Good yeast vs bad yeast

Despite the stigma of fungus or bacteria as being unsafe, your digestive tract actually relies on these microbes to maintain a healthy balance between what you consume and what your body needs on a daily basis. As a result, you have a variety of bacteria that occur naturally in your body. Yeast is one such example.

You are probably familiar with the good yeast used for baking, also known as the "Saccharomyces cerevisiae". Without this helpful organism, you would not be able to enjoy soft rolls or wholesome breads since this “baker’s yeast” is what is responsible for causing dough to rise during baking.

However, the variety that resides in the human body is often referred to as bad yeast. Called Candida albicans, this yeast is only safe in small quantities. Rapid proliferation of this yeast can lead to a painful infection that can be dangerous, especially if you have a compromised immune system.

As a consequence of this yeast’s overgrowth, you could experience problems such as an embarrassing and agonizing rash. For those individuals whose immune system is compromised from undergoing chemotherapy or  from AIDs, a simple yeast infection could even result in something far more fatal. Thus, prevention is the best approach, and the surest way to avoid yeast infections is to understand what exactly causes this “bad yeast".

Is there a difference?

Despite the name “yeast", Candida functions differently from Saccharomyces. According to a study published in "Current Biology", the genetic "rewiring" of a protein called "Ppr", found in both types of yeasts, causes it to regulate different functions in Candida vs baker's yeast. While it's a minute genetic change, it results in a difference between the bread-making bakers yeast and the disease-causing Candida albicans.

Since scientists have discovered that the Candida fungus already resides in the human body, yeast infections are most likely caused by a debilitated immune system. Another trigger could be the over-consumption of foods rich in simple carbohydrates which inadvertently encourage the bacteria to generate.

Your digestive tract is naturally trying to strike a balance between good and bad bacteria, so the key to optimum health is reducing yeast in your body. May sound simple enough, but how can you know your yeast levels?

How you can learn more about your yeast levels

In order to find out if you have too much yeast in your body, you can take a yeast test which is both free and easy to complete on your own. Provided by Global Health Trax, you need two things -- a glass of water and a few minutes of your time first thing in the morning.

You can read about how to perform the Candida home test as well as browse extensive information about Candida albicans and products that will help you get rid of bad yeast on the Global Health Trax website. Don't risk a yeast infection when prevention is available. Take action now!