What is Candida?

Studies have connected symptoms of Parkinsons to a surprising variety of infections. Included in this list is a candida yeast infection.

Testimonials from members of my audience lead me to conclude a yeast infection presents formidable challenges to control. A little yeast is beneficial for digestion. Too much wreaks havoc on a neurological system.

Candida treatments potentially offer ways to control an overgrowth in candida. The most successful long term approach however is to avoid eating sugar of any form. Why?

Sugar is the food that the candida yeast infection thrives on. It sets the conditions for the existing overgrowth to multiply many times over. Overgrowth can be a temporary inconvenience or, if fed with sugar, transform into a chronic set of neurological symptoms.

Below is my interview with Lydia Epp who to my knowledge is the first researcher to identify the connection between Candida and Parkinsons. 

Candida is a yeast overgrowth in the intestines and mucous membranes and leaks into the bloodstream. It normally exists in small amounts in the body, particularly in areas like the mouth, gut, and vagina. However, an overgrowth can lead to infections, known as candidiasis.

This can manifest in various forms, such as oral thrush, vaginal yeast infections, and systemic infections in immunocompromised individuals. Factors like antibiotic use, a weakened immune system, and diabetes can contribute to its overgrowth.

It is a live fungus caused by long term use of antibiotics, steroids, oral contraceptives and most predominately a diet rich in carbs and sugars. 

Problems result with candida when it colonizes into a critical mass as it replaces the good bacteria and creates havoc with the digestive system. 

Candida Testimonial

I have also made the connection of candida and Parkinsons disease. I was on tetracycline for acne as a young teen and suffered with yeast infections off and on that exploded into severe, chronic infections after my dad died. Diflucan for over 18 months couldn’t stop; foot soaks held the infections at bay and within 2 years I was dx with PD.

I take no meds and have spent 8 years on mind-body-emotions work, healing techniques, attended your Santa Fe seminar… I’m 6 days into a strict no sugar, no gluten diet and feel more energetic and my ankles are skinny again. 

Dance with Candida

The dance with candida never ends. In the end it is a question of balance. Too much or too little candida results in horrible health problems. some of which include the symptoms of Parkinsons.

I have done many different candida detoxes over the years. They all have helped to reduce the infection in the tissues and organs of my body. It does pay to stay in a strict no sugar candida diet for 6 weeks every now and then. The problem is never really permanently solved as long as a diet is dominated by carbs and sugars.

I instantly know candida is an issue for me personally because I get fatigued easily. I also know I have a candida overgrowth because I have indulged in consuming sweets. I also know because rashes can also pop up here and there on my body. There is no need to request diagnostic tests for a candida problem. My body always sends off the blinking red light alarm.

In the long run healing an addiction to sugar is the key to getting the candida problem under control.

Connection of Candida to Parkinsons 

Most people think that all toxins enter the body externally through the food we eat and through toxins that enter our body through our skin. Some toxins are generated internally by the body. Candida is one substance that is responsible directly or indirectly for the production of 50 toxins. 

One such toxin is acetaldehyde which is typically found in the gastro-intestional track. Another toxin – salsolinol – is synthesized by the body from acedaldehyde and dopamine. Elevated levels of salsolinol have been found in the
urine and cerebrospinal fluid of persons who experience Parkinson’s symptoms.

Will you be likely to remember these complicated terms and connections a week from now or even tomorrow? I doubt it.  What is important to remember is that evidence suggests an overgrowth of candida can be an agent responsible for Parkinson’s symptoms.

Lidia Epp is the researcher who discovered the connection between Candida and Parkinson’s symptoms. She is one of the contributors to Pioneers of Recovery. Her Parkinson’s symptoms reversed after completing a successful candida cleanse.

Learning how to dance successfully with candida is the same lesson as learning to balance the energies of giving and receiving. Many people with Parkinson’s symptoms are givers who never stop to receive. They give their life force away. Learning to maintain a delicate balance of giving to others and receiving from others is one of the secrets to a successful recovery program. It is no less important than learning to balance the level of candida in our body.

Below are Abstracts of Two Studies that Connect Candida to Parkinsons

 
Int  Biol Sci. 2020 Feb 10;16(7):1135-1152. Parkinson’s Disease: A Comprehensive Analysis of Fungi and Bacteria in Brain Tissue

Abstract

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by motor disorders and the destruction of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta. In addition to motor disability, many patients with PD present a spectrum of clinical symptoms, including cognitive decline, psychiatric alterations, loss of smell and bladder dysfunction, among others. Neuroinflammation is one of the most salient features of PD, but the nature of the trigger remains unknown.

A plausible mechanism to explain inflammation and the range of clinical symptoms in these patients is the presence of systemic microbial infection. Accordingly, the present study provides extensive evidence for the existence of mixed microbial infections in the central nervous system (CNS) of patients with PD.

Assessment of CNS sections by immuno-histochemistry using specific antibodies revealed the presence of both fungi and bacteria. Moreover, different regions of the CNS were positive for a variety of microbial morphologies, suggesting infection by a number of microorganisms.

Identification of specific fungal and bacterial species in different CNS regions from six PD patients was accomplished using nested PCR analysis and next-generation sequencing, providing compelling evidence of polymicrobial infections in the CNS of PD. Most of the fungal species identified belong to the general were  Streptococcus and Pseudomonas, with most bacterial species belonging to the phyla Actinobacteria and ProteobacteriaBotrytis, Candida, Fusarium and Malassezia. Some relevant bacterial general .

Overall, our observations lend strong support to the concept that mixed microbial infections contribute to or are a risk factor for the neuropathology of PD. Importantly, these results provide the basis for effective treatments of this disease using already approved and safe antimicrobial therapeutics.

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Bratisl Lek Listy. 2006;107(6-7):227-30. Chronic polysystemic candidiasis as a possible contributor to onset of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. L M EppB Mraec

Abstract

The underlying cause of Parkinson’s disease is still enigma. Several mechanisms have been implicated in the etiopathogenesis of PD including oxidative damage, environmental toxins, genetic predisposition, and accelerated aging.

Recent research suggests that salsolinol, a derivate of dopamine, is an important contributing factor. In the presence of acetaldehyde dopamine is converted into salsolinol, a neurotoxin involved in apoptosis of dopaminergic neurons. Increased production of acetaldehyde is associated with chronic polysystemic candidiasis (CPC).

Chronically elevated levels of acetaldehyde in patients with CPC might participate in the formation of salsolinol and its metabolites in the brain contributing to the destruction of dopaminergic cells in substantia nigra. Clinical mental symptoms of PD often correspond with the mental manifestations of CPC.

Robert Rodgers PhD
Founder 2004
Parkinsons Recovery
robert@parkisonsrecovery.com