Although medication needs to be supplemented by avoidance of added sugars in the diet, extreme denials are not called for. Some writers foolishly recommend avoidance of fruit and similar natural foods. This may lead to dangerous inadequacies in nutrition and just isn't necessary. Anyone with "candida" made ill by eating fruit has a fruit allergy, almost certainly. In my experience, an occasional modest indulgence in something sweet causes no difficulty, except in unusual cases.

Thus, therapy for the majority need not be tied to the excessive requirements of the unusual few. An easy going, sensible attitude is psychologically important, especially for children. After all, we are talking about body toxic load, not some deadly poison! Those who claim they are made ill by any quantity of any sugar, if they are correct, are probably really suffering from a defective carbohydrate metabolism.

Similarly, with avoidance of yeast or mouldy foods fanaticism is not necessary and may be counter productive. Gut Flora

Finally, it makes sense to try and recolonize the bowel with friendly bacteria. Most well known among these is lactobacillus acidophilus, the yoghourt making germ. Many supplements of "acidophilus" are currently being marketed. Some contain very few live bacteria and are poor value, if not fraudulent.

In fact bifidobacteria is much more prevalent in the gut, comprising some 90 per cent of natural bowel flora. Top brand probiotics, as these flora supplements are known, now include primarily bifidobacteria. Look for those which provide human strain acidophilus; logically these are more likely to establish themselves in the human colon and elsewhere.

Finally, the question that most patients want to ask: is it possible to eradicate this problem permanently? The answer is yes. Another assumption which has gained much currency is that once you have got candida you are stuck with it. One hears of people who are supposed to have had it for years.

But so long as you use the proper anti fungals and follow it with a sensible anti sugar diet, there is no reason to think you won't get better after several monhts.

However, there is nothing to stop it coming back. For this reason it would be prudent, even when successfully treated, for you to remain cautious of mould foods or excess sugar in the diet.

Times when a recurrence is especially likely are during or after stressful episodes, such as allergy relapses or intercurrent infections. Even a viral infection may temporarily suppress the immune system and cause candida.to return.

Ironically,antibiotics occasionally solve the problem presumably when the culprit is not candida but some form of fermenting bacteria.