It’s not something you want to talk about but yeast infections are often common in our society. Women often suffer from a vaginal yeast infection, but men can get yeast infections as well. These infections manifest differently and will show up as athlete’s foot, bloated bellies or fungal infections on toenails, which makes the toenail thick.

Yeast infections are also known as candidiasis caused by candida albicans. Candida is a natural part of the body so it’s not possible to eliminate it completely. Problems arise when it grows unchecked by healthy bacteria.

This often happens after a course of anti-biotics, as the drugs kill off the good bacteria as well as the bad bacteria. Since doctors don’t recognize candidiasis as a problem, they don’t think to advise people about it. So when someone gets a yeast infection and runs to the doctor for more drugs, the problem only gets worse.

If you have taken anti-biotics recently or have a yeast infection, you should always, always, always take probiotics such as acidophilus. This applies to children as well the elderly. Acidophilus will strengthen the immune system by increasing the good bacteria.

You can take acidophilus in a capsule form, in a liquid form or open the capsule into a smoothie (a favourite for children). It is best to use a broad spectrum acidophilus that also has bulgaricu, bifidus and casei if possible. Yogurt also contains acidophilus but the amount is not stated on the container so you have no idea how much acidiophilus is in a container.

Yogurt also contains a fair amount of sugar and sugar feeds a yeast infection. You want to avoid sugar in all its forms as much as possible when a yeast infection is present.

Now, should women use acidiphilus ‘down there’? I’ve heard of it being down but I don’t have factual information. A person can take acidiphilus by mouth for several weeks to a month and then monitor the results.

Candidiasis puts a toxic load on the body and it’s also been linked to allergies, so it’s really important to keep it in check. A yearly cleanse can help reduce that toxicity.