A woman with tinea versicolor is looking for suggestions on the Candida diet and asks the following question:

I am a 26 year old African Canadian female and I have Candida. I’m suffering with tinea versicolor for over 15 years; I have it all over my back ,a bit on my chest and I’ve noticed pigmentation on my upper back arms. After some research, I’ve come to the conclusion that this is a direct cause of yeast overgrowth. I’ve been on a Candida diet once but no success. I’m trying it again for the sake of my health condition. Any suggestions??

Yes, tinea versicolor is caused by yeast and is fairly common in people with Candida overgrowth in the gut.

For those who are unfamiliar with this condition, tinea versicolor is a fungal infection on the skin that disrupts the pigmentation of the skin and results in a patchy discoloration on the surface of the skin.

The patches are usually round spots that may range in color from white, tan or pink and usually occur on the upper arms, back and chest, but may also appear on the face and neck. It may be accompanied by a slight itching, but most often it produces no symptoms. Many people with Candida overgrowth have tinea versicolor to some degree and never even notice it. Since you are a woman of color, it would be more noticeable for you.

Traditional doctors treat it with topical antifungals, which would probably contain a bunch of other undesirable ingredients. A short course of prescription medication like nizoral or diflucan may help clear it up, but it will likely come back if the Candida in the gut is not addressed as well. Nizoral and diflucan can cause liver enzymes to elevate, so the liver should be monitored closely, if a prescription is taken.

Nystatin which is also a prescription drug, but it doesn’t leave the gut so it doesn’t affect the liver, may also be effective. Nystatin kills yeast on contact and is often used vaginally and as a mouth wash, so it may be effective on the skin as well by making it into a paste and rubbing it on.

Some natural approaches that may be helpful would be applying hydrogen peroxide to the skin or adding some hydrogen peroxide to the bath water. Be sure to keep the skin dry and oil free, because yeast proliferates in damp areas. It might also be helpful to keep your house dry by running a dehumidifier. It may sound a little drastic, but moving to a dryer climate is often helpful in keeping yeast controlled, because there is less humidity, mold and dampness.

In regard to the Candida diet — there are many factors that impact its effectiveness. When you say you have tried the Candida diet, I have no way of knowing what that means exactly. There are many different variations of the diet out there, so I don’t know which variation you have used.

Generally speaking, most people see quite a bit of improvement in their symptoms by following the Candida diet, however diet alone will not eradicate yeast overgrowth completely. It is one of the essential components that must be combined with other essential components, which include probiotics, detox, improving colon health, hormones, antifungals, nutritional deficiencies, liver health, food sensitivities and more.

The most crucial part of the Candida diet is to remove all forms of sugar. Most people see improvement in their symptoms with this aspect alone, however many people must also remove all carbohydrates, including complex ones, to see improvement. If you were still eating complex carbohydrates, then that may be reason that it wasn’t effective for you.

Typically, if someone does not see improvements in their symptoms with the diet, then it means they are still eating too many carbohydrates. However, depending on the severity of the yeast overgrowth on the skin, diet alone probably will not clear up tinea versicolor. It will probably need to be combined with antifungals and probiotics at a minimum.

I would suggest you get a thorough understanding of all the aspects involved in the Candida Diet and Candida overgrowth and address each issue simultaneously. I provide a vast amount of free information on both of these topics by clicking the words in blue in this paragraph or you can find a comprehensive overview in my Ebook, Candida Secrets. As always, I recommend finding a good alternative health doctor to accompany you on your self-care journey.

Best
Cynthia