 |
|
| Yeast and Mould Exclusion sample diet | |
|
A Yeast Free diet may be used for two main reasons
1. Yeast sensitivity or allergy – some individuals are allergic to yeasts and fungi of various kinds and therefore may have a reaction to ingested yeast. Digestive discomfort can also be caused as a direct effect of ‘fermentation’ in the food and thus cause bloating and discomfort – particularly if yeast has been used in excessive quantities to raise a cake or bread and the product has been poorly cooked. Yeast is the oldest agent used for raising breads and cakes and hence a yeast free diet needs to use alternative 'leavening' agents. It is important to distinguish between allergy to brewer's yeast and yeast in the diet and allergy to other fungi (which may coexist buy not necessarily) and any problem with the naturally occurring Candid - this is a different type of yeast (see below). When speaking of yeast allergy in this site we are speaking primarily of brewer's yeast.
2. A yeast and mould free diet – Yeast and mould elimination is also used to treat certain medical conditions. There is a school of thought that some illnesses can be provoked or exacerbated by fungi and yeasts in the diet and that a diet which eliminates these and also discourages ‘candida’ growth in the body will help heal these conditions.
Candida Albicans - In actual fact the common fungus Candida albicans (candida or monilia) is found on normal skin and surface membranes so it is in just about everyone’s mouth, intestinal tract, and the lining of the vagina. It is usually in balance with the other ‘flora’ and chemical make up of those areas and hence is not noticed and causes no problems but In certain circumstances the ‘ecological’ balance of the area can be upset and the candida yeast will overgrow and cause symptoms such as thrush – white itchy patches in the mouth (babies and elderly particularly) or the vagina (pregnant women for example). Such imbalances can be caused by the hormonal changes of pregnancy or after antibiotic treatments or cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or under conditions such as low immunity, HIV / AIDS.
The ‘yeast eradication’ school of thought believe that elimination of even the naturally present and apparently non symptomatic candida from the body can alleviate and ‘cure’ a host of problems. They claim that even when clinical signs of infection are absent, yeast-related problems can cause or trigger a whole catalogue of symptoms and disorders such as digestive symptoms constipation, diarrhoea, abdominal bloating and weight gain, mental problems such as mood swings, fatigue, irritability, poor concentration, depression and anxiety, muscle and joint pains and numerous others. In fact there has been a vogue for blaming yeast for syndromes which are hard to diagnose or whose cause is unknown. Chronic fatigue syndrome has been mentioned in this category.
This aspect of yeast free diets is controversial and has its opponents and others that fervently believe in the advantages. If you wish to try a Yeast and Mould exclusion diet you may wish to discuss this with your doctor before committing yourself. If you want to read the pros and cons look at Dr Andrew Lockie who has a website on the subject and is firmly pro and Dr Stephen Barrett whose website tackles the myths surrounding yeast infections.
|
|
|
Yeast and mould free diet (from Dr Andrew Lockie – homeopath) This could be called the anti-candida diet; it should be combined with low carbohydrate diet and followed for a month but be careful to substitute permitted for forbidden foods, eat proper quantities of food and do not do the diet if you are on drugs without first consulting your GP or nutritionally trained physician. If after a month the symptoms have disappeared but return when you go on to an ordinary diet, you should seek the help of your homeopath or nutritionally trained physician. For further information read Candida Albicans by Leon Chaitow. Yeasts and fungi are used in many food preparation processes, and can be introduced into foods inadvertently. Brewer's and baker's yeasts are two strains of the organism: mostly people who react to one will react to the other. Yeast and wheatgerm are the two major sources of B-group vitamins. Persons who react to yeast may also react to mushrooms and truffles. No list can be comprehensive but yeast is certainly found in the following:
Bakery products All bread, buns, cakes, biscuits, rolls containing yeast and any food dressed in breadcrumbs. Also Twiglets, pizzas and bread pudding. Soda or unleavened bread is acceptable unless an allergy to wheat is suspected.
Alcoholic beverages All alcoholic drinks depend on yeasts to produce the alcohol - they are all risky. So is root beer.
Other beverages Citrus fruit drinks and juices - only home-squeezed are yeast-free. Malted milk, malted drinks and tea and coffee.
Cereals Malted cereals, malted dairy foods for babies, cereals enriched with vitamins.
Condiments Pickles and pickled foods, salad dressings, mayonnaise, horseradish sauce, tomato sauce, barbecue sauce, French dressing etc. Mustard, ketchup, sauerkraut, olives, chilli peppers, tamari and soy sauce, vinegar and Worcester sauce.
Dairy products All cheese including cottage cheese and cheese spreads, buttermilk, milk enriched with vitamins.
Fungi Mushrooms, mushroom sauce, truffles, etc. contain organisms closely related to yeast.
Meat products Hamburgers, sausages and cooked meats made with bread or breadcrumbs.
Yeast extracts Bisto, Marmite, Oxo, Bovril, Vegemite, gravy browning and all similar extracts.
Vitamins All B-vitamin preparations are likely to be derived from yeast unless otherwise stated, but most manufacturers do make some B-vitamin preparations free of yeast. Some selenium-rich foods.
Mould foods These foods either belong to the mould family, encourage moulds, or are prepared with them: buttermilk, sour cream, cheese snacks, peanuts, sour milk products, cheese dressings, cream cheese, pistachios, tinned and packet sauces, hydrolysed vegetable proteins and antibiotics. Many dairy products, eggs and meat contain antibiotics in small quantities. Eat sparingly.
Sugar foods Sugar, sucrose, fructose, maltose, lactose, glycogen, glucose milk, sweets, chocolate, sweet biscuits, cakes, candies, cookies, puddings, desserts, canned food, packaged food, hamburgers, honey, mannitol, sorbitol, galactose, monosaccharides, polysaccharides, date sugar, turbinado sugar, molasses, maple syrup, most bottled juices, all soft drinks, tonic water, milkshakes, raisins, dried apricots, dates, prunes, dried figs, other dried fruit.
|
|
