As more and more individuals begin to search out ways to help control candida overgrowth, diet is typically the first thing looked upon to correct.  Many are told that through proper diet, the growth of candida can be controlled and inhibited.

As a result, many suffering with candida oftentimes attempt to adopt a “healthy diet” in hopes to control this pathogenic fungus.  This typically entails a diet full of fruits and vegetables and minimal amounts of animal protein.  This type of diet is touted by experts to be the best for optimal health.  Some even go as far as adopting an entirely plant based diet such as a vegan diet. 

However, when it comes to candida overgrowth, you most likely aren’t being told the truth when it comes to diet.  This is because everywhere you look the same repackaged diet of fruits and vegetables is being promoted endlessly.  Yet, no one talks about the high amounts of anti-nutrients that occur naturally in these diets.

Luckily, by the end of this post, you will have a better understanding of anti-nutrients, their ability to contribute to intestinal inflammation, and how they can make a candida condition much worse.

What are Anti-Nutrients?

We’ve written extensively about anti-nutrients before in our vegan diet and candida post.  However, for those who missed it, anti-nutrients occur naturally in all plant foods.  In truth, anti-nutrients are in fact plant poisons produced by the plant in order to fend of predators.

It’s important to understand that plants cannot run like animals.  As a result, they must rely upon a form of chemical warfare in order to protect themselves from being eaten.  There are only a select few animals that can safely eat raw plant foods without issue.  These animals include herbivores who have extremely different gut bacteria and an entirely different stomach as humans.

The digestive system of humans is like that of a canine.  It’s very short and does not contain multiple stomachs like most herbivores.  As a result, humans are not equipped to properly digest high amounts of plant foods, especially in their raw form.

Typical Anti-Nutrients That Occur in The Diet

Many plant foods can contain multiple anti-nutrients.  Below is a list of anti-nutrients that are typically high in the average diet. 

• Phytic Acid
• Lectins
• Gluten
• Tannins
• Salicylates
• Oxalates
• Isoflavones

All of these anti-nutrients have been shown to have a negative effect on overall health when consumed in excess.  For example, phytic acid, which occurs abundantly in most wheat products, has been shown to contribute to intestinal inflammation and bind to minerals in the body (1).  Furthermore, lectins, which are high in most nuts and seeds, have been under speculation of contributing to intestinal disorders and gut permeability issues.

Interestingly, leafy greens such as spinach, kale, broccoli, and chard are loaded full of oxalates.  In fact, many plant based advocates claim that plants contain more calcium than animal foods.  This is true to some extent but it should be known that all calcium present in plant foods is in the form of calcium oxalate.  This form of calcium is completely unusable by the body and can actually build up in various organs.  Common signs of calcium oxalate build up in the body are kidney stones (2).

Basing an individuals diet around foods that can contribute to intestinal inflammation can be disastrous for those suffering with candida.  Not to mention all plants foods are deficient in the building blocks necessary for repair and regeneration in the body.

Removing Anti-Nutrients from Foods

Unlike animals, humans have an extremely developed brain and have learned to make foods that are inedible into edible.  This can be see extensively among cultures and tribes still living a traditional way of life.  In fact, never in history would plant foods be willingly consumed raw; fruits being the exception.

This is because our ancestors understood that all plants are somewhat toxic to the body.  In higher amounts, these toxic effects are much more pronounced.  It’s for this reason that various preparation methods were always used when incorporating plant foods into he diet.  This involved cooking, fermenting, soaking, and roasting.

These preparation methods help to naturally reduce the amount of anti-nutrients present in plant foods.  For example, it’s well know that sourdough bread naturally contains less gluten than non-sourdough bread.  This is because the fermentation process naturally helps to reduce the amount of gluten in the grain.

Luckily, when these preparation methods are used, the anti-nutrient content in all plant foods are significantly diminished.  However, those following a primarily plant based diet will most likely still be obtaining too many of these plant poisons in their diet.  Although these preparation methods help to lower the anti-nutrient content, it does not completely remove all of them.

It should be mentioned that traditional cultures always consumed both animal foods and plant foods in the diet.  However, most hunter gatherer tribes typically consumed more animal foods than they did plant foods.  This is simply because all plants in their wild form are extremely toxic.  It wasn’t until man hybridized these plant foods that they became somewhat edible to the body. 

Mineral Depletion and Candida Overgrowth

Those suffering from candida overgrowth are going to want to ensure that they’re maintaining adequate mineral levels in the body.  Minerals are act as conductors in the body and help to assist in several different biological functions.  Being just slightly deficient in a mineral can lead to a chain reaction of events in the body that can lead to negative symptoms.

Those with candida will already be at a disadvantage when it comes to obtaining adequate amounts of minerals in the diet.  This is because research has shown that the overgrowth of candida can contribute to intestinal conditions such as gut permeability.  When the gut is permeable, this can lead to mal-absorption issues in the gut and can even contribute to food intolerance’s (3).

That being said, if a diet is naturally high in anti-nutrients, minerals will naturally be bound and carried out of the body.  Overtime, the consumption of high anti-nutrient foods can contribute to mineral depletion in the body.  When a diet high in anti-nutrients is coupled with candida overgrowth, the result can be disastrous.

Again, minerals are essential for healthy functioning of various aspects of the body.  Eating nutrient dense foods that are naturally low in anti-nutrients is the best way to maintain adequate levels of minerals in the body.

Follow a Low Anti-Nutrient Diet

We highly recommend anyone dealing with a candida overgrowth, or for those seeking optimal health to follow a low anti-nutrient diet.  This isn’t to stay that plants foods are bad, however, by no means do we believe that they should form the base of the diet.

Time and time again we have witnessed through both experiment and observation that diets high in plant foods and low in animal foods almost always lead to dysfunction in the body. 

That being said, high quality animal foods contain everything the body needs for survival.  It contains all the proteins, fats, and amino acids needed for bodily repair and regeneration.  Also, animal foods do not contain anti-nutrients.

As a result, high quality animal foods are naturally soothing towards the intestines.  Also, due to lack of nutrient inhibitors, the vitamins and minerals in animal foods are in a completely bioavailable form.

It’s for this reason that high quality animal foods form the base of our Candida Diet Protocol.  Again, this is not to say that plant foods are bad, but moderation should always be practiced when including such foods into the diet.

Also, it’s very important that all plant foods that are included into the diet are properly prepare.  This means taking the time out to either soak, ferment, boil, roast, or cook it.  This will naturally help to break down the tough fibers, reduce anti-nutrient content, and make the nutrients more bioavailable to the body.

Conclusion – Candida and Anti-Nutrients

For anyone suffering with candida overgrowth, following a low anti-nutrient diet can be extremely helpful for reducing intestinal inflammation and combating gut permeability issues.

As always, quality is of the utmost importance.  As a result, high quality animal foods should always form the base of the diet.  Incorporating low quality non-organic animal foods can have negative effects on the body as well.  Consequently,  be sure to always choose organic, pastured raised, and grass-fed animal products.