Candida and SIFO Probiotics: Best Strains for Yeast Infections

Science Based

SIFO and other Candida infections are a nightmare to deal with. They are notoriously hard to treat.

I’ve read hundreds of articles, testimonials and papers on fungal infections, and the approach that makes the most sense to me is: crowd out rather than kill.

Best Candida and SIFO probiotics

Two probiotic strains that consistently come up in discussions about Candida and SIFO are Saccharomyces boulardii and Lactobacillus rhamnosus.

Here’s what Dr. William Davis says about them in his book Super Gut:

Saccharomyces boulardii

The fungal species S. boulardii, a strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae used in winemaking, bread making, and beer brewing, can be taken as a probiotic supplement to suppress intestinal Candida through competition. A dose of five billion CFUs per day can work. S. boulardii does not colonize the gastrointestinal tract and is gone within days of stopping supplementation.

Not great news it doesn’t stay in the gut but at least it’s not a harsh antimicrobial.

Lactobacillus rhamnosus

Another probiotic Dr. William Davis mentions is Lactobacillus rhamnosus, specifically the GG strain:

Although the precise composition of the ideal probiotic to suppress Candida has not been established, several different preparations have been shown to reduce Candida, an effect that requires up to one year to develop. Strains of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (GG strain) may be especially effective.

You need to take this one for at least a year, which is probably why so many people fail to treat yeast overgrowth in the gut - they’re just not consistent enough.

Spore-Based Probiotic for Yeast Overgrowth in the Gut

Another probiotic that I have seen frequently mentioned in articles about fungal overgrowth in the gut is Bacillus subtilis.

Studies mention different strains but not all of them are available commercially as supplements.

Bacillus subtilis for SIBO and Gut Health [Best Strains]

You can also find foods that contain Bacillus subtilis, such as some brands of kombucha and Japanese natto (if you can handle the taste and texture).

Top 5 Fermented Foods for Gut Health [From Asia]

In this paper, I found evidence that the metabolites produced by B. subtilis may be what matters when it comes to controlling Candida overgrowth:

Bacillus spp. has been successfully applied to the control of pathogenic fungi, including in the field of medicine and biological control. Its metabolites play an important role in the prevention and treatment of fungi, including a variety of metabolites in different mechanisms to kill C. albicans or inhibit its growth.

Researches in another study came to a similar conclusion: substances produced and released by B. subtilis can inhibit the growth of and damage C. albicans:

In present study, three bacteria were screened against Candida albicans to evaluate their antifungal properties, one of bacterial isolates exhibited strong antifungal activity that was identified as Bacillus subtilis based on the 16Sr RNA gene sequence.

Overall, the strain B. subtilis NAM shows potential as a bacterium that can effectively restrict the growth of drug-resistant pathogenic yeasts.

Best Probiotics for Fungal Infections

As you can see we have 3 different probiotic types here:

Saccharomyces boulardii is a probiotic yeast.

Bacillus subtilis is a spore-forming bacterium.

And Lactobacillus rhamnosus is a lactic acid bacterium.

What if you combined them for better results since Candida and SIFO are so difficult to treat?

This is the approach recommended by Dr. Michael Ruscio. He calls it the Evidence-Based Meta-Protocol and uses it for Candida, SIBO and IBS.

For about 2 to 3 months, you take probiotics from the following groups. As you can see, the doses are fairly high.

• Lacto/Bifido Blend: 1-50 billion CFU
• Saccharomyces boulardii: 10-15 billion CFU
• Soil-based probiotics: 2-6 billion CFU

The Bottom Line

Whatever approach you take, it's important to remember that Candida and SIFO treatments take time. Candida is highly adaptive and has even developed resistance to antifungal medications in many cases.

Taking the right probiotics at the right doses (which is very important!) is a natural approach that may take anywhere from a few months to a year before you notice relief from your symptoms.

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SIFO and Candida Overgrowth Natural Treatment by Dr. William Davis