Sourdough Bread - what's the deal

I had an email the other day which asked me about sour dough bread recipes. Someone was looking for a bread recipe that was wheat, dairy, sugar etc free, as it had been suggested to her as the only bread she could eat with her high level of candidiasis.

I did research into sour dough when compiling the recipe book, but I went back and did some more after this email.

I was aware that sourdough is started by leaving a flour and water mixture out in a warm place and yeast in the air and in the flour would create a starter capable of rising bread.

What I did not realise is that the starter also gets populated by friendly bacteria.

This bacteria (and it varies according to the strain that you get in your starter) can actually dramatically alter and break down the composition of the flour. One article I found documented a trial that was being done with coelic's disease sufferers and wheaten sourdough bread. If it was made with the right strain of bacteria it did not affect them because the gluten had been taken by the bacteria and converted into a substance that they were able to digest.

Of course the trick would be to get that particular strain of bacteria! Although someone will probably start selling a starter kit that features it sometime soon . . . the results do still need further testing.

But even for those without coeliac's disease, sourdough bread seems to be the most natural and digestible of risen breads, I have been experimenting with it myself this last week - and although I have yet to perfect it, I think it is going to be good.

What oil should you be using to cure your candida?

Well, according to some current research, oregano oil. That's if we're talking oils that you can eat.
For those not allergic to it (most of us) oregano oil is a great anti candida oil. It has anti inflammatory properties and is great to take internally or to rub into skin.

One word of caution - it is known to regulate hormones so should not be used by ladies who are pregnant.

There are other oils that have great anti candida fighting properties (and make you smell good) but most of them should only be used externally to fight your yeast, and depending where they are being applied, you might be most comfortable using them diluted!

The other good oils include Eucalyptus, myrrh, rose geranium, tea tree oil. To find out more about them, have a look at this site eliminate candida naturally

Immune System Health and Yeast extract

Keeping balance and times and seasons can be very important in keeping our bodies healthy. I came across an article that talked about the immune system benefits of taking 1-3, 1-6 beta glucans. Beta glucan is a supplement derived and purified from the cell wall of common baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

When you have a Candida infection problem that is related to yeast it is a good idea not to take a supplement that is extracted from yeast. Although there is an argument that says that the types of yeast are different.

The article which can be found at www.drpaulclayton.com. Dr Clayton explains that the world is currently dumping 250 million tons of waste products into our environment each year in Europe alone. With toxic levels increasing people are at greater risk to health problems, cancer, depression, diabetes etc

Because these threats are beyond our control the best we can do is to try and safeguard our own bodies against threats by building up our internal reserves. Dr Clayton says that beta glucan helps prime the main elements of the immune system which are macrophages, neutrophils and natural killer (NK) cells. It then helps these cells move quickly to an area in the body where an invasion is taking place. It also helps our immune cells to be able to eat the invading pathogen as well as aids them in the ability to release chemicals that will kill microbial, fungal, viral or cancer-related pathogens.