Candida is a very common digestive disorder that gives rise to a range of symptoms, from fatigue, gas, to skin. A perusal of the web on the matter largely recommends probiotics and certain interventions like apple cider vinegar and Chinese-herb based formulations like Phellostatin. All of these have proven effective combating candida for hundreds of thousands thus affected. However, sometimes such approaches prove ineffective and the question is why.
In order to answer this question, we need to understand something about the Chinese medicine approach to diagnosis. In classical biomedicine, what is commonly called Western medicine, there is no analytical basis for assessing the state of the individual. Some individuals are weak and others are strong. Young individuals tend to be stronger than those who are older. Individuals who have had a chronic condition will usually tend to be weaker than those affected by the acute onset of something. Age and duration of a condition form the basis of Chinese medical diagnosis.
These variables do not exist within Chinese medicine in order to complicate that which should be considered simple. It actually has to do with the body’s ability to assimilate that which it has been given. Scientific studies that show positive results for herbs or drugs in a petri dish cannot account for how the same elements might work in the complex environs of the body. This is precisely the value of Chinese medicine. In order to explicate this we need to gain an understanding of how Chinese herbs are conceptualized.
Chinese herbs are classified by their function. These functions have a directional component, based upon the taste and character of the herbs themselves. In a petri dish a sweet herb might have the same antimicrobial effects of a bitter one, but the way in which each functions in the body will differ. These directions are basic: up, down, in, and out. Most classical formulas possess a combination of directions, which seek to balance with the imbalances within a particular individual. If we look at the formulation Phellostatin, which uses Chinese herbs but which is not a classical formula, we can deduce that it has a very strong downward action. Two of the six herbs seek to strike a balance relative this direction. Dosages will also play a factor.
Often people might say, “Oh, I took such-and-such for candida and it worked wonders.” Some have reported to me, “Such-and-such worked wonders when I took it three years ago, but now I’m getting no results.” This is because “such-and-such” relies upon the underlying strength of the body. The ineffectiveness of “such-and-such” indicates an underlying weakness that makes it impossible for the body to synthesize it in a way that it did in the past.
Most Chinese herbalists cannot predict without flaw the efficacy of a given formula. Our approach is, based on signs and symptoms, to send a ping to the system and then to adjust accordingly. I personally muscle test prescriptions, be they pills, raw herbs, or powder.
An herbal approach to candida can prove quite effective. When results are not as desired, the underlying strength of the body must be taken into consideration. Chinese herbalism excels at doing just this.