The Coconut Oil Miracle (12 page)

One of the most widespread health problems in Western society is caused by the fungus
Candida albicans.
Many women are familiar with this troublesome pest because it is a common cause of vaginal yeast infections. It is also the same organism that causes oral thrush and diaper rash in babies. Candida is a single-celled fungus or yeast cell that inhabits the intestinal tract and mucous membranes of every living person on earth. Within days after birth, newborns are infected and have a budding colony living in their digestive tract. Normally, competition from friendly bacteria and the cleansing action of our immune system keeps candida numbers low and prevents them from causing any adverse health problems. But when the immune system
is compromised or when friendly bacteria in our gut are killed by taking antibiotics, a candida infection can quickly flare up. A single course of antibiotics can lead to a raging candida infection. Approximately 75 percent of women experience vaginal yeast infections at one time or another.

Vaginal yeast infections are typically treated as if they were only localized in one area of the body. Many people, however, have systemic infections in which candida grows out of control overrunning the digestive tract and affecting the entire body, including the reproductive system. Systemic yeast infections, called candidiasis (or yeast syndrome), affect the entire body and can afflict men as well as women. Symptoms are numerous and varied, and even doctors have difficulty identifying the problem.

Because it is not easy to identify, hundreds of thousands of women and men are plagued with candidiasis without even realizing it. Vaginal yeast infections or oral yeast infections (thrush) can be identified by the white discharge they produce. Recurring vaginal yeast infections are one of the signs of a systemic infection. But you can have candidiasis without an active vaginal yeast infection. Anyone who has taken antibiotics, birth control pills, steroids, or immunosuppressive drugs is at high risk of having a systemic yeast infection, even if no noticeable symptoms are evident. Typical symptoms also include fatigue, depression, allergy symptoms, and recurring fungal skin infections (athlete’s foot, jock itch, ringworm, etc.).

Skin fungus can afflict any part of the body from the head to the toe. Dry, flaky skin that persists despite the use of hand lotion and skin creams could very well be a fungal infection. Often what people
call psoriasis is really a fungal infection. Dandruff is caused, in part, by skin fungus. Preadolescent children are the primary victims of scalp ringworm (tinea capitis), a skin fungus similar to athlete’s foot. Not until puberty do glands secrete oil-containing MCFAs that help protect the scalp from skin fungus (see
chapter 6
for more information on skin health).

One of the most potent nondrug or natural yeast-fighting substances is caprylic acid, a medium-chain fatty acid derived from coconut oil. Caprylic acid in capsule form is commonly sold as a dietary supplement in health food stores. It is very effective against candida and other forms of fungi. It is even effective mixed with a little coconut oil or vitamin E oil as a topical application for fungal skin infections. I’ve seen fungal infections that have lasted for months clear up in a matter of days using caprylic acid and a little coconut oil. It works just as effectively inside the body, killing fungi without the least bit of harm.

Polynesian women who eat their traditional coconut-based diet rarely, if ever, get yeast infections. Eating coconut oil on a regular basis, as the Polynesians do, helps to keep candida and other harmful microorganisms at bay.

The efficiency of caprylic acid is reportedly so favorable that many supplement manufacturers put it in their products used to fight systemic and vaginal yeast infections. John P. Trowbridge, M.D.,
president of the American College for the Advancement of Medicine and author of
The Yeast Syndrome
, highly recommends caprylic acid as an aid to fight systemic candida infections.

William Crook, M.D., the author of
The Yeast Connection
and recognized authority on yeast infections, also recommends it. He reports that many physicians have used it successfully and that it works especially well for those patients who have adverse reactions to antifungal drugs. It is reported that caprylic acid is just as effective as nystatin, the most popular antifungal prescription drug, but without the side effects.

The only effective cure for candidiasis has been dietary changes and medications. Caprylic acid is a natural yeast fighter that has been used very successfully in place of the drugs. Caprylic acid is often sold in combination with antifungal herbs in dietary supplements designed to help those with yeast infections. Caprinex (Nature’s Way), Capricin (Professional Specialties), Mycostat (P & D Nutrition), and Caprystatin (Ecological Formulas) are the names of some of the anticandida supplements available.

It is interesting that people who eat a lot of coconut live in areas where yeast and fungi are extremely plentiful, yet they are rarely troubled by infections. Only in more temperate climates where processed vegetable oils are the main source of dietary fat are yeast infections, skin fungus, acne, and other skin infections big problems.

There are two general groups of parasites. One consists of worms such as tapeworms and roundworms; the second category is protozoa:
one-celled organisms. Parasites infect the intestines of both humans and animals and can cause a great deal of intestinal distress. We often associate parasites with Third World countries and poor sanitation, but parasites are a problem everywhere, even in North America. In countries where sanitation is a priority, people mistakenly assume that no problem exists and they don’t need to worry. But parasites are everywhere, waiting for the opportunity to latch onto an unsuspecting host. Backpackers have long been aware of the danger of drinking water from streams and lakes. Open water, even in the backcountry, is often contaminated with parasites.

Bert Thomas, a 45-year-old geologist, was a wilderness enthusiast. He loved hiking, rock climbing, and mountain biking and was an excellent athlete. In the spring of 1994 he took his three children and went backpacking in the Wyoming wilderness. Always mindful of the dangers of drinking surface water, even in a seemingly pristine wilderness, he made sure to boil or filter every drop of water they drank.

On his return home he began to experience bouts with diarrhea and became increasingly fatigued. He lost all energy and stopped participating in the outdoor sports that had become a regular part of his life. He began to lose weight, suffered from dizzy spells, and became short of breath. Doctors were unable to find a cause for his problems. Because the illness began soon after his return home from Wyoming, a stool sample was tested for parasites. The tests came back negative. Over the next six months he was treated for ulcers, had blood tests, abdominal scans, and X-rays in an attempt to find the cause of his illness. Symptoms became worse. He began having blackouts and heart palpitations and was eventually hospitalized. Monitoring his
heart revealed a serious abnormality called arrhythmia. It was assumed this was the cause of his dizzy spells and blackouts. He was given medication to control the arrhythmia but after a while stopped taking it because of its side effects. Despite the negative tests from the stool specimen, his doctor gave him medication to treat giardia because there was little else he could do.

Soon after, Bert felt dramatic relief of the diarrhea and regained much of his former energy. As he found out, a common problem with tests for parasites is that they are often wrong. A negative reading doesn’t necessarily mean there are no parasites present.

His heart palpitations and dizziness continued and seemed to become aggravated when he attempted to exercise. He went to another doctor, an expert in intestinal disease, who recognized the symptoms immediately as giardiasis. Another stool test was performed to make sure that the giardia had been eradicated. It had been.

While the parasites may have been removed, the damage done by them wasn’t. Intestinal permeability tests showed Bert was having trouble absorbing nutrients and was suffering from a mineral deficiency. He was given a multiple vitamin and mineral supplement. Within a month Bert reported a 90 percent reduction in heart palpitations and dizziness and was able to resume his favorite sports. It took nine months on high doses of supplements for his body to recover completely from the damage caused by the giardia infection.

It was assumed that Bert became infected with giardia while he was in the wilderness, but that may not be so. Tap water can also be a source of contamination. The water treatment process doesn’t remove all contaminants and parasites. Single-celled organisms such as cryptosporidium and giardia are particularly troublesome because
they often slip through water purification treatment unharmed; since these organisms are protected by a tough outer coat, the chlorine added to municipal water supplies to kill germs has little effect on them. Because of their small size, very fine filters are needed to trap them, and complete elimination of these parasites from tap water isn’t possible. Drinking-water regulations are designed to reduce but not necessarily eliminate parasite contamination; so even water systems that meet government standards may not be free of parasites. Water supplies must be constantly monitored to detect levels above acceptable limits, but even then the potential exists for giardia infection. The most susceptible are those who have a weak immune system that is incapable of mounting an effective defense against the organism. This is seen mostly in the very young and the elderly and those afflicted with immune-suppressing illnesses such as AIDS.

Giardia and another parasite, cryptosporidium, normally live in the digestive tracts of many mammals. Public water supplies can become infected with these organisms when they are contaminated by sewage or animal waste. Cryptosporidium is believed to be in 65 to 97 percent of the nation’s surface waters (rivers, lakes, and streams), according to the CDC. About half of our tap water comes from treated surface water. Giardia is a much bigger problem. It ranks among the top 20 infectious diseases that cause the greatest morbidity in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and it is also the most common parasite diagnosed in North America. The CDC estimates that two million Americans contract giardiasis every year.

Although you may not hear about it, outbreaks occur all the time, usually in smaller cities and occasionally in large metropolitan areas. Unsafe water is an embarrassment to the water department of any
city, and sometimes officials are unwilling to admit that a problem exists until it’s too late. Giardia is commonly found in the pretreated water system used by some 40 million Americans and has caused epidemics in several small cities. This was apparently what happened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1993. A breakdown in water sanitation permitted cryptosporidium to contaminate the city’s drinking water for a week. As a result, 100 people died and 400,000 suffered with the stomach cramps, diarrhea, and fever that are characteristic of the parasite. Recent outbreaks have occurred in cities in California, Colorado, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, to name just a few.

Giardia can live in a variety of water sources: streams, ponds, puddles, tap water, and swimming pools. Infection is spread by contact with an infected source. You don’t have to drink contaminated water to become infected. Giardiasis can spread by sexual contact, poor personal hygiene, hand-to-mouth contact, and food handlers who don’t wash their hands thoroughly. If your hands are exposed to contaminated water, animals, people, or feces (e.g., litter boxes, diapers), the infection could spread to you. Shoes can come in contact with animal droppings and bring it inside the home. Veterinary studies have shown that up to 13 percent of dogs are infected. Any pet can become a source of infection for humans, although the pet itself may not show signs of infection.

Infection can come from the most unsuspected sources. One family get-together proved this point. A few days after a party, 25 people who attended reported gastrointestinal distress. They were all found to be infected with giardia. On investigation, suspicion fell on the fruit salad. It was discovered that the salad became infected by the
food preparer who hadn’t properly washed her hands. She had a diapered child and a pet rabbit at home both of which tested positive for giardia.

A study at Johns Hopkins Medical School a few years ago showed antibodies against giardia in 20 percent of randomly chosen blood samples from patients in the hospital. This means that at least 20 percent of these patients had been infected with giardia at some time in their lives and had mounted an immune response against the parasite. Giardia is rampant in day-care centers. A study in 1983 showed that 46 percent of those who were infected were associated with day-care centers or had contact with diaper-age children. It is estimated that 20 to 30 percent of workers in day-care centers harbor giardia. In a study done in Denver, Colorado, with 236 children attending day-care centers, 38 children (16 percent) were found to be infected.

Symptoms of giardia infection vary. It is often misdiagnosed and mistreated because its symptoms are similar to those of a number of other conditions, including the flu, irritable bowel syndrome, allergies, and chronic fatigue syndrome. In acute cases, symptoms are usually most severe and can include any of the following (listed in order of prevalence):

Infection can persist for weeks or months if left untreated. Some people undergo a more chronic phase that can last for many months. Chronic cases are characterized by loose stools and increased abdominal gassiness with cramping, depression, fatigue, and weight loss. Some people may have some symptoms and not others, while some may not have any symptoms at all.