Candida Diet for Kids

Does your child suffer from candidiasis?

Since the consequences can be very serious, you need to deal with problems consistently. In addition to the treatment prescribed by the pediatrician, we have provided you with some useful information on the candida diet for kids.

What is candida?

Candida albicans is the most common type of fungal infection found in the mouth, gastrointestinal system or vagina, and can also affect the skin or mucous membranes. If the immune system works optimally, this type of infection is rarely grave.

However, if the immune system does not function properly, the infection may migrate to other body areas, including blood and membranes in the area of the heart or brain.

Candida is a fungus that in normal quantities takes care of absorbing nutrients and digestion. When candida gets overgrown, various symptoms quickly occur.

If it is not controlled, it penetrates intestinal walls and further into the bloodstream. As a result, toxins begin to produce, which, with all the others already present in the body, cause irritable bowel syndrome.

When the body’s pH is out of balance, candida can cause uncontrolled systematic problems

Good, healthy bacteria and a well-functioning immune system are crucial when fighting this stubborn infection. Candida colonization is an expression that is used when there is excessive growth of candida in the body.

Don’t get it wrong: this is a chronic health condition! Individuals who have never experienced a serious fungal infection before may suffer multiple syndromes that suddenly occur. You can become sensitive to certain things, your body may develop new allergies, or you no longer have tolerance for different foods.

These foods are usually milk and milk products, eggs, corn or gluten.

Causes of Candida overgrowth

• Candida overgrowth can get triggered by long-term use of antibiotics that destroy beneficial bacteria, responsible to maintain the candida level balanced.
• Candida may also occur due to a hormonal imbalance resulting from taking contraceptive pills, puberty, pregnancy or menopause.
• Candida overgrowth can be also caused by unhealthy eating, which includes a lot of sugar and processed food.

Candidiasis in children

Because of inappropriate diet and excessive use of antibiotics, children can be affected by candidiasis early in childhood.

Candidiasis in children may manifest with the following symptoms:

• Hyperactivity
• Insomnia
• Continuous colds
• Frequent coughing
• White coating on the tongue
• Bad breath
• Continuous inflammation of the middle ear
• Concentration problems
• Common skin rashes
• Itching (pain and redness)
• Thick vaginal discharge
• Pain when urinating
• Fatigue
• Muscle aches
• Depression
• Gas
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Cravings for sweets
• Irritability

Diet is a very important factor in the treatment

The most important step in the treatment of candidiasis is diet. Candida diet for kids should not contain yeast and sugar, and it should last for 30 days. This means that your child should not enjoy any confectionery, biscuits, ice cream, refreshing drinks, dried fruits, honey, chocolate, fructose, barley or fruit juice (Pravst, 2010).

Because children love sweet things, it is necessary to find substitutes that are allowed in the diet and which your child likes to eat. In this way, you help a child to make it easier and quicker to get used to the diet.

In order to maintain the balanced value of candida that does not pose a risk to our body, it is important that you include natural antibiotics such as garlic or olive oil in your child’s diet.

Candida can be removed by:

• Fresh garlic or wild garlic
• Probiotic yogurt
• Coconut fat
• Whey
• Grapefruit seed extract
• Essential oil of oregano or peppermint
• Rooibos Tea

GARLIC

Garlic and wild garlic are a very good remedy for candida. If the child is allergic to garlic, try with wild garlic. Over the winter it is preserved in oil that you can buy in health food stores.

→ Given the fact that most children do not like the taste of garlic, it is better and in most cases also more efficient to use capsules with garlic extract.

Garlic contains many different sulfur-based substances that act antifungal. Due to interactions, candida can’t succeed in developing immunity to the effect of garlic.

PROBIOTIC YOGURT

It is very useful to add probiotics in the form of additives or foods that keep Candida under control; Lactobacillus acidophilus, bacteria found in fermented dairy products, such as yogurt, can help treat candidiasis, but it should be unpasteurized because pasteurization kills bad bacteria as well as good ones.

→ Check whether it contains live & active cultures!

COCONUT FAT

Coconut fat acts directly against fungal infections and reduces candida without affecting lactic acid bacteria.

→ It is an important source of lauric and capric acid that works in the body against fungi, parasites, viruses, and bacteria.

WHEY

Whey helps to balance the PH of the organism and decomposes fatty acids, strengthens the liver function, facilitates the functioning of the digestive tract, promotes metabolism, improves intestinal flora and thus creates conditions for optimum bowel activity.

The whey contains no fat and protein, but minerals, valuable basic lactic acid, potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, magnesium, and traces of manganese.

It is also useful for eliminating rash or other skin problems.

GRAPEFRUIT SEED EXTRACT

A very effective candida remover is also grapefruit seed extract in the form of liquid or pills.

→ We recommend grapefruit seed extract liquid because pills usually contain sweeteners.

ESSENTIAL OILS OF OREGANO OR PEPPERMINT

Essential oils of oregano or peppermint are very effective, but children should not ingest them.

→ So use them in the form of capsules as they take effect later in the intestines.

ROOIBOS TEA

Studies have proven that rooibos (Aspathallus Linearis) is in fact very strong and health beneficial herb rich in antioxidants that contain anti-mutagenic properties.

→ They are therefore used to prevent cancer and treat HIV and AIDS disease because they have antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antifungal components.

Children love it because it’s naturally sweet taste, but you can also choose the one with vanilla and add cinnamon.

Other herbs and spices that can help you reduce or prevent candida growth

Other spices that help to suppress candida reproduction are:

cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, mint, oregano, parsley, thyme, cayenne pepper, coriander, neem, cloves, Artemisia Annua…

How to start with candida diet for kids?

¡For long-term diets like this, it is important that other family members begin with the same diet, in order to help your child accept the situation more easily!

If your child already understands the good side of the exclusion of certain foods, explain to him/her why it is important to eat this way. In most cases, children are even more consistent in implementing diet than parents.

Neutralize child’s body pH

First, it is necessary to take care of the acid-base balance of the organism. This is not about the conditions in the stomach, but about the balance in the tissue at the cell level. It is true that increased acidity is largely influenced by the food we eat (meat and dairy products).

→ Increased acidity can be neutralized if a child eats one fist of raisins. (Later on, dried fruits are not recommended due to the high amount of sugar).

Foods to avoid and foods to eat

It is not permitted to consume foods containing yeast or fermented foods in the candida diet for kids. Therefore, the child should not eat white bread and yeast-based pastries.

It is absolutely necessary to eliminate sugar from the candida diet for kids for three to six months, in the form of fructose, lactose, glucose, sucrose and all others contained in foods (including in fruits), white bread and potatoes, as they quickly turn into sugar in the digestive tract system.

Avoid foods that cause candida reproduction and focus on food that slows it down and removes it. (See the general food recommendations at the bottom of the page).

Which foods exactly are allowed in a candida diet for kids?

• FRUITS: The diet allows the consumption of fresh pineapples, mandarins, currants, kiwis, grapefruits, lemons, apricots, sour cherries, avocados and heat-treated apples (unsweetened applesauce and compote) and all kinds of strawberries, especially raspberries, brambleberries, and cranberries.
  
  
• CEREALS: Among the cereals, unprocessed rice, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, spelt, rye, oats amaranth, and kamut are allowed in limited quantities.
  
  
• LIQUID: It is important to drink a lot of water or unsweetened rooibos tea, which acts antifungal and does not contain caffeine.
  
  
• VEGETABLES: Fresh vegetables can also be consumed (NOT PICKLED!), except potatoes, mushrooms, chestnuts. Onions are allowed in small quantities. All types of mushrooms are prohibited.
  
  
• HERBS: It is recommended to enjoy all kinds of herbs that we mentioned before, especially effective herbal blends.

For more foods, see the infographics at the bottom of the page!

• Be aware that the consistent observance of the diet within a few months restores the correct balance between lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in the intestines. Therefore Candida remains in the body but in a smaller proportion.
• Once this is achieved, it is recommended to keep an eye on healthy nutrition, as the yeasts can quickly multiply again.
• Before you start a candida diet for kids, check with the pediatrician first!