Constant Yeast Infections

Lets take a quick look at each one...

1. The diabetes is of course an obvious gimme if you have this condition. Yeast feeds on glucose whether it gets it from the simple carbohydrates you eat or from your blood sugar.

If the glucose levels are conducive for yeast overgrowth it reproduces in the spore form and can double its population every hour.

If you starve it with diet the food supply is lean so it turns to the mycelial form with hyphae and blastospores and begins to grow outward in search of food. These legs puncture the stomach lining, the lining of the skin in the vagina, the outer layers of skin if you have skin yeast, etc, in search of food. Once they have tapped your blood supply it has found a glucose source and life is good again.

2. Now normally the t-cells known as lymphocytes swing into action and kill the invader but sometimes there is defect in their function and they don't. This is what is believed to happen in the case of vaginal yeast that has spread from the intestine. The vaginal candida yeast attaches in the mycelial form and the lymphocytes don't respond to the threat. Then it begins to produce spores giving the woman a full blown yeast infection.

After a while the affected areas areas of the epithelial tissue begin to macrophage. The skin cells actually turn into immune system macrophages and start to eat the yeast cells. However, without the help of the other t-cells it is usually a loosing battle.

It has also been found that many women have a poor IgA response in their vaginal secretions. IgA is the antibody responsible for the defense of all the mucous linings in the body. This is a very common immune system deficiency that has no cure, it is for life if you have it. It can be treated with colostrum or lactoferrin , which is the active ingredient in colostrum.

The woman begins to take Diflucan or some other medication and it beats back the yeast clearing the infection. However, in these cases of constant yeast infections after a while it is back again because it has the ability to hide from the drugs and creams under the skin of the vagina. Once the drugs are gone it comes back out to play. At some point it becomes extremely resistant to the drugs or it shape shifts to other species like candida glabrata, which is almost immune to Diflucan and pretty much only responds to boric acid suppositories as far as prescription drugs go.

3. There is a lot of speculation about what hormones yeast likes and most will say it loves progesterone, but I can find no proof of this. The proof could exist and if you have found the studies would you please let me know so I can look into it, thank you.

What we do know is excess estrogen causes high glucose levels in the vagina and glucose of course feeds yeast. We also know that the hormones are an intregal part of the immune system and any imbalances can throw its function out of wack.

For instance, lets look at the thyroid.

According to the ATA Hypothryoidism Booklet, page 6, American Thyroid Association, 2003.

"Thyroid hormones are essential and primary regulators of the body's metabolism. Imbalances can affect virtually every metabolic process in the body, exerting significant effects on mood and energy level. Thyroid function has a profound impact on overall health via its modulation of carbohydrate, protein, and fat metabolism, vitamin utilization, mitochondrial function, digestive process, muscle and nerve activity, blood flow, oxygen utilization, hormone secretion, sexual and reproductive health, and many other physiological parameters."

The key words in the above paragraph are every, hormone secretion, sexual and reproductive health. If your thyroid is having problems it can throw off the other hormones and this can make the vaginal environment conducive to constant yeast infections because it can alter the amount of estrogen and estrogen controls the sugar levels in the vagina. The rest of the items in that above paragraph would naturally have an effect on the immune system too don't you think?

The thyroid is very easy to test in the comfort of your own home.

4. The common denominator and the thing almost everyone refuses to look at that has constant yeast infections is...

At Michael Biamonte's health clinic, testing the mercury levels in his patients with various illnesses. Michael found that 84% of his patients with constant yeast infections had elevated mercury levels, and that they were 60% higher than normal. The exact same numbers held for patients with parasites. 86% of patients with Epstein Barr Virus had mercury levels elevated by 68%. For those with chemical sensitivities 85% were 70% elevated and with chronic urinary tract infections 82% were 68% elevated. Most other conditions were much lower.

Dr. J. Trowbridge has written in his book "The Yeast Syndrome," that some doctors specializing in candida treatment have reported to him that they have discovered clinically that 98% of their patients with chronic candida also had mercury toxicity.

Mercury accumulation levels in females are 2:1 over males. It accumulates in the central nervous system, the endocrine system, and every major organ, as well as the body at large.

It disrupts the pituitary, thyroid, hypocampus, adrenal gland and interferes with the regulation of glucose. These disruptions help bring on fatigue, mind fog, short term memory loss, concentration problems, and headaches. People can lose their sense of balance. Women can develop early menopause and endodemitriosis from loss of proper hormone regulation. This is a possible source of to much estrogen that makes the vagina have to much glucose that feeds yeast.

The yeast cell also binds to the mercury molecule and is an immune system defense mechanism designed to protect your body from the destructive effects of mercury poisoning. When the yeast cell becomes saturated or has absorbed all it can, roughly its own weight, it disposes of the rest as methyl mercury.

Methyl mercury now goes everywhere as it passes thru the intestinal wall. The body's macrophages and master antioxidant glutathione try to clean up and detoxify this on going mess. At some point they become weakened, tired, and worn out. This weakening of the immune system hinders the bodies ability to heal and greatly effects immune system function as outlined below as it discusses heart disease.

In an article in the November 28, 2002, issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, "Mercury, fish oils, and the risks of myocardial infarction," the authors stated: "Mercury may promote arteriosclerosis and hence increase the risk of myocardial infarction in several ways. Mercury promotes the production of free radicals…and may bind selenium [so that it] cannot serve as a cofactor for glutathione peroxidase. Mercury may…inactivate the antioxidant properties of glutathione, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. Mercury may induce lipid peroxidation, and mercury levels were a strong predictor of oxidized LDL levels…. Mercury compounds can also promote platelet aggregability and blood coagulability, inhibit endothelial-cell formation and migration, and affect apoptosis and the inflammatory response. Increased rates of cardiovascular disease were found in mercury-exposed workers, and mercury levels in hair predicted the progression of carotid arteriosclerosis in a longitudinal study."

Mercury catalyzes oxidation of important parts of your body, the worst area being the membranes around and inside the cells. It sticks to the sulhydryl groups present on the membranes and destroys the essential fatty acids that your body can't replace. It also destroys the phospholipids that hold the membrane together.

It oxidizes the proteins inside the cells that hold the cell together keeping things like your dna in place. It kicks out the appropriate metal from the enzyme receptor sites and renders these sites inactive.

The significance of the above two paragraphs have a lot to do with cell to cell communication and the immune system. The cells talk to one another and relay information so they all work together as a whole system. When cells are in danger for instance, they send out cytokines, which is a type of hormone signal asking for help from the immune system. If mercury has damaged the outer membranes it is unable to send out the required signal for help. Viruses, bad bacteria, and yeast have a field day because the cells are defenseless by themselves.

I could probably build an entire website on mercury poisoning but I think you see what I'm trying to say? Don't you?

Mercury can cause problems with the 3 things that can cause constant yeast infections. Other than antibiotics and extremely bad diets it is the common denominator to those first 3 causes. You must look at this, and I would do it first rather then later, unless of course you just decide to treat yourself for it as part of the yeast infection cure like I suggest.

More about Mercury Poisoning & Constant Yeast Infections

Mercury Poisoning Testing at Home

Treatment for Mercury Poisoning

Any questions about constant yeast infections, feel free to contact me from the contact page of this website.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products and information contained herein are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases or, medical problems. It is not intended to replace your doctor's recommendations. The information is provided for educational purposes only. Nutritional benefits may vary from one person to another.