I’ve heard about different types of natural antifungals. Which should I take?
Caprylic acid is an oil found in coconuts. It is an excellent substance for dealing with candida in the intestines and, to some extent, it is also absorbed into other tissues of the body. However, being a long-chain fatty acid, it has some difficulty in penetrating fatty cell wall membranes. On the other hand, there are antifungal plant oils which have a short-chain fatty acid structure, and these are able to penetrate outlying tissues (muscles, joints, skin, sinuses, etc.) far more easily, so supplements containing the oils of oregano and cloves, for instance, are often very helpful once gastrointestinal symptoms have improved but other symptoms remain. Other anti-candida agents include olive leaf extract, propolis tincture and the herb uva ursi – but never take more than one type at a time, because you could be asking for a double dose of die-off reaction!
