Q. Is a Candida diet really worth the hard work?

The question in full:

Q. To eliminate Candida, I’ve been told eat a yeast-free diet and cut out sugar, refined carbohydrate and foods that grow mould? I’m finding it really hard – is it worth it?

A. Yeast, sugar and mouldy foods supposedly ‘feed' the growth of Candida albicans, the yeast claimed to be responsible for a long list of health complaints ranging from tiredness to overweight. Cutting off its food supply should see the yeast die off and your symptoms disappear, or so the theory goes.

The real story

To date, we have no conclusive evidence that an overgrowth of Candida albicans in the digestive tract is responsible for the long list of symptoms of which many people complain.

However, you may well have food sensitivities, an intolerance to the various chemicals, both natural and artificial, found in food.

Following a ‘Candida diet' and removing yeast, sugar, refined carbohydrates and mouldy foods will simultaneously remove most - but not all - the foods high in chemicals. The result is some improvement in the way you feel.

The diet is unnecessarily restrictive and difficult to stick to, as you have found, and a more worthwhile course of action would be visiting a dietitian. With their help, you can work out your trigger foods and remove them so your diet then includes a wider more nutritious range of foods than is allowed on the Candida diet.