the bloodstream and are in danger of developing systemic candida, a serious medical condition affecting the entire body.  At this point, your immune system is fighting a grave battle.

How Candida Affects An Already Weakened Immune System

If your immune system is already weakened from poor nutrition, stress, use of antibiotics, birth control pills or other medications, AIDS/HIV, diabetes, or some other illness, candida is a common result.  Because your body is less able to fight off the multiplying yeast cells, the candida cells act like naughty children whose parents have gone away - they’re simply out of control.  They multiply rapidly, coating the intestinal tract and smothering out organisms that are meant to keep a healthy balance of microorganisms in your body.   For people with weakened immune systems, a candida infection can quickly turn life threatening if it passes to the vital organs.

Breaking the Candida/Weakened Immune System Cycle

The immune system is your body’s first line of defense against illness.  When candida weakens that system, the door has been opened to infection and disease.  So what can you do to help strengthen your immune system and fight against the harmful affects of candida?

There are several steps you can take to restore a healthy balance in your digestive system and help strengthen your immune system.  Besides using probiotics and herbal supplements,  one of the most important  steps is a proper nutrition and if you choose your foods properly you may find success in controlling candida with the right diet.

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