All products featured on Self are independently selected by our editors.
However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Yeast:Essential for bread, terrible for your body.
Lyosha_Nazarenko/Getty Images
What Ive discovered is that these strong claims arent backed by strong scienceor much logic, for that matter.
And they are defended viciously, to the point where dissenters have become afraid to speak up.
Another six doctors and scientists didnt even respond to my interview requests.
(Importantly, though, the proportions typically return to normal within eight weeks.)
In fact, two-thirds of these infectionsdevelopin people who are hospitalized.
Simply put, these are not infections that the average community-dwelling person is ever going to catch.
(Crohns patientsoften have higher-than-normal levelsof antibodies against components of Candida and other yeast.)
Proponents of the epidemic of Candida overgrowth openly admit theres not enough science on the subject.
Some even complain of a conspiracythat the U.S. government refuses to fund research on the topic.
One reason is that Candida are an easy scapegoat for people are suffering from real and confusing medical issues.
It helps that Candida overgrowth is a vague diagnosis based on a number of common criteria.
Hube says the very idea of this test is ridiculous.
And of course: The more people these doctors treat, the more money they make.
Who, yeast-filled or not, wouldnt feel great after a few weeks eating this way?
As a further worry, many doctors arent just recommending dietary improvements; they often also prescribe antifungal drugs.
But these drugs could be harmful, even dangerous.
Some antifungal drugs can also be bad for the liver.
In 1986, (yes, this idea has been around since then!
The drug had, in fact, given her hepatitis.
These drugs also dont seem to help the symptoms that have been attributed to Candida overgrowth.
They split them into groups and gave them different combinations of antifungal drugs or sugar pills.
We still have a lot to learn about how various microbiota, including fungi, affect our wellbeing.
But being open minded also means being cautious.
Melinda Wenner Moyer is a science and health writer based in New York.
She regularly contributes toSlateandScientific American.it’s possible for you to find her onTwitterandFacebook.
You might also like: This Professional Ballerina With Vitiligo Will Change How You Think About Beauty