Detoxification

Candida in Stool | What Does it Look Like?

September 30, 2021

Candida is a type of yeast that naturally occurs in the intestines, on the skin, and in mucous membranes. It is usually harmless; however, an overgrowth of Candida can lead to an infection called candidiasis. Candidiasis can happen in different parts of the body, but when an overgrowth occurs in the intestines, it can cause Candida to appear in your stool.

While this isn't the most pleasant topic, it is important to identify yeast in stool if you are concerned about having a yeast infection. Some people refer to this phenomenon as "candida stool" or "candida poop." In this article, we will discuss how to identify dead candida in stool. However, if you are concerned about candida in your stool, or a Candida infection in general, you should consult with your doctor for a proper diagnoses and for professional medical advice.

What Are the Symptoms of Candida Overgrowth?

candida symptoms

It is not always easy to diagnose a Candida infection. Some of the signs and symptoms of Candidiasis are minor, and may not cause enough alarm to seek out further testing from a medical professional. The most common symptoms associated with a Candida infection are:

Oral thrush
Digestive issues
Leaky gut
Tiredness and fatigue
Yeast infections
Urinary Tract Infections
Sugar cravings
Sinus infections
Joint pain
Muscle pain
Skin and nail fungal infections
Acne

If you’d like to learn more about the symptoms of Candida infection, check out our article “Symptoms of Candida and Fungal Infections.”

What Causes Candida Overgrowth?

Typically, the bacteria living on and in the body, combined with the efforts of the immune system, help to keep Candida populations under control. However, certain factors can cause this fungus to multiply out of control, resulting in a Candida infection. Candidiasis typically develops when the bacteria that keep Candida under control are suppressed, or when the body’s immune system is weakened. Some common causes of Candida overgrowth include:

Diets high in processed foods, sugars and refined carbs
Obesity
High stress levels
Smoking
Excessive alcohol consumption
Pregnancy
Steroids
Broad-spectrum antibiotics
Taking oral contraceptives
Dentures
Dry mouth
Chemotherapy
HIV
Diabetes
Warm, humid weather
A weakened immune system
Auto-immune diseases

If you would like to learn more about Candida, check out our blog "What is Candida?"

Candida in Stool

toilet

If you have a Candida infection, you may be able to tell by your stool. It is worth mentioning, however, that the presence of Candida in stool is not always an indication of an infection, as Candida can be a part of a regular and healthy microbiome. It is the overgrowth of Candida that are the cause of concern, and noticing Candida in poop, especially frequently, may be a sign of a Candida infection.

What Does Candida Look Like In Stool?

So, what does Candida look like in stool? Well, you may be able to tell you have Candida in stool if you notice any of the following things in your stool:

white, yellow, or brown mucus
a white, yellow, or light brown string-like substance
froth or foam
loose stools or diarrhea

If you have a Candida overgrowth, you may also experience symptoms such as headache, fatigue, excess gas, cravings for sugar, or itchy skin. If you notice these symptoms along with finding the above-mentioned signs of Candida in poop, you may want to go to your doctor to see if you have a Candida infection. You may want to take pictures of candida in stool if you see something that clearly identifies it. This may be useful for your doctor to properly diagnose your Candida infection.

Finding fungal candida stool or Candida in poop is a sign of a potential infection of Candida in the intestines. Other symptoms of a Candida overgrowth depend on where the yeast is in the body. A Candida infection in the mouth, for example, would show symptoms of white areas inside the mouth; red and inflamed tissue underneath white patches, or cracked corners of the mouth. A Candida infection in the esophagus can cause pain when swallowing or pain under the breastbone. A vaginal Candida infection can cause an intense itch or soreness; a thick, white discharge, or pain during urination or sex. A Candida blood infection, which can be life threatening, can cause fever and chills, and can even lead to shock or organ failure.

A Candida infection, if left untreated, can spread and develop into a more serious condition. This is why it is very important to treat a Candida infection as soon as possible.

How to Treat a Candida Infection

While it is recommended to seek medical advice if you have Candida symptoms, mild cases of candidiasis can be treated at home. The way you treat a Candida infection depends on what kind of infection you have. However, there are some general guidelines for treatment.

Like most forms of illness, the best way to treat candidiasis and prevent recurring infections is to address the underlying cause. The food you eat plays a critical role in maintaining the balance of “good” and “bad” bacteria in your gut. A diet high in refined sugars, carbs and high-lactose dairy products can encourage Candida and other “bad” microorganisms to grow in the body. Eating too many of these foods may also promote infection if you have a suppressed immune system.

Just as some foods can contribute to a growth of “bad” bacteria that allow the overgrowth of candida, certain foods have also been shown to specifically encourage “good” bacteria to grow that inhibit the growth of Candida. Many people suffering from candida choose to go on the “Candida Diet” and often see promising results.

What Is the Candida Diet?

candida diet

The Candida Diet, sometimes called “the Anti-Candida Diet” is a low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet that eliminates added sugars, gluten, alcohol, and foods that can damage gut health. Generally speaking, the Candida diet removes all sources of flour, sugar, and yeast from your diet and encourages lean proteins, healthy fats, low starch vegetables, non-glutinous grains, some low sugar fruits, some dairy products, and fermented foods, as well as some herbs and supplements to encourage the process.

This diet is a type of Candida cleanse—a way to use foods to cleanse the body of Candida overgrowth and restore balance to the gut microbiome. By improving your gut health, and restoring the balance of the bacteria and yeast that live inside your body, you can get relief from Candida symptoms and can restore the population of Candida back to normal.

If you’d like to learn more about the Candida diet, check out our article “Anti Candida Foods.”

Killing Candida with Antifungal Herbs

The Candida diet is the first step in treating a Candida infection. This diet will starve the Candida by removing their primary fuel source—sugar. The next step, is to introduce potent antifungal herbs that can kill off the weakened Candida fungus.

For this reason, we created our signature Candida Cleanse Tonic which features 7 clinically-studied herbs that help eliminate Candida and help to return their population back to normal levels.

The herbs used in this potent formula have been shown to specifically kill Candida yeast, among other types of fungus, and can drastically reduce Candida populations, helping to restore balance in the gut. The herbs used in our Candida Cleanse tonic are:

Oregon Grape Root: Oregon grape root has powerful antifungal properties and is one of the best herbs for killing Candida. It contains a very strong antifungal agent called berberine. In numerous studies, berberine extract has been shown to have significant antimicrobial activity against bacteria, viruses, protozoa, fungi, and yeasts. Studies have also shown that berberine has a significant antifungal effect against the Candida albicans strain in particular, which is the most common type of Candida leading to infection in humans.

Goldenseal: Like Oregon grape root, goldenseal root is also high in berberine. Studies show that the antifungal action of berberine enables it to inhibit the growth of various Candida species. Berberine helps to enhance the body’s overall defense system by activating macrophages (white blood cells), allowing it to fight not only Candida infection but other invading pathogens as well.

Grape Seed Extract: Grape seed extract is derived from the ground-up seeds of red wine grapes. It is rich in antioxidants and has numerous health benefits. It is also powerfully antifungal. Studies show that grape seed extract has a strong effect against various types of fungi, including Candida yeast.

Echinacea: Echinacea targets and attacks the structure of the fungal cell wall. Studies on Echinacea have shown that yeast treated with Echinacea are significantly more prone to cell wall damage than non-treated cells. Researchers have concluded that there is compelling evidence that the fungal cell wall is a primary target of Echinacea extracts and Echinacea may therefore be an effective herbal medicine in treating fungal infections.

Cloves: Cloves have potent antiparasitic, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Studies show that cloves strongly inhibit spore germination and mycelial growth of fungi, and the volatile vapor of clove essential oil has shown significant fungistatic (inhibits the growth of fungi) and fungicidal (kills fungi) activity.

Ginger: Ginger contains antifungal compounds called gingerol and shagelol as well as potent anti-inflammatory agents. Research shows that ginger can inhibit the growth of the common Candida albicans strain, as well as several other strains of yeasts, including A. baumannii, B. cereus, and Candida krusei.

Ginseng: Ginseng is a popular herb in Chinese medicine that is commonly praised for its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immune boosting effects. It also has powerful antifungal effects. One significant study on ginseng showed that the saponins in ginseng have fungicidal (fungi-killing) effects toward the pathogenic fungi that were tested—the primary of which was Candida albicans. The results suggest that ginsenosides, major active compounds in ginseng, may exert antifungal activity by disrupting the structure of the fungal cell membrane.

Our Candida Cleanse tonic combines these potent Candida killing herbs into a single formula, using an extraction process that concentrates the active ingredients into a therapeutic liquid extract that is significantly more potent than regular tea powders or capsules. The high quality active ingredient extracts in our organic Candida Cleanse tonic are completely water soluble, so they’re absorbed immediately in the bloodstream and not in the digestive tract, allowing them to instantly kill the Candida yeast.

All of the herbs in this formula are only harvested when they are at their peak level of potency. This ensures that the active ingredients are as strong and effective as possible. Plus, they are 100% sustainable and wildcrafted. Which means, no pesticides, preservatives, chemical fillers, or genetically modified ingredients.

Reinoculating The Gut

Once Candida have been starved with the Candida diet, and killed from the use of antifungal herbs, the final step in treating a Candida infection is to introduce a multi-strain probiotic into your daily health regimen.

As mentioned earlier, Candida infections typically occur when there are not enough beneficial bacteria in the gut to keep the yeast populations under control. Reintroducing beneficial bacteria into your diet can not only help to kill off Candida, but it can help to manage Candida and prevent them from growing out of control again, protecting you from reinfection.

A multi-strain probiotic is a primary ingredient in any good Candida cleanse protocol. Our Zuma Nutrition Multi-Strain Probiotic formula features 30 billion CFUs and eight unique strains that promote the right ratio of gut bacteria.

Summary

You may be able to tell you have Candida if you notice any of the following signs of Candida overgrowth in stool:

white, yellow, or brown mucus
a white, yellow, or light brown string-like substance
froth or foam
loose stools or diarrhea

Treating Candida typically follows a three-step approach of:

Starving the Candida by following a Candida diet
Killing off the Candida with potent antifungal herbs
Reinoculating the gut with beneficial probiotics

How long one will have to follow these steps to see results depends on the severity of the infection. However, with patience and persistence a Candida infection can be treated, and the symptoms of Candida can be relieved. It all starts with taking care of your gut and being mindful of your food and lifestyle choices.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2803610/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3163673/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16922795/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4879420/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24252333/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3763181/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551727/