It may seem odd, but there once was a time when coffee was not needed in order “wake up” and start your day.  In fact, decades ago individuals would simply awake from a deep sleep and begin their day full of natural energy.

Sadly, this is not the case anymore.  Now-a-days it’s not uncommon for people to drink up to 6 cups of coffee a day!  America is the hot bed for this insane amount of coffee drinking and is most likely due to the constant go-go-go lifestyle.

Unfortunately, the coffee habit can come at price.  In fact, many suffering from poor digestion and fungal overgrowth’s such as candida will most likely be the most effected by coffee consumption. 

By the end of this post, we hope to shed some light on why coffee drinking may not be such a good idea if you suffer from a candida overgrowth.

Understanding How Coffee Works

It’s important to understand that coffee is a stimulate.  You’ve probably heard this before, but what exactly does it stimulate?

Many are under the impression that coffee just provides the body with natural energy due to its amazing properties.  However, this is far from the truth.

Coffee works by stimulating the body’s adrenal glands and effectively causes them to produces more stress hormones.  For those unaware, the adrenal glands are two small organs that sit right above both kidney’s and are responsible for manufacturing the body’s stress hormones such as DHEA, cortisol, and aldosterone.

As a result, this “high” that you feel upon drinking a cup of coffee is actually due to the production of stress hormones in the body.  To be clear, these stress hormones are naturally produced when the body is in immediate danger or undergoing a stressful situation.

Purposely stimulating these hormones is never a good idea and can eventually lead to adrenal burnout and hormonal dysfunction in the body.

Coffee Irritates the Gut Lining

Since coffee is a bean, it’s naturally going to contain high amounts of anti-nutrients in the form of lectins.  Lectins can be extremely problematic for individuals with intestinal issues.  In fact, lectins can strip away at the mucosal lining in the intestines and can increase gut permeability.

Research has shown that rodents fed a diet containing lectins displayed a stripping away of the mucosal coating in the intestines which promoted the overgrowth of abnormal bacteria and protozoa (1).

To put it simply, lectins destroy the intestinal lining and encourage the growth of pathogenic bacteria, yeast, and fungi in the gut. 

Unfortunately, each time you drink a cup of coffee, you are saturating your intestines with lectins.  If you drink coffee every single day, your gut doesn’t stand a chance and will not be able to fully recover from the damage until all coffee stops being consumed.

It should be mentioned that those with candida overgrowth will already be under intense digestive distress.  This is because candida penetrates the intestinal wall and creates high amounts of inflammation in the gut.  It also releases large amounts of toxic byproducts which can contribute to intestinal inflammation.

Coffee and Mycotoxin

Another reason coffee drinking is a bad idea if you suffer from candida is the large amounts of aflatoxin present in coffee beans. 

In particular, coffee contains a toxin known as Ochratoxin which is a fungal toxin known as a mycotoxin.  There are two ochratoxins that are typically present in coffee beans; ochratoxin A and ochratoxin B.  However, ochratoxin A is the more toxic of the two and unfortunately is what is typically found growing on coffee beans.

Interestingly, this is now new problem.  In 1989 research discovered that 58% of coffee beans were contaminated with ochratoxin A (2).  In 1995, 13 out 25 (52%) off coffee beans sampled were contaminated with this harmful toxin (3).  More recently, a study sampling Brazilian coffee beans found that more than 90% of the samples were contaminated with harmful moulds (4).

Also, although roasting may kill the mold, the toxins are left behind in the beans.  These toxins can make a candida condition much worse and can cause further disorder in the body.

Coffee Overstimulates the Adrenal Glands

As mentioned before, coffee is a natural stimulate of the adrenal glands.  Overtime, this can lead to adrenal burn out and a dependency on it in order to maintain energy levels in the body.

It’s for this reason that you often see individuals reaching for coffee first thing in the morning.  Their body’s circadian rhythm is most like off due to the high amounts of caffeine present in coffee.  They also are no longer producing the necessary adrenal hormones on their own.

Unfortunately, those with candida overgrowth almost always suffer from adrenal fatigue.  This is because fungal overgrowth’s in the body such as candida can create a stress response in the body.  As a result, those with candida will already be suffering from over-stimulated adrenal glands.

The last thing those with candida overgrowth want to do is to continue to stimulate the adrenal glands.  This not only can eventually lead to hormonal dysfunction in the body, but it can also delay the body’s ability to recover.

Instead, the adrenals should be supported through proper diet and the elimination of problematic foods.  For those interested, check out our Diet Protocol Page for a complete eating strategy that can support the adrenals and inhibit the growth of candida in the body.

Coffee is Heavily Sprayed with Pesticides

Ask any coffee farmer and they will tell you that the coffee bean is extremely vulnerable to falling victim to various insects, fungi, and rodents.  As a result, it has become the “norm” in coffee farming to use heavy amounts of pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and synthetic fertilizers in order to protect the crops and profit.

In fact, it’s one the most heavily sprayed and chemically treated foods in the entire world.  Unfortunately, each time you drink a cup of coffee, you are most likely also taking in a mouth full of potentially harmful chemicals.

Those who are serious about the their health have switched to an organic brand of coffee.  However, even if it’s organic, there is a chance that it contains harmful mycotoxins.

With that being said, this ingestion of pesticides from coffee can make a candida condition much worse.  Candida on its own already produces toxic byproducts which can overwhelm the body.  The last thing you want to do if you suffer from candida is to increase your toxic exposure. 

Not only will this overwhelm the body’s elimination systems and lymphatic system, but it can also delay the body’s ability to recover from candida.

 Safe Coffee Alternatives

Personally, we believe that all caffeine has a negative effect on the body when consumed long term and in excess.  However, if you must have a “pick me up” we highly recommend you switch over to medicinal tea.

In particular, Yerba Mate can be useful for those looking for a caffeine fix but not wanting the negative side effects of coffee.  Yerba Mate is a green leaf tea that has been used for centuries by the Guarani; an indigenous people native to the Amazon rain forest. 

It was typically used to enhance physical performance and to protect against various infections in the body.  Luckily, organically grown Yerba Mate is much more gentle on the body than compared to coffee.

To brew, simply add boiling water to a teaspoon of herb and let it steep for 5-10 minutes.  Try to limit yourself to one cup a day since Yerba Mate does in fact contain caffeine.