A yeast infection caused by the fungus Candida albicans goes undetected so frequently that it remains one of the most common and widespread health problems of our society.
Many reasons permit yeast infections to continue plaguing and haunting our society.
A few of the most common reasons are listed below:
- Society overlooks the fact that men and infants also get yeast infections.
- Traditional medical (allopathic) doctors often prescribe antibiotics that are only able to treat symptoms of yeast infections. This fact is so important, that it is worth mentioning again... Candida albicans are a fungus. Antibiotics fight bacteria. That's it. They do not also fight viruses or fungus.Antibiotics kill all bacteria leaving yeast to flourish.
Prescribing antibiotics for a yeast infection can only assist with it persisting over time. Antibiotics work because they kill bad bacteria in your body. But antibiotics can't tell the difference between good and bad bacteria, so they actually kill the healthy bacteria in your body too. Once bacteria has been eliminated, non-bacteria-life such as fungus (yeast) have room to grow and flourish with little to stop it or slow down its growth.And, if you have ever had a yeast infection, you may be aware that they have a tendency to "return" periodically. Please understand that they will return periodically, every time the cause goes untreated.
Traditional medical doctors who properly identify a yeast infection, often attempt to treat it with a local topical agent or cream. Illustrating the extent of this issue, on the day this article was published, WebMD.com reported... "Yeast is a fungus that normally lives in the vagina in small numbers. A vaginal yeast infection means that too many yeast cells are growing in the vagina... If you have had a yeast infection before and can recognize the symptoms, and you aren't pregnant, you can treat yourself at home with medicines you can buy without a prescription. You can use an antifungal cream... "
Clearly, one of the major misconceptions by traditional allopathic medicine is that yeast infections are a "local" (isolated) issue, when in fact, they are systemic (whole body) issues. By definition, Candida albicans are a single cell fungus (or yeast) that live in the intestinal tract and on the surface of mucous membranes in every living person.
To make a long story short, yeast infections often start somewhere deep inside the body (commonly due to intestinal tract flora issues, for example), travel throughout the bloodstream (making their way through the entire body), and rear their ugly head in the form of a something bothersome, like a skin rash.
Without proper treatment, a yeast infection may last for years, resulting in a wide range of long-term health problems.
Demonstrating some hope for traditional medicine, the Office of Women's Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services maintains a webpage that acknowledges that yeast infections are not often caused by local problems. This webpage states, "Most often, women don't get yeast infections from sex. The most common cause is a weak immune system."
In addition to a rash, typical and uncomfortably inconvenient symptoms of a yeast infection include:
- Vaginal itching, soreness or discharge
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Depression
- Allergy-like symptoms
- Pain when passing urine
- Pain when having sex
- Recurring fungal skin infections (athlete's foot, jock itch, etc.)
Please note, if you are treating a symptom on this list, expect to continue treating that same rash, itch or pain, because you are probably not treating the actual yeast infection.
The following things may encourage yeast infections:
- Antibiotics
- Poor eating habits (high sugar diets)
- Some oral birth control
- Certain steroids
- Immunosuppressive drugs
Scientific research assisting the true fight against yeast infections, was well underway by 1966. At that time, Dr. Jon J. Kabara led a team of researchers at Michigan State University on an investigation of lauric acid. From this research, he was able to begin reporting its antimicrobial activity. Shortly thereafter, lauric acid research began to show positive results against viruses, bacteria and fungus.
Lauric acid, being a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA), actually shares these antimicrobial properties with other medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA). As should be expected, research has been conducted on many of the other fatty acids and results have proven to be similar.
Your skin is the first line of defense your body uses to defend against invading bacteria, fungus and viruses. One of the primary weapons supporting the skin in this fight is MCFAs. Sebaceous glands, located at the base of every hair shaft, produce an oil. This oil contains MCFAs. In addition to its natural antimicrobial characteristics, this oil also helps prevent dry and cracking skin, slowing an invaders entry to the blood stream.
MCFAs are also in mother's milk to help support and nourish the brand new immune system of babies. But, where can you get MCFAs if your body needs additional support?
Very few foods naturally contain high levels of MCFAs. Some items like butter and milk fat report that they contain lauric acid (one MCFA), but only about 3% of the total fat in these items is actually lauric acid.
Coconut oil, however, is not like most food. Approximately half of the fat content of coconut oil is lauric acid. And, lauric acid is only one of five fatty acids in coconut oil. The fatty acid composition of coconut oil commonly appears as follows:
- 48% lauric acid (12 carbon saturated fatty acid chain)
- 18% myristic acid (14 carbon saturated fatty acid chain)
- 8% caprylic acid (8 carbon saturated fatty acid chain)
- 7% capric acid (10 carbon saturated fatty acid chain)
- 0.5% caproic acid (6 carbon saturated fatty acid chain) (1)
Coconut oil naturally contains one of the highest levels of lauric acid and one of the largest naturally occurring amounts of MCFAs known.
According to the University of Michigan's Health System website, test tube and animal research has shown caprylic acid to have antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties. Preliminary reports from the 1940s and 1950s indicated that caprylic acid may be effective against yeast (Candida) infections in humans. And, doctors still recommend amounts of 500 mg to 1,000 mg three times each day.
Capric acid research may be even more promising in the fight against Candida albicans. According to a study published by the National Institute of Health, "capric acid causes the fastest and most effective killing of all three strains of Candida albicans tested." This same study also reported that "lauric acid was the most active at lowering concentrations (of Candida albicans)."(2)
So, if you are fighting a yeast infection, try adding coconut oil to your diet and to your love life. It may help you in more ways than you realise.
Cited:
(1) "The Coconut Oil Miracle - 5th Edition" by Dr. Bruce Fife, C.N., N.D. Copyright 2013 by the Penguin Group, page 73.
(2) the National Institute of Health PMCID: PMC90807 and appeared online February 2, 2014. Original study: Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2001 November; 45(11): 3209-3212. doi: 10.1128/AAC.45.11.3209-3212.2001, titled "In Vitro Killing of Candida albicans by Fatty Acids and Monoglycerides". Authors: Gudmundur Bergsson, Jóhann Arnfinnsson, Ólafur Steingrímsson, and Halldor Thormar.
Copyright © 2014 - Tawne Bachus
Disclaimer: The information in this article is not provided by a medical professional and is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.
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