By Creative Loafing Charlotte

Digestive health issues like Candida overgrowth and Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) are increasingly common, yet often misunderstood or misdiagnosed. These conditions can cause a wide range of symptoms — from bloating, fatigue, and brain fog to skin issues, food intolerances, and mood disturbances.

While pharmaceutical interventions can be helpful, many people are turning to holistic healing protocols that address the root causes — not just the symptoms. This article outlines an integrative approach to treating Candida and SIBO by supporting the gut, detoxifying the system, and rebalancing the body.

Understanding the Root Causes

Candida albicans is a yeast that naturally lives in the body but can become pathogenic when the microbiome is out of balance — often triggered by antibiotics, a high-sugar diet, stress, or a weakened immune system.

SIBO, on the other hand, occurs when bacteria that normally reside in the large intestine migrate to the small intestine, where they ferment food prematurely and cause gas, inflammation, and malabsorption.

Both conditions are symptoms of gut dysbiosis — an imbalance in the gut microbiome — and often overlap.

Step 1: Remove the Triggers

Begin by eliminating the foods and factors that feed the overgrowth and irritate the gut lining.

Dietary Adjustments:

• Avoid: Refined sugar, alcohol, gluten, dairy, processed foods, and high-FODMAP carbohydrates.

• Emphasize: Non-starchy vegetables, leafy greens, pasture-raised protein, bone broth, and anti-fungal foods like garlic and oregano.

Many people follow a low-FODMAP, anti-Candida, or SIBO-specific diet for 4–8 weeks to reduce fermentation and starve excess yeast or bacteria.

Step 2: Use Natural Antimicrobials

Once dietary triggers are removed, targeted herbs and supplements can help clear the overgrowth.

Common Antimicrobials:

• Candida-focused: Caprylic acid, oregano oil, garlic extract, berberine, and pau d’arco.

• SIBO-focused: Allicin, neem, berberine, and oregano oil (in enteric-coated capsules).

Work with a practitioner to time and dose these correctly, as killing off microbes too quickly can trigger die-off symptoms (fatigue, brain fog, rashes, headaches).

Step 3: Support Detox Pathways

As yeast and bacteria die off, they release toxins. Supporting the body’s natural detox systems is crucial during this phase.

Key Detox Supports:

• Binders: Activated charcoal, bentonite clay, chlorella (help mop up toxins).

• Liver support: Milk thistle, dandelion root, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC).

• Hydration: 2–3 liters of filtered water daily with electrolytes.

• Sweating: Sauna, exercise, and Epsom salt baths support lymphatic drainage.

Step 4: Heal the Gut Lining

Once the overgrowth is under control, shift the focus to healing and sealing the gut lining to prevent relapse.

Gut Repair Nutrients:

• L-glutamine: Repairs and rebuilds intestinal lining.

• Zinc carnosine: Supports mucosal integrity.

• Marshmallow root, slippery elm, aloe vera: Soothe inflammation.

• Colostrum or immunoglobulins: Strengthen immune defense in the gut.

Step 5: Rebuild the Microbiome

A depleted gut needs beneficial bacteria — but not too soon. Avoid probiotics during the antimicrobial phase unless guided otherwise.

When ready:

• Introduce spore-based or soil-based probiotics gradually.

• Incorporate fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir (if tolerated).

• Prebiotics like partially hydrolyzed guar gum (PHGG) can help feed good bacteria — used cautiously in SIBO cases.

Step 6: Support the Nervous System

The gut-brain axis plays a major role in gut motility, immune function, and inflammation.

Practices to Support the Vagus Nerve:

• Deep breathing

• Meditation

• Gentle yoga or stretching

• Walking in nature

• Cold exposure (cold showers or face immersion)

• Singing or humming

Stress can suppress motility and immune function, allowing Candida and SIBO to persist. A daily nervous system reset is just as important as diet.

Step 7: Test, Don’t Guess

While holistic protocols work well, proper diagnosis is essential.

Helpful Labs:

• OAT (Organic Acids Test): Identifies yeast markers like arabinose.

• SIBO breath test: Measures hydrogen and methane gases from bacterial overgrowth.

• Stool test: Assesses gut pathogens, inflammation, and microbiome diversity.

Work with a functional medicine practitioner, naturopath, or integrative health provider to customize the protocol based on your test results and symptoms.

Final Thought

Candida and SIBO are complex conditions — but they are treatable with a consistent, informed, and patient approach. Healing the gut holistically means going beyond quick fixes. It means understanding your body, removing what harms it, and rebuilding it with care.

With the right tools, guidance, and mindset, full recovery is possible — not just symptom relief, but deep restoration.