Yes, you are quite right in your assumption. A direct relationship between heavy metal accumulation and Candida overgrowth has been observed through patient experiences. People who have been suffering from the yeast infection also showed increased levels of heavy metal accumulated in their body. There is good scientific rationale behind this unholy nexus between the metal and the yeast. So, there is every chance that if you are infected by Candida, it can proliferate heavily and go beyond unmanageable proportions when there is a good source of mercury and other heavy metals to your body through diet and other routes.
The source of heavy metals and mercury:
You might be wondering as to how the metal entered your body in the first place. The major source of mercury is the amalgam fillings (nearly 90% of the body’s mercury reservoir is constituted by it). According to the dental surgeon, David Kennedy, 50% of the silver fillings are actually mercury. Although the American Dental Association denies the fact that the mercury fillings can actually leak out in the body and claims that they are fixed, studies by the National Candida Society confirms heavy metal leakage into the body from such fillings. The other metals which get stored in our system include cadmium, aluminium and lead. Mercury can also enter your body through fish and other sea foods. Reports suggest that there has been a significant increase in the storage of heavy metals in our body in recent times due to our changed lifestyle and food habits.
Effects and symptoms of mercury toxicity:
The heavy metals like mercury are highly detrimental to our body and cause multiple damages to the system. The metal can be absorbed by the endings of the nerves and disrupt nerve cell functioning thereby behaving as neurotoxins. The immune response of the body is greatly compromised as the metal gets accumulated within the body giving undue favor to various microorganisms. Mercury can also replace the vital minerals like calcium from the bones and other parts. It can lead to oxidative damage of different tissues beyond repair. But the major issue with mercury toxicity is the destruction of the first enzyme of the EPA fatty acid complex formation. The production of this complex is essential for detoxification processes as it is needed by the RBCs and WBCs for better transport which improves blood flow and oxygen delivery to different parts of the body. The survival of Candida is greatly hampered if the cells are oxygenated. This is one of the ways how mercury and other heavy metals aid the survival of Candida (http://bmb.oxfordjournals.org/content/68/1/167.long).
According to JD Park, MD mercury can pose high risk to human health (http://jpmph.org/DOIx.php?id=10.3961/jpmph.2012.45.6.344). There are various overlapped symptoms of mercury toxicity and Candida overgrowth. Some of those symptoms are: fatigue, memory loss and insomnia, depression, sensation disturbances, mood swings, skin rashes and so on. Since, so many of these features are common to both the cases if you are suspecting of metal toxicity you should also check out for Candida overgrowth and vice versa.
Interconnection between mercury and Candida:
The excess of mercury accumulated in the body can promote the growth and proliferation of Candida by bringing about diverse and multiple effects within the system. Mercury can cause hormonal imbalances as it can directly toxify endocrine glands like adrenal and thyroid. This in turn affects the immune system due to low Cortisol release. You must be wondering why the body promotes greater number of Candida in response to increased levels of mercury. According to Dr. Duek, in basic terms, since the yeast can tolerate high concentrations of mercury the body tries to fight back the metal poisoning by promoting the growth of the yeast. However, Candida sequesters heavy metals only to be released later and picked up and absorbed at other sites in the body. This infact causes a multiplication effect of the metal toxicity. In addition, the yeast gives rise to methyl mercury (a much more toxic form of mercury) from mercury vapors.
So does methyl mercury facilitate Candida overgrowth?
Researchers are of the opinion that methyl mercury is much more potent in promoting Candida growth in the intestines. It requires good mercury cleansing procedures to get the Candida off your body under such circumstances. In general, mercury remains bound to the cell wall of the yeast until it gets saturated with metal. The excess metal is shed off in the methylated form. This from of mercury can easily traverse through different body parts causing havoc. The body’s weakened immune system cannot remedy the situation. Choi and his group suggest that specific genes like CIP2 get induced in Candida in response to heavy metal presence which explains their ability to tolerate them (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1574-6968.1998.tb13016.x/abstract).
What is the best way to control the situation?
Dr. J. Trowbridge, the author of “The Yeast Syndrome” and a famed Candida expert has come across many doctors who have found ~98% overlap in mercury toxicity with chronic cases of Candida overgrowth. A number of treatment regimens have been tried out to control the damage like balanced electrolyte solution intake, taking of specific plant based products and other drugs. But the present treatment modalities suffer from the fact that they target specifically either the yeast or the metal. In some case, use of metal chelators like EDTA has produced significant side effects. The use of probiotic microorganisms can just be the ideal intervention under such circumstances. They produce no side effects and are well known for their efficiency to reduce and limit the growth of the yeast. In addition, the immune system also gets bolstered by their presence. Besides, the work of Ibrahim et al. (http://aem.asm.org/content/78/18/6397.full) and Monachese et al. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17110980) suggest that several of the probiotic strains do infact possess heavy metal detoxification abilities.
The trick in using probiotic supplementation to provide relief from mercury toxicity and Candida lies in selecting the right combination of the probiotics. Since, each probiotic strains come with their own set of benefits; it is prerequisite to pick the right product. As for example, ‘Probacto’ is designed to serve in multiple health complications. It is just the perfect pick under such conditions. It is prepared by the application of scientific research with valid rationale behind the selection of each strain.