Experts respond to Rebel Wilson's candida cleanse
Tags: Rebel Wilson, Candida, Sugar Cravings, Health, Weight Loss

By Gabby Landsverk

The actress and comedian Rebel Wilson said on an Instagram Live broadcast last week that part of her Mayr Method weight-loss diet involved a detox to reduce a “pesky” yeast in her digestive system.

“I had a lot of what’s called candida in my gut, which loves the sugar, makes me crave the sugar. And I had a lot of that, so I had to try to get rid of that, ’cause there’s nothing worse than trying to be healthy and then feeling, like, starving all the time. And that’s what that candida, that pesky candida does,” Wilson said.

She also said her comments were based not on data but on her experience.

“Just know, like, I’m not a medical professional; I can only talk from my own personal experience,” Wilson said, adding: “Like anything, there’s no right way to do things. There’s no one person that has all the answers.”

According to experts, there’s no evidence to suggest that yeast overgrowth can cause those types of symptoms or that a detox can help.

Gut microbes are normal — you don’t need to ‘cleanse’ them

“Candida” refers to several species of yeast or fungus that naturally occur in and around the body, most often without causing any health issues, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some types can cause deadly infections in people with weakened immune systems. And too much candida in the gut can indeed aggravate chronic illnesses, especially digestive or immune diseases.

More commonly, it can cause milder ailments in the mouth (known as thrush) or genitals (known as a yeast infection).

Some health gurus and diet peddlers claim that candida overgrowth is a common cause of a variety of symptoms, from fatigue and bloating to brain fog, depression, and anxiety.

But there’s little evidence that’s the case, and candida is rarely an issue for otherwise healthy people, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Limiting sugar and processed foods might benefit health, but not for yeast-related reasons

There’s even less evidence that remedies such as sugar detoxes, special diets, or supplements can fix health issues by reducing yeast.

Research has indicated that even huge amounts of sugar don’t seem to affect the amount of candida present in healthy people. And some studies have found that candida “cleanse” diets don’t seem to alleviate symptoms like fatigue.

These detox diets might appear to work for other reasons — cutting down on processed foods in general and sugar specifically can have major benefits for health and weight loss.

That’s not because of any special “cleansing” powers or a reduction of fungus, according to experts. It’s because when you’re on a diet like this, you’re likely to replace junk food with more nutritious alternatives such as vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins.

That can help weight loss and alleviate some symptoms like grogginess and fatigue by stabilizing blood-sugar levels, since refined sugars have been linked to spikes and dips in energy levels.

“Cutting out added sugar is a wise weight-loss strategy, cutting out a source of calories without nutrients that don’t tend to be very filling,” Sue Heikkinen, the head registered dietitian for the calorie-tracking app MyNetDiary, previously told Insider.

Cutting out food groups can be counterproductive for digestive health

Some of the advice for a candida detox diet can be harmful for your gut microbiome, the beneficial bacteria that live in your digestive system. A healthy microbiome is important for physical, mental, and cognitive well-being, and research indicates that eating a wide variety of foods can help promote good gut bacteria.

For instance, many versions of the cleanse recommend not eating fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, miso, and tempeh. But these foods are considered to be probiotic, meaning they help to contribute to the beneficial microbes in our digestive systems.

It’s also common for people to detox by cutting out gluten, dairy, or coffee. Dietitians have said that there are no proven benefits of eliminating these foods from your diet, and coffee can be good for you.

Ultimately, if you’re worried about a health issue that could be related to your diet, your best bet is to consult an expert rather than cut out carbs, fermented foods, and other potentially healthy foods from your diet, said Abbey Sharp, a registered dietitian.

“If you suspect you may be suffering from candida overgrowth, consult your doctor to discuss your symptoms and options,” Sharp wrote on her blog. “Do not rely on internet ‘expert’ blogs (not even mine!) to tell you what your symptoms mean, or what you should do about them.”

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