Grapefruit Seed Extract

A Candida infection is also commonly referred to as a yeast infection, or yeast infestation. Many species live in symbiosis with other organisms, as in the case of mammals, including humans, being referred to as endosymbiotes. These relationships are not mutual, which means that the host generally does not gain much in terms of benefit, while the “tenant” lives free. Many times however, these Candida species become opportunistic in nature, that is they lie dormant until a time that the body’s immune system is compromised, before launching an attack, manifested as external yeast infections( common in women), or more serious systemic infections(in blood), which entail relatively high mortality rates

One of the most common causes of yeast infections is following antibiotic treatment. What prolonged antibiotic usage does is effectively reduce the population of bacterial organisms, both good and parasitic, causing an imbalance of fungi: bacteria ratio. Candida infections result in many health conditions, certain ones being more characteristic than others. Common clinical features demonstrated by Candida infections include spontaneous fatigue, loss of mental clarity, vaginal discharge or balanitis in men.

Treatment of Candida infections is generally multi-faceted, with medical backup a must. In recent years, the efficacy of grapefruit seed extract has been studied, with positive results. To begin, grapefruit seed extract was found to be equi-potent to many synthetic antibiotics available to man. The amazing this about this however, is the fact that it is virtually absent of the ill effects associated with today’s antibiotic usage. Added to the fact that it has an astounding safety margin, it follows that it should be employed whenever appropriate. Candida infections, are however fungal in origin, not bacterial, so you might be wondering how this comes into play. The beauty though, is the fact that grapefruit seed extract is also a fungicidal agent. It may be an overstatement to claim that grapefruit seed extract alone is sufficient to cure Candida infections, but once necessary supporting steps are taken it acts fine as a medical stand alone.

A necessary modification that must be made, is to the diet. If on average, you consume foods high in sugar, made from yeast or molds, or fermented in nature, many fruits and syrups including molasses and honey sources, they must be discontinued for the time being. The reason for this is that yeast and other fungi thrive on many sugar sources, and avoiding foods with inherent yeast content is obvious.

Ideally, a Candida extermination programme, including diet should be done for around four weeks. Grapefruit seed extract is usually introduced after the first successful week of dieting; this is to ensure all requirements are in place before employing the big gun. Avoiding alcoholic drinks and supplementing with an effective probiotic drug also bides well with this step. According to a study of 297 persons infected with Candida, only 2 failed to achieve satisfactory results after treatment with grapefruit seed extract, with the possibility remaining that maybe their diets were still not up to par.

The usual starting dose of grapefruit seed extract is around 10 drops taken twice daily in water or selected fruit juices, between meal times. This is done for the first three days, following which the dose is increased to 15 drops twice daily, for a further 7 days. Following this period, until completion the dose is increased to 15 drops three times daily, with a complete clearance of symptoms within the 28 day period. It is very scarce to see a patient requiring continued treatment, but owing to the safe nature of GSE, it may be used for up to 4 to 6 months to eradicate stubborn infections. Because of the bitter taste of GSE liquid extract, overdosing is a rare occurrence, and is one of the primary reasons persons switch to the capsule form instead. Conversion of liquid to capsules is roughly 10 drops to 1 capsule, so if a simple change of dosage from increases patient compliance, by all means try it.