Fatigue after eating a meal is very common among those dealing with candida overgrowth.  In fact, feelings of sluggishness and fatigue after eating is a clear indication that an individual is dealing with a pathogenic fungal overgrowth.

However, very few make the connection that their constant fatigue after eating is a direct result of candida overgrowth in the body.

That being said, how is it possible that candida can cause feelings of tiredness and fatigue after consuming a meal?  Also, why do certain meals seem to trigger this annoying condition more than others?

These are all questions that we have answered in the post below plus more.  By the end, you will have a better understanding as to why candida can cause conditions such as fatigue in the body.

How Candida Causes Fatigue

It’s important to understand that candida is a pathogenic fungus that can release over 70 different toxic byproducts into the body.  These toxic byproducts can overwhelm the body’s elimination systems and can cause a buildup of toxicity in the body.  Candida has been shown to release several different toxic substances such as gliotoxin, alcohol, ammonia, and acetaldehyde.

Research has shown that gliotoxin can destroy liver cells and is extremely toxic to the body (1).  Also, acetaldehyde has been shown in studies to induce an almost hangover type headache in rats who were exposed to this metabolite (2).

It should be mentioned that the production of these toxic byproducts will be highest after meals.  This is because candida will be feeding itself from the nutrients found within the meal.  During feeding, candida naturally ferments sugar and creates high amounts of toxic byproducts.

It’s for this reason that high sugar and high carbohydrate meals are the biggest culprits when it comes fatigue after eating.  This is because the main fuel source of candida is sugar.  Without sugar, candida is unable to effectively multiply and thrive in the body.  As a result, low sugar meals can naturally help to reduce the amount of toxic byproducts in which this fungus produces.

Dairy, Candida, and Fatigue

As mentioned above, the main fuel source of candida is in fact sugar.  As a result, you will want to avoid all high sugar and starchy carbohydrate meals if you suffer from this pathogenic fungus.  However, the consumption of dairy products can also be problematic for individuals dealing with candida.

In particular, dairy products are naturally high in the milk sugar called lactose. Lactose, like sugar, is a possible fuel source for candida.  Not to mention almost all commercial dairy products are going to be filled with antibiotics and hormones.  Also, if not grass-fed, dairy products will naturally be very inflammatory towards the body due to the grain heavy diet fed to the animal.

In fact, research has shown that there is a high prevalence of candida yeast that can actually pass into the milk from cows suffering with inflammatory conditions (3).  It should be mentioned that almost all commercial raised cattle will be suffering with high amounts of inflammation due to being fed an unnatural diet of wheat, corn, and soy.

As a result, it’s highly recommended that dairy products be avoided by anyone dealing with fatigue after eating due to candida overgrowth.  Even high quality grass-fed dairy products can be problematic.  Again, this is mainly due to the lactose present in all dairy.

Anti-Nutrients and Fatigue

Many are unaware that all plant foods contain high amounts of nutrient inhibitors that can cause negative side effects in the body.  Symptoms such as intestinal inflammation, brain fog, tiredness, and poor concentration are all common symptoms that can occur from taking in too many anti-nutrients.

Also, those dealing with candida overgrowth will naturally already have high levels of intestinal inflammation (4).  This further irritation can cause unwanted symptoms in the body such as fatigue.  However, many are unknowingly consuming so called “healthy foods” which are actually full of high amounts of anti-nutrients.

Foods such as kale, spinach, cruciferous vegetables, nuts, seeds, and grains are full of anti-nutrients that can contribute to both intestinal inflammation and poor thyroid health due to the high amounts of goitrogens (5).

Although cooking does in fact help to reduce some of the anti-nutrient content present in these foods, it’s typically not enough for those dealing with candida overgrowth.  As mentioned before, the intestines are already most likely inflamed in candida sufferers because of its burrowing action in the gut lining and because of the high amounts of toxic byproducts in which it releases.

It’s for this reason that we always recommend you follow a diet that includes high quality animal foods as your base.  Animal foods do not contain anti-nutrients and will not irritate the intestines like plant foods can.  That being said, plant foods can be enjoyed, just make sure they’re well cooked and do not form the base of your diet.

Low Stomach Acid and Fatigue

One of the most common problems among those dealing with candida overgrowth is low stomach acid levels.  It’s very common for candida sufferers to exhibit sub-par levels of stomach acid in the body.  This is mainly due to candida, but also has its roots in the diet.

As mentioned before, one of the toxic byproducts that candida releases into the body is ammonia.  Ammonia acts as a naturally neutralizer and can actually cause the stomach to become too alkaline.  A healthy stomach should have a PH of around 1.5 to 2.0.

Unfortunately, low stomach acid levels in the body can create all sorts of unwanted symptoms.  In fact, fatigue after eating can be very common among those with a stomach that is too alkaline.  This is because the stomach does have enough gastric juices in order to break down food.  This can result in indigestion, acid reflux, bloating, and burping.  However, it can also cause feelings of tiredness, sluggishness, and fatigue.

Poor diet is the biggest culprit when it comes to low stomach acid levels in the body.  Diets high in processed foods, sugar, and starch will naturally deplete stomach acid levels.  Furthermore, most plant based diets will naturally reduce stomach acid levels in the body overtime due to lack of animal protein.

It should be mentioned that animal protein requires the strongest stomach acid out of all the foods in order to break down.  As a result, this forces the body to produce a strong stomach acid overtime when these foods are regularly eaten.

This is yet another reason as to why we always recommend high quality organic animal foods to form the base of the diet around anyone dealing with candida overgrowth and issues such as fatigue after eating.

Conclusion – Candida and After Meal Fatigue

Research is clear that candida can release several different toxic byproducts into the bloodstream.  Many of these toxins can have an overall negative effect on optimal health.  As well as being damaging to the body, these toxins can also cause symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, and sluggishness.

Also, fatigue is likely to occur soon after meals because this is when candida is able to feed.  Due to the metabolism of candida, it naturally ferments sugars in the gut and produces toxic byproducts in return.  It’s for this reason that many feel worse after consuming a high sugar or high starch meal.

If you suffer from after meal fatigue, we highly recommend you check out our Crush Candida Diet Protocol.  Here you will find everything you need to know about gut health and the best foods to be eating for candida overgrowth.  Many are mindlessly consuming foods that are making their candida condition much worse.  Don’t continue to feed this pathogenic fungus; check out our free protocol today!

As a rule of thumb, if you can’t find it growing naturally in nature, don’t eat it!  This means all processed foods, sugar, alcohol, and desserts should be removed from the diet.  Sugar from fruit is OK but make sure you consume it in season and that it’s organic.  Lastly, high quality animal foods should be consumed freely by those dealing with candida overgrowth in the body.