Yeasts & Moulds

Our intestines are a whole eco system of their own, containing about 500 different micro-organisms responsible for our health. When they are all in balance, they produce healthy and beneficial substances and all is well within us and we are healthy. Within these micro organisms is a large proportion of “good” bacteria and some small amounts of “bad “organisms. However due to a variety of influences which include our diet and antibiotics, the “bad” organism such as yeast and/or moulds can proliferate and become a problem causing unpleasant symptoms such as bloating, diarrhoea, weight gain, psoriasis and other skin complaints.

Mould is a type of fungus. It grows on surfaces in masses of branching fertile threads which resemble dense cobwebs or dust. and releases its spores into the air. Spores are carried by air or by sticking to insects or animals. Active mould is microscopic. You cannot see it until it reaches epidemic proportions. Mould can be any colour, depending on the species and what it is growing on.

There are over 100,000 known living species of fungus and mycologists estimate that there may be as many as 200,000 more unidentified species. It is important to understand that just as mould grows outward, it also grows down, into the substrate of the host material be that building materials or books, bindings, paper, leather or body tissue.

From the human health perspective, the effects of the toxicity of mould can be devastating. Beginning with minor health problems such as headaches, joint pains, fatigue, difficulty sleeping and other to becoming wildly sensitive to almost anything from foods to household products.

The toxicity level of mould to humans by inhalation is serious. (such as mould on clothes, old foot wear, plants, and bathroom cabinets.) Mould inhaled can be forty (40) times greater than that gained by ingestion. And please remember that even if you think you have killed the mould, it is still able to be inhaled and still be an allergen, and it can still have health consequences, even after it is dead.

Yeasts are fungii that grow as single cells, They differ from most fungi, which grow as thread-like hyphae.

Yeasts grow typically in moist environments where there is a plentiful supply of simple, soluble nutrients such as sugars and amino acids. For this reason they are common on leaf and fruit surfaces, on roots and in various types of food.

The most common of these fungii is a single celled organism called Candida which in normal circumstances is harmless and part of the normal ecology of our intestines. There are over 150 different types of Candida and although they can cause a lot of distress, with appropriate dietary protocol and supplements they can be addressed and the balance in the gut restored.

Candida albicans is a one of the Candidas. Its normal habitat is the mucosal membranes of humans and other warm-blooded animals, where it grows as a yeast and causes little or no damage. In fact, it can be isolated from the mucosa of up to 50% of humans - from the mouth, the gut, the vagina or, less often, from the surface of the skin.

In some circumstances, however, the same strains of C. albicans that grows harmlessly, can become hostile, passing through skin tissue causing significant damage. This usually happens when a variety of predisposing factors cause the yeast population to multiply. (A healthy level of resident good bacteria normally keeps this in check.) The yeast cells then begin to grown roots which penetrate the skin tissue, causing irritation and shedding of the tissues.

One of the best examples of this is the condition called thrush - a white speckling of the tongue and the back of the throat, resembling the speckling on the bird's chest. This is common in newborn babies, perhaps resulting from passage through an infected birth canal. It is also common in AIDS patients and people who have had a prolonged course of antibacterial therapy, reducing the normal resident bacterial population.

C. albicans also causes vaginitis - inflammation and invasion of the vaginal mucosa, especially during the third trimester of pregnancy and in women who take the pill. Systemic candidiasis is a more serious condition, when the yeast cells proliferate in the circulatory system. A little more difficult to bring under control, but the gut balance can be restored to full health with the appropriate diet, supplements, anti fungals and a healthy life style.

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