Question by Juan Jose Ruiz Michael
08/12/2011

How can I determine if I have Candida Albicans overgrowth?

This is a surprisingly controversial question. High quality medical studies suggest that overgrowth of candida on a widespread basis in the body is extremely unlikely in healthy people, but that it does affect people whose immune system is compromised, such as those with HIV/AIDS, some forms of cancer etc. Thrush infections of the mouth are also more common among denture wearers and people who use steroid inhalers, and those with diabetes are more prone to thrush, usually in the genital region. There are millions of pounds being made by private ‘practitioners’ (often ‘nutritionists’) persuading people that they have systemic candida or food intolerances/allergies on the basis of tests of highly dubious tests, such as vega tests, hair tests and applied kinesiology. While these tests are used for allergies rather than systemic candida, they tend to be done by the same ‘practitioners’ who diagnose candida albicans overgrowth. However, after looking carefully at the evidence, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has found no evidence that these tests are reliable. This is a long way of saying that I would recommend you put the diagnosis out of your mind if you are otherwise healthy and your immune system (checked by tests such as full blood count, blood glucose etc) is normal, unless a consultant physician has suggested otherwise.