Curing Candida With Probiotics

If you have low acid production in the stomach and you have a white tongue, you may be infected with Candida, which is a type of yeast. You can treat a Candida infection with a treatment consisting of probiotics and Betaine Hydrochloride, also called Betaine HCL. Betaine HCL increases stomach acid, so a stomach that normally produces low acid will not destroy the probiotics you take. Talk to your doctor before using Betaine HCL for Candida to see if this treatment is appropriate for you.

Take 500mg of Betaine HCL on an empty stomach. Mark Hyman, author of “Ultra-Prevention: The 6-Week Plan That Will Make You Healthy for Life,” suggests that people overlook the importance of the nutrient Betaine, also known as trimethylglycine, because it helps the body absorb vitamins and produce stomach acids. He recommends taking 500 to 3000mg of Betaine a day, but cautions against taking more than 500mg a day when you first begin treatment.

This way, you can see how your stomach reacts first because Betaine HCL can cause a severe burning sensation in the stomach. If your stomach can tolerate 500mg a day, increase the daily dose by 500mg each day until you can take the maximum 3000mg dose without discomfort. If you find that a higher dose is intolerable, reduce the dosage that you took last and tolerated well.

Take a probiotic supplement one hour after taking the Betaine HCL supplement.The Betaine HCL supplement increases the acid in the stomach so the probiotic supplement can work. The University of Maryland Medical School recommends taking an oral supplement containing at least one to two billion live cultures each day for up to two weeks. Eat probiotics foods so the “good bacteria” can get a foothold before Candida returns. Some probiotic foods include yogurt, soy, soybeans, buttermilk, and sauerkraut.

Eat prebiotic foods regularly. Prebiotics are food sources that support healthy bacteria to flourish. MayoClinic.com suggests eating 3 to 8g of prebiotic foods a day, although there are not any specific guidelines on how much prebiotics to eat daily. Prebiotic foods include honey, tomatoes, barley, flax, honey, garlic and wheat.

Only people who have reduced levels of stomach acid should take Betaine HCL. There have not been any reports of adverse side effects of Betaine HCL, but further studies are needed. Talk to your doctor before using Betaine HCL, especially if you are currently under the care of a physician for a digestive condition.