The Hidden Connection Between Oxalates and Candida: What You Need to Know

If you’ve been struggling with unexplained symptoms like joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, or digestive discomfort, the answer could lie in an overlooked connection: oxalates and Candida albicans. These two culprits can create a vicious cycle of inflammation, gut imbalance, and systemic health issues. Let’s explore how they interact and, most importantly, how you can break the cycle to reclaim your health.

What Are Oxalates?

Oxalates are naturally occurring compounds found in many plant-based foods like spinach, almonds, and sweet potatoes. They can also be produced within the body. While oxalates are harmless in small amounts, excessive levels can bind to minerals like calcium, forming crystals that contribute to kidney stones, oxidative stress, and inflammation.

What Is Candida?

Candida albicans is a yeast that naturally resides in your gut, mouth, and other areas. While it’s usually harmless, an overgrowth of Candida can wreak havoc on your body, causing symptoms such as:

• Bloating and gas

• Brain fog

• Fatigue

• Skin issues like rashes or acne

How Oxalates and Candida Are Linked

Here’s where things get interesting—and problematic:

1. Candida Produces Oxalates

Research has shown that Candida albicans can metabolize sugars into oxalates. If you have Candida overgrowth, you may also have higher oxalate levels, even if your dietary intake of oxalates is low.

2. Candida Impairs Oxalate Breakdown

A healthy gut microbiome contains oxalate-degrading bacteria, such as Oxalobacter formigenes, which help break down dietary oxalates. Candida overgrowth disrupts the gut microbiome, reducing the population of these beneficial bacteria and impairing your body’s ability to clear oxalates.

3. Oxalates Promote Candida Growth

High oxalate levels can damage gut tissues and weaken your immune system, creating an environment that encourages further Candida overgrowth.

This creates a cycle where Candida produces oxalates, oxalates damage your gut, and your gut’s inability to clear oxalates worsens Candida overgrowth.

Common Symptoms of Oxalate and Candida Overload

• Digestive issues: bloating, diarrhea, or constipation

• Joint pain or stiffness

• Chronic fatigue

• Brain fog

• Vulvar pain or urinary symptoms

• Recurrent infections

Breaking the Cycle: Dietary Strategies

1. Reduce High-Oxalate Foods Gradually

Suddenly eliminating oxalates can overwhelm your body, so start by gradually reducing foods like:

• Spinach

• Almonds

• Beets

• Sweet potatoes

• Dark chocolate

Low-Oxalate Food Options

Instead, focus on:

• Bok choy, arugula, dandelion, and other low-oxalate greens

• Zucchini and cucumbers (peeled and seeded would be best on order to avoid lectins - another source of inflammation)

• Grass-fed and grass-finished meats and wild-caught fish

• Coconut products

• Herbs like parsley, oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage

2. Follow an Anti-Candida Diet

Candida thrives on sugar and refined carbs, so eliminate:

• Sugary foods and beverages

• White bread, pasta, and pastries

• Alcohol

Instead, focus on:

• Non-starchy vegetables (e.g., broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus)

• Healthy fats (e.g., avocado, olives, olive oil, coconut oil)

• Clean proteins (e.g., pastured poultry and eggs, grass-fed beef and lamb, and wild-caught fish)

• Low-glycemic fruits like blueberries and Granny-Smith apples

Supplement Recommendations

1. Oxalate-Binding Support

• Calcium Citrate: Helps bind oxalates in the gut to prevent absorption. Take with meals containing oxalates.

2. Gut Health Support

• Probiotics: Include strains like Saccharomyces boulardii to combat Candida and replenish beneficial bacteria.

• L-glutamine: Supports gut lining repair.

3. Detox and Drainage Support

• Magnesium glycinate: Helps improve detox pathways.

• Activated charcoal or bentonite clay: Binds toxins for elimination.

• Antifungals: Caprylic acid, berberine, and oregano oil can help combat Candida directly.

Reassessing Your Progress: The Role of Urine Testing

How can you know if your efforts are working? Functional lab testing is key. Urine Organic Acid Testing can measure:

1. Candida metabolites like Arabinose, indicating yeast overgrowth.

2. Oxalate levels, showing whether your dietary and supplement changes are lowering the burden on your body.

These tests provide actionable insights, helping you fine-tune your protocol and track your improvements.

Final Thoughts

The connection between oxalates and Candida is a critical yet often overlooked factor in chronic health issues. By addressing both simultaneously through targeted diet, supplements, and testing, you can break the cycle and promote lasting wellness.

Your body is designed to heal when given the right tools. Let’s empower it to do just that!

Love, Paulina

BOOK A CALL HERE!