Candida Diet for Vegans

If the body's immune system is repressed, or the helpful probiotic bacteria killed, Candida yeast can grow quickly and in vast amounts. Many alternative practitioners believe that too much Candida in the gut can cause physical maladies in addition to yeast infections, such as headaches, sweet cravings and mood swings. Some suggest "the Candida diet" to deal with an overgrowth of Candida. The diet is very accessible for vegans and includes a lot of foods that are part of the vegan diet.

Foods to Avoid

Alternative practitioners suggest that those on a Candida diet stay away from yeasty foods such as bread, cheese and beer. Many vegans avoid yeast anyway, and those who do not don't eat cheeses or breads with animal byproducts, so this restriction is easy to adopt. According to CandidaDiet.com, the diet also prohibits fungal foods such as mushrooms, which promote the growth of yeasts.

Foods to Limit

Practitioners recommend some foods be limited by those on a Candida diet, but not eliminated. Carbohydrate intake should be restricted to 60 grams or less a day, because the presence of sugars promotes yeast growth. Substitute carbs with nonstarchy vegetables, including leafy greens, and nuts.

Fruits, including fruit juices, have sugars (carbohydrates) in them, and should also be limited, according to CandidaDiet.com. Gluten-rich foods such as rye, barley and pastas should also be limited.

Foods to Eat

With all these restrictions, what to eat? Vegans are used to following a semi-restrictive diet and reading labels. Vegans will often find the Candida diet easy to follow because it is heavily based upon consumption of nonstarchy vegetables and protein, such as nuts and tofu, which are already a part of many vegan diets.

Some good vegetable choices are broccoli, spinach, artichokes, bean sprouts, onions and pea pods. For a more thorough list, visit the Mayo Clinic website (see Resources).

How Long to Stay on the Diet

Staying on a Candida diet too long can actually be deleterious to your health, especially as a vegan. Proper nutrition as a vegan is a bit more difficult, especially getting adequate protein and calories. Cutting carbohydrate consumption for long periods of time can contribute to a lack of energy and a slowing of the body's functions, because carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for the body. So as symptoms of an overgrowth of Candida begin to diminish, begin reintroducing foods that you limited during the diet, especially carbohydrates.

Effectiveness

According to DietsInReview.com, there is little scientific evidence of the Candida diet's effectiveness in mitigating symptoms such as headaches and mood swings, and even less that these symptoms are a product of too much Candida in the gut.