The acid waste also sets the stage for the potentially devasting effects of a host of microscopic organisms in your body, starting with Candida. Candida is the Latin name for what is commonly known as a yeast in the human body but is really a kind of fungus. Yeast and fungus (and the closely related mold) are single-celled forms of plant life that inhabit land, air, and water. They are absolutely everywhere. For example, Candida is normally found in the gastrointestinal tract. We'd actually die without it. However, it can easily become drastically overgrown, causing a wide variety of symptoms, from annoying to chronic to fatal. This is the bug all too many women are familiar with through "yeast infection," and parents may have experience with if their infants ever had thrush (which is just Candida growing in the throat).

While mainstream medicine recognizes these and a handful of other medical problems stemming from yeast and fungus, the truth is that on the typical American diet the vast majority of people develop out-of-control growths within their bodies - and the effects are disastrous. Actually, Candida is just one of the villians. We are living in a plague of "microforms," including yeasts, fungus, and molds as well as bacteria and viruses. Worse still, we are victimized not only by the microforms themselves, but also by their poisonous excretions, or "mycotoxins" and "exotoxins" (from "myco," meaning fungus, "exo," meaning bacterial, and "toxin," meaning, of course, poison). The microforms produce these acidic wastes when they digest (ferment, really) glucose, proteins, and fats - the same substances our bodies are looking to use for energy.

Candida and other microforms take advantage of the body's weaker areas, poisoning and overworking them. In an acidic environment, they basically get free rein to break down tissues and bodily processes. They live on our body's glucose, which they use for energy, and use our fats and proteins (even our genetic matter, nucleic acids!) for development and growth. These organisms are literally eating us alive! They then send their waste products (acids) out into the bloodstream, as well as inside the cells, further polluting the system

Just to give you a little perspective on just how daunting the potential damage is: Over the hundreds of millions of years that yeast, fungus, and mold have been on earth, they have developed into over five hundred thousand different identifiable forms. And they've undergone little gentic change. Apparently, they haven't needed to, because they are great opportunists and survivalists, perfectly suited to what they do. They can go from explosive growth to thousands of years of dormancy. (Living spores have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs only recently excavated.) Furthermore, there are more than a thousand toxins produced by yeast, fungus, and mold.

What Symptoms May Be Caused By Candida?

In the First Stage of Candida, the mucous membrane areas of the body may be infected. These include the mouth, vagina, nose, and respiratory System. Besides vaginal infections, severe P.M.S., urinary tract infections, body rashes, acne, and oral thrush, ALLERGIES to foods, dust, molds, fungus, yeast, inhalants, and chemicals are the most common symptoms. Each day more people seem to be allergic to everything in their environment. Repeated bouts of bronchitis, sinusitis, tonsillitis, and strep or staph infections may be typical. Mononucleosis and pneumonia may also be noted. It is easy to perceive that each of these successive illnesses requires more and more antibiotics, which may open the door for further Candida overgrowth. Talk about a vicious circle!

The Second Stage of Candida may involve more generalized reactions such as PAIN, HEADACHES (including MIGRAINE), EXTREME FATIGUE, PSORIASIS, INFECTIONS OF THE NAILS, MUSCLE ACHES, JOINT PAINS, AND ARTHRITIS. Naturally, drug after drug is usually taken in hopes of alleviating these miserable conditions. In most cases, the SYMPTOMS alone are being treated--while the CAUSE (candida overgrowth) may be literally being PROMOTED at the same time!

The Third Stage of Candida may involve MENTAL and BEHAVIORAL responses: inability to concentrate, not being able to read or follow a television program or carry on a hobby, serious forgetfulness, memory loss, mental confusion, not being able to think of the words to say something, switching around of words and letters when trying to speak and/or write something, loss of previous skills (such as how-to-type or how-to-play-the-piano, etc.) These frightening problems may often lead to "HOPELESS CRYING" SPELLS, SEVERE DEPRESSION, SLEEP DISORDERS (may include insomnia, confusion dreams, nightmares, apnea, and not feeling rested or restored after sleep), IRRATIONAL THOUGHTS, UNUSUAL FEARS, PHOBIAS, PANIC/ANXIETY ATTACKS, MUSCLE TWITCHING, IRRITABILITY, VIOLENCE, AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, and even EPILEPTIC SEIZURES and THOUGHTS OF DEATH OR SUICIDE. Sometimes people with these symptoms are labeled "mentally ill", thought to be suffering from manic-depressive psychosis or schizophrenia. These desperately sick patients are sometimes turned over to the care of a psychiatrist or hospitalized in a mental institution. They may be given antidepressants, tranquilizers, lithium, etc. to lighten the mental symptoms. But the cause may be overlooked and the patient is not cured on a long-term basis.

A person in the Fourth Stage of Candida may experience a virtual SHUTDOWN OF VARIOUS ORGAN SYSTEMS of the body. For example, the adrenal glands may stop functioning when the endocrine system fails, or the digestive system may stop, producing vomiting or severe constipation. The extreme fatigue may escalate into TOTAL MUSCLE WEAKNESS, such as the neck muscles no longer being able to hold up the head. The body rashes may escalate into HIVES or BOILS. The circulatory system may be swamped with so much yeast that the capillaries are clogged, causing HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE, NUMBNESS OF EXTREMITIES, and EASY BRUISING. The person may run a low-grade fever, but the hands and feet will often be very cold. The HEART may develop TACHYCARDIA (palpitations, irregular beats, mitral valve problems or heart murmur). In the respiratory system, the alveoli (air sacs) of the lungs may be packed with yeast so that the person cannot get adequate breath for speaking, singing, or exercise; there may be a FEELING OF SUFFOCATION, which may lead to HYPERVENTILATION and PANIC. The complete failure of the immune system leaves the body defenseless against all enemy bacteria, viruses, and disease conditions--including cancer.

The Fifth Stage of Candida seems inevitable at this point: rampant systemic Candidiasis is 100% fatal unless it is diagnosed early enough to kill the yeast overgrowth and regenerate the immune system.

That Will Bring Us Back To ... Acid

Microforms thrive in ... acidity! They love to swim in their own waste products. They also love the low oxygen levels that come with acidity. On top of that, the wastes they produce are strong acids themselves. So just in case you needed further convincing about the importance of getting your body back to basics, try the mental image of your body swimming with mold and fungus.

Still, the good news is that eating properly and using supplements wisely is all you need to do to let your body use and control the microforms it needs without risking the development of overgrowths or dangerous negative forms of them. Maintaining your acid/base balance through diet provides the optimal environment for only healthful levels of microforms.