Ask Dr. Mike: Candida Rugosa & My Stool is White... HELP!

Additional Info

• Segment Number: 4
• Audio File: healthy_talk/1518ht3d.mp3
• Organization: Life Extension
• Guest Website: Healthy Talk MD
• Transcription: RadioMD Presents: Healthy Talk | Original Air Date: April 29, 2015
  
  Host: Michael Smith, MD
  
  RadioMD. It's time to ask Dr. Mike. Do you have a question about your health? Dr. Mike can answer your questions. Just email AskDrMikeSmith@RadioMD.com or call now at 877-711-5211. The lines are open.
  
  DR MIKE: Mrs. Rich sent an email to ask AskDrMikeSmith@RadioMD.com and I thought this was really interesting. And I had to do some research so, hopefully, I have some answers for Mrs. Rich.
  
  She says, "Hello! I wanted to take digestive enzymes but I noticed a strange ingredient, candida rugosa. On Google, there is a site talking about an infection of candida rugosa in Latin America. Here are my questions: What is the difference between candida rugosa and albicans and does supplements with candida rugosa, does it increase candida in the body? Is candida rugosa's infection possible and dangerous?"
  
  I thought this was really, really interesting. We know, Mrs. Rich, that there are--by the way, she is from France. I think this is so awesome that I have listeners from all over the world. She goes on to say. Let me just finish this.
  
  She says, "I am a new member of Life Extension," That's where I'm the senior scientist. She says that she is still doing her pyramid and that's the reference to my book, The Supplement Pyramid. In France, she goes on to say that there are very few info sites about supplements. "I find your show very helpful."
  
  Well, thank you very much, Mrs. Rich, and thanks for your question. Alright. So, we know there are many different types of harmful, yeast species that fall under the genus candida. The most common one is candida albicans. That's the most common. It's the one that causes thrush and some other issues. Most of the time, when people talk about yeast infection, they're usually talking about candida albicans. But there are other ones out there. This is not the only one. And the other ones out there are really based on geography. Personally, I have never heard of this one, candida rugosa. I think I'm saying that right. Candida rugosa.
  
  It seems to be an infectious yeast that is mostly in the Far East. I found a journal article about candida rugosa. This was published in March 2011 in the Journal of Medical Microbiology. It was a nice review of different candida species and in that there was a part about rugosa. The thing that's worrisome about rugosa is that it is already worldwide. There is about 16% resistance to Fluconazole which is the main yeast medication we use. Infections with candida rugosa usually happen just like the other candida species in immune compromised people, people in the hospital and that type of stuff.
  
  So, going back to Mrs. Rich's question, she's noticed that, apparently, I guess she found a digestive enzyme product that has candida rugosa in it. So, I had to look that up a little bit more. Like, what's going on there?
  
  Well, what I found out was this, Mrs. Rich. Candida rugosa in a lab, in a petri dish, makes a lot of the lipase enzyme. And the lipase enzyme is the enzyme used to break down fat. Your own body, the human body, makes human lipase and apparently, the candida rugosa lipase is very genetically and structurally similar to human lipase. So, it is used, I guess, in some digestive enzyme products. It's not the yeast though.
  
  It's the lipase from the yeast. I mean, I guess, you always have to worry a little bit about contamination, so you have to be really confident in the product that you are buying and that it's free of actual live candida rugosa because it is a harmful yeast. But, apparently, they use the lipase from rugosa to make ice cream. I don't know. I guess the lipase breaks or emulsifies the ice cream a little bit more and it's used in some silk products. What I mostly found was that the lipase from candida rugosa is used in industry, not necessarily in food products, except for the ice cream and in some cases, digestive enzymes.
  
  Okay. So, the difference between candida rugosa and candida albicans is that they are different species of the same genus. They are both infectious yeasts. They both hit immune compromised people. The main difference is candida rugosa is really found mostly in the Far East whereas albicans is found in the west. It's geography, Mrs. Rich.
  And then to answer your question, "Does supplement of candida rugosa increase candida infections body?" Well, yes. Don't take candida rugose. It's a harmful yeast. But again, you are not taking the yeast species in that digestive enzyme product. You are simply taking the lipase that was harvested from the yeast. You've just need to make sure it's not contaminated. So the answer your question, "Is candida rugosa's infection possible and dangerous?"
  
  Yes. It is an opportunistic harmful yeast species. And, apparently, it is quite resistant to a powerful drug called Fluconazole. 16% resistance.
  
  Awesome questions! I loved this. I like investigative type things where I have to do some investigation myself. So, that is the story about candida rugosa. It is a harmful yeast species found in the Far East that hits immune compromised, hospitalized people, the same way that other candida species work like candida albicans here in the West. However, it does produce a lipase enzyme that is very similar to humans and can be used in certain products like ice cream and even digestive supplements. So, very, very interesting. Thank you so much for that, Mrs. Rich. I really enjoyed answering that question.
  
  Okay. How am I doing? I think I'm okay. Let's do the next question.
  
  "Ever since around of very strong antibiotics, my stool is white on occasion. When I mean white, I mean white. Any thoughts on what I can do? Thanks, Ann."
  
  Well, white stool, Ann, usually means lack of bile. I mean the dark color of stool comes from bile. Bile is made in the liver, stored in the gallbladder. It's released especially at fatty meals because bile helps to emulsify the fats. It's funny we are speaking of bile and we just talked about lipase from candida rugosa. Lipase needs the fats to kind of be collected in the bile, those fats become emulsified, lipase can work on those fats. You can absorb them at that point, the fatty acids. So, the dark stool color, the brown color of stool--that's bile. So, if you are having white stool, that's usually an issue with bile. And I don't know what the connection to the antibiotic use is.
  
  I would actually, before worrying about the antibiotics, I would... Well, first of all, you did a whole round of antibiotics. You said very strong antibiotics. So, definitely get on some probiotics. That would be important but I would maybe get an ultrasound and let the radiologist visualize the liver, the biliary duct and the gallbladder. So, the liver is where the bile is made, it travels down the biliary duct into the gallbladder and I would just make sure that there are no obstructions; there are no issues there; make sure the liver looks normal in size and color and what's called echogenicity on ultrasound. Same with the gallbladder. Just make sure there are no issues there. You didn't mention anything about stomach pain or anything like that, or jaundice.
  
  So, I don't know but that's the first thing I would do. I would order an ultrasound to make sure I am not missing something in the liver or the gallbladder before I try to relate it to this use of strong antibiotics. But, of course, start a probiotic, right? Replace those healthy gut bacteria. Antibiotics kill the bad stuff but they also kill the good guys. That's why probiotics are very important after antibiotics and, in my opinion, every day.
  
  This is Healthy Talk on RadioMD. I'm Dr. Mike. Stay well.
• Length (mins): 10
• Waiver Received: No
• Internal Notes: NO GUEST
• Host: Mike Smith, MD