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Why Testing Isn't Always Accurate For Candida

candida Feb 17, 2023

Hi friends! I have been chatting a lot this year about candida and how it relates to eczema. When we talk about candida & eczema, I am referring to yeast overgrowth in the gut.

I get quite a few messages from people saying that they have candida symptoms but they got a stool test and it came back negative for candida. The unfortunate thing is that candida is tricky and might not always appear on stool tests. This is because of biofilms! What are biofilms you ask? Imagine a bunch of yeast cells gathered together in a community located on your gut lining. This community uses biofilm to protect it from being killed off easily. It is almost like how we wrap food in plastic wrap in the fridge to protect it. 

These biofilms can be highly resistant to antifungal medications and the body's immune system. It prevents candida cells from detection by diagnostic tests. Stool tests for candida usually rely on the detection of candida cells in the stool sample but if the biofilm is present, candida cells may be embedded within the biofilm matrix and may not be detected by the test.

Additionally, biofilms prevent antifungal agents from effectively eliminating candida overgrowth. The protective nature of biofilms can make candida more difficult to get rid of. This is why I have been teaching you all about enzymes that break down biofilm!

While stool tests are an interesting way of testing the gut, they aren't always accurate for candida and other stubborn gut overgrowths. You must be wondering, what are more effective tests then? I would start by noticing if your eczema reacts to sugar and starch. If it does then I would start taking the Candidase supplement to start breaking down the biofilm. Then I would get a stool test, blood test, urine test, or GI map!

 

Here are some sources that discuss the potential impact of Candida biofilms on diagnostic testing for Candida overgrowth:

  • Ramage, G., Martínez, J. P., & López-Ribot, J. L. (2006). Candida biofilms on implanted biomaterials: a clinically significant problem. FEMS Yeast Research, 6(7), 979-986. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1567-1364.2006.00118.x

  • Edgerton, M., Koshlukova, S. E., & Lo, H. (2008). Potential for modulating interactions between oral microorganisms and epithelial cells during high-throughput in vitro screening. In Methods in Molecular Biology (Vol. 410, pp. 363-379). Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-59745-548-0_22

  • Ramage, G., Tomsett, K., Wickes, B. L., & López-Ribot, J. L. (2004). Reducing Candida albicans biofilm formation by using biphasic release antimicrobial central venous catheter coatings. Journal of Controlled Release, 95(2), 177-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2003.12.012

  • Lohse, M. B., Gulati, M., & Johnson, A. D. (2018). Development and regulation of single- and multi-species Candida albicans biofilms. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 16(1), 19-31. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro.2017.107

These sources discuss the potential impact of Candida biofilms on diagnostic testing, as well as the challenges of treating Candida overgrowth when biofilms are present.

 

Photos: https://www.bruker.com/pl/products-and-solutions/microbiology-and-diagnostics/molecular-diagnostics/fungiplex-candida.html 

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