Reducing Candida Symptoms With Vitamin C

Everyone knows about the antioxidant properties of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid), and how it prevents you from getting colds. What very few Candida sufferers realize though, is that Vitamin C should also be part of your Candida treatment plan. It can help reduce Candida symptoms, boost your immunity, and give you the best shot of fighting off your Candida infection.

Vitamin C helps with Candida overgrowth in three ways.

First, it provides support to your adrenals, two small organs that are crucial for your metabolism and blood sugar regulation (as well as your body’s production of things like anti-inflammatories and antihistamines).

Second, Vitamin C boosts your immune system and gives your body the best chance possible to fight off the Candida yeast.

Lastly, it helps boost your stomach acid, which slows the Candida overgrowth.

Candida causes low adrenal function and low metabolic energy

Candida overgrowth and adrenal dysfunction are often seen together. Why is this? First, it’s important to realize that the toxins released by the Candida yeast have a tremendously debilitating impact on the cells within your body. These toxins impair communication between cells, they increase the stiffness of cell membranes and they interfere with your normal metabolism.

Candida produces ethanol which can have an intoxicating effect on your body. It interferes with the production of thyroid hormones, giving rise to hypothyroidism, and can stress your liver.

Some of this ethanol is broken down by your body into Acetaldehyde. This blocks your cell membranes and prevents them from absorbing important hormones, as well as impairing your nerve function. Acetaldehyde places your adrenals under stress and causes them to produce adrenaline and dopamine.

The actions of the Candida yeast can cause great stress to your adrenals. But it also works the other way around, which is why it’s so easy for Candida sufferers to enter a negative, self-reinforcing spiral. Placing your adrenals under stress for too long will reduce your ability to fight off harmful organisms because they are a crucial part of your immune system.

Vitamin C can boost your immune system

Vitamin C is an often recommended treatment for overstressed and fatigued adrenals. Some of the highest concentrations of Vitamin C in your entire body are actually found in your adrenals.

Taking a good Vitamin C supplement will restore your adrenal glands to health, build up your immune system and allow your body to fight off the Candida. Healthier adrenal glands mean more energy and a higher metabolism too!

Other benefits of vitamin C

Vitamin C, in supplemental form, was popularized by a Nobel Prize winning doctor named Linus Pauling. His research (“Vitamin C and the common cold”, 1970) was the first to suggest that high doses of Vitamin C could help the body recover from illness. Although controversial at the time, his research has gained increasing acceptance in recent years, as the beneficial effects of Vitamin C came to be realized by the medical profession.

Vitamin C has been found to help with immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, prenatal health problems and eye disease. A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition even showed that Vitamin C delays aging and skin dryness.

A couple of things to remember

Vitamin C comes in many different shapes and forms; choosing the wrong one can actually be counter-productive and worsen your Candida overgrowth. Most importantly, remember to buy a supplement that contains no added sugar. Those effervescent Berocca tablets, unfortunately, contain sucrose, which is sure to feed your Candida.

Try to buy a good Vitamin C supplement from a trusted brand like Source Naturals or Garden of Life. Be careful to check what other ingredients the supplement contains. Sugar is certainly not the only substance that can worsen your Candida, so be very aware of what you’re putting in your body.

There’s one other thing to remember when you are taking Vitamin C. It is a natural diuretic, meaning that it helps to rid the body of excess fluids. Even though you’re unlikely to become dehydrated by just taking Vitamin C, we’d recommend that you drink plenty of water while you take these supplements.

Dosage of Vitamin C

You can take quite large amounts of Vitamin C, with many health professionals suggesting up to 3000 mg per day. Somewhere around 3000 mg is the point at which your body becomes saturated with Vitamin C and cannot absorb any more. You cannot overdose on Vitamin C but you will know when you’ve taken more than your body can absorb because you will start to experience some mild diarrhea as your body expels the excess.

If you really want to get the most out of your Vitamin C dosage, find a formula with bioflavonoids. They enhance the absorption of the Vitamin C and prolong its effectiveness too. For every 2000mg of Vitamin C, you should take 1000mg of Bioflavanoids.

Other vitamins that can boost your adrenals

While we’re on the subject, there are a few other vitamins and supplements that can support your adrenal function and help your immune system fight Candida. Here are some to consider:

Pantothenic acid (or Vitamin B-5)
This is almost as effective as Vitamin C in supporting your adrenals, and it’s actually best if you take both.

Ashwagandha
Otherwise known as Indian Ginseng, this is an adaptogenic herb that regulates energy levels and boosts the immune system.

Licorice root extract
This regulates hormone production in your adrenals and relieves adrenal exhaustion.

Of course, it’s not just about vitamins and supplements. One of the best ways to repair your adrenals is to cut back on your caffeine and just get some rest!

For more information on choosing a detox supplement and reducing your Candida symptoms, take a look at my Ultimate Candida Diet treatment program.