Yeast/blue mood trap is draining the energy of 70% of women

“95% of serotonin, our feel-good neurotransmitter, is made in our gut,” says GI health expert Amy Myers, M.D., author of The Autoimmune Solution. “But for seven in 10 women, an overgrowth of candida yeast forms a layer over the gut, disrupting its ability to secrete serotonin.” The result: fatigue, brain fog, depression, bloat and more.

“Not only is yeast overgrowth overlooked, most doctors don’t even believe in it,” says Dr. Myers. So they prescribe antidepressants and chalk up the vague symptoms to stress and aging, she says. “You see symptoms that seem unrelated. But I’ve treated people for candida, and it’s life-changing for them.”

Your doctor can order a stool test to confirm yeast overgrowth. But if you suspect you’re affected, the steps below can help you feel better.

“Yeast grows on sugar, so you want to get rid of sugar and anything that converts to sugar,” says Steven Hotze, M.D., founder of the Hotze Health and Wellness Center in Houston. That includes starch, bread and pasta. Instead, enjoy lean protein, nonstarchy vegetables and healthy fats. Dr. Myers advises eliminating sugar for 30 days to starve yeast, then slowly adding it back in.

Monolaurin, a coconut extract, slashes candida growth by 49%, say researchers at the University of Southern California. To get the perks, Dr. Hotze suggests enjoying a spoonful of coconut oil daily or trying a supplement, like Solaray Monolaurin.

Season with turmeric. Its curcumin stops candida growth and reduces its ability to stick to the walls of the intestines by 74%, so it can’t disrupt serotonin production, say Brazilian scientists. Use 1 tsp. daily in stir-fries or sprinkled over roasted veggies.