Q & A: Herbal Candida Cleanse

For the past two years, I have been experiencing rashes, severe sugar cravings, extreme irritability and depression. I have been to dermatologists, traditional doctors, health intuitives, naturopaths, etc. I have received conflicting information from just about everyone. I tend to lean toward the advice of the naturopath that candidiasis may be the culprit. I have taken many antibiotics over the years, taken birth control, worked in an extremely stressful profession and existed on a diet almost entirely of refined sugars and carbohydrates until recently. I feel that all of these symptoms could be alleviated if I could get past the sugar/carbohydrate cravings. I am surrounded by sweets at my place of work and find it nearly impossible to control the urge.
—K., Appleton, Wisconsin 

Stansbury responds: I would be more convinced that your symptoms were due to candida if you had some compelling evidence, such as vaginal yeast, bowel symptoms, itching of the ears, throat, or rectum, or actual lab confirmation such as a stool analysis or elevated antibodies to candida. Nonetheless, a history of antibiotic and oral contraceptive use, coupled with sugar/carbohydrate cravings and skin rashes is indeed suspicious. Other possibilities would be that your refined sugar and carbohydrate diet has simply not covered the nutritional bases for you and left you vitamin and mineral deficient. Mineral deficiencies, particularly chromium and magnesium, can promote sugar cravings. B-vitamin deficiencies can lead to all of the symptoms you mentioned and are also used up with stress and birth control pills. Try a high-dose multi B vitamin, a calcium/magnesium supplement and a chromium supplement. A well-rounded multivitamin and mineral supplement wouldn’t hurt either. Supplementing these nutrients and eating better could do wonders. I know the eating better part is easier said than done, so plan on thinking long and hard about what it will take to succeed. Your letter indicates to me that this is the real problem. Many of my patients with such demoralizing sugar cravings find that eating more protein, especially in the morning, diminishes sugar cravings. Can you fill up on an excellent high-protein breakfast, even if it means getting up earlier, to reduce the temptation of the office sweets? Can you prepare a soymilk, almond milk or other high-protein smoothie at work? Can you set a new trend at work and start bringing in fruits, nuts, deli platters, etc.? Surely there are other coworkers who would support healthier snacks at work. Can you go for a walk at breaks to avoid spending time around the temptations? Until the protein and the supplements start to reduce your cravings, keep yourself well supplied with more innocent sweets: fresh fruits, a sweet tea such as mint or licorice, apples with almond butter, sweet vegetables such as carrots or red pepper slices, or nut-and-raisin mixes. Crowding out the sweets with these whole foods should also greatly improve your nutrient intake and help your skin and your mental and emotional health.