Yeast Infections & Crohn's Disease

Crohn's disease is a debilitating disorder of the small intestine. It causes a great deal of pain, bleeding and scarring in the gut, in turn leading to poor nutritional absorption and malnutrition. It can also increase the risk of developing cancer of the bowel. Systemic yeast infections also originate in the small intestine, but clinical studies suggest there may be causal rather than casual links between the two disorders.

Candida Albicans

• Yeast infections (candidiasis) range from the superficial thrush infections of the mouth and genito-urinary areas, to systemic infection that affects the whole body. They are caused by an over-proliferation of Candida yeasts, especially Candida albicans. Candida albicans is found commonly in the small intestine, and in healthy subjects it may cause no obvious symptoms. However, for those suffering from lowered immunity, or whose intestinal flora is imbalanced (for example, through taking antibiotics), it has been shown to proliferate and can cause serious health problems, sometimes even life-threatening.

Crohn's Disease and IBD

• Crohn's disease is one of the two disorders classified together as inflammatory bowel disease, the other being ulcerative colitis. They chiefly affect the small and large intestines respectively. Crohn's disease can lead to severe complications, including rectovaginal fistulas as well as cancer. Crohn's disease is a chronic condition for which is there is as yet no cure, although palliative treatment can result in an easing of the symptoms. Surgery is drastic, often involving intestinal bypass or removal of part of the colon.

Links

• Recent research has shown there may be molecular links between candida and Crohn's disease; for example, in a study published in 2010, Linda M. Rehaume suggests immune functions precipitated in the small intestine as a result of Candida albicans overgrowth may cause Crohn's disease. Some symptoms of intestinal candidiasis, such as abdominal pain, weakness and diarrhea, may mirror superficial symptoms of Crohn's disease. However, unlike Crohn's disease, candidiasis may be treated effectively and completely with antifungal agents.

Dietary Considerations

• A 2001 study by Nasir Mahmud and Donald G. Weir reports that a nutritionally inadequate "Westernized" diet is linked to the onset of Crohn's disease, specifically diets rich in refined carbohydrates such as wheat and sugar. This kind of diet is also strongly implicated in the development of systemic candidiasis, and many alternative health practitioners advocate the so-called "candida diet." However, a German study published in Trends in Microbiology in 1998 did not show the link between candidiasis and dietary sugars to be conclusive.

Evidence

• Despite a good deal of promising research into the causes of Crohn's disease, as yet results are inconculsive. Many unproven theories exist as to why some people and not others are affected by this illness. Links between the Candida albicans yeast and Crohn's have been established, but to what extent they are linked is not clear. Crohn's disease remains a poorly understood condition, but there is no evidence suggesting that candida overgrowth leads inevitably to Crohn's disease.