Arthritis And Candida

There is a strong relationship between what grows in the intestines and arthritis. There is even a “candida” arthritis, where they find fungus in the joints. (Candida arthritis is treated by administering systemic antifungals and by injecting antifungals into the joints.)

A common finding in arthritis is bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine. It doesn’t necessarily cause arthritis, but it may contribute to it. Poor intestinal bacteria can increase inflammatory cytokines like IL-1, TNF, and IL-6, which are involved in rheumatoid arthritis. When there is bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine, osteporosis is often present too. This bacterial overgrowth is also a common finding in irritable bowel, the yeast syndrome, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.

When mice are fed a diet high in lectins, it strips the intestinal mucous coating in the small intestine, and encourages the overgrowth of abnormal bacteria and protozoa. Lectins are also implicated in the development of rheumatoid arthritis.

Broda Barnes, MD, found that almost all of his arthritis patients were in need of thyroid. Some of his patients also did better when they were given a small amount of cortisol, four times per day.

Some of the same products that help people with their arthritis can help people heal their gut. These are MSM, sulfates, chondroitan sulfate, glucosamine sulfate and gelatin. There is even a product called Knox Nutrajoint that contains gelatin and some vitamins and minerals. Some people find relief from their osteoarthritis with this.

Even though gelatin is a common food, it may pose a problem for some people. The proline and glycine in gelatin can make certain bacteria and yeast healthy. Also, too much proline could deactivate coenzyme B6. For this reason, if one is not used to gelatin in the diet, it would be best to start with a small amount, take it on an empty stomach, and observe your reactions carefully. Slowly allow your body time to get used to more gelatin in the diet.

A person has to be able to digest the gelatin to get its benefits. Instead of plain Knox gelatin, it may be easier on the body to employ some of the partially digested gelatin/collagen products on the market. (Calorad, Collagen Nite Loss, Colvera) If you try these, start with only a small amount. There is always a chance that you may not tolerate these.

You can also make your own partially digested gelatin by mixing gelatin and DPP IV enzymes in water and letting it sit for a while. DPP IV isn’t necessarily the same enzyme that these other companies employ to breakdown the gelatin, but it would cost less. If you wish to deactivate the enzymes, you can heat the mixture after the DPP IV has done its work.

There is decreased DPP IV enzyme activity in the serum of those with rheumatoid arthritis. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that more of this enzyme would be tolerated. You may want to ask your doctor about his opinion here.

Houston’s Peptizide and some of the enzymes from Kirkman Laboratories contain DPP IV. A few people may be allergic to them, and others may find that they must introduce these enzymes very slowly. If you are pregnant, it is the wrong time to experiment with DPP IV.