A Candida Epiphany on Epiphany Sunday

As promised yesterday, I did at least one of the things I said I would do.  The first thing I did this morning was fill up a clear glass of water.  I then proceeded to spit into the glass to see what would happen after 15 minutes and then a half an hour.

I had my husband do the same.  The differences were astounding.

I wanted to do a simple at-home test for candida (basically, an overgrowth of yeast in my gut) which can cause a whole slew of problems, including dystonia.  It can also cause migraines, inability to focus, confusion, irritability, drowsiness, acne, and a slew of other problems... some of which I have and some that I do not.  According to Dr. Oz, and several other sites, after spitting in a glass of water, if your saliva drops down to the bottom of the glass like a white web and/or is tentacle-like, you probably have candida (especially if you are experiencing other symptoms).

Ladies and gentleman, here are the results of my saliva test from right after spitting, to a half hour after spitting into the glass.

 Immediately after spitting in the water, some of my saliva dropped to the bottom, causing a "cobweb-like" appearance, with some white specs floating in the water (left).  After about 15 minutes, the saliva at the surface started to get whiter and drop down into the water (center).  After a half hour, several pieces of white saliva dropped further down, some breaking off and settling at the bottom of the glass.  This is not a 100% accurate test, but given I have many of the other symptoms of candida, a blood test would likely indicate a positive result for an overgrowth of fungus in my gut.  About 70% of Americans have this problem and do not even know it.  So I was certain my husband would have the same/similar results as me when he spat in his glass.

My husband's "spit-test" result:

Much to my surprise, especially since my husband and I eat generally the same diet, it came back "negative".  His saliva remained pretty much clear, and stayed floating at the top of the water, indicating that there is no evidence of fungus overgrowth in his gut.  While he has some of the same symptoms as me (especially fatigue), most of this can likely be chalked up to normal anxiety and fatigue due to working long hours at a stressful job.

Now, to reiterate, this at-home test is not the most reliable way to determine whether or not you have candida in your system.  There are various tests that can be ordered by medical professionals (i.e., blood and stool testing).  I plan to ask my doctor about it when  next see him.

So, now what?  I spent most of today researching Candida diets.  It's actually pretty depressing, but people do live with it and there are some recipes out there that have some obscure ingredients, but people swear they're tasty.  The bad news is I HAVE to stay away from foods I LOVE.  I love pasta, pizza, breads, baked goods, cakes, ice cram and other desserts.  Basically, my diet will need to be restricted to leafy vegetables, nuts, berries, organic poultry and certain types of fish.

I'm trying to see this as a good thing... a realization that I may have unlocked something for dystonia and ASD sufferers alike.  I'm considering working with a registered dietitian.  There is something to be said about the brain-gut connection, and I need to take control of my future.  Wish me luck!