Is Candida the Primary Cause of MS?

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Last Updated on November 25, 2023 by Cathy

Young woman eating cake with overlay: Is Candida the Primary Cause of MS?

In 2022 researchers released a 20-year study that found Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is the main cause of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, 95% of all adults have EBV and only a small percentage have MS. Since most adults have EBV and not MS something else is involved.

Researchers believe it is due to the HLA gene. The HLA-DRB1*15 is the main genetic risk factor for MS. The HLA gene is also a risk factor for other diseases linked with fungal infections.

Doctors have known for decades that a yeast overgrowth called Candida plays a role in MS. But, there has been little research into candida being a possible cause. A study from 2017 found that “Candida species infection may be associated with increased odds of MS.”

Today, researchers are looking into whether fungi may play a possible role in the onset of MS. Researchers believe it has something to do with the gene HLA-DRB1*15. The HLA-DRB1*15 is the main genetic risk factor for MS.

Change Your Habits

If EBV is the main cause of MS and Candida is the primary cause of your MS then you need to look at your lifestyle. This is a good time to reflect and see how you are doing health-wise. Are you happy where you are or are you needing to make some changes? Sometimes it takes something major like MS to cause a person to make changes.

I changed my diet back in 2004 because I was recovering from the worse multiple sclerosis (MS) flares yet. It was scary, it looked like I had a stroke and I wasn’t sure if I was going to recover.

Changing my diet and lifestyle was a huge learning curve. Fortunately, after one year I stopped the progression of my MS and my medications. My neurologist wasn’t happy but it was the best decision I ever made.

“…diet could be a complementary treatment to control the progression” of MS.
– PubMed

But, my symptoms didn’t reverse until I realized the primary cause of my MS was due to Candida. Once I started treating it I was able to reverse many of my symptoms. Candida is a yeast overgrowth that is very common in people with an autoimmune disease like MS.

“It is widely believed that environmental factors including fungal infections contribute to disease induction or evolution.”
– PubMed

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What is Candida?

Everybody has a little bit of yeast in their body, it’s natural. It’s when it overgrows that it becomes a real health issue. Unfortunately, most doctors don’t see this as a problem.

“SEA (specific enzyme activity) of C. albicans (Candida) in MS patients was significantly more than the healthy controls.”
– PubMed

Candida is the most common fungal pathogen in humans. It spreads throughout the body and the brain. In healthy people, it can cause dandruff, dry skin, or sugar cravings. But for people with MS, it can cause a more serious internal infection.

“C. albicans isolates to invade the host tissue is associated with the severity of MS.”
– PubMed

Researchers have known about the connection between Candida and MS since the early 1980s. Whether candida is the primary cause of MS is unknown. According to PubMed: “In MS patients with candidiasis, demyelinated lesions have been shown in the central nervous system.”

“The medical importance of Candida species, such as C. albicans, as infectious agents can cause demyelinated lesions in MS patients.”
– PubMed

How do you get Candida?

How you get Candida attributes to many different reasons. The most common reasons are antibiotics and a high-sugar diet. Other causes of Candida overgrowth include:

Antibiotics
Chemical exposure
Chronic stress
Contraceptive pill
Diabetes
Mercury fillings
Poor diet (high sugar)

How many rounds of antibiotics have you taken? Including the antibiotics, you ingest from consuming conventionally raised animal products and dairy.

A “study suggests that candida species infection may be associated with increased odds of MS.”
– ResearchGate

For me, it was due to many rounds of antibiotics, eating processed foods, and stress. Recently, researchers discovered that Candida overgrowth could be genetic. This would make a person more predisposed and harder for them to get it under control.

If researchers have known the link between Candida and MS then why haven’t they done more research or let patients know?

“In 2013 in a small case-control study that linked anti-Candida antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to MS.”
– PubMed

Symptoms of Candida overgrowth:

Adrenal fatigue
Athletes foot
Brain fog
Chronic fatigue
Depression
Digestive issues
Food sensitivities
Joint pain
Leaky gut
Nail fungus
Oral thrush
Sinus infections
Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
Yeast infections

Anti-Candida Diet

Grilled chicken with herbs and lemon slices.

Candida is hard to get back under control. It builds a protective biofilm that helps hide it from your immune system. This makes it harder for treatments to work. Candida needs sugar to grow, whether it’s from the food you eat or from stress (blood sugar). Candida doesn’t care where the sugar comes from as long as it’s fed. If you are eating processed foods, then you are eating a diet high in refined sugar. Refined sugar has many names including:

Brown sugar
Dextrose
Evaporated cane juice
Fructose
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Lactose
Maltose
Sucrose
Mycotoxins (mold)

Candida overgrowth also makes you more sensitive to mold making your symptoms worse. Environmental mold weakens your immune system allowing Candida to grow. Mycotoxins (mold) are neurotoxins, a byproduct of Candida that destroys tissue and organs.

“…fungi, especially their toxins, were recently incriminated as relevant underlying causes of MS”
– PubMed

A test for mycotoxins showed I had an extremely high level of penicillium (a type of mold). Penicillium also showed up on my environmental sensitivity test as “highly sensitive.” I’m also allergic to the antibiotic penicillin which comes from penicillium.

Mold exposure can make a person more sensitive to fungi.

A normal high for the mycotoxin Penicillium is 5-50, my results came back as 9,147.

I now use an AirDoctor air filter that removes mycotoxins from the air in my home. It works great and it’s quiet so we don’t notice it running. The first time we used it our dog, who desperately needed a bath, sat next to it which caused it to kick into a higher gear. We all laughed.

I also use EC3 Mold Solution to stop mold and mildew in areas such as my carpets, furniture, laundry, and shower. If you suspect mold in your home you need to get it checked right away. Black mold, from damp areas, is extremely dangerous and could be fatal. Because of this, it’s a good idea to contact a specialist who knows how to safely remove it.

“…it has long been recognized that infections may serve as environmental triggers for MS.”
– PubMed

Dairy Doesn’t Do A Body Good

Although dairy is promoted for many health benefits. Scientific evidence questions dairy’s health benefits and indicates its potential health risks. Including certain cancers, digestive problems, heart disease, and type 1 diabetes.

Studies show that women with MS who drank more milk had more MS flares. Countries that consume more milk have higher rates of MS. Plus, a 2022 study confirmed a milk protein (casein) causes the immune system to attack myelin.

This is because casein is similar to a protein found in myelin. Despite all these studies people with MS continue to drink milk. Don’t be one of them! The Dairy Association has a great advertising committee. They have convinced everyone that they need to consume dairy for calcium. A calcium deficiency can lead to health issues such as osteoporosis.

But many plant foods are high in calcium, some are higher than cows’ milk. They also contain trace minerals that help the calcium to enter your bones. The real cause of calcium deficiencies is from eating too many high-acid foods. Such as animal products, caffeine, pasteurized dairy, refined carbohydrates, and sugar.

To get Candida overgrowth back under control you need to stop feeding it by avoiding:

Alcohol
Dairy products
Gluten
Fermented products (kombucha, pickles, sauerkraut, yogurt, etc.)*
Refined carbohydrates
Sugar

*Fermented products don’t directly feed Candida. But they can cause an allergic or sensitive response. Fermented products can also create a histamine response so it is best to avoid it.

Natural Antifungals

In short, diet alone won’t get Candida back under control. You also need to take antifungals to get Candida back under control. There are prescription antifungals but they come with nasty side effects. There are pharmaceutical antifungals but they are hard on the liver. Fortunately, there are many natural antifungals you can take including:

Berberine (lowers blood sugar)
Black walnut
Caprylic acid (coconut oil)
Cinnamon (lowers blood sugar levels)
Cloves
Garlic
Ginger
Grapefruit seed extract
Licorice root
Olive leaf
Oregano oil
Pau d’arco*
Pumpkin seeds
Turmeric
Undecylenic Acid, formerly Formula SF722 (for gut health)

*Pau d’arco is a powerful antimicrobial herb. It is effective in ridding the body of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses.

Drink Plenty of Water

Water helps hydrate your body, removes toxins, slows healing, and increases fatigue. Also, when you’re dehydrated your blood thickens making it harder for the heart to work. That’s why you should drink plenty of water before having blood work.

There are many positive reasons for drinking plenty of water, for example:

Appetite
Digestion
Flushing out toxins and waste
Hydrating the body’s cells and tissues
Lowering inflammation

Healing Your Body Naturally

There are many things you can do to help improve your body’s ability to heal. Including how you think, negative thoughts will hold you back. It is critically important to work on lowering stress and negativity in your life. In fact, stress is often the last factor that triggers the onset of MS. It also causes flares.

Healing your body naturally means:

Avoid negative people
Be kind to yourself
Drink lots of water
Eat an anti-inflammatory diet
Eat a rainbow of vegetables every day
Exercise
Get plenty of sleep
Heal your leaky gut
Learn to manage your stress
Lower inflammation
Removing infections and toxins
Stay positive
Take vitamin D

Quick Links To Information In This Post:

The Association Between Candida And Multiple Sclerosis
How To Tell If You Have Candida
Pau D’Arco A Powerful Natural Herb
10 Warning Signs That You’re Dehydrated