Entry for April 24, 2008

 

Chart: High dosage of Zinc (Zn) can lower Sulfur (S).

Another supplement and another home run. I starting taking MSM yesterday and I notice a big improvement with my candida. I looked up the mineral relationships chart and the answer hit me like a ton of bricks. The obvious answer is Zinc (Zn). From February 2007 until August 2007 I took high dosages of zinc and went too far and pushed my copper level too low. I think the high intake of zinc also lowered the level of sulfur (S) and based on the interrelationships, high zinc could’ve also lowered my potassium and iron.

I’m just glad I found another deficiency except this one may have been caused by me…

Entry for September 05, 2007

So with these new idea swirling around in my head, I pick up some taurine and glutathione on my way home. Back to google for some more research…

Neurotransmitter Amino Acids

Abnormalities in this group are widespread in their implications, and are seen in virtually all mental/emotional problems, primary brain problems (stroke, Alzheimer’s Disease, epilepsy), depression, anxiety, insomnia, poor concentration, memory problems, and mental exhaustion.

Aspartic Acid
Asparagine
Gamma Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) (minor amino acid)
Glutamic Acid
Glutamine
Glycine
Phenylalanine
Taurine
Tryptophan
Tyrosine

After some brief reading, I focus in on something called GABA. I know I’ve come across that in the health food stores but what is it exactly?

GABA

Neurons in the brain’s temporal lobes produce the biochemical GABA and their resulting theta brain waves. GABA is the brain’s natural valium providing calmness and aiding in the production of endorphins. When in balance the GABA dominant person is characterized by stability and reliability. These people are team players who thrive on organization and long-term relationships. Homemakers, administrators, technicians, nurses, security officers, accountants, bus drivers are all ideal occupations for GABA natured people. GABA natured people are nurturers and are tend to be very traditional. 50% of the world’s population is GABA dominant so it is very important to understand how to balance this vital brain neurotransmitter.

An excess of GABA can result in a person not taking care of their own needs at the expense of nurturing others.

Early signs that you are may be GABA deficient include: feeling anxious, nervous or irritable. You may start to feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Other symptoms include: allergies, light-headedness, muscle aches. This is just the beginning of what could become serious health problems.

As with all the brain’s neurotransmitters GABA deficiencies affect all four major domains of brain function. Physical, personality, memory and attention issues can present themselves as GABA deficiencies become more prominent.

Factors which reduce GABA levels:

• Glutamaine (precursor) deficiency
• B1, B6, zinc, manganese & iron deficiency
• Chronic stress
• Chronic pain
• Inadequate sleep
• Progesterone deficiency
• Mercury and lead exposure
• Alcohol withdrawal
• Caffeine excess
• Excessive electromagnetic radiation
• Excessive loud noise exposure

Two things really stands out from this list:

1) Zinc, manganese and iron deficiencies.

2) Exposure to excessive electromagnetic radiation

There is no doubt whatsoever that I was low with all three of those minerals and I had exposure to electromagnetic radiation for a year before I discovered the intercom system. So these two things can cause a GABA deficiency and can cause anxiety…

I’ll try the glutathione, taurine for a couple of days to see what effect it has. If I still have the vibration, then I’ll try the GABA.

Entry for July 18, 2007

Something to keep in mind if I use high copper level as a starting point. What other vitamins and minerals can be effected? Copper, in excess, tends to lower potassium levels? I’ve tried potassium before and didn’t notice any difference. But I do know that it can cause nervousness and has a link with the adrenals.

Effects Of Copper On Other Minerals

Copper, in excess, tends to lower manganese, zinc and potassium levels. Copper toxicity can also result in deficiency of vitamin C and B6, inositol, folic acid and rutin.
Copper tends to increase tissue levels of calcium and sodium.
Copper can displace iron from the liver.

Effects Of Other Minerals And Vitamins On Copper

Mercury, cadmium and zinc – compete for absorption.
Molybdenum and sulfur – bind copper in the intestine.
Iron and manganese – remove copper from the liver.
Zinc – lowers copper levels in the blood.
Vitamin C – chelates copper in the blood.
Vitamin B6, folic acid and niacin are also copper antagonists.
Cobalt is synergetic with copper.

Entry for July 18, 2007

I’m really starting to get annoyed because I can’t figure out what the problem is. I know it’s deficiency…but what?

Back to googling “nervousness” + “deficiency”. I’m looking through all the regular vitamins and minerals and I feel like I’ve tried them all but then I notice one that maybe of interest. I don’t think I’ve done any in depth research on it. It goes on to mention how a reaction requires selenium and that a deficiency of vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc and/or iron can exaggerate the effects. I can say without a doubt that I had a deficiency with all of the above vitamins and minerals so I really need to look at this very closely. It also has a link to candida.

Nutrient Interactions: Iodine

How do other nutrients interact with iodine?

The conversion of thyroxine (T4) to triiodthyronine (T3) requires the removal of an iodine molecule from T4. This reaction requires the mineral selenium. The iodine molecule that is removed gets returned to the body’s pool of iodine and can be reused to make additional thyroid hormones.

If your body is deficient in selenium, the conversion of T4 to T3 is slowed, and less iodine is available for the thryoid to use in making new hormones.

Animal studies have shown that arsenic interferes with the uptake of iodine by the thyroid, leading to goiter. In addition, dietary deficiency of vitamin A, vitamin E, zinc and/or iron can exaggerate the effects of iodine deficiency.

Iodine deficiency causing defective free radical generation

Most people who do not regularly eat seafood (either fish or kelp) or use iodized salt have some degree of iodine deficiency; this can also occur as a result of a low-salt diet. These individuals may become hypothyroid and hypometabolic, because iodine is an essential ingredient in thyroid hormone. At the same time they may become more sensitive to yeast infections, due to inactivity of the myeloperoxidase enzyme, which uses iodine in cell mediated immune function.

The iodine is used by this enzyme to product iodine-free radicals which are part of the cellular anti-yeast “free radical artillery”. Previous to the use of nystatin as an antifungal drug, iodine therapy was successfully used to treat yeast infections; however, one must be very careful with the dosage. People who are sensitive to various foods and chemicals are frequently intolerant to iodine and should only use it in very low dosages.

Entry for July 07, 2007

Very interesting link between iron and manganese. This article suggests that taking manganese will increase your iron level but if you look at the mineral ratios, the suggestion is that it will lower it.

Iron & Manganese: Both elements share left-right-sided cell receptors and are considered essential to human health. As is the case with all other associated mineral pairs, the absorption of iron (Fe) is dependent on manganese (Mn), however with manganese being frequently lower than iron, and since iron can provoke a number of problems when supplemented (constipation, gastric upset), the addition of manganese, when low also, is vitally important. This not only prevents further ratio conflicts between the two, but also substantially reduces the amount of iron needed when manganese is supplemented at the same time.

While some sources claim that manganese lowers iron levels, this is mostly a theoretical consideration that would only happen under unusual circumstances. In actual clinical settings, I have not seen a single incidence of a patient’s iron (ferritin) levels decline as a result of taking manganese, even when doses as high as 150mg per day were supplemented on an ongoing basis. In fact, most minor iron-deficiency situations can be dealt with by using manganese alone – without any iron – which reduces any possible
adverse effects that can be part of routine iron supplementation.

Entry for July 06, 2007

Last week I was thinking about the mineral ratios between calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus. I couldn’t figure out why taking calcium makes the vibration worse and the magnesium helped my overall symptoms. I assumed the extra calcium was effecting the ratio of magnesium. Looking at the mineral ratio chart again, calcium and phosphorus can both effect the ratio of manganese. I’ve taken manganese here and there before and I thought it affected my level of magnesium. Knowing what I know now, I’m not so sure. The mineral ratios suggest that it can also effect phosphorus.

I’ve been taking the Bone meal now every morning for a couple of days and although I don’t have any negative side effects, it doesn’t seem to have an effect on the vibration. The interesting thing is I did get that funny weird feeling in my head yesterday and I thought it was odd because I just started taking the Bone Meal. If I was low in phosphorus and was now taking 500 mg extra a day, why did I get that weird feeling? It’s really hard to describe other than that it feels like I have an extremely low level of something but I just can’t figure out what it is and there are no other symptoms when it happens.

Could it be manganese? It has to be something in that important ratio of calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, phosphorus and manganese. I’ve really exausted my research on all of them except maybe one… Manganese!

Manganese might be a really good idea since I’ve started the Bone Meal. And it helps with the high level of copper too. Anytime I’ve tried it in the past, it’s been in a very standard dosage as directed. This time, I’ll try as much as 75 mg a day.

Entry for July 03, 2007

I didn’t take any iron today just to see if I could feel the difference and I didn’t really notice anything. So I had a thought. I’m going to see if I can find a store that has phosphorus or something that contains a high amount of it.

I checked a couple of health food stores and I get the feeling that they all think I’m crazy…nothing new there. But one guy said I wouldn’t find it and would have to use something called Bone Meal as a source of phosphorus but he didn’t have any.

Okay, this is interesting…I’ll need to do some research on this Bone Meal stuff and find out what it contains.

I’ve never heard of it…

Entry for June 25, 2007

I’ve raised my iron intake to 100 mg a day. The subtle changes have stopped but there is no doubt that I have a lot more energy. It’s a little tough taking my zinc and magnesium in between the dosage of iron but generally, I try to wait about 2 hours.

The vibration? The iron has definitely had an effect on it. I don’t feel it at night anymore. I only feel it sometimes in the morning but it’s not there most of the time. Now if I can just figure out the candida.

The iron has had an effect on the thrush but it hasn’t disappeared completely. I wonder if there are any other minerals that can effect candida?

Entry for June 19, 2007

I’ve taken three doses of 25 mg iron yesterday and again today without any magnesium. I am feeling a little better these days and I definitely have a lot more energy. Did some googling tonight and I came across this for treatment.

Treatment of Iron Deficiency

There is no better treatment than ferrous sulfate, 325 mg three times daily, which provides 180 mg of iron daily of which 10mg is usually absorbed. Patients who cannot tolerate iron on an empty stomach should take it with food.

Treatment for iron deficiency anaemia includes adding iron-rich foods to the diet and taking iron supplements for up to 12 months. Don’t take iron supplements unless advised by your doctor.

Ferrous sulfate, 325 mg three times daily? That seems like a high dosage and I don’t have Anemia so it’s really hard to find a dosage for a basic deficiency.

The amount of iron absorbed decreases with increasing doses. For this reason, it is recommended that most people take their prescribed daily iron supplement in two or three equally spaced doses. For adults who are not pregnant, the CDC recommends taking 50 mg to 60 mg of oral elemental iron (the approximate amount of elemental iron in one 300 mg tablet of ferrous sulfate) twice daily for three months for the therapeutic treatment of iron deficiency anemia. However, physicians evaluate each person individually, and prescribe according to individual needs.

Entry for June 16, 2007

I’ve been at this now for over two years and in the last few months, I’ve discovered deficiencies in selenium, iron and zinc. And based on the changes that happened when I took them individually, I’d say they all three were a strong deficiency.

One person I’ll give credit to? The women in the Oshawa health food store suggested I had mineral deficiencies when I suspected B6 was my main problem. I was so convinced at the time I had a B6 deficiency because of the relationship with magnesium that I forgot about it and I wasn’t sure I believed her anyway.

So I have to question why did I find these deficiencies after taking a very powerful multivitamin for so long? I don’t believe that you can correct a mineral deficiency with a multivitamin because it just doesn’t make sense when you understand mineral ratios and how they interact with each other. A multivitamin can provide the body with the extra nutrients but it will not correct a deficiency. Here’s what I found:

Biochemical Individuality and Nutrition
by Bill Walsh, Ph.D.

Introduction

Each of us has innate biochemical factors which influence personality, behavior, mental health, immune function, allergic tendencies, etc. Scientists tell us that the number of different genetic combinations possible in a child from the same two parents exceeds 42 million. It’s interesting to note that we do not possess a combination of characteristics from our parents, but instead have a diverse collection of characteristics from many ancestors on both sides of the family.

Except for identical twins, each human being has unique biochemistry resulting in quite diverse nutritional needs. Shakespeare was correct when he wrote “One man’s meat is another man’s poison.” For example, some of us are genetically suited for a vegetable-based diet and others are not. Some persons can satisfy their nutritional needs by diet alone and others must have nutritional supplements to overcome genetic aberrations.

Because of genetic differences in the way our bodies process foods, most of us are quite deficient in certain nutrients and overloaded in others. Even with an ideal diet, most of us have certain nutrients that are at very low levels with many times the RDA required to achieve a healthy balance. The nutrients in overload must be carefully avoided in vitamin supplements or serious health problems can develop. After studying the biochemistry of 10,000 persons, I’ve learned that the greatest mischief is usually caused by nutrients that are stored in excessive amounts, rather than those at depleted levels. The most common nutrients in overload include copper, iron, folic acid, calcium, methionine, manganese, choline, and omega-6 fatty acids. Of course, these same nutrients may be in deficiency in other persons.

I am amused by supplement manufacturers who attempt to develop the ideal combination of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids for the general population. This is a bit like trying to determine the ideal shoe size for the population. The truth is that multiple vitamins and minerals are too indiscriminate, and may do as much harm as good.

Each of us should ask the question, “Who am I nutritionally?”

Entry for June 11, 2007

Today was the first day with the added supplements and by the afternoon I felt sick. I took them as directed so I’m not sure if it was the extra supplements or a reaction to the ones I was already taking.

Okay, time to switch direction because that idea was clearly not working. Starting tomorrow I’m only taking 100 mg of zinc and this time I’ll take it was the homeopathic copper instead of the usual 2 mg dosage. I’ll also stick to the homeopathic iron and magnesium and keep them close by in case I need them.

Let’s see what happens…

Entry for June 08, 2007

I survived the entire day taking 750 mg of magnesium and it didn’t cause any problems. I wonder why it had such a negative effect on that one day after starting iron? It’s very weird and I’d like to see if I can find any information on mineral ratio and relationships.

Entry for June 07, 2007

For the past three days the vibration has returned. I thought I was doing good with the added calcium but I guess not. Tomorrow I’ll switch to taking my regular magnesium . I’ll try it in a lower dosage of 250 mg at each meal for 750 mg. Last time I took magnesium alone, it caused my hands to go cold so I’ll be interested to see if that happens again.

I really need to find out if the magnesium is the cause of the vibration or is it just helping relax my nerves and it’s something else. Can an iron deficiency cause nervousness? Like most vitamin and mineral deficiencies, there seems to be no standard for the symptoms.

Every web site tell you something different. Most of them don’t mention nervousness with an iron deficiency but one did… In fact, it contained deficiency dosage and different stages of deficiency that shows it’s possible to have an iron deficiency and a normal Hemoglobin.

First Signs of Iron Deficiency
Home | Worth Knowing | First Signs of Iron Deficiency

If the body does not get enough iron, it is capable of falling back on its own reserves for a while. That is why iron deficiency with its typical symptoms usually becomes noticeable very late. If you feel exhausted and tired more often than usual, notice slight forgetfulness or are nervous, irritated and weary, this might be the first signs of iron deficiency. There are of course other illnesses which have similar symptoms. For this reason, please leave the exact diagnosis to your doctor.

If you notice the symptoms listed below, it is advisable to let your doctor check your blood iron values in any case. The sooner you identify the start of iron deficiency, the better it can be treated.

• fatigue
• reduction in physical and mental capacity
• forgetfulness
• poor concentration
• attacks of weakness
• headaches
• nervousness
• loss of appetite
• gastro-intestinal disturbances
• shortness of breath
• heart complaints
• attacks of weakness
• increased susceptibility to infection
• pale, brittle, dry skin
• brittle flattened finger nails
• cracked lips
• loss of hair that is often dull and split

Iron Deficiency Therapy – Possibilities and Limitations

A daily dose of 80 – 100 mg free iron is considered as standard treatment for iron deficiency. Depending on the quality of the preparation, various amounts of iron are absorbed by the body. During a period of iron deficiency, the body increases the iron absorption rate from 10 % to approximately 50 % on its own, in order to quickly prevent the risk of iron deficiency anemia.

The aim of treatment is to completely eliminate the iron deficit and to replenish the iron stores. Accordingly, treatment can take, where iron depots are empty, up to 3 – 6 months, depending on the actual daily amount of iron taken. When treatment takes so long, it is important that you tolerate the iron preparation well. It is not rare that gastric intolerance hinders compliance. Treatment then only slowly achieves its aim – if at all. Please ask your doctor for a preparation that offers the body as much iron as possible and that is also well tolerated.

Iron deficiency stages: Latent iron deficiency

In latent iron deficiency, the iron stored in the depots has been used up. The organism now automatically falls back on the iron present in the blood. During this stage, you may start to experience unpleasant symptoms such as headache, susceptibility to cold, increasing nervousness and decrease in vitality. Treatment of latent iron deficiency lasts for approx. 6 – 8 weeks. Only after this period iron depots are replenished.

Serum ferritin: < 30 mg/l
Hemoglobin: Normal to slightly low.

And can iron levels effect the adrenals? Yup, it sure can.

Iron deficiency is known to depress the immune system, making the body more vulnerable to infection. Thyroid, para-thyroid and adrenal gland function are all influenced by an imbalance of iron.

Entry for June 05, 2007

I’ve been taking 600 mg of calcium/magnesium together in a one to one ratio for a couple of days with no side effects. There have been times when there was no way I could do this so it’s progress. I’m still taking 50 mg of iron a day and the candida is very slowly getting better. I’ve noticed that I can breathe a little better every day but it’s extremely slow progress. I’ll try adding caprylic acid to see if it has any effect.

The vibration seems to come and go just like before but for the most part, it’s not there anymore. I’ll keep going with the calcium/magnesium along with the iron, vitamin C and the zinc/copper for a while.

Entry for June 02, 2007

My new theory:

When I starting taking copper I noticed that it would make my hands go cold and it felt like I was losing my magnesium. I made the assumpion that if it was making things worse, I should try the mineral in the opposite direction and that’s when I discovered the zinc deficiency.

I’ve been taking high doses of magnesium for a long time and I think I was taking it at such a high dosage because I hadn’t discovered what was causing the loss. Since I’ve discovered the loss to be zinc, I don’t think I can continue taking just magnesium anymore as it’s probably lowering my calcium level and it’s my new theory for the return of the vibration. Who knows, it could also be my level of phosphorus but you can’t get it anywhere!

Now that the weekend is here, I’ll try taking calcium/magnesium together and see what the effect is.

Entry for June 01, 2007

Woke up this morning with the vibration. I’m not sure why because I’m only taking the zinc, copper, iron and vitamin C with nothing else.

Vitamin Dosage Review:

100 mg of zinc
2 mg of copper
50 mg of iron
1000 mg of vitamin C

After thinking for a while, I have a new theory…

Entry for May 31, 2007

I keep reading about how an iron deficiency can cause a decrease in the number of red blood cells. Iron plays a central role in the hemoglobin molecule of red blood cells. So I decide to pull up my blood test from March 29, 2006.

Hemoglobin : Anything over 170 is above normal and mine is 172.
Hematocrit : Anything over 0.49 is above normal and mine is 0.51.
RBC : Anything over 5.70 is above normal and mine is 5.83.

All of my blood readings are basically normal so is it possible that I’m not low in iron? Low hematocrit and hemoglobin are a signs of an iron deficiency and mine are on the high side of normal.

So why is it working? My vibration is gone, today was the second straight day without any magnesium and although it’s subtle, I am noticing a few things and have a bit more energy. It’s weird but I can feel a slight change in the clarity of my breathing so I think the candida is slowly getting better.

Another thing I’ve noticed is the whites of my eyes don’t seem to have as many red veins. Sounds silly but I’ve really noticed a difference. There seems to be a change with my eyes but other than the white part, I can’t quite put my finger on it. And another change? This sounds weird but for a while now, and I mean years, every time I would have a bath and rub the water on my face or in my eyes, they would always, always, always be bloodshot once I got out of the bath. It’s one of those things I’ve noticed and assumed that the water was irritating my eyes. Well since I’ve started taking the iron, it doesn’t happen anymore. Weird?

Also came across this:

Copper deficiency, due to its effects on ceruloplasmin, may cause an iron-deficiency anemia which can only be corrected with copper supplementation as it impairs iron absorption, reduces heme synthesis and increases iron accumulation in storage tissues.

I’d almost be willing to bet that most women have problems with iron because of the link with estrogen and copper levels. So how can I not be low on iron if there is a link to low copper levels?

Other Mineral Interactions

If you’re slugging down iron pills but remain weak and anemic, the culprit may not be iron at all, but another metal: Copper. A new genetic find explaining why is described by a University of California, Berkeley, scientist and his colleagues in the February, 1999 issue of the journal Nature Genetics.

The researchers discovered a protein, hephaestin, that appears critical for moving iron to the bloodstream. This protein contains copper and cannot be produced in the absence of copper. Thus in some cases, having too little copper present even with an ample iron supply might cause anemia, said the lead author on the paper, Assistant Professor Christopher Vulpe of UC Berkeley’s Division of Nutrition and Toxicology in the College of Natural Resources.

Iron supplementation, with as much as 200mg of elemental iron per day, is the obvious therapy for treating and preventing the recurrence of iron deficiency anemia.

Supplemental zinc (zinc gluconate, 22mg per day) improved zinc levels but reduced iron levels in a study of 11 young women with low iron stores (plasma ferritin< 20 µg/L), but who were not yet anemic.

Vitamin A and iron supplementation had the following effect on anemic pregnant women: 35% became non-anemic with only Vitamin A. 68% became non-anemic with just iron supplementation. 97% became non-anemic after supplementation with both Vitamin A and iron.

If I do end up going to a doctor for an iron test and he agrees, he’ll probably test the hematocrit and hemoglobin as well. Could it be possible to have high levels of hematocrit and hemoglobin along with a low level of iron? Did I lower them in the year I’ve been taking supplements? Can taking iron raise the levels hematocrit and hemoglobin? So many new questions.

Stay tuned…

Entry for May 31, 2007

The vitamin company that makes the iron chelate got back to me with their response and it was excellent!

“Thank you for your inquiry regarding Iron Chelate 25mg product, we appreciate you taking the time to contact us.

Our Research and Information Services explain that Natural Factors shows the total amount of elemental minerals on the label. The reason for this is to provide a true mineral value per tablet or capsule. Each tablet or Iron Chelate contains 25mg of elemental iron.. In the chelated form this product has a 90% absorption potential.

Our Product Manual contains the following for your interest:

Iron is critical to human life. It plays the central role in the hemoglobin molecule of red blood cells (RBC) where it functions in transporting oxygen from the lungs to the body’s tissues and the transportation of carbon dioxide from the tissues to the lungs. Iron also functions in several key enzymes in energy production and metabolism including DNA synthesis.

Supplemental iron helps build healthy red blood cells and prevents iron-deficiency anemia.”

Fantastic!

Entry for May 31, 2007

Had some car problems today so I took the morning off work. While the car was in the shop getting repaired, I ventured over to the Naturopathic College of Medicine. They have a health food store inside and they have a lot of great unheard of stuff. Maybe they will be more willing to talk so I can get a better understanding of iron.

I checked out the entire store and they had very little options in terms of iron supplements. They had a liquid iron supplement and it was very similar to mine so I begin the questions… The product said on the label it contained 10 mg of iron gluconate and continued to say it “contained” 19.35 mg of iron. Does this mean elemental iron? The salesperson wasn’t sure so we looked it up in the product manual. Still not clear so I asked a few more questions and I think she was a little intimidated as my questions were not the “regular Joe” type questions. I was looking for knowledge and she said I needed to speak to a naturopath and I understand completely. I asked her if she would recommend any homeopathic remedy for an iron deficiency and she referred me to a naturopath once again.

Nothing is ever easy…

Entry for May 30, 2007

Found this today on the dosage of iron.

How much is usually taken? If a doctor diagnoses iron deficiency, iron supplementation is essential. To treat iron deficiency, a common recommended amount for an adult is 100 mg per day; that amount is usually reduced after the deficiency is corrected. When iron deficiency is diagnosed, the doctor must also determine the cause.

So with that, I take the 25 mg of iron chelate just before bedtime for a daily total of 45 mg. More googling turned up some interesting links between iron and candida.

Lactoferrin

Lactoferrin is a protein molecule which attaches itself to the iron in your food to transport it to your cells. Frequently iron deficiencies are caused, not by lack of iron, but by poor iron absorption because of insufficient lactoferrin.

The soil organisms in Nature’s Biotics may help to eliminate iron deficiencies caused by insufficient lactoferrin as they have been shown to produce lactoferrin. Lactoferrin helps prevent excess iron in the blood by transporting that iron to cells.

Important for dealing with a Candida yeast infection, lactoferrin may help prevent Candida from using iron as a food source. The significance of this is that free iron may be a primary food source for Candida. Take that food source away by increasing the amount of lactoferrin, and the Candida yeast infection may not do so well.

Nature’s Biotics is particularly useful if you are taking iron supplements, as they tend to be poorly absorbed. If you don’t increase your lactoferrin levels, the iron supplements could end up feeding the Candida yeast.

Lactoferrin is a globular multifunctional protein with antimicrobial activity (bacteriocide, fungicide), is part of the innate defense, mainly at mucoses. Lactoferrin is found in milk and many mucosal secretions such as tears and saliva. Lactoferrin is also present in secondary granules of PMN and also is secreted by some acinar cells. Lactoferrin can be purified from milk or produced recombinantly. Human colostrum has the highest concentration, followed by human milk, then cow milk.