Although we sell a lot of probiotic products to help with candida overgrowth and intestinal dysbiosis, botanical remedies are also very potent. In some cases they can even be too potent which will be discussed briefly in Part III of this article. Single herbs (of which we sell quite quite a few here) can be very effective. Of the single botanicals, we get some great results with Samento and Cumanda – sometimes where everything else fails. But in the main, I tend to recommend single herbs largely to sensitive individuals who don’t easily tolerate products with multiple ingredients.
However where severe sensitivity is not an issue, I tend to recommend multi-herb products on the basis that the sum of the ingredients are greater than the individual parts. I am going to subdivide them into two categories. The stonger ones and the gentler ones. Please do not assume that gentler is a byword for “ineffective”. We will NEVER sell ineffective products – at least not while I’m in charge round here. Why would I bother to sell junk when there are plenty of good products out there? But the gentler products can be more suitable for sensitive individuals, and it’s probably also fair to say that that generally speaking (though not always) they take a bit longer to work. However no matter which botanical remedy you use, if you are expecting to start taking it on Monday and be cured by the following weekend, you are really wasting your time and money, and not going to get anywhere. Natural medicines work with the rhythms of nature and typically need 8-12 weeks to assess whether they are helping, and if they are, another 2-3 times that period to enjoy their full benefits. The rest of this article will now be subdivided into….
Part I: The strongest products
Part II: The more gentle products
Part III: Products for those who can’t tolerate any anti candida products (those who believe themselves to be very severe candida should read this)
Part I: The strongest products
Oregano Oil Blend- Organic Mediterranean Oregano Oil
Oregano is toxic to harmful organisms including fungi and rich in many minerals including calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, copper, boron, and manganese as well as vitamins C and A (beta carotene) and niacin. - Organic Extra Virgin Cold-Pressed Olive Oil
Olive oil is an excellant though gentle candida fighter - Organic Peppermint Oil
Supports healthy digestion. Where it comes to candida the general resistance of essential oils to fungus is well documented and peppermint oil is no exception. Indian and Iranian researchers have shown that peppermint oil holds potential for managing fungal infections, including candida. Their assertion was backed up by the Institute for Biological Research in Serbia where researchers observed fungicide behavior from peppermint oil. [13] The Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran also, after comprehensive review, concluded that menthol is resistant to fungus, including candida. Similarily, Brazil’s State University of Campinas found essential oils of three different peppermint varieties to be anti-candida. - Cayenne Oil (250,000 Scoville Heat Units)
Cayenne pepper has many, many health benefits. It’s high in antioxidants, it’s toxic to harmful fungal, yeast and bacterial organisms, and it helps to cleanse the body. Cayenne is a well-known digestive aid. It stimulates the digestive tract, increasing the flow of enzyme production and gastric juices. This aids the body’s ability to metabolize food (and toxins). Cayenne pepper is also helpful for relieving intestinal gas. It stimulates intestinal peristaltic motion, aiding in both assimilation and elimination.
Please note, this product is too strong to take neat, mostly because of the cayenne which is very powerful. We supply this blend with capsules, which should be be filled with the liquid according to the dosage suggestion on the label.
Thyme FormulaFor those who prefer capsules to a liquid, Thyme Formula is very competitively priced and just as powerful as the Oregano Oil Blend.
In an article in the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine in June 1993 entitled “Conquering Candida”, the original formulator described the way that the forerunner of Thyme Formula “has simplified the treatment of candidiasis enormously. We used to spend much time at each consultation identifying the various organs infected by Candida and would then test a variety of supplements for their activity at these sites. We often found that several supplements had to be combined in order to achieve the spectrum of activity that we needed to eliminate Candida overgrowth completely. Now, in all but the most complicated of cases, we have been able to abandon this tedious procedure. We also found that resistance to individual supplements would sometimes develop, necessitating a change of supplement half-way through treatment. This hardly ever occurs with {with the forerunner to Thyme Formula}, presumably because of its highly composite nature“.
Ingredients: Thyme, Licorice, Rosemary, Marigold, Cayenne, Turmeric, Pomegranate.
Part II: Gentler products
Oregano FormulaOregano Formula is gentler than the Oregano Oil blend above (mostly because it does not contain Cayenne) but is still much more effective in most cases than single herbs. It was originally designed to be an alternative to Thyme Formula where Thyme Formula was too strong OR to be taken at the same time as Thyme Formula for those who want to widen the its therapeutic effects OR for those who had used Thyme Formula for a reasonable period of time already (meaning a good 12 weeks) and either were not improving or improving too slowly, or had improved initially but were not making any further progress.
Ingredients: Cinnamon, Lemon Balm, Ginger, Yellow Dock, Oregano, Cumin, Cranberry.
Another gentle but powerful candida cleanser, which used persistently over a several months will (with a low sugar and no alcohol diet), like other well formulated polyherbal products bring candida under control, and then eradicate it.
Two capsules of Candiclear typically provide:
350mg Calcium octanoate (providing 262.5mg Octanoic acid) 350mg Magnesium octanoate (providing 304.5mg Octanoic acid), (these first two ingredients have very similar effects to the better known caprylic acid from coconut) 50mg Pau d’arco (Lapacho), 50mg Thyme, 50mg Rosemary, 50mg Lemon Balm.
Encapsulated with these natural ingredients:
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (carrageenan, pectin), vegetable magnesium stearate*, silicon dioxide.
*(Please note, we competely reject the absurd scare stories around magnesium stearate and have published an article about this nonsense on the web site).
Part III: For those who can’t tolerate any anti candida products (very severe candida sufferers)
Wild Endive FormulaWhere people report that they can’t tolerate most anti-candida products at all, this is usually because the sufferer has such high level of candida toxins that they really need to focus on reducing these waste products for a couple of months before even thinking of attacking the candida head on. The core products for this are Wild Endive Formula, or for those who cannot even tolerate even the most minimally anti candidal products, it’s sister product, Wild Endive Formula A. I beleive that these two products are two of our most important (and undervalued) products. Yes, they don’t have swashbucklingly glamorous labels like some of the products made by the bigger suppliers, and not amongst our top sellers either. This should not put people off as in the right situations they are truly invaluable.
Licorice Formula(and Licorice Formula A for those who find Licorice Formula over stimulating)
A second reason why some people struggle to tolerate anti candida products is because their system, particularly their adrenals, is so sluggish that they can’t cope with an anti candidal regime. In this situation, Licorice Formula, designed to support healthy adrenal function, can be very helpful in strengthening immunity, life force energy, physical energy, and hormonal balancing (particularly of course adrenal hormones). As with all botanical approaches, it’s not normally an overnight cure. But as the suppliers state “Over the last decade or so we have seen only four people with healthy adrenals and only four people who tested negatively for Candida overgrowth (based on kiniesiology testing), and yes, they were indeed the same four people. This reminds us that the adrenals are an integral part of the immune system. Also, candida can produce adrenal insufficiency symptoms because the candida yeast can bind adrenal steroids, rendering them ineffective”. As with Wild Endive Formula, Licorice Formula is a wonderful, and grossly undervalued product.
Ingredients: Vegetarian capsule shell (cellulose derivative & water), Licorice, Brazilian ginseng (Suma), Sarsaparilla, Guarana, Siberian & Korean ginsengs.
As always there is far more that could be said, but as this is meant to be a newsletter, not a book I’m going to shut up now and end with the message: Go forth and eradicate your candida overgrowth.
Mark G. Lester – Founder & Director – www.thefinchleyclinic.com