Millions of Americans each year suffer from intense digestive discomfort that medical experts claim there is no cure for.  Unexplainable digestive disorders often are described as irritable bowel disease, or IBD.  Unfortunately, each year, more and more individuals seem to be suffering from poor digestive health that seems to develop out of the blue.

Although certain types of medications are available for those suffering from IBD, they are highly advised against due to the dangers attached to these drugs.  Also, these drugs do not treat the root cause of the problem and only treat symptoms.  As result, true health and healing rarely, if ever, comes from taking pharmaceutical drugs.

With that said, IBD can be reversed and thousands have done so through eliminating problematic foods and following a correct diet.  Furthermore, research has shown that the majority of patients suffering from IBD typically have an overgrowth of candida in the gut (1).

Luckily, by using the information below, you can help inhibit the growth of candida in the body, reduce intestinal inflammation, and take your life back.

Before we get into solutions for IBD due to a candida overgrowth, let’s first discuss what IBD is and how it affects the body.

What is IBD?

As mentioned previously, irritable bowel disease, or IBD, is often the name given to unexplainable digestive disorders.  Consequently, symptoms may vary from person to person but it’s all the same thing.  It’s important to understand that IBD is primarily caused by an intestinal tract that has become inflamed.

This chronic intestinal inflammation can lead to several different health problems in the body.  Below is small list of symptoms that those with IBD often suffer from:

• Chronic Constipation and/or Diarrhea
• Bloating
• Digestive Discomfort after Eating
• Anxiety and Depression
• Loss of Appetite
• Abdominal pain

It’s shocking to see that those suffering from IBD often display signs of both anxiety and depression.  However, knowing what we know now about the gut, this isn’t all that surprising.  Scientists have now begun to realize that both the gut and brain are interconnected and share a symbiotic relationship (2).

Consequently, when an individual is under immense digestive distress, is not uncommon to see mental health negatively affected.  However, this information isn’t all that new.  In fact, centuries upon centuries ago Hippocrates came to the conclusion that all disease begins in the gut.

How Candida can Cause IBD

As mentioned before, those suffering from IBD most likely are suffering from a pathogenic fungal overgrowth such as candida.  Interestingly, many suffer with this fungus for years and do not make the connection that their digestive problems are a result of this opportunistic fungus.

When dealing with a candida overgrowth in the gut, the intestines will naturally become inflamed.  This is because candida can release up to 70 different toxic byproducts which all can have a negative impact on the gut.  In fact, these toxins are not only damaging to the gut, but also to other parts of the body such as the liver and brain.

Furthermore, candida has been known to release a toxic byproduct called acetaldehyde.  Research has shown that acetaldehyde may contribute to the development of Parkinson’s (3).

With that being said, these toxic substances can take their toll on the human body. Also, the gut often becomes extremely inflamed and permeable due to these toxins.  Candida also has the ability to alter the gut microbiome and overcrowd the good bacteria in the gut.  As a result, the gut then becomes even more dysfunctional and conditions such as IBD become almost inevitable.

Stomach Acid, Candida, and IBD

Another factor working against those with IBD are low stomach acid levels.  In our experience, individuals with IBD almost always have weak stomach acid levels.  There are several reasons which can be the cause of this, however, the following 3 are the biggest culprits.

• Poor Diet
• High Amounts of Ammonia
• Overuse of Antibiotics

Those eating a diet high in plant foods and little to no high quality animal protein are more likely to develop a deficiency in stomach acid.  This is because animal protein requires an extremely strong stomach acid to breakdown; plant foods do not.  In fact, for optimal health, the stomach should have a PH or 2.0 or lower.  This low PH helps to naturally neutralize pathogenic bacteria and fungus that can contribute to IBD.

Also, those with candida overgrowth typically have high levels of ammonia.  Why you may ask?  The answer is quite simple; candida releases ammonia in the body in order to help raise the PH of the stomach.  In return, this allows candida to more easily inhabit the gut.

It’s for this reason that raising stomach acid levels in those with IBD can be extremely beneficial since it can help naturally kill off candida.  The best way to do this is by following our candida diet protocol.  Our protocol is completely free and was designed specifically to inhibit the growth of candida and return optimal health to the body.

Also, removing sugar and starchy carbohydrates from the diet and replacing them with high quality animal foods can naturally improve stomach acid levels.  However, often times this is not enough and is why we recommend anyone with IBD to follow our protocol.

Foods that Contribute to IBD

As well as IBD being caused by candida, there are several different foods that can further irritate an IBD condition.  In particular, plant foods that contain high amounts of anti-nutrients can further inflame the gut making symptoms of IBD much worse.

Grain products such as breads contain high amounts of phytates which have been shown to contribute to intestinal inflammation in the gut (4).

Also, many “so called” healthy foods such as raw green vegetables contain extremely high amounts of anti-nutrients in the form of oxalates.  Oxalates, like phytates, can also irritate the gut lining. Furthermore, many raw nuts and seeds contain extremely high amounts of gut disrupting anti-nutrients in the form of lectins.

Again, we highly recommend you become familiar with our candida diet protocol so that you can incorporate the foods which will help inhibit the growth of candida and naturally reduce intestinal inflammation.

Cook Your Own Meals

Anyone suffering from IBD needs to seriously make an effort in preparing all of their meals at home.  This removes the chance of consuming unknown ingredients that can feed candida and make symptoms of IBD much worse.  Although cooking all your meals at home may take some getting used to, your body will thank you in the long run.

In fact, for those interested in cooking delicious anti-candida and gut supporting meals, we highly recommend our Crush Candida Recipe Cook Book.  This recipe cook book contains over 20 different candida friendly recipes that can help you stick to the diet.

Many are amazed at how the recipes in our cook book taste so good, yet can help inhibit the growth of candida!  Our main goal of creating this cook book was to make the transition from diets as simple (and tasteful) as possible!

Foods that Help With IBD

As well as following a correct diet, there are various foods that can be included which can help naturally inhibit the growth of candida and can help bring relief to IBD sufferers.  It should be mentioned that proper diet must be followed in order to get the full benefit of these foods.

1. Turmeric

Turmeric is an amazing spice with powerful anti-fungal properties.  It’s perfect for seasoning all your meals and giving them a wonderful taste.  Research has shown that the active component in turmeric, curcumin, can help eliminate several different species of candida (5).

2. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil can be great for anyone dealing with IBD caused by candida overgrowth.  This is because coconut oil is one of the most powerful anti-fungal foods in the world.  In particular, coconut oil contains  a substance called lauric acid which has natural antimicrobial properties.  Interestingly, research has shown that coconut oil can inhibit the growth of candida better than most anti-fungal drugs (6).

3. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Like coconut oil, olive oil contains powerful anti-fungal properties which can help inhibit the growth of pathogenic fungi such as candida.  It’s for this reason that olive oil was often used to combat digestive distress in suffering individuals centuries ago.  In fact, research shows that a combination of cinnamon and olive oil can have a powerful anti-fungal effect in the body (7).