Candida Diet: A Beginner's Guide

The candida diet is a low-carbohydrate, anti-inflammatory diet that may reduce your risk of yeast infections by preventing the overgrowth of Candida. Candida is a type of yeast that commonly resides in your body. An overgrowth of the yeast may lead to infections.

The candida diet is often recommended despite the lack of clinical evidence. Here's what you should know about the candida diet, including how and why yeast infections and what foods can help prevent or treat symptoms.

What Is Candida?

Candida is a yeast, which is a type of fungus. Normally, Candida is one of the most common fungi that reside in or on your body. The yeast lives in symbiosis, or harmony, with the healthy microorganisms in your body.

Candida may reside in or on the following body parts:

• Skin
• Mouth
• Throat
• Gut
• Vagina

But the overgrowth of Candida may cause a yeast infection in or on any of those body parts.

What Is a Yeast Infection?

Ordinarily, a person's body contains a healthy balance of bacteria and yeast. But infections are likely to occur when something throws off that balance. 

When Candida grows out of control, or if the yeast enters deep into the body, you may develop a yeast infection, also called candidiasis. Also, Candida can cause severe infections in the blood or internal organs, such as the kidney, heart, or brain.

There are three main forms of candidiasis: vaginal, thrush, and invasive.

Vaginal Yeast Infections

Vaginal candidiasis is also known as a vaginal yeast infection, vaginal candidiasis, vulvovaginal candidiasis, or candidal vaginitis.

The following factors may cause the conditions inside the vagina to change, increasing the overgrowth of Candida:

• Hormones
• Medicines
• Immune system changes

Some people develop vaginal yeast infections if they take or have recently taken antibiotics. Antibiotics kill off the good bacteria that balance your system. Essentially, the yeast has more room to grow under those conditions, which increases the risk of infection.

Thrush

Thrush, called oropharyngeal candidiasis, happens when Candida multiplies and causes an infection inside the mouth, throat, or esophagus.

In healthy adults, thrush is uncommon. Infants, especially those younger than 1 month, are more likely to get thrush than other age groups.

Other factors that may increase your risk of thrush include:

• Wearing dentures
• Having certain health conditions, including diabetes, cancer, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
• Taking certain medications, like antibiotics or corticosteroids
• Having dry mouth
• Smoking

Invasive Candidiasis

Invasive candidiasis can occur in various body parts, including:

• Blood
• Heart
• Brain
• Eyes
• Bones

Unlike vaginal yeast infections or thrush, invasive candidiasis is a severe infection. Candidemia, a bloodstream infection with Candida, is a common infection in hospitalized people.

What Is the Candida Diet?

The candida diet restricts sugars, grains, alcohol, and dairy. Foods to avoid include high-sugar fruits, processed or refined fats and oils, and many condiments. The diet aims to restore a healthy balance of yeast and bacteria inside your body.

Following a restrictive diet like this for a long period of time can cause nutrient deficiencies. Therefore, the candida diet is generally recommended as a short-term solution unless the reintroduction of the restricted foods causes symptoms to flare up again.

A key part of the candida diet is that it limits your intake of carbohydrates, including sugar and starch. Candida relies on carbohydrates as an energy source, and some evidence suggests that high levels of carbohydrates in a person's diet increase the amount of Candida in their bodies.

The theory behind limiting carbohydrates, particularly sugar, is that you will be able to starve the yeast of its energy source. Therefore, with the candida diet, you'll want to limit or avoid the following foods:

• All forms of sugar, including honey, maple syrup, and molasses
• Fruits high in sugar, such as bananas, mango, grapes, and dates
• Starchy vegetables (potatoes, carrots)
• Gluten, including wheat, spelt, and rye grains
• Some dairy products, including cheese and milk
  
• Processed meats
  
• Packaged foods (frozen meals, chips, etc.)
• Fried or junk food
• Soda, coffee, fruit juice, energy drinks, caffeinated tea, and alcohol
  

In contrast, low-sugar, low-carb foods that fight inflammation are ideal on the candida diet. Those foods include:

• Low-sugar fruits, such as avocado, lemons, and limes
• Non-starchy vegetables, such as artichokes, broccoli, kale, and tomatoes
• Gluten-free grains, such as teff, quinoa, and oat bran
• Ghee, kefir, and probiotic yogurt
• Lean meats, such as chicken and turkey
  
• Salmon and sardines
• Eggs
• Avocado and olives
  
• Low-mold nuts and seeds, such as hazelnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds
• Coconut, olive, sesame, and flax oils
  
• Herbs and spices
• Herbal teas

Some research also suggests probiotics are important, so you might consider adding probiotic supplements or other probiotic foods to your diet as well.

How Long It Takes To See Effects

There's not a lot of research highlighting the specifics of the yeast infection diet. However, you don't have to follow the diet for a set amount of time. Some people may feel better after a month, while others may see their symptoms clear up in several months.

Low-carbohydrate diets, like the candida diet, eliminate many addictive foods—including alcohol, sugar, and coffee. Those foods can promote irritation and inflammation. 

By limiting or avoiding those foods, you may eventually notice your cravings for them disappear altogether. You may also have more energy, be less hungry than you were before, and see improvements in your skin and mental health.

Once you feel better and see symptoms disappear, slowly introduce the foods you restricted to see if anything triggers a relapse in symptoms. If your symptoms reappear, it may be worth exploring if you have a food tolerance or sensitivity, as this can increase the risk of candida.

Candida Diet Risks

Any elimination diet can put you at risk for developing certain nutrient deficiencies. One risk of following a low-carbohydrate diet, like the candida diet, is that you may not get enough fiber. Fiber is an essential nutrient that helps lower blood sugar, cut cholesterol, and play a role in preventing certain health conditions, like colon cancer.

Low-carbohydrate diets can also be hard to stay on for the long term. They can also be more costly and present challenges if you do not enjoy cooking.

There are no true guidelines for the candida diet, so meeting with a registered dietitian (RD) is beneficial. They can help you with an individualized meal plan that feels satisfying to you and doesn't lead to a lack of key nutrients.

Tips on Dietary Changes

Like all diets, you should talk to a healthcare provider before starting the candida diet or making significant changes to your eating patterns. For example, an RD can help you determine what works best for you and address your health concerns. 

An RD might also suggest other ways to support your immune system to avoid infections, like:

• Taking vitamins or a probiotic
• Getting enough sleep
• Managing stress

Sample Menu

The candida diet can feel very limiting. Here's a sample menu for a day:

• Breakfast: Egg scramble with sauteed spinach or roasted vegetables with sliced avocado, scallion and 1 cup of berries
• Lunch: Baked or grilled chicken with white bean, kale, and quinoa salad
• Dinner: Vegetable pumpkin chili with side salad
• Snack: Carrots with hummus and a handful of your favorite nuts
  

A Quick Review

Candida is a common yeast found in the body. Under some conditions, like taking antibiotics, the yeast can overgrow, which may cause yeast infections in various body parts.

The candida diet is a diet that cuts down the energy source for Candida: carbohydrates. The diet may help prevent or alleviate the symptoms of yeast infections. However, there is no proven evidence that this diet works. 

If you're interested in following the candida diet, consult with a medical professional, and possibly an RD, to make sure you're doing it safely and not missing out on any key nutrients.