From: mrl@nerus.pfc.mit.edu
Subject: RE: Information needed on Candida albicans
Organization: MIT PLASMA FUSION CENTER
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 18:01:19 GMT

In a previous article, kohli@aslmr.med (Jim Kohli) wrote:
>< 	You might want to reread the books.  Fruit is not allowed until
>>	Phase 3 of the 4 Phase diet, except melons in Phase 2 (hey,
><	there go those melons again!).
>>
>Yes?  Do you have a point?  Why should fruit every be allowed again?
>If you've just gone through all the trouble of eliminating all those
>sources of sugar and yeast, why would you want to re-introduce them?

Theoretically the body returns to normal so the person can re-introduce them.
Albeit slowly.

>Are we talking about the same diagnosis?  I don't think so.  Give me
>a name and number.  Several, if possible.  I'll call them up and ask
>them.  Quite frankly, I don't believe there are any reputable MDs
>who believe such nonsense (see below concerning details of the diagnosis
>in question).

I've heard the syndrome described more as an allergy to candida and yeast.
Molds are a common allergy problem.  If one has an allergy to it and then 
for some reason an overgrowth occurs, sounds like it would do a number on the
person, although maybe not what the books describe.

>No doctor ANYWHERE routinely does blood and stool samples when this diagnosis
>is routinely made.  It seems to me that the cost is certainly small enough
>that a reasonable confirmation test could be performed.  Take a guess as
>to why this doesn't happen.

I think things have changed since those books were originally published.  A lot
of quacks grabbed on to them.  However, a blood test was done on me to see the
level of antibodies to candida.  Don't know how reliable this is.  I also had
allergy testing done for several things, and my worst reaction was to candida.

>for the condition as described by "The Yeast Connection."  I am not,
>of course, suggesting that you can't get into trouble by extended jaunts
>of antibiotics, what I'm saying is that the candidiasis diagnosis in someone
>who occasionally experiences tiredness, gas, bloating, or diarrhea is
>made completely without clinical basis.  This alleged condition does
>have a measurable output, that being an unusual concentration of
>C.A. in the intestinal tract.  So why don't any of these quacks verify
>the condition???

Again, I agree.

>But seriously.  You won't be very successful in living if you try
>to eliminate all sugars and simple carbohydrates from your diet.
>They are everywhere.  Either directly, or as products of digestion.
>It's a pointless exercise.

But yeasts are more likely to be growing on sugars.  Sugars produced
by digestion won't have yeasts on them.  It's not that hard to eliminate
all sugars.  Ask any diabetic person.

><	Well, you'll have to explain to me my problem that I had several
>>	years ago.  I developed oral candidiasis for no specific reason.
><	I was not on antibiotics (which is a well established reason for
>>	candidiasis, which you fail to mention), and was in reasonably in
><	good shape except for a cold around the same time.  I was prescribed
>>	oral nystatin by an oral doctor (whatever you call them), but every
><	time I stopped it, it would come back.  This went on for months.
>>	Finally a "holistic" doctor recommeded nizoral, and that killed it
><	off completely.  My diet was very good, so imagine what occurs with
>>	people who take antibiotics and have poor diets?
><
>Oral candidiasis (thrush) has not been questioned as an actual
>diagnosis.  Nor do I question the existence of vaginal yeast
>infections.  Just what did you think we were talking about here?

Simple oral drugs only temporarily removed the problem.  I had to take a more
systematic drug to wipe it out of my system.  So something was going on which 
was much more than a local problem.  That's my point.  It does not have to be a
full blown infection to cause a problem.

I do agree with you that many of the symptoms allegely attributable to the
yeast syndrome are probably not.  I suspect, however, that if a person is
having allergy problems to yeast, their health is probably not in the best of
shape and they probably have many other health or emotional problems which are
causing or making their allergy problems worse.  I see it in my wife often. 
When she is going through emotional difficulties, her allergies will often kick
up and she'll start getting real symptoms like hives.

Mark
Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition