Fruit Juices Often Contaminated with Candida Yeast.

 Candida is a yeast with commonly grows in the human intestines. Heavy growth of Candida in the intestines has been associated with many health problems such as chronic fatigue, problems concentrating, depression, skin problems, yeast infections in other parts of the body (such as the vagina, penis, skin and mouth) and many other health problems. Various studies have reported that overgrowth of Candida can produce large amounts of beverage alcohol (ethanol) and many allergy causing (allergenic) proteins. Candida overgrowth in the body is especially common in persons undergoing multiple antibiotic courses, the use of oral steroid drugs (such as prednisone or birth control pills) and those with comprised immune systems (such as HIV/AID’s patients or patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy for organ transplants).   A low sugar and yeast free diet like Doug Kaufmann’s phase diets are helpful in controlling overgrowth of Candida and other yeast in the intestines.

The body can be exposed to many species of Candida through food.  Eating and drinking food contaminated with Candida can greatly increase the risk of developing heavy Candida overgrowth in the body. Commercially prepared juice is often high in yeasts and other molds. A Croatian study reported that live (viable) Candida was found in all 84 samples of apple, orange, grapefruit and lemon juice sampled. Some samples were heavily contaminated with Candida, with live Candida counts of more than 1 million per cup (230 milliliters).  Six species of Candida were identified in the juice samples, with the most common species being Candida guillermondii.  Other yeasts such as Trichosporon, Kloeckera and Crytptococcus neoformans were also found in the juice samples.

This study by Uhitil et al. was published in the December 2009 Arh Hig Rada Toksikol (Archives of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology).

To reduce risk of exposure to Candida and other yeasts, use freshly squeezed juices instead of store bought juices which may have been stored for many weeks. Be careful to clean juicer equipment after each use, or bacteria and yeasts can build up on juicers.

Better yet, eat fresh fruit instead of juice because the whole fruits are less likely to be contaminated with Candida.  Whole fruits are also less likely to stimulate Candida overgrowth than juices, since whole fruits are also much higher in fiber and somewhat lower in sugars than fruit juice.