Candida Albicans Overgrowth hypothesis

Candida albicans overgrowth may be caused by antibiotics after an infection. This may inhibit the carbohydrate metabolism, activating the immune system, causing a real sense of illness and fatigue. Treatment is challenging, and includes dietary suggestions.

Theory

Candida albicans overgrowth could be originated to an antibiotic treatment after an infection. The candida albicans overgrowth in the stomach and bowel might be a root cause for reduced ability to convert glucose to cell energy, influenced by the amino acid tryptophan in the metabolism. This may activate the immune system, causing sense of illness and fatigue. Treatment of the candida albicans overgrowth is challenging and a specific diet is suggested for treatment during 3-4 months.

Evidence

Candida albicans overgrowth in the stomach and bowel might be a root cause for a metabolic trap leading to reduced ability to convert glucose to cell energy, similar to the Warburg effect. It is also suggested that candida albicans overgrowth could be caused by an antibiotic treatment after an infection. In addition, it is also mentioned that the amino acid tryptophan could be inhibited by candida albicans overgrowth. This may activate the immune system, causing sense of illness and fatigue. Treatment of the candida albicans overgrowth using probiotics/antimycotics or tryptophan was not effective, and a specific diet (low carbohydrate, fat rich etc.) in addition to turmeric mixtures was suggested for treatment during 3-4 months.

Published Studies

• Aug 2013, Tryptophan Catabolites from Microbiota Engage Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and Balance Mucosal Reactivity via Interleukin-22 (Zelante et al)
• Jul 2014, Tryptophan: ‘essential’ for the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome? (Berstad et al)
• Nov 2014, Microbiota control of a tryptophan-AhR pathway in disease tolerance to fungi (Romani et al)
• Jan 2015, Chronic treatment with a tryptophan-rich protein hydrolysate improves emotional processing, mental energy levels and reaction time in middle-aged women (Mohajeri et al)
• Jul 2015, Milk proteins as a source of tryptophan-containing bioactive peptides (Nongonierma AB1 and FitzGerald RJ.)
• Dec 2016, Metabolic profiling indicates impaired pyruvate dehydrogenase function in myalgic encephalopathy/chronic fatigue syndrome (Fluge et al)
• Aug 2018, Microbial tryptophan catabolites in health and disease (Roager and Licht)

Talks and interviews

• Nov 2018, IBS, fibromyalgia and ME: Symptoms, patogenesis and treatment (14 Nov 2018. Professor Arnold Berstad present recent studies hypothesising candida albicans overgrowth at a seminar at the Oslo University Hospital organized by the Norwegian ME Association)

See also

• IBS
• Arnold Berstad