Uhm, Bex, I don't think I made myself clear. I wasn't denegrating the antifungal diet. I've been on it for over six years -- and prior to that I've experimented with different antifungal diets for decades. For what it's worth, I've had candida for decades.

I did not say in my previous post that yeast overgrowth was "helpful" or good. And the doctors who told me about the theory of the protective mechanism of yeast against mercury did not imply that yeast overgrowth is healthy or good. The theory could just be one explanation as to why yeast overgrowth is seen in so many people with metal toxicity. And it could also explain why people with yeast overgrowth experience devastating die-off sometimes when they kill yeast.

Since I have been a candida sufferer for most of my life -- I've dealt with candida for 40 years -- I know how valuable a therapeutic/antifungal diet is. Furthermore, my own personal experience (as well as experiences that countless others have shared with me) is that when one is experiencing a bad period of yeast overgrowth -- it IS entirely possible to initially experience some die-off from candida when a strict antifungal diet is commenced. The reasons for this are many and I won't delve into them now other than to say that many of the healthy foods (i.e., garlic, coconut oil) that are used in an antifungal diet are themselves antifungal and will, indeed, cause some symptoms of yeast die-off because they kill yeast.

Anyway, it was not my intention to stir the pot here. I was just sharing what two of my doctors have said. Nicola's first post in this thread asked for additional views so I shared what I'd heard and what my experience has been. I won't recount the seriousness of some of my illnesses here, but suffice it to say that I plodded through attempts to clean out my body when I shouldn't have and it made me dangerously ill and I ended up needing a wheelchair when I ventured out of the house for a period of time.

I also know from my own personal experience in Hell that anyone with blown-out adrenal glands has to navigate ANY type of detox (whether it's antifungal, heavy metal) or just beginning a strict therapeutic diet -- that it has to be navigated with care and awareness. People with Adrenal Fatigue, for example, will find that when they ingest foods that are very high in potassium, it sometimes can put them flat on the floor. Adrenal Fatigue means the body is severely lacking in the necessary energy it needs to deal with anything -- including attempts to cleanse, detox, or whatever. See, that paragraph I pasted above for a better explanation.

We're all unique .... and as I've said one person's remedy could be another person's poison. And I do agree with you Bex that in some people yeast overgrowth can be more devastating than the mercury toxicity.

Anyway, Nicola, I do hope you start feeling better soon! It's tough trying to navigate everything -- especially when we feel poorly.

Hugs,
Sharon