When it comes to candida, there are several different foods in which you will want to avoid.  Those following high sugar and high carbohydrate diets are going to be more likely to suffer from a candida overgrowth in the gut and body. 

This is because candida operates on a sugar metabolism.  It ferments sugars in the gut and then releases toxic byproducts as it begins to overtake and reproduce in the gut.  If you suffer from a candida overgrowth you will want to avoid the foods below at all costs!

Also, for a complete candida diet plan, be sure to check out our candida diet protocol page.  Furthermore, for those interesting in cooking delicious, anti-candida, and gut healing recipes, our candida recipe cook book can be great!

With that said, let’s get into the top 8 foods you will want to avoid if you suffer from candida overgrowth in the body.

The Top 8 Foods to Avoid With Candida

1. White Sugar

White sugar is by far the worst thing you can put into your body if you suffer from a candida overgrowth.  This is because candida uses sugar in order to thrive and multiply.  Consuming white sugar is like throwing gasoline on a wild fire.

Unfortunately, millions continue to consume this toxic substance despite all of its negative health effects.  In fact, many believe that sugar cravings are their own and that they can overcome them with shear will power.  However, it’s well known that a fungal overgrowth’s such as candida can trigger sugar cravings.

As a result, individuals get stuck in a vicious cycle of not being able break the sugar habit due to addiction and bacterial and fungal overgrowth’s in the gut.  In order to break this cycle, we highly recommend that you remove all white sugar from the diet and replace it with a raw honey.

Research has shown that raw honey has anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties which can combat against candida (1).  If possible, choose a local raw honey or purchase a high quality raw Manuka honey.

2. Starchy Vegetables

Many are under the impression that because something is called a “vegetable,” it automatically makes it healthy.  However this could not be further from the truth.  Many starchy vegetables can actually contribute to development and growth of fungal overgrowth’s in the gut such as candida.

Vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, squash, pumpkin, parsnips, beans, and peas all contain a fairly high amount of starch.  To be fair, starchy vegetables typically to do not cause candida issues in those following a correct diet and with a healthy microbiome.

However, those who have developed a candida overgrowth due to antibiotic overuse, poor diet, and poor gut health can benefit from avoiding starchy vegetables until candida is under control.  This is because starch naturally breaks down into sugar in the gut and can contribute to the growth of candida.

3. Processed Foods

All processed foods should be avoided if you suffer from a candida overgrowth in the gut and body.  Processed foods typically contain high amounts of sugars which can naturally feed candida.  Also, many processed foods contain high amounts of synthetic ingredients which can have a negative effect on the health of the gut microbiome.

Research has shown that dietary emulsifiers, which are present in almost all processed foods, can contribute to intestinal inflammation and has been linked to metabolic syndrome and diabetes (2).  This intestinal inflammation caused by emulsifiers can make a candida overgrowth worse and can lower the body’s ability to fight against the pathogenic fungus.

This is because the majority of our immune system is dependent on the health of our gut microbiome.  When the intestines are inflamed, the gut is overrun with candida, and the gut flora lacks in good bacteria.  As a result, our immune system will inevitably suffer.

4. Vegetable Oils

Although vegetable oils do not contain any sugar, they should be avoided if you suffer from a candida overgrowth in the body.  With the exception of olive oil and coconut oil, most vegetable oils are extremely toxic.  When cooked, they create toxic compounds which can contribute to inflammation in the gut and can overwhelm the body’s lymphatic system.

Cooking oils such as corn, safflower, grape seed, soybean, and canola should be avoided at all costs.  These oils were never designed to be cooked and contain far too many omega 6’s and not enough omega 3’s.  The majority of the population receives far too many omega 6’s and not enough omega 3’s.  In fact, a healthy ratio should be around 1:1.  However, typical American diets contain anywhere between 1:20 to 1:30 (omega 3/omega 6). As a result, this imbalance can lead to inflammation in the body and poor health (3).

The toxic substances created by cooking with these oils and the high amounts of omega 6’s present in these oils can severely weaken the immune system.  Those with a candida overgrowth should avoid these oils at all costs and switch to coconut and olive oil.  Also, it should be mentioned, coconut oil is safe for cooking, while olive oil is not. For greatest health benefits, olive oil should be consumed raw.

5. Sugary Fruits

Many make the assumption that since fruits are natural they must be healthy.  To be clear, we agree that fruits are healthy, however, it all depends where they come from.  For example, almost all modern day fruits contain far too much sugar and resemble nothing of the original fruit.

This high amount of unnatural sugar in the form of fructose can cause many different types of issues in the body.  In particular, high amounts of fructose can have a negative impact on the liver and can feed candida in the body.

Those who disagree that modern day fruits are healthy need to take a deeper look into nature.  All fruits in nature are extremely small, contain high amounts of seeds, and are extremely low in sugar.  It wasn’t until man began hybridizing fruit that these foods began to give us problems.

The best example we like to use is the modern day banana.  Store bought bananas contains extremely high amounts of sugar, no seeds, and are four times as big as the original.  However, if we look at wild bananas we see that they contain high amounts of seeds, tiny amounts of sugar, only small amounts of edible fruit, and are much smaller than modern bananas.

With that said, modern fruits can be enjoyed, but always do so in moderation and preferably in season.

6. Peanut Butter

Although peanut butter contains no sugar, it should still be avoided if you suffer from a candida overgrowth.  Peanuts naturally contain high amounts of lectins which can irritate the gut lining and trigger inflammation in the gut.  This can make symptoms in those suffering from candida overgrowth much worse.

Also, peanut butter has been shown to contain fungus which produces a toxic substance called mycotoxin (4). These mycotoxins can add to the toxic load that the body is already facing due an excess amount of candida in the gut.  It’s important to understand that candida releases over 70 different byproducts in the body.  By consuming peanut butter that contains fungus producing mycotoxins, candida conditions can be made much worse.

7. Soft Drinks

Skipping out on soft drinks is an absolute must if you’re suffering from a candida overgrowth in the body.  This because soft drinks such as sodas contain extremely high amounts of sugar which can help feed bacterial and fungal overgrowth’s such as candida.  Most soft drinks also contain synthetic ingredients which can contribute to poor gut health.

In fact, one can of soda typically contains around 40 grams of sugar!  Yet, many will drink a few soft drinks a day without thinking twice.  If you suffer from candida overgrowth it’s essential that you remove all soft drinks for the diet in order to inhibit its growth.

8. Processed Grains

Processed grains should be avoided by anyone suffering from candida issues.  This is because grains naturally contain anti-nutrients such as phytates which can contribute to intestinal inflammation (5).  As always, this intestinal inflammation can make a candida issue much worse.

Also, grain products such as bread naturally break down into sugar in the gut.  This is can be bad for anyone with high amounts of candida present in the gut.

To be clear, grains can be healthy for the body.  However, they must be properly prepared.  Preparation methods such as soaking and fermenting are essential for reducing anti-nutrient content and making it more digestible for the body.  It’s for this reason that sourdough breads are typically well tolerated in those with both gut issues and candida problems.

However, be sure to always use ancient grains such as spelt, barley, einkorn, rye, sorghum, millet, and teff.  These grains have no been overly hybridized like most wheat on the market.  Luckily, we’ve included some of these ancient grains in our Crush Candida Recipe Cook Book so that you can cook delicious and healthy anti-candida meals today!