by Vic Shayne, PhD

There are a number of practitioners out there who are giving out the wrong information, telling their clients that eating yeast causes or contributes to yeast infections. This just isn’t true. Even the most celebrated writer on the subject, William Crook, MD, in The Yeast Connection, clearly writes that eating yeast does not create a yeast infection. But people continue to misinterpret his words. Why? Maybe this is because the purveyors of misinformation do not understand that all yeasts are not the same and that yeast infections are from a strain called candida albicans, which is not fueled by, let’s say, mushrooms or brewer’s yeast.

However, if you have a sensitivity or reaction to yeasts, this is another story. Such a problem can result in certain health issues, but it is still not contributing to yeast overgrowth in your intestines.

Consider the fact that brewer’s yeast is a highly nutritious food that consists of a type of yeast that is no longer alive. You wouldn’t want to avoid brewer’s yeast and forego the benefits of B vitamins due to faulty information. Nor would you want to avoid some highly beneficial mushrooms such as maitake or shiitake, both of which are powerful immune system builders.

The moral of the story is: If you are avoiding yeast and mushrooms because you’re afraid they will exacerbate (make worse) your yeast infection, then think again. The main culprits in fueling yeast infections are antibiotics, birth control pills, sugar and alcohol. These are the main things to avoid while at the same time taking a probiotic (acidophilus, good bacteria) supplement, plenty of foods with B vitamins and herbs that kill off bad yeasts.

It is true that many people have problems with yeasty foods as well as bread, pasta, desserts and grain cereals. If this includes you, then don’t eat these. Just don’t believe it when somebody tells you that the yeast in these foods have anything to do with creating what is commonly called a “yeast infection.”

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