I read a book by Carolee Bateson-Koch, DC MD called,"Allergies:  Disease in Disguise."  Her description of candidiasis and my understanding of the action of lactobacillus bifidus or L. acidophilus might be helpful to this discussion. Bateson-Koch states that laboratory studies done on rats indicate that Candida glycoproteins can stimulate histamine release from the mast cells.  Histamine creates membrane permeability.  If histamine is released on a constant basis, it can be carried anywhere, affecting any tissue.  She states that there are two kinds of candida. The form normally seen is in the colon is in a actively reproducing state and is non-invasive.  When it changes into the fungal form, it is able to penetrate the cells of the intestine(making the intestine more permeable) and infiltrate other tissues.

The most common cause of candida is the use of antibiotics.  Antibiotics kill off friendly bacteria.  That friendly bacteria keep candida in balance by producing biotin(a B vitamin) which blocks yeast overgrowth. Taking L. bifidus or L. acidophilus aids in the synthesis of the B vitamins and promoting the proper digestion of foods.  If digestion is poor, undigested food will lead to excesssive production of histamine.  So I do believe that the stopping of the production of histamine is what helps in the control of candidiasis.  Valerie W. McClain, IBCLC

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