- With Mayo Clinic nutritionist
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
read biographyclose windowBiography of
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.
A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Question
Candida cleanse: Does it treat candidiasis?
I've been told by a nutritionist that I have intestinal candidiasis and that I have to eat a "candida cleanse" diet by eliminating sugar, cheese, white flour and yeast. Does this really work?
Answer
from Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
Be careful accepting this diagnosis. No studies have proved that having intestinal candidiasis — a large number of fungi-like Candida albicans in your intestines — causes any symptoms of illness, nor that treatments like a "candida cleanse" diet will treat intestinal candidiasis effectively.
Some holistic medicine practitioners believe that intestinal candidiasis causes signs and symptoms such as fatigue, depression, poor memory, moodiness, headache and cravings for sweets. They believe that by following a strict "candida cleanse" diet that excludes sugars and yeasts, you can get rid of the excess yeast that causes these symptoms. However, this treatment technique is not well supported by research.
Eliminating many foods from your diet may be too restrictive. If the diet seems to help and you plan to follow this diet in the long term, consider working with a dietitian to make sure you aren't missing any important nutrients.
If you have the signs and symptoms listed above, talk to your doctor. He or she may be able to help you identify another cause that might be better addressed with conventional treatment.
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