Candida Article #9: Threelac & Fivelac - FAQ's

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1. Do I need to go on an "anti candida diet" when taking Threelac or Fivelac?
2. If taking Threelac or Fivelac, should I still take conventional probiotics like acidophilus and bifidus?
3. Should I take other products to assist the effect of Threelac or Fivelac?
4. Is it critical to take Threelac or Fivelac immediately before food and then eat straight afterwards as suggested on the label?
5. Why do Threelac and Fivelac contain yeast?
6. But I am still concerned about the fact that Threelac and Fivelac contain yeast as I have heard yeast feeds candida.
7. What dosage of Threelac and Fivelac should I take?
8. How long does it take to work?
9. I have recently started taking Threelac (or Fivelac) and I feel lousy. What should I do about it?
10. What causes Threelac or Fivelac NOT to work?
11. Will I need to take Threelac or Fivelac indefinitely?
12. I read on another (surprise, surprise, a competitors) web site that one of the strains of bacteria in Threelac and Fivelac, Enterococcus Faecalis (EF), is toxic. Is this true?
13. Are Threelac and Fivelac vegetarian / vegan?

Threelac and Fivelac

1. Do I need to go on an "anti candida diet" when taking Threelac or Fivelac?

When you use Threelac or Fivelac to fight candida, there will be no need to adhere to impossible dietary restrictions. In fact we often find these regimes counter productive as people go through periods of strict discipline ruined by regular frustration 'binges'. True, some people with severe candida have to do the 'anti candida diet' very strictly but this type of restriction is not necessary in the majority of cases. We do recommend that the consumption of sugar and yeasted bread (soda bread is acceptable) to be kept as low as you possibly can, and alcohol avoided completely until candida symptoms abate. However we do not advocate extreme and obsessive regimes, and Threelac and Fivelac usually works even if small amounts of sweet or yeast containing food are eaten.

What about fruit?

We do not find that fruit needs to be avoided except in severe cases. But fruit should be moderate in quantity and consumed on an empty stomach. Eating fruit as desert after a full meal will cause fermentation, and that will tend to aggravate yeast overgrowth.

What else to avoid?

It is often useful to avoid coffee and and fermented foods (except yoghurt), such as vinegar and miso. One possible exception is apple cider vinegar, as opposed to all other forms of vinegar, which is a fermented food, which seems to make some people better and some people worse. So this food may be experimented with.

People with yeast overgrowth often have a lot of food intolerances. Those people should avoid those foods as much as possible, but over the course of time, as the leaky gut and candida gradually get better, the food intolerances will usually go.

Our overall view

No matter what kind of diet an individual prefers to eat, from no dietary changes at all to a strict anti-candida diet at the other end of the scale, ThreeLac can help if it addresses your particular candida and or fungal strains. The more "fronts" the problem is addressed on, the greater the possible benefit, so the more strict your anti candida diet the better.

2. If taking Threelac or Fivelac, should I still take conventional probiotics like acidophilus and bifidus?

Threelac and Fivelac are great stand alone products, but yes, this is a useful step nonetheless. ThreeLac is not a comprehensive probiotic product. It contains three strains somewhat more assertive toward fungi and yeast than other friendly flora, but is not a replacement for other friendly flora, which may also be needed. ThreeLac works compatibly, however, with other friendly flora.

The product we recommend and supply is Bio-Kult which contains 14 strains of friendly bacteria. Fivelac contains 2 extra friendly bacteria strains than Threelac - Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium longum - but is still not as comprehensive as Bio-Kult.

3. Should I take other products to assist the effect of Threelac and Fivelac?

As in the previous question, this is a very useful step though in a mild candida case Threelac and Fivelac will often be enough on its own. Here are our top choices.

1. The first additional product we usually recommend is Oxygen Elements Max or Oxylift. The oxygen products kill fungi, and at the same time change the environment in the body towards a more alkali state which prevents fungi and bacteria from thriving to begin with.* We actually recommend a good oxygen product to be used by everyone who wants to improve their health and wellbeing regardless of whether they have candida.

*The ingredients themselves are acidic, but they are alkali forming in the body.

2. If you have bloating and wind, we recommend Active Digestive Enzymes.

3. To help with candida die-off / candida toxins we strongly recommend Wild Endive Formula for the first 2-3 months in severe candida cases. Then a few weeks later on later on we suggest adding Thyme Formula.

4. Thyme Formula. Thyme Formula may be commenced immediately in mild candida cases. Thyme Formula and Oxygen Elements Max are both treat candida systemically (i.e. the whole body, not just the intestinal tract). Threelac and Fivelac works primarily at eliminating candida from the intestinal tract. It does help systemically, but no but Thyme Formula and Oxygen Elements Max are often very important if candida has invaded other tissues of the body.

5. For a healthy colon, for colon cleansing and for bowel regularity Colosan or Oxy-Powder. These products have anti candidal effects as well, and are therefore useful to all candida sufferers, but are especially valuable if the bowels are sluggish.

6. If there is also a problem with leaky gut Marshamallow Formula should be used for at least 2-4 months. when you are mostly or completely better, to heal the leaky gut problem which normally was the original cause of the problem in the first place. We have an entire category for products which help with leaky gut and Marshamallow Formula is one of several options.

4. Is it critical to take Threelac or Fivelac immediately before food and then eat straight afterwards as suggested on the label?

No, in our experience this is not vital, and we think you can take Threelac and Fivelac anytime including between meals or even before them. The only related thing we will mention is that if you are taking prodcuts such as Thyme Formula or any other anti fungal products (both natural products or conventional medications), we think its better to separate then. Basically, we usually recommending taking probiotics an hour or more away from herbal anti antimicrobials or anti-candida products.

5. Why does Threelac and Fivelac contain yeast?

Threelac and Fivelac contain a very small amount of yeast as a food source for the friendly bacteria contained in the product. According to the suppliers, Threelac and Fivelac actually live on yeast and need to have it as food to keep alive until they can get at your fungal yeast overgrowth! This is a refined yeast powder which comes from a Brewer's yeast source which could not worsen a candida condition even if candida was made worse by yeast (discussed below) because it is not a live yeast. It is also because the quantity of yeast is too low to be significant.

6. But I am really worried about the fact that Threelac and Fivelac contains yeast as I have heard yeast feeds candida.

This is simply bad science. No matter what nonsense you may read on some web sites (and there is a lot of it on the internet), candida is not a cannibal and does not consume other yeast like substances to survive. Candida lives on glucose, not yeast. Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and 1,500 species are currently identified. They are estimated to constitute 1% of all described fungal species. It is true that some people with candida are intolerant of some yeasts. It is very unlikely that anyone is intolerant of all yeasts. If they are, it is not because candida can live on yeast, as this claim is basically rubbish. To some degree Threelac and Fivelac will treat the leaky gut which causes the intolerances which then cause the symptoms, including year intolerance. And in some cases they seem to eliminate food intolerances completely. However

But our experience has been that the in almost every case, people who are yeast intolerant (or claim to be, which is probably not true), can tolerate Threelac and Fivelac even when they claim they won't be able to. Perhaps this is because the amount of yeast is miniscule, or perhaps it is because the beneficial effects of the probiotics are so overwhelming that the negative effect of the small amount of yeast is negated. Either way, its fine in almost every case. On the rare occasions that someone genuine has a problem tolerating Threelac or Fivelac, they should contact us, and we will make alternative suggestions.

In the few cases where people feel worse, it's not usually because of the yeast. It's usually because they are severe sufferers who need to start their programme with the products which reduce candida toxins (the most important one is usually Wild Endive Formula or Wild Endive Formula A) and move onto stronger products after a month or two. Please go to question 9 for more information on what to do if you do feel lousy at first.

If you are still worried, then we suggest going back to the anti candida section of the web site and selecting products other than Threelac or Fivelac. The nearest yeast-free alternative we provide specifically to Threelac and Fivelac is Symbion.

7. What dosage of Threelac and Fivelac should I take?

This is a very hard question to answer, as the amount people require seems to vary tremendously. You DO need to use a bit of common sense with the dosage given that individual results vary and the fact that this is not an exact science. We usually recommend sensitive people to begin on half a sachet per day. The remainin 90% should test their response by starting on 1 sachet per day for the first week. A typical therapeutic dosage is 2-4 sachets per day. However we have had reports of people finding that one per day was sufficient, and other people saying it didn't work for them until they took 6 per day! So we advise you to experiment. One sachet per day is a good maintenance dosage to prevent the candida coming back once you have recovered, and it can be continued indefinitely for good intestinal health.

8. How long does it take for Threelac and Fivelac to work?

This is also a very hard question to answer, as individual speed of response varies tremendously. Amazingly, we have occasionally had people have reported improvements as fast as within a few hours of taking the first sachet. However 2-6 weeks is a far more common and realistic period to expect to wait to see improvements. Some people have had to use it for up to 4 months to see results though. Our advice is to be patient. Also in some cases it is only a part of the solution and some of our other products will need to be taken as well as discussed above.

9. I have recently started taking Threelac (or Fivelac) and I feel lousy. What should I do about it?

This problem is usually caused by a candida die off (removal of candida toxins) reaction. Don't give up!!! We usually recommend people to lower the dosage of Threelac or Fivelac -of necessary as low as 1/2 or even a quarter of a sachet per day. We also strongly recommend people to take one or more of the product that helps with candida die-off. Although all the products on this page can be very helpful, we particularly recommend Wild Endive Formula which was designed specifically to manage and prevent candida die-off. Suggested dosage of 3 capsules 2-3 times per day for at least 4 weeks. The die off is what makes you feel lousy. If you still don't feel more comfortable within a few days of doing this, stop taking Threelac and Fivelac altogether for the time being and...

We also recommend taking one of our liquid oxygen products like Oxygen Elements Max but start on a low dosage and build the dosage gradually. If necessary take as little as one drop twice a day and increase the dosage slowly. This will help with detox, increase energy and is anti-candidal all at the same time.

Thirdly, you should use Colosan or Oxy-Powder to clean you colon. As well as helping with candida in their own right, this will then help probiotics like Threelac and Fivelac to work better. This becomes even important if you are constipated or straining when going to the toilet. Trying to eliminate candida when you are constipated is like trying to push water uphill, and keeping the bowels opening nicely is an important steo in getting better.

10) What causes Threelac and Fivelac NOT to work?

1. Not giving it long enough. In a few particularly stubborn cases several months may pass before you notice a difference. Candida can be very stubborn and difficult to eliminate.

2. Not taking a high enough dosage. In most cases 2-3 sachets per day is enough. We do not recommend taking more than you need, but occasionally we get reports of people needing up to 5-6 sachets per day.

3. Relying on it exclusively and not using other products to support it. In severe cases, using other products, especially Thyme Formula and Oxygen Elements Max are going to be important. There are people who get better just with Threelac or Fivelac alone. But there are also others who need to consider a more comprehensive programme.

11. Will I need to take Threelac or Fivelac indefinitely?

Usually no, but its quite likely you'll need it for some months. It also depends on your individual susceptibility to candida overgrowth, whether you're as weak willed as me (the company owner), and unable to pass up the chocolate cakes that are offered your way, the state of your adrenal glands, whether you also need to clear out heavy metals that are preventing long term results (and by the way, this can be a big job in itself), living in a mouldy environment, taking antibiotics and sometimes other medications that can make you more susceptible to candida, and finally whether you have also taken steps to address any leaky gut issues.

12. I read on another (surprise, surprise, a competitors) web site that one of the strains of bacteria in Threelac and Fivelac is toxic. Is this true?

No, of course not. This is nonsense. Did you really think we would poison our customers, and do so knowingly for years on end? This claim originated from a number of competitors who didn't know how to deal with a product that was so much better than their own products, so they made up a lie. Here is a statement from our suppliers on this question :-

"I want to take this opportunity to comment on Enterococcus Faecalis (EF) over which there has been some controversy. Unknown to many, there are different strains of EF, some of which can be harmful, but the strain of EF used in Threelac and Fivelac is safe according to the manufacturer, and proven over the years with hundreds of millions of packets consumed world-wide with no proven serious side-effects, at least to my knowledge, as also claimed by the manufacturer. According to the manufacturer, it is actually the most important ingredient in Threelac and Fivelac. It is found naturally in the human intestine, has been highly refined, sterilized and cultured by the manufacturer, which is a very large, highly respected pharmaceutical company, and they decline to take it out due to its ongoing safety record and enormous importance to the effectiveness of Threelac and Fivelac. GHT alone sells over a million packets a month. The FDA inspects and has released every shipment of Threelac and Fivelac to GHT.

Most of the negative comments about EF are being made or instigated by uninformed overzealous people that are in competition with Threelac and Fivelac, and find any reason they can to try to discredit their competition. Some may have good intentions because of what they may have heard or read, but may not be aware that there are many different strains of EF with different characteristics. Competitors often quote or refer to website links with hearsay, possible phony stories for self-serving purposes, or obsolete scientific or foreign government information that "groups" all EF strains as if they were one, citing only the potential dangers of the bad strains when good strains also exist within the group. Let's face it, if the product was dangerous, the FDA and other governments that have evaluated its safety would not allow it on the market, and the well entrenched highly respected manufacturer would not want the liability of a dangerous product. GHT is merely the distributor, but we certainly would not sell a product if proven unsafe."

13. Are Threelac & Fivelac vegetarian / vegan?

A. Threelac and Fivelac contain 0.0000012% milk protein. To be honest, we suspect that most, if not all probiotics, including ones being marketed as vegan contain microscopic quantities of non vegan ingredients. We therefore recommend vegans who want to stick very strictly to their principles not to use any probiotics, no matter that the manufacturer says about their product.

More information on candida treatment generally here.

Click here to purchase Threelac
Click here to purchase Fivelac
Click here to purchase Kidslac

Click here to purchase New Sevenlac