Yeast Overgrowth: The Evidence and the Outcomes

In this edition of the Wellness Connection MD podcast Dr. McMinn and Coach Lindsay take you on a thought-provoking journey through the critical role of yeast overgrowth, especially in the context of the gut microbiome, echoing the wisdom of Hippocrates that "all diseases begin in the gut."  We’ll take a deep dive into this controversial and important topic as a possible hidden culprit behind fatigue, fibromyalgia, brain fog, mood swings, irritability, headaches, joint pain, chronic sinusitis, autoimmune disease, food allergies, gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, IBS, GERD, and even stubborn weight gain. Join us as we reveal scientific evidence and compelling success stories that challenge conventional wisdom about yeast overgrowth and provide hope for those who've hit dead ends with traditional treatments. Discover the various mechanisms by which yeast in the gut microbiome wreaks havoc not only in our gut, but throughout our entire body. Discover why understanding your gut microbiome might be the game changer in your wellness journey.

Like most traditionally trained doctors, Dr. McMinn started his journey as a non-believer when it comes to yeast overgrowth. However, after witnessing the profound effects that his yeast protocol had on his patients, he could no longer deny the importance of treating yeast overgrowth for selected patients. He has now become a passionate advocate for considering yeast overgrowth in the context of the broader context of creating a balanced and healthy gut microbiome. He shares his McMinn Yeast Protocol with you and encourages providers to consider treating yeast overgrowth for patients who fit the clinical picture, especially for those desperate patients for whom standard traditional therapies have not worked. 

Chapters

• 0:03 Yeast Overgrowth
• 12:46 Understanding Yeast Overgrowth and Gut Health
• 24:44 Systemic Effects of Yeast Overgrowth
• 37:09 Effective Treatment for Yeast Overgrowth

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:03

Welcome to the Wellness Connection MD podcast. We're excited to have you with us Today. We're going to take a deep dive into a somewhat controversial subject, and that is yeast overgrowth. We're going to bring you solid science that supports the existence of yeast overgrowth and also explain how it relates to many disease processes. Then we'll share with you the protocol that we used at McMinn Clinic with great success to treat selected patients who presented with symptoms possibly related to yeast overgrowth, such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, brain fog, mood swings, sugar cravings, chronic inflammation, gas bloating, ibs, weight gain and sinus issues, just to name a few. A yeast protocol can be a total game changer for many patients for whom nothing else has worked. We hope you enjoy the show.

Speaker 2: 0:47

Welcome to the Wellness Connection MD podcast with Dr McMinn and Coach Lindsay, where we bring you the latest up-to-date, evidence-based information on a wide variety of health and wellness topics, along with practical take-home solutions. Dr McMinn is an integrated and functional MD and Lindsay Matthews is a registered nurse and IIN-certified health coach. Together, our goal is to help you optimize your health and wellness in mind, body and spirit. To see a list of all of our podcasts, visit mcminnmdcom and to stay up to date on the latest topics, be sure to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast player so that you'll be notified when future episodes come out. The discussions contained in this podcast are for educational purposes only and are not intended to diagnose or treat any disease. Please do not apply any of this information without approval from your personal doctor. And now on to the show with Dr McMinn and Coach Lindsey.

Speaker 1: 1:45

Hello and welcome to the Wellness Connection MD podcast with Dr McMinn and Coach Lindsey. Hello and welcome to the Wellness Connection MD podcast with Dr McMinn and Coach Lindsey, the evidence-based podcast with all things wellness, where we bring you honest, commercial-free, unbiased, up-to-date and evidence-based information, along with practical solutions to empower you to overcome your healthcare challenges and to optimize your wellness in mind, body and spirit, and to become a great captain of your ship when it comes to your health and wellness. We thank you so much for joining us today. I'm Dr Jim McMinn and I'm here with our co-host, registered nurse, extraordinaire and certified health coach, ms Lindsay Matthews. Good morning, coach.

Speaker 3: 2:19

Good morning, Dr Mack, and good morning to all you listeners. We're excited to be back on the show with you.

Speaker 1: 2:26

Well, coach, we're going to stick out our neck a little bit today and talk about another subject that tends to be a bit controversial. In fact, it's a topic that the vast majority of doctors would probably say doesn't even exist, and that is the subject of yeast overgrowth. However, we're going to take a look at the science today on the show and to talk about our own vast clinical experience addressing this issue at the McMinn Clinic.

Speaker 3: 2:46

over the years, but before we get into it, we do have just a couple of those brief housekeeping duties to take care of. Our podcast remains commercial-free, as you know, listeners, but it does cost us money to produce these podcasts. So think of us like public radio and consider making a contribution to help us keep it coming at you.

Speaker 1: 3:06

A couple of ways you can make a contribution. First, if you buy nutritional supplements, then consider purchasing supplements from our Fullscript dispensary at a 10% discount. You can see a link to Fullscript in the show notes or go to mcmindycom and the link will also be there at the bottom of the homepage under helpful links. It's quite simple Just click on the link and they'll there at the bottom of the homepage under helpful links. It's quite simple Just click on the link and they'll guide you through the process. It's a win-win you get high quality supplements at a discount and we get your support for the show, for which we are very grateful.

Speaker 3: 3:34

You can also make a contribution to the show directly via credit card or by PayPal at the support the show link and that's also in the show notes for you.

Speaker 1: 3:45

And please don't forget to subscribe to the show and tell your friends and family about us, so we can keep it growing. We thank you so much.

Speaker 3: 3:52

And, without further ado, let's dig into the interesting topic of yeast overgrowth. And let's start out by clarifying that what we are talking about here is a yeast overgrowth in the microbiome, mainly the gut microbiome. So we're not talking about frank systemic candidiasis, which is when you get overwhelming amounts of the fungal species actually into your bloodstream, causing life-threatening infection. That's a different ballgame.

Speaker 1: 4:22

And also just to let you know that now and then we may substitute the words candidate or fungus for yeast.

Speaker 3: 4:28

You know, dr Mack, the subject of yeast overgrowth reminds me of another controversial topic, but it's related, and that's leaky gut. Alternative providers have been talking about leaky gut for years. But you know, big medicine really was just saying from the beginning that that's just not true, it doesn't exist. And they were saying all of us alternative providers were believing in hogwash to talk about leaky gut.

Speaker 1: 4:55

But now, Coach, we all know that leaky gut is the real deal. Every major medical institution now recognizes it Harvard, Mayo, Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins, just to name a few. And there is a ton of research going on to look into this because it has a huge impact on many types of disease. But big medicines pride won't let them come right out and use the words leaky gut or admit that the hippie alternative doctors were right. So, just to save face, they call it something more highfalutin, which is increased intestinal permeability. But to be clear, leaky gut and increased intestinal permeability are the exact same thing.

Speaker 1: 5:31

Now I hate to split hairs here, but since they continue to deny leaky gut, I need to clarify something Leaky gut is one thing and again, it's just an increased intestinal permeability. But leaky gut syndrome is another issue and I do not use the term leaky gut syndrome. And, to be clear, I'm not saying that there is a discrete syndrome of symptoms that is created by this phenomenon. I'm just stating the obvious truth that under certain circumstances, we have increased intestinal permeability, which, once again, is the exact same thing as leaky gut.

Speaker 3: 6:01

So the gut's intended to be somewhat permeable, and that's how important nutrients get into our system. They're transported right through that gut wall. Listeners, you could think about it like a sieve that you use to drain your freshly boiled pasta. Your sieve should have small holes in it so that the water can get through, like the nutrients going through the gut lining, but the holes should be small enough that the pasta can't get through itself. If the holes are too big, the pasta goes right through. Then you've got a problem on your hands. So you want some small holes are normal, but the big ones aren't.

Speaker 1: 6:36

Amazing what the gut does to have the intelligence to let the right things through but to not let the bad stuff through. So anyway, that's how that works. But likewise your gut should let the nutrients through, but should filter out bacteria, protein fragments, yeast and all sorts of other unwanted components. If these go through, then that creates all sorts of serious havoc, not just locally but all throughout your body, which we'll discuss in just a bit in the context of yeast.

Speaker 3: 7:01

So we got off track there a little bit, since this podcast isn't truly about leaky gut, it's about yeast overgrowth. However, there is a connection there and we also just want to use the leaky gut topic to illustrate the point that big medicine doesn't always get it right and sometimes the people out in the real world are way out ahead of big medicine. You know, for example, Dr Mack, like the moms in Lyme, Connecticut who kept saying that their kids were sick and the doctors just told them they worried too much and only later to discover Lyme disease.

Speaker 1: 7:32

Yeah, that's a great story, and every now and then the alternative doctors turn out to be right as well. But what's really important is, at the end of the day, we're all on the same team.

Speaker 3: 7:41

Yes.

Speaker 1: 7:42

And we're all trying to cure disease and to help people get healthy. So today we'll take a look at the evidence and to match that with our many years of clinical experience and try to make a case for yeast overgrowth as a cause of disease and for the utilization of a yeast protocol to get these folks back on track. So take a listen and ultimately you can judge for yourself.

Speaker 3: 8:00

And, by the way, these kind of situations like with leaky gut and yeast overgrowth. It reminds me of the old saying it goes something like this all great truth goes through three phases First it's ridiculed, then it's violently attacked and then finally it's accepted that the earth was flat, and if you said it wasn't, then you were hanged or crucified.

Speaker 1: 8:24

Right yes, and then ultimately now we take it as self-evident. Of course it's not flat, but anyway. Well, Coach, at this point we are not at the accepted as self-evident stage yet with yeast overgrowth, but certainly we have been through the ridiculed and violently attacked stages. Well, we'll see where it goes from here and hopefully folks will listen to the science and come around on this issue. Coach, my personal mantra when it comes to this kind of stuff has always been to be open-minded but always skeptical. I'm willing to consider things that are outside the box, especially for patients for whom inside-the-box thinking has miserably failed, but I always have my radar screen up for BS, especially when it seems like someone is just trying to sell a product on the basis of Mikey likes it type evidence or, at the end of the day, it's got to add up to me.

Speaker 1: 9:10

I need to see some scientific evidence or some clinical evidence to back it up and then the bottom line is it's got to work for that patient sitting in front of me. In the case of yeast overgrowth, I actually started out firmly in the non-believer camp. Nowhere in medical school or residency had I ever been taught that Right you?

Speaker 3: 9:30

know similar experience, dr Mack. In all my nursing training and my various jobs as a nurse, it was never mentioned. So what changed your mind? How did you flip that switch?

Speaker 1: 9:42

You know, coach, it's really kind of interesting. As I've said on the podcast many times, the number one complaint of my patients over the years was low energy or fatigue and it was really the success that I had with utilizing the use protocol for treating fatigue that firmly convinced me of the clinical significance of use overgrowth and the value of using a use protocol. I've used the protocol hundreds of times over the years and I never had any significant problems with it and I had many patients who benefited from it, sometimes dramatically. Many patients said to me, doctor, I never got better till we treated the yeast. I've heard that over and over, coach.

Speaker 3: 10:16

And you know the whole low energy problem has reached epidemic proportions. Clearly, doctors and nurses, we don't learn much about treating low energy in our training In nursing school. I never had a course or lecture or read a book on low energy. And it's the last complaint that I'm sure doctors want to hear from their patients in their little 15-minute appointment slots. Because fatigue, just it takes up too much time, it's exhausting and you just never can get to the bottom of it. The solution is almost never simple.

Speaker 1: 10:49

Yeah, coach, and the complaint of low energy is usually accompanied by lots of other complaints like brain fog, can't sleep, weight gain, low libido, all kind of stuff. And so you're trying to cram that all into a 15-minute visit, and the only way to do it really is to get out your script pad, and at the end of the day the patient walks out with a prescription for a sleeping pill and antidepressant and who knows what else.

Speaker 3: 11:06

Right.

Speaker 1: 11:07

So most doctors will do a few labs, which are usually all normal, and then they tell the patient that all your labs are normal and therefore there's nothing wrong with you. They're basically telling you that's all in your head. Or the doctor pats them on the back and tells them oh, you're just getting old or you're too stressed out and so get used to it. Lindsay, if I recall, you and Tyler have heard that a time or two, haven't you, Coach, back when Tyler was getting sick?

Speaker 3: 11:29

You know we sure did, and I don't know that it was intentional, but it kind of felt like being gaslighted when you know something's wrong, but everywhere you go you're just hearing it's normal, this is normal, or it's just anxiety. And you know that there's more than that going on. And that's what we experienced with my husband, tyler, when he got sick and went to see all the doctors. We went to all the specialists and ultimately, after at least a year and a half of searching, it turned out to be dysautonomia. And we heard just from many doctors that hey, all these things are normal. And it just felt disheartening and almost like you just wonder if you're going crazy and you feel like you're not believed. But really it's just like they didn't have the tools in the toolbox and really we would have much preferred if people had said well, we don't know what's causing your problem, versus there's nothing wrong here, when we know that clearly something's wrong.

Speaker 1: 12:26

Right, right, when you can't get out of bed something's wrong right Anyway, but you know that's when patients reach this point, coach, that they showed up at my clinic with their difficult-to-treat diseases like chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia, and they were miserable and at the end of their rope they made it very clear to me that we were their last hope.

Speaker 3: 12:46

Chronic fatigue syndrome can have a really profound impact on every aspect of the life of these patients that were coming in the door. You know, if you have no energy, you can't be the person that you want to be the employee, the spouse, the parent, the friend. It just affects every aspect of your life.

Speaker 1: 13:04

Yeah, I've witnessed that so many times with my patients. And so all that to say. That's where yeast overgrowth first appeared on my radar screen and I decided that these patients had suffered long enough, coach, and that the buck stops right here, right now, at my desk. So I read every study I could get a hold of, every book, every article I could find on the subject of fatigue. I even took an excellent course on fatigue and I became what I jokingly call a fatigologist.

Speaker 3: 13:29

I love that.

Speaker 1: 13:31

The best book on the market that I found at the time was a wonderful book by a board-certified internist called Fatigue to Fantastic. It was Dr Jacob Teitelbaum wrote the book and he personally had suffered with chronic fatigue himself during medical school. Heidelbaum wrote the book and he personally had suffered with chronic fatigue himself during medical schools, so he dedicated his whole long career to diagnosing and treating fatigue and Coach. I found him to be trustworthy, thorough, compassionate, experienced, evidence-based and outcomes-oriented.

Speaker 3: 13:58

He's retired now but he's still active online if you want to check him out. I remember the big yellow book on the shelf in the office. Dr Mack, you always order those books by bulk and we gave away the book to our fatigue patients. You know I just you're the only doc that I know who routinely gives away books. Dr Mack, you're really invested in empowerment.

Speaker 1: 14:18

Well, you know, because I realized, okay, they're not going to buy the book, I would buy it by bulk, so it didn't cost me that much. And I figured if I just gave them the book then they would have a better understanding of what's going on with their bodies and if they understood and had some real hope for recovery then I would get better buy-in and they were more likely to be committed to the process of getting better. And because another thing, coach. So they've been to all these other doctors who say there's nothing wrong with you, and they come to see me and I say you've got something like yeast overgrowth, for instance, and so they're torn, they're confused.

Speaker 3: 14:59

And so if they see in the book well, ok, this is the real deal, then they're more likely to trust me and believe me and be committed to the process. And so it's in that book where Dr Teitelbaum popularized the SHINE protocol S-H-I-N-E SHINE for fatigue, and that's a mnemonic S stands for sleep, h for hormones, I for infection, n stands for nutrition and then E stands for exercise. But OK, so I'm looking at all those letters. I don't see a Y. There's no yeast in there, dr.

Speaker 1: 15:23

Mack, but it's kind of hidden in there. Coach, in the SHINE protocol, the I is just a little bit tricky. It can stand for infections like, for instance, lyme disease or COVID, for instance, which can definitely cause fatigue. Or it could be more subtle, for instance, alterations in the bugs that make up your gut. Microbiome, including yeast, also fall under the I in the SHINE protocol.

Speaker 3: 15:44

And when one considers alterations in the gut microbiome, which we call dysbiosis, that's where yeast overgrowth comes in. So, as we'll discuss, it causes major fatigue, but many other symptoms and diseases can also be associated with yeast overgrowth.

Speaker 1: 16:02

That's right, Coach. So let's start with the basics and work our way up and try to make a case for considering and treating yeast overgrowth in selected patients.

Speaker 3: 16:08

No better place than Dr Mack to start with the gut microbiome up and try to make a case for considering and treating yeast overgrowth in selected patients. No better place than Dr Mack to start with the gut microbiome. And we did an entire podcast on the gut microbiome which was entitled the Gut Health Series, and episode three was back in June of 2018.

Speaker 1: 16:22

Man it's hard to believe we've been doing it that long in the coach it is. I love it.

Speaker 3: 16:26

So, listeners, we encourage you to go back and check out that one, that episode. So, since we've already discussed it, we're not going to repeat the details on the microbiome today, except to say that the unequivocal, solid scientific evidence now recognizes that we have this amazing role that the gut microbiome plays in our gut health and in our overall health. We went to a conference at a major university on the microbiome and it's just mind-blowing what an effect it has on our overall health.

Speaker 1: 16:55

Yeah, I remember there were big-shot scientists from all over the country and they were really into it, and so I think it's definitely unequivocally the real deal.

Speaker 1: 17:03

Now it's interesting that way back 2,000 years ago, coach Hippocrates, who's the father of modern medicine, was all over gut health when he said that, quote all diseases begin in the gut.

Speaker 1: 17:16

Isn't that amazing, coach, that he would say that like 2,000 years ago and that he was able to connect the dots way back then without any really modern science, but still I think clinically he kind of had a handle on what was going on then modern science, but still I think clinically he kind of had a handle on what was going on then. But these days, unless you've been living in a cave or under a rock for the last 20 years, you know that the gut microbiome plays a crucial role in determining the status not only of our gut health but of our overall health. So as a starting point, I hope we can all just agree on the basic concept that there is this thing called the gut microbiome and it's hugely important for overall human health, and hopefully we don't have to prove that to anybody at this stage of the game. I just don't want to waste time on that, on this podcast, okay.

Speaker 3: 17:53

Right. Yes, we are slow to change, aren't we?

Speaker 1: 17:56

We are slow to change, for sure.

Speaker 3: 17:57

Although the microbiome is one of the hottest topics in medical research, it's hardly ever mentioned in the doctor's offices these days. Listeners, when was the last time your doctor ever mentioned your microbiome? And you know if it's like me, the correct answer is 99% of you would probably say never.

Speaker 1: 18:13

I'm thinking, you know, I've had some wonderful doctors over here. Nobody has ever talked about the microbiome. In fact, I've had patients who had serious gut issues who went to gut specialists in the community also, but at the major university and they never mentioned their microbiome. It just blows my mind, coach. Yes, it seems like a real disconnect and I just don't understand it. Agreed.

Speaker 3: 18:33

Yes. So let's take a look at what our gut microbiome comprises. It's mainly composed of bacteria, viruses, parasites and yeast oh, that's right, yeast. So yeast is a normal part of your gut microbiome for everybody. And, just like with bacteria, there's good yeast and then there's bad yeast. Good bacteria, bad bacteria. The good yeast plays an important role in your digestion and how your immune system modulates and in your overall microbial balance. So the bad yeast is really bad and they can get after you in so many ways.

Speaker 1: 19:10

Under normal circumstances, the good bugs maintain control of the gut microbiome and the good bugs keep the bad bugs in check, and everything is hunky-dory. And when things are going well, there's this beautiful symbiotic relationship that exists between the bugs and the rest of the body. In fact, the microbiome carries out many important functions and we literally could not even live without them.

Speaker 3: 19:30

Ideally, the ratio and proportion of all these bugs remains fairly constant and everything runs smoothly. However, there can be disruptions that come along and stir things up, altering the composition of your gut flora, and so that condition itself is called dysbiosis and that dysbiosis goes on to create havoc throughout our entire bodies.

Speaker 1: 19:53

So, Coach, there are many things that can alter the gut microbiome, resulting in a relative overgrowth of yeast, but the big ones that we'll mention here are the use of antibiotics, especially long-term use of gut-active broad-spectrum antibiotics, which are actually quite common, and the poor diet, especially with lots of sugar or processed food. Other triggers of yeast overgrowth include a weakened immune system, chronic stress, hormonal imbalance, low stomach acid and high blood sugar or diabetes.

Speaker 3: 20:21

There was a study from the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases that was entitled A Prospective Study of the Impact of Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics on Yeast Flora of the Human Gut. So they looked at four different common antibiotics and found that the gut colonization by yeast was increased whenever these antibiotics were used. So likewise also, several other studies have demonstrated that a high sugar diet can also increase yeast colonization in the human gut.

Speaker 1: 20:54

You know, coach, we could really stop the podcast right there and just say that proves that there's yeast overgrowth, right Right, that's solid science. Yes, but we'll continue on. And so, while yeast is a normal and necessary part of the gut microbiome, maintaining a healthy balance is the key. And when we get out of balance, then there's often a heavy price to be paid, resulting in poor health. For instance, let's say that you're floating along through the river of life and everything is groovy, but then, for instance, you get a sinus infection. So you go to your doctor and she puts you on Augmentin, which is a commonly used antibiotic for sinusitis. Well, augmentin is a powerful, broad-spectrum antibiotic, which means that it takes a shotgun approach to bacteria, so it's likely to wipe out many of the bacteria in your sinuses, the good ones and the bad ones.

Speaker 3: 21:37

And here's the problem. These antibiotics also wipe out kajillions of bacteria in your gut microbiome, significantly altering the number and kinds of bacteria that you have in there, and some recent studies found that after a two-week course of Augmentin, some gut bacterial groups don't fully recover, even after two to four years Two weeks. Yeah, I know they're not recovering from two to four years later.

Speaker 1: 22:04

Yeah, yeah, you know, coach, I remember way back then I this was when I was, I guess, in my 20s I had chronic sinusitis for a couple of years. I was on antibiotics for most of those two years and boy you think about the impact on my microbiome. And of course, thereafter I had chronic diarrhea for a long time. So, duh, it makes sense, right?

Speaker 3: 22:24

Yes, big connection. Some experts claim that your gut microbiome never will quite make it back to the diversity that it had before even taking antibiotics.

Speaker 1: 22:34

Yeah, I think that may be true, but here's the real rub when it comes to our topic today. These powerful antibiotics don't even think about going after yeast. They're just not designed to. And since it's the bacteria that keep the yeast growth in check and they're now wiped out and greatly weakened by the antibiotics, then the yeast party begins and they proliferate like crazy and become a relatively more predominant organism. And voila, that's an example of how we get yeast overgrowth. It's like when the cat's away, the mice will play. When the bacteria are gone, boom, the yeast take over.

Speaker 3: 23:05

And let's just say that, like most people, you also happen to be eating the standard American diet, that sad diet loaded with sugar and processed foods, which specifically feeds yeast. Well, I hope that you can see that this situation, it creates the perfect storm for the yeast to thrive and create the yeast overgrowth situation.

Speaker 1: 23:26

And this yeast overgrowth can lead to serious issues in the gut, immune system, endocrine system and sinuses, as well as the skin, the brain and far beyond, including chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia that we've already been talking about.

Speaker 3: 23:39

Besides fatigue, many other common symptoms may be associated with yeast overgrowth, specifically digestive symptoms like gas bloating, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome-like symptoms, food sensitivities especially if you're sensitive to sugar or fermented foods and indigestion just in general.

Speaker 1: 23:59

Now a little bit more on the effects of yeast overgrowth on gut health. In 2012, a study found that people with irritable bowel syndrome had significantly higher levels of yeast in their gut compared to healthy individuals, and a 2019 study found that Canada can disrupt the lining of the gut, increasing permeability which we'll call leaky gut and leading to systemic inflammation. Another 2021 study in the journal Gut Microbes found that yeast metabolites interact with the immune system, promoting inflammation and worsening gut conditions like Crohn's disease. So, as you can see, the science shows us that yeast can wreak havoc on the gut in many ways.

Speaker 3: 24:36

Also neurological and mental health symptoms are associated with yeast, like brain fog, memory problems, anxiety, depression, fatigue.

Speaker 1: 24:44

And looking at yeast impact on the immune system and other systemic effects. Yeast can cause systemic inflammation which may manifest as joint pain or muscle aches, which we often call fibromyalgia.

Speaker 3: 24:55

Yeast has also been linked to several autoimmune diseases like celiac disease, sjogren's, psoriasis, eczema, inflammatory bowel lupus and autoimmune thyroid disease, which could include Hashimoto's and Graves' disease.

Speaker 1: 25:10

Interestingly, chronic yeast overgrowth can also cause stubborn weight gain. This may be due to several mechanisms, but one factor is that, via the gut-brain connection, yeast overgrowth causes sugar cravings. That's right. Isn't it interesting, coach, that your microbiome makes you crave what it wants? There's a great book years ago I think it was called Gulp about this issue. And of course, yeast wants sugar.

Speaker 3: 25:32

Yes, and you know, come to think of it, it makes me think of that character, the cookie monster. He must have had yeast overgrowth Me want cookies, gotta have that sugar.

Speaker 1: 25:42

Give me sugar. Gotta have sugar. Anyway, he was a pretty grumpy guy. Finally on the symptom list is sinus infections and chronic sinus congestion. A study from the prestigious Mayo Clinic found yeast in the mucus of 96% of patients with chronic sinusitis. The Mayo researchers proposed that most chronic sinus infections might actually be caused by an immune response to the yeast. Wow Coach, 96%. That's huge, yeah, so you know, Coach, I had some patients with chronic sinusitis issues over the years who actually got better after the yeast protocol.

Speaker 3: 26:12

Isn't that interesting that is, that is, yeast is just a much bigger deal than most people realize. Let's circle back around and focus on the issue of chronic fatigue that we kind of started with there. A 2023 observational study that involved 800,000 people found that folks with a prior candida infection had a 39% higher chance of developing chronic fatigue syndrome, and that's a large-scale study that really provided significant evidence for this potential link between candida overgrowth and fatigue.

Speaker 1: 26:47

And then Coach. Then we have what we call antibody studies. A study back in 2014 demonstrated that patients with chronic fatigue syndrome had significantly higher candida antibody levels compared with healthy controls.

Speaker 3: 26:59

Then we've got some neurotransmitter studies. A study by Rao in 2009 found that patients with candidiasis had significantly lower levels of serotonin and dopamine compared to healthy controls. So that shows that candida overgrowth may interfere with neurotransmitter function, potentially contributing to fatigue and other chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms.

Speaker 1: 27:23

And next up, we have metabolic studies. Research has shown that candida overgrowth may lead to nutrient deficiencies, particularly vitamins B1, b2, and iron, and the authors suggest that these deficiencies could be contributing to the fatigue.

Speaker 3: 27:35

And then, finally, we have more of the gut microbiome studies. Several studies have found associations between candidiasis and conditions often accompanied by fatigue. The authors concluded that these findings suggest a potential role for gut dysbiosis in the development of fatigue. The authors concluded that these findings suggest a potential role for gut dysbiosis in the development of fatigue.

Speaker 1: 27:53

Now the reason we're talking about these different types of studies we want folks to understand that we're not shooting from the hip when it comes to this yeast overgrowth issue.

Speaker 1: 28:01

As I said from the get-go, it's very controversial, but I think once again, the science supports it, looking at it from many different points of view, and there are also different what we call mechanisms of action by which yeast overgrowth may result in disease. One of these mechanisms is toxin production, and one of the main toxins produced by yeast is called acetaldehyde, which is a chemical byproduct of the metabolism of sugar by the yeast. It builds up in the blood stream and has many potential unwanted effects, including damaging DNA and potentially promoting the growth of cancer.

Speaker 3: 28:32

Acetaldehyde also inhibits neuronal information transmission, leading to brain fog, cognitive impairment, decreased dopamine or low drive. It creates a deficiency of thiamine your B1, which can affect brain and nerve function, and it can also cause feelings of intoxication, vertigo, loss of equilibrium and fatigue.

Speaker 1: 28:56

There you go. Some other toxins produced by yeast metabolism include ammonia, uric acid, propionic acid and oxalic acid, potentially contributing to low energy and overall poor health.

Speaker 3: 29:08

So the next mechanism by which yeast does its dirty work is the gut barrier or gut lining Disruption there, which again we refer to as leaky gut. The yeast itself helps to initiate this process. By invading the cells that line the gut. The yeast causes damage to these cells via a peptide toxin produced by the yeast called candidolysin. This damage leads to a decrease in the integrity of the gut lining, causing leaky gut.

Speaker 1: 29:37

And this allows undigested food particles, toxins, pathogens, including the yeast itself, to enter the bloodstream, causing a chronic immune reaction, inflammation and food sensitivities. Chronic immune reaction, inflammation and food sensitivities. Studies have shown increased intestinal permeability to be an important key factor in the development of numerous autoimmune diseases, as well as other immune and inflammation-related diseases throughout the body.

Speaker 3: 29:59

Yeast has a unique ability to change shape, transforming from a rounded yeast cell into an elongated hyphal cell. These elongated cells can more easily permeate the gut lining and then go on to attack other organs like skin, mouth, ears, thyroid, reproductive organs and even the brain. You know, it strikes me that, as we're talking about how yeast works, it's like this master warfare. Yeah, yeah yeah, shift change shapes go through infiltrate.

Speaker 1: 30:29

Yeah, well, there is kind of a microbial warfare going on in our bodies for sure. Yeah, yeah, and it gets more interesting, as we'll talk about in just a moment. But yeast also disrupts the protective mucus layer of the gut, creating opportunities for biofilms to form layer of the gut. Creating opportunities for biofilms to form Biofilms are really interesting complex microbial communities that work together and communicate with one another to secrete a slime-type substance that acts as a shield to protect the microbial community from other bugs and from the effects of antibiotics.

Speaker 3: 30:56

So these biofilms in the gut can have several harmful effects on human health. They can make treatment of gut infections more challenging by increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics and allowing pathogens to persist and repopulate even after antibiotic treatment. Biofilms also allow yeast to persist and evade the immune system. And then, lastly, the biofilms can trap toxins, leading to prolonged toxin exposure then, lastly, the biofilms can trap toxins, leading to prolonged toxin exposure.

Speaker 1: 31:28

The next mechanism of action by which yeast wreaks its havoc is the disruption of the gut microbiome itself, which creates a condition that we call dysbiosis, and after that, the next mechanism of action is nutrient malabsorption. Besides blocking absorption, yeast also competes with the host for nutrients, and these nutrient deficiencies can contribute to fatigue and other symptoms.

Speaker 3: 31:45

Yeast also contributes to hormone production and regulation. Therefore overgrowth of yeast may lead to hormonal imbalances. So some Candida species can actually produce estrogen-like compounds, leading to the whole estrogen dominance type situation, and then exposure to that estrogen increases the virulence of some types of yeast.

Speaker 1: 32:07

Our next mechanism is immune system dysregulation. Yeast creates chronic immune activation, which leads to inflammation and then to fatigue. Yeast also suppresses T cell function, which is a type of immune cell, potentially increasing susceptibility to infections. Some individuals may actually develop sensitivities to Canada antigens themselves, and yeast also alters Th17 immune response, an important part of the immune system that regulates autoimmunity.

Speaker 3: 32:34

Yeast overgrowth also disrupts the endocannabinoid system. This is a network of receptors and molecules and enzymes that work together to regulate various bodily functions, and this particularly affects our stress response and produces an anxiety-like state.

Speaker 1: 32:50

East. Overgrowth can also impair the function of mitochondria, which are the energy factories of the cells. This can lead to reduced energy production at the cellular level and also contribute to fatigue.

Speaker 3: 33:00

Overgrowth, as it contributes to fatigue and other symptoms, level and also contribute to fatigue. Overgrowth, as it contributes to fatigue and other symptoms, relates also to the whole adrenal exhaustion picture and adrenal fatigue, which is another controversial topic, but we did do an entire podcast on that back in 2023. So you may want to go back and check out that adrenal fatigue podcast.

Speaker 1: 33:18

So, basically, the leaky gut created by the yeast overgrowth causes chronic immune activation and systemic inflammation. This activates the adrenal stress system, which eventually malfunctions, contributing to low energy and other symptoms of adrenal fatigue.

Speaker 3: 33:31

And the last mechanisms that we'll mention is neurotransmitter imbalance and the direct effects of yeast on the brain. So yeast overgrowth can affect brain chemistry directly via the active gut-brain axis. So since most serotonin is produced in the gut, yeast overgrowth can interfere with its production. Yeast overgrowth may also result in a GABA reduction, potentially leading to anxiety and sleep disturbances.

Speaker 1: 33:58

And Coach, while we're talking about the brain, there's one more topic that we'll briefly mention, which is really new and exciting in the area of research, and that is looking at the possible effects of yeast on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Recent studies have provided compelling evidence for the presence of yeast in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients. For instance, a recent study 2024, revealed numerous fungal species in the brain tissue of Alzheimer's disease patients on autopsy, and this fungal material has been observed both intra and extracellularly in neurons from Alzheimer's disease patients.

Speaker 3: 34:33

A 2020 study revealed that patients with mild cognitive impairment, often precursing to Alzheimer's disease, have specific fungal signatures in their gut microbiome, and this suggests that certain fungi in the gut may be associated with cognitive decline and may potentially contribute to Alzheimer's development.

Speaker 1: 34:54

Well, coach, if you think about it, how does yeast get into the brain? As we've already established, we can have yeast overgrowth in the gut microbiome via many different mechanisms. We also talked about how the yeast in the gut attacks the intestinal lining and can morph into hyphal shapes and squeeze through the leaky gut, and then it can get into the bloodstream, essentially creating a subclinical candidemia. Then the yeast secretes an enzyme called aspartic protease, which helps the yeast to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and actually enter the brain itself.

Speaker 3: 35:26

And then, once in the brain, the yeast activates mechanisms that generate amyloid beta-like peptides, which is the classic signature of Alzheimer's disease pathology. And also, once in the brain, it activates microglial cells, which then cause neural inflammation, which is one of the hallmarks of all neurodegenerative diseases.

Speaker 1: 35:48

Studies have observed that individuals with Alzheimer's disease have a relative gut yeast overgrowth when compared to healthy non-Alzheimer's individuals. I'm just saying, Coach, it's really getting interesting.

Speaker 3: 35:58

Yes, so the presence of the fungi in Alzheimer's brains is now a well-established scientific fact. We are still in the early stages of the scientific investigation into this phenomenon, so, as a causal relationship goes, it still remains under investigation.

Speaker 1: 36:16

Association does not always equal causation, so at this point we can't say that yeast is causing Alzheimer's disease. But it's kind of interesting, and we can at least say that there's an association between the two. Right, and so we'll have to wait and see where the research leads us in this exciting area. So stay tuned.

Speaker 3: 36:34

So, as we wrap this up, hopefully listeners, you can see that yeast overgrowth can contribute to a wide array of symptoms and diseases through multiple mechanisms affecting many aspects of our health.

Speaker 1: 36:47

But you know, Coach, the science is super important and we tried to build our case upon science, and I'm a scientist at heart. At the end of the day, show me the data or show me the evidence but what's really important to me is does treating the yeast overgrowth help my patient?

Speaker 1: 37:01

That's what's really important. So now that we got some science out of the way, let's just take a moment to share our clinical experience on this subject. Let's face it the in-the-box approach from their other excellent physicians simply had not worked for my chronic fatigue patients. So it was time for me to think outside of the box in a responsible, first-do-no-harm kind of way in order to get these miserable and desperate patients feeling better. So, after being deluged with complaints of fatigue from my patients, I decided to try Dr Teitelbaum's Shine Protocol that we mentioned earlier. Actually, I used a protocol. I call it Shine Plus, since I added a few more things to the protocol.

Speaker 3: 37:36

And over the years we found that there really aren't any great lab tests to tell you who is going to respond well to the yeast protocol. There are a few labs that you can do, but we never really found them to be that reliable or that helpful.

Speaker 1: 37:51

So it really boils down to clinical presentation when deciding to use a yeast protocol or not. Some tips that suggest a yeast protocol might be helpful include the fatigue, the brain fog, especially the use of antibiotics. Include the fatigue, the brain fog, especially the use of antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum antibiotics or gut-active antibiotics like Cipro, levaquin, cephalosporins, augmentin and IV antibiotics.

Speaker 3: 38:09

Other tips included. If the patient had poor diet, especially lots of sweets, they had lots of sugar cravings. Other things that tipped us off as risk factors like we're an itchy anus, yeast-associated skin rash, chronic sinus issues, high alcohol intake, diabetes and weakened immune system. Or just, you know, stick out their tongue and you see this white coating on the tongue. We call that oral thrush. That was also a tip too.

Speaker 1: 38:38

You know, coach, it's really interesting. Some people just seem to be downright yeasty. They've had fungal skin rash, white coating on their tongue, fungal nails, and they just seem to be eating up with fungus, and some of them say they've been like that all their life. It's kind of interesting, coach.

Speaker 3: 38:52

So we use the yeast protocol on selected patients, and the good news is that the vast majority of these difficult to treat patients got better and usually a lot better. It was sometimes actually quite amazing. I really saw it many times with my own eyes working with you, dr McMahon.

Speaker 1: 39:09

And, as you know, coach, I've been retired from clinical practice for a couple years now. But I recently reached out and discussed the yeast protocol results with my former office manager and medical assistant, and here's what she had to say. Quote in the 10 years that I worked with Dr McMahon, I listened to the stories of hundreds of women who had the same complaints that I did Weight. They just couldn't lose it Bloating all the time, fatigue for no apparent reason, irritability, excessive gas. They would sit there and say that they have tried everything and nothing worked. They've tried every diet out there and nothing worked. They said that they exercise every day and ate all the right foods and still felt like crap. We totally understood how frustrated they were and that they needed a solution.

Speaker 1: 39:52

The yeast protocol was not something we recommended to everybody, so usually the patients that decided to tackle the yeast protocol were willing to do anything to feel better. But I can say with great confidence that 98% of our patients that did the yeast protocol came back and felt so much better. Some only lost a few pounds and some lost more. But it wasn't just about the weight. It was that they were sleeping better and they felt better and their skin looked better and their stomach wasn't bloated anymore. It was totally worth the 10 weeks of a rigid regimen and for the most part, most of the patients were able to stick to a pretty good routine after that and were able to keep their weight off and continue to feel good. End quote.

Speaker 3: 40:31

Wow, that's quite a testimonial, Doc. So the clinical bottom line we used the protocol hundreds of times on selected patients. Other than some brief, manageable yeast die-off symptoms, we didn't really have any significant downside effects with it and we had many excellent success stories that emerged from using the yeast protocol.

Speaker 1: 40:52

And you know, coach, as I said earlier, I'm a scientist at heart and although I think we've made a pretty good case for yeast overgrowth and for the use of the yeast protocol, I still wish we could have more consensus on this issue in the medical community so that these patients won't get gaslighted by their providers when they mention yeast overgrowth. Remember, I went into this as a non-believer and I do not have a dog in this fight. I don't sell any magic McMahon yeast tonic. But over the years I built my own body of evidence by treating hundreds of these folks and the outcomes were unequivocal. The yeast protocol helped the vast majority of patients, sometimes when nothing else did so. I have come around on this issue from a non-believer to a passionate advocate as a dedicated provider who went to work every day to help people. I'm glad I had the use protocol in my therapeutic toolbox and I hope that other providers will keep an open mind and embrace the science on this issue and give their patients a chance to have a new lease on life.

Speaker 3: 41:46

So for those patients out there who are suffering with things like fatigue, fibromyalgia, brain fog, gas, bloating, low mood, weight gain, those sugar cravings and some of the other symptoms that we've talked about here, you might want to consider trying a yeast protocol talked about here. You might want to consider trying a yeast protocol. It acts kind of like a gut reset to give you a fresh start to rebuild towards a healthier microbiome. And, as we've said many times on the show, good health starts in the gut and there is a gut-everything connection. So as your gut gets better, then many of your other symptoms will usually get better too.

Speaker 1: 42:23

So, Coach, let's wrap this up by explaining exactly how to get after the yeast. There are many ways you can attack the yeast, starting with diet, which, of course, should be a low-sugar diet. There are also many herbal and antifungal remedies out there. You can try both as single herbs but also in combination products, and I'll have a document for you at mcmdcom entitled Yeast Herbs listing these herbs and some combo formulas for you that might be helpful.

Speaker 3: 42:48

It may also be helpful to take probiotics, cultured and fermented foods and a good competing yeast called Saccharomyces boulardii. Also, some indirect measures may be helpful, like supporting your gut lining with things like glutamine, zinc and aloe vera.

Speaker 1: 43:04

And reducing gut inflammation with things like omega-3s, curcumin and a low-inflammatory diet. A couple of excellent combo products that we have used over the years for gut inflammation include Inflamacor by OrthoMolecular and Ultra-Inflamax by Metagenics.

Speaker 3: 43:18

It may also be helpful to directly address the leaky gut, if present, through a good gut restoration protocol, and we'll have a document at mcminnmdcom for you called Leaky Gut, to give you some tips on that.

Speaker 1: 43:32

However, over the years, after trying many therapeutic options, such as the herbs we just mentioned, we found that, in order to accomplish our goal of getting these patients healthy again, the most effective treatment for these folks who were significantly symptomatic and they were sick of being sick and who wanted to get better sooner than later, was by using our yeast protocol, which included a combination of low-sugar diet along with nystatin and diflucan. Your own provider may have his or her own protocol, and that's fine too. However, if you're interested in the protocol that we use, then you can find it at mcmindmdcom in the documents section called McMind Yeast Protocol. However, listen up, this is very important. Do not do this protocol on your own. You must do it in cooperation with a qualified medical provider.

Speaker 3: 44:16

And a quick word about the diet. Don't go crazy over the diet. There's a lot of misinformation about yeast diets out there in books and online and many of the yeast diets that you'll find they're so difficult that you as a patient can't possibly keep it up, and so a lot of times we just would see patients just quit and all is lost. So just the goal should be keep it simple and the main thing is to really reduce your sugar, to cut that out. And the main point ultimately the key is not just killing the yeast. It's about restoring this healthy microbial balance and creating better overall gut health.

Speaker 1: 44:53

So, coach, it's time to wrap this up. I think we made a clear case for the existence and importance of yeast overgrowth, supported by scientific evidence, and since we hang our hat on practical solutions, we've also shared with you our yeast protocol, which you have found to be extremely effective for combating this problem. When you look at the scientific evidence that supports the concept of yeast overgrowth as a contributing factor to symptoms and disease and, more importantly, when you add my clinical experience with hundreds of patients who benefited from the yeast protocol when nothing else had worked, then it seems absolutely clear to me that a well-designed, properly monitored yeast protocol is appropriate and potentially extremely helpful for patients who fit the clinical picture of yeast overgrowth. And also, coach, just give me a minute to clear up one misunderstanding.

Speaker 1: 45:37

One thing I think is a deal-breaker for big medicine and why they don't accept yeast overgrowth as being a real phenomenon, is the use of the word syndrome. This is similar to the leaky gut syndrome issue that I talked about earlier. Notice that throughout the podcast, I have used the phrase yeast overgrowth and not yeast overgrowth syndrome. I would agree with the critics that there's no concise, universally agreed upon clinical presentation that constitutes a classic syndrome. However, if we can stick with the term yeast overgrowth and stick with the science, then perhaps we can find some common ground and move forward to help these suffering patients. Hopefully that somewhat explains the divide and clears up some of the confusion.

Speaker 3: 46:18

Well, I think that about does it for this discussion of yeast overgrowth. Thank you, listeners, for listening and we hope that we were able to share something with you that was interesting and helpful, and that's why we do the show.

Speaker 1: 46:31

And please do take a minute to rate us on iTunes. These reviews really do make a difference for us. Also, if you like the podcast, take a moment today to let a friend or family member know about the podcast.

Speaker 3: 46:41

Yes, and thanks in advance for helping us spread the word about evidence-based, holistic, functional and integrative medicine. You won't find a more evidence-based, unbiased podcast on wellness anywhere out there on the web. We do our homework on these topics and we shoot it straight with you. We're not trying to sell you anything.

Speaker 1: 46:59

If you'd like to reach out to us to comment on the show or to make recommendations for future topics, you can reach me at drmcminn at yahoocom. Well, coach, can you leave us with one of your brilliant Coach, lindsay pearls of wisdom.

Speaker 3: 47:12

Thanks, dr Mack. You know I think I would just love to leave listeners just with image and just thinking about your gut as a garden and with this yeast, think about like an overgrown garden.

Speaker 1: 47:22

Too many weeds.

Speaker 3: 47:23

Yeah, too many weeds, and so sometimes you got to go in and you got to do some massive pruning and some massive work. But you also got to go in with the mindset of restoring that balance and with this tenderness of a garden and taking care of your body in a nurturing way. And so I just want to encourage people, as you're thinking about this also, you know, step back and take that long-term perspective. So, whatever you decide to do with your intensive overgrown reset, doing that, also come in with the mindset of how do I create and cultivate a balanced, thriving garden in my gut.

Speaker 1: 47:59

Well, that's great Coach. Thank you so much for sharing and thank y'all for listening. This is Dr McMinn.

Speaker 3: 48:04

And this is Coach Lindsay Take care and be well.