Candida and Alcohol: The Perfect Storm

There’s nothing wrong with having a glass of your favorite wine. Many of us like to indulge in a cocktail occasionally. The holiday season is upon us, so there’s more temptation than ever to indulge. However, you should be mindful of how much is too much. This is especially true if you have Candida overgrowth. That’s because Candida and alcohol create the perfect storm in your gut.

No need to worry. There’s good news! There is a solution, and I’m going to share it with you. Candida overgrowth is prevalent among those with autoimmune disease, gut issues, fatigue, brain fog, and other chronic health problems. If you have Candida, alcohol will just add fuel to the fire.

Read on to learn more about the relationship between alcohol and Candida. I’ll also share my proven solution to get Candida in check and restore the balance in your gut. Let’s begin with a quick review of Candida overgrowth.

What is Candida Overgrowth?

Candida is a naturally occurring yeast species, a fungus, that lives in and on your body in small amounts. It is a part of your body’s normal microflora. These are the microorganisms present in a delicate balance in your mouth, throat, and gut. They’re also in the vagina in women and on your skin. Its job is to aid with digestion and nutrient absorption.

Normally, your good bacteria keep Candida in check. However, our modern diet and lifestyle can disturb this process. Eating processed sugar, exposure to environmental toxins, and a sedentary lifestyle destabilize the balance of your gut microbiome. Now, Candida overgrowth can occur.

How do you know if you have Candida overgrowth? Here are some of the symptoms:

• Digestive issues
• fatigue 
• brain fog 
• recurring fungal infections 
• skin problems 
• seasonal allergies
• mood swings, and more

It’s even linked to leaky gut and autoimmune diseases. Let me tell you how.

Candida overgrowth damages your gut lining. This causes it to become leaky. When your gut is leaky, toxins, microbes, proteins, and partially digested food particles can get in. It leads to many symptoms, some of which overlap with Candida overgrowth.

A leaky gut leads you down a path of chronic illness. Those unwelcome particles pass through your intestinal wall and into your bloodstream. Your immune system wants to fight off these foreign “invaders.” 

To do that, it triggers an inflammatory response. Eventually, your immune system goes into overdrive. It sends more antibodies to battle the invaders. This creates even more inflammation. 

Do you see where this is going? Introducing alcohol to the mix hinders your immune system’s response and makes the Candida more opportunistic.

What You Should Know About Candida and Alcohol

When you drink alcohol, it enters your gut – right where Candida lives. Here’s how Candida and alcohol create the perfect storm in your gut.

Alcohol and Immune System

Alcohol disrupts the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut microbiome. Guess where 80% of your immune system lives? You got it - your gut microbiome!

Imagine your gut microbiome as a rainforest where billions of microbes live harmoniously. This rainforest contains good and bad bacteria, viruses, and yeast - all in a delicate balance. 

This balance is disrupted by disease or environmental factors, leading to an overgrowth of bacteria. Adding alcohol further disrupts your gut microbiome. It suppresses your immune system. This gives the opportunistic Candida room to overgrow. (1)

Alcohol and Liver

Your liver is your body’s filter.  It works endlessly to filter out toxins in your bloodstream. This includes alcohol. Your body begins to absorb alcohol the second you swallow that first sip.

 Once alcohol hits your gut, 20% goes right into your bloodstream. How quickly your body absorbs the remaining 80% is determined by the amount of alcohol you drink. Whether or not it’s carbonated, if you’ve eaten anything, and genetics can all play a role as well.

Your body can typically process one drink per hour. This depends on what you are drinking and the size of your cocktail or beer. For example, a 5-ounce glass of wine is equivalent to one drink. Yet, so is a 12-ounce beer.

Your liver is responsible for 90% of alcohol metabolism into carbon dioxide and water. Metabolism of alcohol happens at a rate of 20 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) per hour. For example, if your BAC is 40 mg/dL (or .04), it would take two hours to metabolize the alcohol. (2)

The longer alcohol stays in your body, the more effect it has on Candida overgrowth.

Alcohol and Adrenal Fatigue

Your adrenal glands get overworked in times of emotional stress or fatigue. However,  they also play a significant role in fighting Candida. This fungus causes stress on the body, just like chronic conditions such as asthma, arthritis, or even allergies.

Drinking large amounts of alcohol lowers blood glucose levels. As sugar levels drop, your adrenal glands produce the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol raises your blood glucose levels, which then exhausts your adrenal glands. You want to avoid adrenal exhaustion!

Your adrenal glands should be firing on all cylinders.  They are essential for making hormones that regulate metabolism and communicate with other organs such as your brain, kidneys, and reproductive system.

Alcohol and Blood Sugar Levels

As I mentioned, alcohol lowers your blood glucose levels. Alcohol can also raise your blood glucose levels. Confusing, right? However, it depends on the type of alcohol you’re drinking. 

Drinking alcoholic beverages high in sugar, such as cocktails, can cause a short-term spike in blood glucose levels. When your blood sugar goes up, it throws off the normal balance in your body. This creates a better environment for harmful organisms like Candida to grow and spread easily. (3)

The significant swings in glucose levels have other negative effects, too. It rapidly depletes your adrenals and your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This is the liaison between your brain and pituitary and adrenal glands. It helps your body manage stress.  

That’s not all. When people drink, they tend to get the “munchies.” That’s because a drop in blood sugar leads to cravings for sugar and fatty foods. This can lead to unwanted extra pounds. It’s like your body’s way of saying, “Give me something to absorb this toxic substance!”

Alcohol is a Fermented Food

All yeasts, including Candida, need sugar to thrive. Normally, the good bacteria in your gut break down carbs into sugar for energy. When you drink alcohol, you're basically giving Candida a feast. This is because alcohol is made when yeast eats sugar and turns it into alcohol. So, when you drink alcohol or eat fermented foods, you're giving Candida exactly what it wants to grow.

What Causes Candida Overgrowth?

The healthy or ‘good’ bacteria in your gut typically keep your Candida levels in check. However, the yeast population can get out of hand if a round of antibiotics kills too many friendly bacteria. Eating a diet high in refined carbohydrates and sugar can also cause this. 

High alcohol intake, oral contraceptives, and several other factors, including a high-stress lifestyle, can cause Candida overgrowth. Even a diet rich in fermented foods like Kombucha, sauerkraut, and pickles can feed Candida.

Your gut is naturally lined with mucus that lubricates and protects it. However, Candidiasis can damage your gut cell wall, causing the mucus to also be disrupted. Damaged mucus allows bacteria biofilms to attach to your cell wall, making them harder to control. Biofilms are groups of microorganisms protected by a layer of protective slime.

Candida can also be a tricky “shapeshifter.” It can change shape to protect itself from harsh environments. It responds to a change in temperature or acidity levels by transforming from a rounded yeast cell into an elongated hyphal cell. (4)

Once in the bloodstream, Candida can invade other tissues. Now, Candida overgrowth can quickly transition from a gut problem to a full-body one! As mentioned above, Candida can colonize the skin, mouth, ears, thyroid, reproductive organs, or elsewhere.

The good news is there is something you can do to get Candida back in check. I have a proven solution to Candida overgrowth.

The Solution to Candida and Alcohol 

The first solution is to avoid alcohol altogether if you have Candida overgrowth. Treating Candida overgrowth doesn’t just involve stopping the growth by ditching alcohol. 

You also must restore the friendly bacteria that usually keep Candida in check. The final step is to repair your gut. You want to do this so the Candida overgrowth can no longer enter your bloodstream. This can be accomplished with a simple three-wave attack.

Step 1

First, starve the Candida by removing the foods that feed it from your diet. This means cutting all sugar and alcohol. You also must limit carbohydrates such as fruit, starchy vegetables, grains, and legumes.

In addition to removing toxic and inflammatory foods, an anti-Candida diet focuses on increasing your intake of foods known to minimize the growth of Candida albicans. Foods such as coconut oil, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, and wild-caught salmon are great anti-Candida diet foods.

Step 2

Next, you’ll want to attack the Candida by taking supplements that help break down the cell wall of yeast cells. I use Candifense® as well as Caprylic Acid. Candifense® supports microbe balance in the GI tract and discourages yeast growth. 

At the same time, Caprylic Acid helps penetrate intestinal mucosal cells to exert the effect of yeast. Both Candifense® and Caprylic Acid are excellent at helping to break down the walls of Candida cells. Don’t take my word for it. Members of my community have said Caprylic Acid is “a friendly, peace-maker” in your gut.

Step 3

Finally, you’ll repopulate your gut with good bacteria using a high-potency probiotic to keep Candida under control. I recommend a probiotic supplement containing 100 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) to restore your gut’s healthy microbial balance.

To make it easier for you, I developed the Candida Breakthrough® Program. This program is an all-in-one, step-by-step solution. It includes all the powerful, pharmaceutical-grade, doctor-designed supplements you’ll need, including Caprylic Acid, Candifense®, Probiotic Capsules 100 Billion, Coconut Charcoal, and The Myers Way® Vanilla Bean Paleo Protein. It also comes with an easy-to-follow Candida diet plan full of foods that kill Candida.

The Final Word on Candida and Alcohol

The relationship between Candida and alcohol is complex. While enjoying an occasional drink may seem harmless, even one can trigger Candida overgrowth. It’s important to understand the potential negative impact it can have on your gut and overall well-being. 

Candida and alcohol create the perfect storm in your gut. They’re partners in crime. Alcohol picks the lock by weakening your defenses. Then Candida ransacks the pantry — your body’s resources. 

Empower yourself with the tools to restore the balance in your gut to calm the storm between Candida and alcohol. My Candida Breakthrough® Program can help you do this. You’ll get 30 days of step-by-step instructions and all the pharmaceutical-grade, doctor-designed supplements you need. These include Candifense®, Caprylic Acid, Coconut Charcoal, and The Myer’s Way® Vanilla Bean Paleo Protein. 

In the end, the choice is yours. Now that you are armed with this knowledge, you can make more informed decisions. Your gut will thank you for it.