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Some 40 to 60% of all the immune cells in our body are in the gut. Candida can weaken the GI tract and make it more succeptible to other infections. The gut can be heavily infected with HIV, parasites, candida albicans, tuberculosis, hepatitis viruses, CytoMegaloVirus (CMV) and mycobacterium avium complex (MAC/MAI). Candida is known 'to impair immune functioning by directly and negatively impacting the helper-suppresser ratio of T lymphocytes' according to Charles R. Caulfield in his article "Natural Therapies For Candidiasis Infections" that appeared in the San Francisco Sentinel, August 27, 1992. Half or more of intestinal tissue is immune tissue and what you do to the walls of your intestines you are doing directly to your 'immune' system. Also, the immune system might respond to candida by-products and food molecules in the bloodstream by secreting histamines with the classic symptoms of allergies and intolerances. Candida produces its effects by two routes. Firstly, there is a direct route
initially by invasion of the gut and the vagina; candida is capable of spreading
along the entire length of the gut. The presence of chronic vaginitis can often
indicate wide-spread candidiasis. Secondly, there can be indirect effects caused
by spread of toxins through the bloodstream to other sites. In the gut candida
can alter its form from a simple yeast organism to a ‘mycelial fungal form’,
a network of root-like fibres called rhizoids. These can penetrate and damage
the gut lining, allowing foreign food proteins to be absorbed into the
bloodstream and to challenge the immune system so that multiple food allergy may
result. Toxic waste from candida infestations can also be absorbed into the
bloodstream, producing a range of symptoms as above; some of the most disturbing
may be those affecting the brain. Yeast toxin hypersensitivity can lead to
anxiety, depression and impaired intellectual functioning. This is often not
recognized as a candidal problem, and psychiatric referral is the result, which
may be unsuccessful, and increase feelings of guilt, poor self-esteem and
depression. In addition to the toxins produced by the candida organism itself,
it can also affect the brain by way of the toxic substances manufactured from
sugar and refined carbohydrates in the diet. The main substance implicated here
is acetaldehyde, which is a normal by-product of metabolism, produced in small
amounts and rendered harmless by the liver. If, however, there is excess
production of this by candida and/or a lack of the appropriate liver enzymes
which tend to be deficient in 5 per cent of the general population, the
acetaldehyde will become bound strongly to human tissue. This may cause impaired
neuro-transmission in the brain, resulting in anxiety, depression, defective
memory and cloudy thinking. Effects on the immune system As an opportunist, candida is dependent on conditions which favour its steady
growth. An immune system already undermined by other factors such as poor
nutrition or exposure to environmental pollutants will be unable effectively to
deter this relentless growth. Thus candida will in turn effectively weaken and
disturb the immune system so that further damage may occur due to the invasion
of viral agents such as Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes implex and
so on. Disturbance of the ongoing process of ‘self recognition’ by the
immune system is likely to lead further to the possibility of a range of
auto-immune diseases. A note on the immune system The main components of the immune system are: 1
B-lymphocytes: these produce proteins called immunoglobulins, which bind
antigenic substances and render them harmless. An antigen is a substance which
the body recognizes as being alien and therefore potentially harmful. An
immunoglobulins is a particular kind of protein which coats the antigen; by
being made harmless the antigens can then be digested by other cells. 2
T-lymphocytes; there are three types:
a
The killer cells; these attack and destroy substances with enzymes and
hormones.
b
The helper cells; these help B cells to make the immunoglobulins.
c
The suppressor cells; these protect the body from the excesses of the
body’s defence system. T-cell efficiency can be influenced to a useful extent by nutrition. It is
largely the suppressors which are involved in fighting the candida challenge,
partly because candida’s adaptability allows it to produce disguising anitgens
which deter the immune system from recognizing it as foreign and harmful. In
this way the immune system may eventually become non-responsive to the presence
of Candida albicans. Candida toxins will then circulate virtually
unchallenged, and candida will grow in a range of tissues either as a yeast or a
mycelial fungus. This apparent tolerance of candida by the immune system can
only be reversed in the long term by ending exposure of the body to yeast
antigens and toxins. A high percentage of serum from symptomless people has been
found to contain yeast toxin immunoglobulins. This indicates that the B-cell
immune defences must be constantly counteracting candida toxin. When alive,
yeasts are able to invade the immune system to a certain degree. When they are
killed, proteins making up the yeast cell wall are absorbed through the lining
of the intestine and can cause heightened allergy reactions, resulting in a
phenomenon called ‘Die off’ or the ‘Herxheimer reaction’. This may in
fact signal a good response to treatment.
Allergic symptoms emerging as a result of weakness in the immune system
may develop over a long period, or may proceed relatively quickly. This process
seems to originate from the impaired production and function of the T-cell
lymphocytes which can no longer effectively regulate B-cell immunoglobulin
production. As a result the body cannot discriminate between harmless and
potentially toxic agents.
Candida toxin tends to cause its effects by production of ‘free
radicals’ (a kind of rogue molecule which can cause damage to cell membranes
so that function is impaired). Thus, for example, the liver’s detoxifying
capability is likely to be impaired, so that the potentially toxic foreign
substances are more likely to produce damage or reaction. It has been proposed,
for instance, that increased sensitivity to mercury amalgam fillings may develop
due to prior damage from candida toxins. The candida syndrome appears to be more symptomatic in women, possibly due to
its ability to upset the female hormone balance. It seems that candida can bind
to adrenal steroids so that adrenal insufficiency may result. It can also be
associated with ovarian and thyroid disorders, i.e. oophoritis (inflammation of
the ovaries) and Hypothyroidism,
due to thyroiditis or inflammation of the thyroid (see below and Thyroid
problems). In the latter condition there may be no signs of thyroid swelling
(goitre) and all thyroid function tests may be normal. It may, however, be
suspected from a history of fatigue, depression, sensitivity to cold,
constipation, and irregular periods and it responds well to anticandidal
treatment. Similarly candidiasis can be associated with a range of auto-immune disorders
apart from thyroiditis - the most commonly associated condition of candida -
along with impairment of the immune system. Other conditions include rheumatoid
arthritis. In such cases there may be a significant sequence of symptoms
stretching right back to childhood including infant colic, childhood allergies,
recurrent course of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections, increased
symptoms of allergy in adolescents, fatigue, PMS, irregular periods, pain on
intercourse and endometriosis, depression and anxiety. HIV - 14% of the HIV replication occurs in the blood while 86% occurs in the mucosal membranes of the intestine tract and in the lymph nodes. Non-Specific Cellular Defense - How the body attacks Candida |
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