That Furry White Tongue (Candida albicans)
Posted: Wednesday, August 09, 2006
by Sharon Moore
http://1healthyboomer.com
Furry white tongues come in two varieties: a little furry and very furry. A little furry is fine - it's the normal layer of bacteria that every tongue should have. A very furry tongue is often not fine - especially if it's a thick and cheesy-looking white fur coating.
Scrape a fingernail across your tongue and look at the path it carves. A big groove could indicate a problem. A very furry tongue typically indicates an overgrowth of Candida albicans - a yeast that lives in every digestive tract (and that can travel to the mouth, and elsewhere).
When Candida albicans overgrowth runs rampant in the digestive tract, it mutates from a yeast infection into a fungal infection. The condition is then called Candidiasis.
Candidiasis is capable of pushing through the mucosal intestinal lining that separates the gut flora (intestinal bacteria) from the bloodstream. When this happens, toxins normally eliminated by passing through the digestive tract now "leak" into the bloodstream.
The immune system is forced to deal with this constant drizzle of toxins at the expense of other important tasks - like gobbling up ever-present cancer cells before they nest somewhere (among other things). A compromised immune system is a recipe for chronic health problems.
The first line of defense in a healthy immune system is the intestinal wall and the probiotics (good bacteria) that colonize there. In general, probiotics keep Candida albicans at a manageable level so that Candidiasis does not develop. Antibiotic use and general unwellness, however, can diminish the number of good bacteria and give Candida the upper hand.
Like most fungus infections (miserable toenails anyone?), Candidiasis is a bear to get rid of. And once it gets going, the symptoms display themselves in any number of obnoxious and puzzling ways. There is a long list of symptoms for Candidiasis: bloating, constipation, and diarrhea are the most familiar. Less familiar symptoms include chronic fatigue, frequent headaches and irritability, back and neck pain (muscles), depression, anxiety, irregular menstrual cycles, itchy nose, and even eye floaters and/or blurred vision.
In other words, symptoms are so diverse that you don't know whether to visit your family doctor, allergist, orthopedist, gynecologist, psychiatrist, ophthalmologist, or witch doctor for relief. And yes, women are more susceptible - but don't kid yourselves fellas, it's NOT just a gal-thing.
If you think you have Candidiasis (or a lesser yeast infection), and you have symptoms telling you that "something" is just not right with your overall health, get thee to a doctor for a test. It's painless ... and it's important to track down symptoms that are troubling.
You think you have a sweet tooth? Well so does Candida. You love sugar - Candida loves sugar. Does sugar make you fat and happy? Sugar makes Candida fat and happy as well. And does sugar give you a nice rush of energy? It gives Candida a rush of energy too. To keep Candida under control, you must cut back on sugar.
Yeast get their energy by fermenting sugar (just like cancer cells). But fermentation is a very inefficient way to create energy - in other words, it takes LOTS of sugar to produce a little energy. A high sugar diet feeds Candida (and cancer cells) - and we know all about the dangers of sugar and type 2 diabetes.
Every living thing 'excretes' something. Yeast excrete alcohol. If you 'crave' sugar regularly to cure a shaky feeling or to get rid of headaches (and you don't have diabetes), you might be a victim of Candidiasis. No, you're not an alcoholic. But your body wants its 'fix' of alcohol - and when it doesn't get it, you get low-level withdrawal symptoms that temporarily 'go away' with a bag of jelly beans. Now you know why.
Probiotics and digestive enzymes likewise help to keep Candida at bay. Also consider taking a good garlic supplement (unless you love fresh garlic and have found ways to mix it into your daily food intake). Candida is destroyed by garlic, as are any number of other pathogenic gut bacteria.
Remember: Candida albicans in the digestive tract can never be eliminated - but it can be managed quite effectively. Should you test positive for Candidiasis, an anti-fungal drug may be prescribed - and that's fine. But you can't take such a drug forever, so you must become pro-active in keeping your gut flora in balance.
To learn more about Candidiasis, talk with your doctor and/or do a Google search. There's a wealth of good information on the Internet.
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More commentsWhat a wonderful lucid description of the Plague of the Tounge. After fifty years of pondering why from time to time anxiety has given me a heavy dose of Candida, I can now face a heavy dose of Garlic to combat it. Thank you for the enlightenment. I am eternally grateful. 82 yr Widower
I tried a complete diet overhaul once because I was sick of suffering from Candida and basically I cut out all sugar, was eating toasted rye bread (as it's free from wheat) with organic cream cheese) which I mixed in lots of grated garlic), slices of cucumber, non starchy vegetables as snacks and chicken with salad or brocolli for dinner and after just one day the white coating started to go and any discharge from downbelow also basically disappeared. Unfortunately it's such a hard diet to stick to because you do crave sugars and refined carbs and cutting out all sugar and dairy is incredible difficult to keep track of. You have to check every single piece of food you buy because it's hidden in everything and eating out is a nightmare. But it just goes to show how quickly it stopped growing. To keep it at bay though, it really would have to be a diet for life. The pharmceutical industry makes probably billions from the fact that people suffer from this extremely common problem, which is one reason why your GP probably doesn't tell you that antibiotics kill off the good bacteria, leading to bad bacteria overgrowth. It's sadly all about money.
good articles, just what I was looking for
it's amazing, there has been no doctor that could give me all this information, thanks for this wonderful article, very helpful
Works but i find that food tastes funny from now on
This is a fantastic article!! I don't believe everything I read on the internet or like to diagnose myself but I think you may have just hit the nail on the head for me with this! I'm going to print this out and take it to the doctor tomorrow.I have been tired and had a coating on my tongue for years and years but all my friends just call me lazy because I like to sleep a lot. I've always had what I describe as a 'weak stomach' and feel nauseous easily, get bad breath and catarrh in my throat and stomach. I've always suffered from bad hangovers yet crave alcohol (I'm not alcoholic) and a few years ago I started suffering from IBS which thankfully has gone after changing my diet slightly but still get the odd bout every now and then. Then my eyesight started getting blurred and out of focus, yet when I had my eyes tested I was told I had perfect eyesight. Yet I know I have trouble focusing on things, not to mention the headaches I get, I've got one now in fact.Hopefully I may start now to finally get this sorted out.This was really well written and easy to understand. Thank you so much.
you can be tested for cadidiasis? how? blood?
Thanks a million for this GR8 article.Why does it always have to be so hard to get shared knowledge of stuff that can help people overcome their pains and sufferings.You are a blessing and may you be blessed abundantly.Well said Gavin. My sentiments exactly
I have suffered with this for two years + !
Just one week on 'Probiotics' and I am feeling alive again!!!
Thankyou
Thanks for the article! I'll add my two cents. Candida is responsible for a plethora of symptoms; the main ones: depression, anxiety, anger, white tongue, dizziness, ear aches, ear fluid, discharge, headaches. ear ringing...it affects every part of your system. I've been battling this beast for a year but am seemingly turning a corner now. If you want to get rid of it for good and be healthy: follow the diet exactly; protein, veggies (nonstarchy) fats, oils, herbal tea; a little coffee. No sugar, dairy, carbs, fruit, vinegar. Layer this with sauerkraut; which is the best, strongest probiotic and wont clog your sinuses with casein like dairy;also, all dairy has sugar. Also, eat vitamin b17 (almond seeds) you can get them at chinese grocery stores or in china town.
You have to change your environment in your body for your body to fight this off. It's a western disease which obviously relates entirely to our diet. After a while, eating like this becomes habit.
The yeast; if allowed to go out of control forever; your cells may turn cancerous. Most cancer patients have systemic yeast. So change your body's environment now!!
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