If you’ve ever dealt with the fatigue, gas, bloating and brain fog that come with an overgrowth of Candida albicans, you know how miserable and confusing it can be. Candida is meant to be part of a normal, healthy balance in the gut, a small and quiet resident. The trouble starts when it’s allowed to multiply unchecked, and the byproducts of that overgrowth show up as symptoms that don’t seem to add up to any one clear cause.
This is one of the few formulas that didn’t come out of my own kitchen alone. A group of my Natural Healing “daughters,” herbalists I’ve trained and mentored over the years, got on a conference call with me and we hammered this combination out together. I was the guiding force, but it reflects everyone’s input, and it has stuck around because my girls like it and keep asking for it.
What a Good Candida Formula Contains
A good formula for a yeast overgrowth might contain these six herbs, all powdered:
- Garlic, 4 parts. The lead herb. A powerful antifungal against Candida that leaves the good bacteria you want to keep. It also gives the liver and colon a cleansing boost.
- Oregano, 2 parts. One of the strongest natural antifungals there is. What I like most is that Candida doesn’t seem to build resistance to it the way it can to some other antifungals.
- Pau D’Arco, 2 parts. Does two jobs at once. It gently loosens the bowels, not to the point of diarrhea, just enough to wash out the old waste the yeast hides in, and it is a strong antifungal in its own right.
- Cat’s Claw, 1 part. Strengthens the white blood cells so they can go after Candida and other invaders, and calms inflammation in the gut.
- Olive Leaf, 1 part. Stirs up the immune response and helps keep blood sugar steady, which matters more than people realize, since extra sugar is exactly what feeds a yeast overgrowth.
- Ginger Root, 1 part. Ties it all together, easing digestion, supporting circulation and soothing the inflamed gut.
“Parts” can be any measure you like, as long as you use the same one for every herb. By weight, that’s 4 ounces of Garlic, 2 each of Oregano and Pau D’Arco, and 1 each of Cat’s Claw, Olive Leaf and Ginger.
Putting It Together
This one is different from most of my formulas. Instead of an extract, the powdered herbs are mixed well and put into capsules.
How Much and How Often
- 2 capsules three times a day.
- With each dose, 15 drops of Black Walnut extract. Black Walnut is one of the strongest natural antifungals around, and it gives the whole approach more backup.
Clearing a Candida overgrowth is rarely a one-ingredient job. Changing what you eat and adding a good probiotic will do as much for your long-term balance as any antifungal. The antifungal herbs are what get you through the overgrowth; you won’t need them forever, just until things settle down. Track how you feel. As the yeast clears, the symptoms go with it.
My Own Approach
As much as I stand behind this formula, my own go-to for a stubborn yeast overgrowth is a strong standalone Olive Leaf extract. It is powerful, so build up to the full amount slowly over a few weeks rather than starting at full strength. That is how I cleared my own yeast issues, which I had in spades after nearly 15 years of living on antibiotics for kidney and bladder infections. If you’ve been on antibiotics for any length of time, you may be in the same boat I was, and there is a way back.
This is shared for educational purposes, from my own study and experience. It is not medical advice.
