Yeast (small word, big problems)

Yeast is more common than anyone realizes. It's symptoms mimic a lot of other things, including SPD and ADHD in kids....probably because it can be anywhere in the body, organs, intestines and even in the brain. Most people think of "yeast infections" and thrush when they think of yeast, but that isn't the only way yeast effects the body, although these are sure signs that it is definitely in the body. In fact, it works so fast, it can over-populate the intestines in 30 minutes flat with the right conditions. For some people, the intestinal conditions (such as leaky gut) are caused by yeast and then those continued conditions allow the yeast to continue to flourish and eventually these conditions will cause the body to react by autoimmune flare-up such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Celiac, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, etc. Having been on antibiotics even ONCE in your life can also set the stage for a very out of balance bacterial situation (yeast and probiotics are both bacteria, one good, of course, and one bad!).

Finding the root cause of the yeast is a major part of recovery, since just fighting yeast alone isn't enough for chronic conditions. If taking antibiotics is a frequent occurrence, taking probiotics on a regular basis is a must. And always dose any antibiotics or yeast protocol at least TWO HOURS away from probiotics so you don't kill the good bacteria that you just paid decent money for! Actually, in my opinion, everyone should always take probiotics, but that is a topic for another day, ha ha. Chances are, the need for frequent antibiotics is directly related to the imbalance of bacteria and once you get the good gut flora on the uphill climb, you will find yourself sick and needing antibiotics a lot less. Without the good bacteria, there is no one available to fight the bad bacteria.

For children (adults too actually) with SPD and ADHD, yeast is a large part of the symptoms. When we keep yeast in check, the SPD symptoms disappear! That goes to show you how yeast infiltrates the brain! Scary! When we see yeast symptoms, treatment shows results in literally 15 minutes and the symptoms disappear. Often, the yeast problem stems from something much bigger than the yeast itself. The typical course of events is this....in a sensitive person, heavy metals aren't able to be excreted by the body (initial introduction by parent's, yes including the father, silver fillings, then bombarded by vaccinations, especially the flu shot, then the usual insults on the body throughout the course of life, there are many), this "holding" of heavy metals throws off all functions of the body, including it's ability to keep yeast in check so yeast overgrowth is inevitable. Over time, yeast bores through the intestines (Gross isn't it? It's true though) allowing the more commonly eaten foods to penetrate the intestines on a regular basis. What do you think the body does with these foreign particles when they enter the blood stream? They aren't supposed to be there in the first place...sooooo, you guessed it, antibodies, IgG reaction. The body tries to "fight" the food particles developing more and more antibodies every time the foods enter the blood stream and believe it or not, this is enough to throw the body into autoimmunity over time, and each person is different so how long this can take will vary per person. This is precisely why most of these chronically yeast infected people benefit from a GFCF diet, and they will often show IgG response to just about ALL of the foods they eat most. And what does this mean? Leaky gut! This is a sure indication of leaky gut. So repair involves removal of the culprit foods so the body stops trying to constantly fight particles of food in the blood stream, then repairing the gut with supplements, since leaky gut also causes malabsorption (among many other things I won't get into here), regular use of probiotics is very important, as well as yeast treatment and eventually removing the metals, if that is the cause.

So what natural remedies are there for yeast you ask? There are many and they vary in effectiveness for each individual. For us, the magic combination is 15mg of biotin with 3 drops of Oil of Oregano and two No Phenol since OoO is a high phenol "food". Many people experience success with GSE (grapefruit see extract) but that was highly irritating for Grayson, not to mention is sensitivity to all citrus. Sometimes the treatment of yeast also shows signs of viral problems in which case, using OLE (olive leaf extract) will help address that issue. OoO, however, does both! Once you start to effectively kill the yeast, a "symptom" of yeast die-off is called the Hexeimer Effect. In layman's terms, this means that the yeast die and there is a toxic level of dead yeast that have to leave the body, eeeeew!! This person will actually have a worsening of symptoms before the miraculous healing starts. For us moms who have kids with chronic yeast, staying on top of the yeast overgrowth prevents this event from reoccurring everytime we treat. If you let the yeast get out of control each time, you will experience this die-off effect yet again. Treat at the FIRST sign of yeast overgrowth (which for some kids will be behavioral, stimming, SPD signs, for others it might be a yeast rash or similar...) and you will avoid this nasty effect. It's NO fun for the parent OR the child!

For anyone who questions a possible or constant battle with yeast, I recommend a simple hair elements test with Direct Labs (www.directlabs.com) for $92. Deranged hair mineral transport is indicative of high mercury in the body. This simple (they send you the kit and you send them hair, it's that simple) and inexpensive test can set you on the road to recovery. And yes, even some autoimmune disorders can be reversed, if mercury and yeast are your problem!! Such a simple solution is a no-brainer, if you ask me!!