What Is the Candida Diet? A Beginner’s Guide, Food List, and 7-Day Meal Plan

Yeast overgrowth can cause a host of far-ranging problems, from physical to cognitive and mental, some experts say. For that reason, some recommend a candida diet — a low-sugar, low-carb diet — to eradicate excess yeast and bring the gut back into balance. Yet this approach is not without its detractors. Importantly, many experts say the diet is largely unproven and any benefit is likely the result of a general improvement in eating habits.

What Is Candida albicans?

What Is Candida Overgrowth?

Candida overgrowth is a term that means the yeast is present in such excessive amounts that it becomes pathogenic, says Ali Miller, RD, CDCES, a functional medicine dietitian in Houston and the author of The Anti-Anxiety Diet.

Candida overgrowth can cause the conditions mentioned (thrush, vaginal yeast infection), but some experts, like Miller, recognize candida overgrowth (or imbalance of yeast in the body) as the source of a number of health symptoms that can be overcome with dietary changes.

There’s another category, which may be referred to as candida overgrowth, and some healthcare practitioners say it may be responsible for more chronic and seemingly unrelated problems. “Symptoms of candidiasis can be widespread, from bloating and distention to bowel irregularities, chronic fatigue, cystic acne and other skin rashes, and brain fog,” says Miller.

Risk Factors for a Candida Infection

In terms of candida overgrowth in general, antibiotic use is by far one of the most common causes, says Miller. “Antibiotics are sterilizing to the microbiome,” or the collection of bacteria and other microbes in the gut, she says. Along with killing off “bad” bacteria, the good go too, and that can throw off the balance of yeast in your body as well.

The candida diet, generally speaking, removes all sources of flour, sugar, and yeast from your diet and encourages lean proteins, nonstarchy vegetables, and healthy fats, as well as several supplements to encourage the process. Doing so staves off yeast overgrowth, says Miller. “It’s also important to use compounds [through food and supplements] that support the die-off of yeast and the removal of this yeast and its by-products out of the body,” she says.

Another limitation is that the completed research has been largely done in vitro (test tube), which can’t replace human studies. The way organisms behave in a test tube is not necessarily the same as how they behave in the human body.

You’ll want to check with your doctor before you try any type of cleanse — or any strict diet, for that matter. This one is essentially a temporary, carb-restricted diet. “Think of it as a thorough reset to your microbiome,” says Miller. She generally recommends six weeks for a candida cleanse, and suggests eating a maximum of 60 grams (g) of total carbs per day. “Avoid flour-based foods, grains, and sweeteners, and limit fruit and starchy vegetables to two total [servings] per day,” says Miller.

The diet emphasizes lean protein, healthy fats, and leafy and cruciferous vegetables. Not only is this diet designed to weaken yeast overgrowth, it may also help regulate blood sugar, because it limits foods that spike blood sugar in the body. “That’s the environment yeast thrives in,” says Miller.

The diet is not radical, and it's safe for most people, except for pregnant and breastfeeding moms, says Miller. In general, experts advise people with a history of disordered eating to avoid restrictive diets as well. “Also, if you have diabetes and are on an oral hypoglycemic drug or using insulin, you will likely need to reduce medication when shifting to a low-carbohydrate diet,” she says. Talk to your healthcare provider.

One thing you may notice is that you may feel worse before you feel better: nausea, headaches, flu-like symptoms, and fatigue may appear within the first two weeks of the cleanse. It will not last for the entirety of the six-week cleanse. “I see it as a positive. It’s a sign that the body is eradicating or removing something that was causing dysfunction,” says Miller.

Keep in mind that what may actually be happening is a phenomenon called the “keto flu,” which can occur as the body switches from a state of burning carbohydrates for fuel to burning fat. “When we reach a state of ketosis, we often experience a few weeks of keto flu symptoms, like foggy head, heachaches, and fatigue. Limiting carbs on a low-sugar candida diet has the potential to trigger ketosis and the associated symptoms,” says Sharp.

It’s also important to note that there isn't much scientific evidence that cleansing the body in general is necessary or helpful.

Here are the foods Miller advises eating on a candida cleanse.

• Wild fish
• Grass-fed beef
• Pasture-raised poultry, including chicken
• Eggs
• Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts)
• Leafy greens (kale, dandelion, lettuces)
• Nonstarchy vegetables (asparagus, zucchini, onions, shallots)
• Spices (turmeric, cumin)
• Ginger
• Lemon
• Some kinds of fruit, including tomatoes and berries like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries (limited)
• Nuts, including walnuts, almonds, and macadamia nuts
• Seeds (chia seeds, flaxseed, hemp seeds)
• Herbs (cilantro, basil, oregano)
• Avocado
• Olive oil and olives
• Coconut oil
• Bone broth
• Dark chocolate
• Water
• Rooibos, green tea

You will avoid processed, refined-flour and refined-sugar foods, because “sugar is the primary fuel source for yeast,” says Miller. But there are a few additional “no” foods that may surprise you.

• Flour-based foods (pizza, bread, bagels)
• Sweetened foods (ice cream, candy)
• Vinegar, including apple cider vinegar, which may be reintroduced around week four
• Mushrooms
• Dairy
• Alcohol, particularly beer, Champagne, and hard ciders, which are fermented or made with yeast
• Fermented foods (yogurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut, which may be reintroduced around week four)

Day 1 

Breakfast Eggs with spinach sautéed in coconut oil

Lunch Shredded turkey breast on a bed of greens with a lemon olive oil vinaigrette

Dinner Salmon, roasted cauliflower, and zucchini

Day 2

Breakfast Frittata with asparagus and cherry tomatoes topped with avocado

Lunch Creamy chicken salad (made with avocado) wrapped in collard greens

Dinner Steak and veggie kebabs

Day 3

Breakfast Chia pudding topped with berries and sunflower seeds

Lunch Kale salad massaged with olive oil, topped with olives, sliced almonds, and roasted veggies

Dinner Meatballs over zucchini noodles with pasta sauce

Day 4

Breakfast Anti-candida-approved pancakes with berries

Lunch Piece of veggie frittata, spinach salad with avocado on the side

Dinner Chicken satay and crudités dipped in spicy almond-butter sauce

Day 5

Breakfast Smoothie made with nondairy milk, berries, nut butter, and coconut oil

Lunch Tuna Niçoise salad

Dinner Roasted skin-on chicken, sautéed peppers, onions, and eggplant

Day 6

Breakfast Egg scramble with veggies

Lunch Chicken soup with salad made of dark leafy greens on the side

Dinner Zucchini boats stuffed with ground turkey and topped with tomato sauce

Day 7

Breakfast Avocado omelet with salsa

Lunch Turkey patties with a side of sautéed broccoli and cherry tomatoes

Dinner Baked cod with green beans and carrots

These recipes are approved for the candida diet, though anyone would enjoy them.

• Instant Pot Bone Broth, Elana’s Pantry
• Whole Roasted Cauliflower With Indian Spice, Healing Gourmet
• Keto, Candida-Friendly Gut-Healing Paleo Pancakes, Christina Rice Wellness
• Asparagus Salad With Tomato and Basil, Elana’s Pantry
• Candida-Friendly Smoothie, Fork and Beans
• Crockpot Curry Chicken, Paleo Hacks
• The Candida Diet Safe Shamrock Shake, Oh the Things We’ll Make
• Easy Cauliflower Turmeric Burgers, Paleo Hacks
• Green Eggs, Elana’s Pantry
• Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers, The Candida Diet

Books About the Candida Diet

Also consider these websites and books for more recipes and info on the candida diet.

• The Candida Diet
• The Candida Cure: The 90-Day Program to Balance Your Gut, Beat Candida, and Restore Vibrant Health, by Ann Boroch
• The 30-Day Candida Cleanse: The Complete Diet Program to Beat Candida and Restore Total Health, by Rockridge Press
• Living Candida-Free: 100 Recipes and a Three-Stage Program to Restore Your Health and Vitality, by Ricki Heller and Andrea Nakayama

Advocates recommend several supplements on a candida cleanse. Many practitioners have their own proprietary blends, and you’ll find a host of different supplements depending on the program you’re following. Miller takes us through a few that you may hear about — just be mindful that scientific evidence backing these supplements is lacking.

Berberine

This is intended to support liver detoxification, and also works as an antifungal and antibacterial. It's even better if it contains anti-inflammatory herbs, like Oregon grape root and skullcap. Take it twice daily with breakfast and dinner.

Caprylic Acid

Activated Charcoal

“This is great for acute uses — like vomiting or diarrhea from a food bug — but never take it for more than five to seven days at a time, because it can throw off your electrolyte balance,” says Miller. In general, if you’re shopping around, Miller suggests finding pharmaceutical-grade supplements that are tested for potency and purity in order to ensure high quality.

Dietary changes are not the only shift you’ll make during this time. Miller suggests using essential oils like oregano or tea tree in a regular or Epsom salt bath, during time spent in a sauna, massages, and foam rolling. These essential oils and other self-care activities help support your body’s cleanse process (the idea is that they encourage yeast to die off and then ferry it out of the body), she says, and can help minimize some of the side effects of the initial stages of the diet.

Again, keep in mind that more research is needed on whether essential oils really get rid of extra yeast in the body.

By bringing your gut health (including yeast) back in balance, in theory you can resolve many of the symptoms that are bothering you, including digestive woes, cognitive and mood issues, and aches and pains.

There is little risk to eating the foods on the diet, and you can live without refined grains and sugar. If your diet was filled with processed junk food beforehand, there’s a good chance that you will feel great on the diet. For instance, you may eat more fiber and drink more water, which may help regulate your bowels, among other benefits.

Still, some experts are concerned. “A variety of people with symptoms [blamed on candida] will feel better on this type of low-carb diet, but I’m not convinced it's because of candida,” says Tamara Duker Freuman, RD, CDCES, the author of The Bloated Belly Whisperer, who is based in New York City.

The issue, says Freuman, is the large scope of health problems that are blamed on candida. “I’ve seen it associated with everything under the sun. It’s unlikely that one condition is responsible for all those things. It’s too convenient and attractive to have a single explanation for everything that ails you,” she says.

Where it veers into dangerous territory is if you have another medical condition that needs to be diagnosed but you are consumed with following a candida diet. If you think it’s candida when it’s something like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) — then an important diagnosis may be missed. SIBO, says Freuman, may be secondary to a medical condition like celiac disease or an autoimmune condition, and it’s critical that these are addressed.

The candida diet is controversial. While advocates say that an overgrowth of Candida albicans may be the common thread behind many health problems, some experts caution that the condition and dietary treatment remains unproven. If you’re looking to treat a yeast infection, thrush, or other health condition caused by an overgrowth of candida, work with your healthcare team to identify the proper plan of attack.