Did You Know Candida Produces Carcinogens and Promotes Cancer?

For many years, the only known link between Candida spp. infections, and
cancer was that it is an opportunistic pathogen taking advantage of the immune
system damage caused by chemo.

Recently, new research has found that Candida albicans can actually also
promote cancer by producing carcinogens, causing inflammation, increasing the
response of Th17 cells, and molecular mimicry of our own immune cells.

Candida produces the carcinogens known as nitrosamines and acetaldehyde.

Nitrosamines activate specific pro-cancer genes, while acetaldehyde is a
DNA-damaging carcinogen with many downstream effects.

Inflammation promotes cancer by causing tissue damage and production of
chemicals that promote angiogenesis, proliferation, migration, and adhesion while
inhibiting apoptosis of damaged cells.

Th17 cells, which are dominant in the response to Candida infections, are also

responsible for production of chemicals that can increase angiogenesis and tumor
growth.

On top of this, antibodies produced against Candida albicans can mimic a receptor
on white blood cells, possibly causing antibodies to be formed against our own
immune cells.

This is another strike against sugar and alcohol consumption in relation to cancer
risk, as both alcohol metabolism and sugar fermentation lead to acetaldehyde
production.

One real-life report of cancer being in association with fungal infections comes
from Meinolf Karthaus, who observed three children with leukemia suddenly go
into remission after antifungal treatment for “secondary” infections.

Additionally, one doctor had found fungal spores in every tissue sample of cancer
that he studied, as he used saline instead of formaldehyde to transport the
samples in order to preserve any possible fungi.

Natural Anti-Fungal Solutions for Candida

While pharmaceutical antifungals can cause even more damage to patients’
liver and kidneys, curcumin, the “main” medicinal compound in turmeric,
may be an alternative.

On top of exhibiting potent antifungal activity against Candida, curcumin also has

anticancer properties, such as the ability to destroy cancer stem cells.

Curcumin has antifungal effects against other species as well.

Cryptococcus, Aspergillus, Trichosporon, and Paracoccidioides strains have
been shown to be vulnerable to its effects.

Additionally, curcumin can prevent resistance of Candida to the antifungal drug
fluconazole. It appeared to be that resistant Candida were able to pump fluconazole
out of the cell bodies.

Despite curcumin’s poor water solubility and thus bioavailability, nanoparticles and

fat soluble delivery methods can overcome this limitation. More traditionally, golden
milk is a beverage that increases availability of turmeric to the body, and can be
made at home.

Besides curcumin, clove oil may also be effective against Candida infections.

In one study, even the vapour of clove essential oil was able to inhibit several
species of fungi, though the oil vapor was only strong enough to temporarily stop Candida growth without killing the cells.

However, direct application was much stronger. Using direct application, the
Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of clove oil was 2.5%, meaning that
clove oil at 2.5% concentration was enough to completely prevent fungal growth,
which is an indicator of living cells.

So in conclusion, natural fungicides and fungistatics such as curcumin
and clove oil must gain more recognition, particularly in cancer treatment,
whether the goal is full remission or “quality of life”.

Reducing sugar and alcohol intake is also seen as increasingly necessary in
order to prevent fungal infections and cancer growth.

_____________