Coffee On an Antifungal Diet

The question of whether or not coffee should be consumed on an antifungal diet is an important one. Anti-fungal diets are becoming more and more popular, particularly due to the rise in awareness regarding candida albicans and their effects on health. Most traditional anti-candida diets restrict coffee on the basis of its caffeine content. This isn't necessarily a bad move on the part of dieticians, but strong medical opinions still state coffee is a highly misunderstood food. Resources such as the Mayo Clinic can't help but point out that many anti-fungal diets are showing themselves to be inadequate in their attempts to provide a formulaic candida-cleansing diet.

Can coffee affect a fungal overgrowth? The answer to this question is, "it is possible." However, the most important question to ask is, "Will caffeine always affect a fungal overgrowth?" There is a vast difference between answers like "absolutely" and "possibly" and the reason behind this disparity lies in the nature of caffeine and the unique aspects of an individual's biochemistry.

Coffee is sometimes considered a health threat because of a single component of its chemical makeup: caffeine. However, it is important to remember caffeine is not coffee; coffee contains some caffeine. Coffee also contains a wide variety of other nutrients, antioxidants, and ingredients that may actually be beneficial to your health. In the past two decades, the medical opinions regarding coffee have taken a drastic shift and news agencies such as CBS and USNews have been happily reporting the latest research.

So, if coffee isn't quite the dietary demon it was once assumed to be, why are major anti-fungal programs such as the Body Ecology Diet still leaving this food off their "good" list?

First of all, candidiasis is a tricky diagnosis. A systemic fungal overgrowth is a very real situation, but it is rare, and mostly present in highly immune-compromised persons such as cancer victims and AIDS patients. The more common diagnosis of candidiasis is often given by alternative medical practictioners who are seeking an explanation for a patient's tricky symptoms such as:

Chronic fatigue Brain Fog Persistent yeast or fungal infections Digestive symptoms

Oftentimes, these patients have experienced little success from conventional medicine treatments, and so they look for an alternative program. It is always possible a yeast or fungal connection can be linked to their symptoms, and thus an anti-fungal diet alongside anti-fungal supplements are often prescribed.

Anti-fungal and candida diets are eating programs that:

Many, if not most, of these diets are extremely restrictive when it comes to stimulants, alcohol, sugars and carbohydrates. However, resources such as CandidaFood.com reports on the more interesting aspects of the coffee/caffeine and yeast connection.

Caffeine affects the central nervous system as a stimulant. Fungi feed on sugars. Caffeine is not a sugar. Dieticians may be able to make the argument that caffeine can over stimulate the nervous system, resulting in a rush of hormones that may compromise the immune system. The Mayo Clinic lightly outlines this process. However, such a response occurs mostly in individuals who are simply drinking too much coffee or in individuals who are inherently caffeine sensitive.

In otherwise healthy individuals, it still remains to be proven that minimal coffee consumption will affect a fungal condition.

Currently, research cannot corroborate claims that mild coffee consumption will exacerbate a fungal condition. Hence, fungal diets that eliminate coffee completely from their regimen, are not necessarily in line with the latest medical opinion. However, it has been proven that excess caffeine consumption can be harmful to the endocrine, digestive and immune systems. Anything that compromises the immune system can lead to or at least aid a fungal infection.

If you are attempting an anti-fungal diet and are concerned about your coffee consumption, you should always preempt your plans with a doctor's visit. Discuss with your medical practitioner whether or not your fungal diagnosis is indeed accurate and any supplements or dietary changes you may be considering as a treatment.