A common complaint among those suffering with candida overgrowth is frequent gas.  This condition can be very embarrassing and is often hard for those to control who are suffering with this pathogenic fungal overgrowth.

Even when individuals are not eating the urge to “pass gas” is apparent.  This is often accompanied with high amounts of bloating and stomach pain.

That being said, how is it possible that candida can cause symptoms such as uncontrollable gas?  Also, what are some natural solution that can be taken to help counteract the problem?

Luckily, we’ve got the answers to these questions plus more in the post below.  By the end, you will have a better understanding of how this pathogenic is altering digestive health and causing symptoms such as gas.  Also, you will be provided with natural solutions that can be used to help combat this embarrassing problem!

Understanding Candida

For those unaware, candida is a pathogenic fungus that has the ability to overtake an individuals gut microbiome.  If left unaddressed, this fungus will continue to replicate in the gut until it has caused an extreme dysbiosis within the microbiome.

It’s important to understand that everyone has candida in their body.  Typically, it poses no health problems for healthy individuals.  It’s only when it morphs into its non-pathogenic yeast form and into its pathogenic fungal form that problems begin to arise in the body.

Once this yeast has morphed into its pathogenic fungal form, getting rid of it can be very difficult.  It’s well known that this intelligent fungus will set up biofilms in order to help protect it against drugs such as antibiotics (1). 

The Metabolism of Candida

For those suffering with candida overgrowth, it’s important to understand the metabolism of this fungus.  This pathogenic fungus operates on a sugar metabolism.  What this means is that it consumes sugars in the body, ferments them, and creates several different toxic byproducts.

Those following a diet in sugar and processed carbohydrates will general be more at risk for developing a fungal overgrowth such as candida.  Sugar is what allows this non-pathogenic yeast to morph into a resilient fungal pathogen. 

It could be argued that candida is simply doing its job; consuming sugar.  Processed sugar is one of the most toxic substances and can destroy overall health.  The body, being very intelligent, has various mechanisms in place to help protect against the toxic effects of sugar.

Personally, we believe, as well as many others, that candida is in the body to help protect against the toxic effects of sugar.  When a diet is high in sugar, candida yeast act like garbage man and help to eat most of this toxic substance.  To put it simply, the more sugar you consume, the more candida will replicate in the body to help eat this toxic substance.

Simply, removing all forms of processed sugar, is the quickest way to help lower candida levels in the body.  It’s for this reason that our Candida Diet Protocol does not include processed foods or sugar.

How Candida Causes Gas

The reason candida causes gas in the body is quite simple.  As mentioned before, this pathogenic fungus operates on a sugar/fermentation metabolism.  When it digest sugars from the diet, it begins to ferment them.  In return, this fermentation naturally builds up in the body and can cause unwanted symptoms such as gas and bloating.

It’s extremely common for candida suffers to be constantly walking around feeling bloated and heavy.  Typically, this gas production will be heaviest after a few hours of the individuals last meal.  Sugars and starchy carbohydrates are going to make symptoms much worse.

Anyone who has ever brewed their own beer or has made fermented foods understands that gas build up is a naturally process of fermentation.  The same is true for candida overgrowth in the gut.  Until this pathogenic fungus is under control, gas build up will be extremely high in the body.

Strategies for Inhibiting Gas

1. Eat an Animal Based Diet

As we’ve mentioned before in our Free Candida Diet Protocol, diets that are based around high quality animal foods are going to be best for those dealing with candida overgrowth.  This is because animal foods lack sugar and will not feed candida.  As a result, the growth of candida will naturally be inhibited and gas production will drop.

Also, high quality animal foods contain gut soothing nutrients such as collagen which can help correct conditions such as gut permeability (2). It’s well known among researchers that candida can contribute to poor intestinal health and often causes conditions such as gut permeability (3).  Animal foods highest in collagen are gelatinous cuts of meat, shank, oxtail, and bone broth.

As always, quality is of the utmost importance.  Make sure that all the animal foods you eat are organic, pastured raised, and grass-fed.

2. Eat Bitter Foods

Bitter foods and herbs are great for anyone suffering with uncomfortable symptoms such as bloating or gas due to candida.  This is because bitter herbs and foods naturally stimulate the vagus nerve on the back of the tongue which signals to both the brain and gut to produce more stomach acid.

For those unaware, symptoms such as bloating and gas can result from inadequate levels of stomach acid in the body.  When stomach acid levels are not strong enough, poor digestion and undigested food often results.  In fact, it’s well known that one of the toxic byproducts in which candida releases is ammonia.  This ammonia can act as a neutralizer and can hinder the strength of the stomach acid.

A healthy stomach should have a PH of around 1.5-2.0.  Unfortunately, the majority of the population suffers from inadequate levels of stomach acid due to poor diet and pathogenic fungal overgrowth’s such as candida.  For convenience, a few drops of a tincture of Swedish Bitters or Chinese Bitters can be placed on the tongue before and after meals.  This can help to stimulate the production of stomach acid.

3. Stop Eating Processed Foods

Anything that comes in a package should be removed from diet.  It’s well known that most processed foods contain high amounts of synthetic ingredients which can cause gas and bloating in the body.  In particular, most processed foods contain dietary emulsifiers.

Research has shown that dietary emulsifiers present in processed foods can contribute to intestinal disorders and can even promote degenerative conditions such as diabetes (4).  To put it simply, processed foods that contain dietary emulsifiers wreak havoc on an individual’s intestinal tract.

As a rule of thumb, if it doesn’t grow naturally in nature, don’t eat it!  Processed foods can make a gas condition due to candida overgrowth much worse.

4. Remove White Sugar

All white sugar must be removed from the diet of anyone suffering from gas or in those seeking optimal health.  White sugar is a highly processed food that is devoid of all of its minerals.  In fact, white sugar is the perfect fuel source for candida to thrive and multiply in the body.

Sugar coming from fruit (fructose) is OK in small amounts.  Research has shown that fructose can actually have an inhibitory effect against candida in different areas of the body such as the mouth (5).  However, fruit should always be consumed seasonally.  Also, always choose fruit that is organic and non-hybridized. 

Most modern fruit contains far too much sugar (fructose) than it originally did.  It should be mentioned that too much fructose isn’t good either.  In our opinion, fruit can be consumed in small amounts each day but should never make up the base of the diet.

5. Remove Alcohol from your Diet

Like white sugar, alcohol provides the perfect fuel source for candida.  This is because all alcohol contains simple sugars which have undergone fermentation.  In truth, the argument can be made that alcohol is worse than white sugar when it comes to feeding candida in the body.

As mentioned before, all sugar that candida consumes undergoes a fermentation process.  Since alcohol contains sugars that have already undergone fermentation, it’s the perfect fuel source for candida.  The sugars in alcohol are easily consumed by candida and are “pre-digested” for this pathogenic fungus.  As a result, candida can multiply rapidly if an individual is a frequent consumer of alcohol.

Consequently, abstinence from regular alcohol consumption should be practiced by anyone seeking optimal health or by those suffering with frequent gas, bloating, and candida overgrowth.