KPV Peptides: The Natural Candida Cure

By Rebecca Steiner, Health Coach and Peptide Program Manager

It seems like most people struggle with gastro-intestinal candida overgrowth these days. Along with a myriad of troublesome symptoms, for many of my clients the main complaints are primarily gut issues and an inability to lose weight. Candida makes weight loss extremely challenging. The reasons for this are twofold: First, candida feeds off sugar, and it is extremely skilled at telling your brain to give it more of the sweet stuff it needs to survive. Those crazy sugar cravings you are having aren’t really yours, they are the little bugs taking over your brain! Additionally, candida makes it harder to lose weight because it completely hijacks your metabolism. Needless to say, it is extremely frustrating for so many of my clients who are doing everything right, and getting nowhere. 

Even more exasperating is the nightmare of trying to rid your body of this awful infestation. There are a lot of pharmaceutical, dietary, and natural therapies out there, and many of them will work to some extent. But candida is a formidable opponent, and unfortunately, the likelihood of completely eradicating it, in my experience, is uncertain. Additionally, the treatment can sometimes be even worse than the original problem, wreaking havoc on your gut and mental health. 

This is where KPV enters the picture.  KPV is a natural occurring peptide with antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory powers. In studies, KPV has been shown to kill C. albicans (the most common strain of candida) with over 99% efficacy. Combining KPV with an anti-candida diet can completely resolve candida overgrowth for many people. Additionally, KPV is a naturally, biologically occurring molecule with anti-inflammatory properties so, it does not produce as many of the troublesome side effects that you get with some of the other candida therapies. 

Along with its candicidal capabilities, KPV has other pretty miraculous abilities, such as reducing SIBO infections, IBS, Ulcerative Colitis and IBD symptoms, minimizing tumors, and generally decreasing inflammation in the body. I personally use KPV for its mast cell stabilizing effects. It can be a game changer for those who are suffering from mold toxicity, pain, allergies, histamine overload, hives, MCAS, and psoriasis. 

Because KPV is an MSH analogue, it interacts with mast cells in your immune system, which when in dysfunction, can result in an overactive immune system, promoting inflammation and the above disease states. Your doctor may also want to combine KPV with other peptides for more targeted results. Amlexanox, Thymosin Alpha 1 and LL-37 can work synergistically with KPV to treat certain infections and chronic pains, fibromyalgia, inflammation, gut issues, and immune dysregulation. 

If you would like to try KPV for yourself, or if you need assistance creating a personalized anti-candida diet, please contact our office to schedule an appointment. 

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/exd.13887

 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18061177/

 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4957955/

Health Coaching for SIBO

Diagnosed with SIBO? Health Coaching Can Help

By Rebecca Steiner, Naturopathic Medical Assistant and Health Coach

Have you recently been diagnosed with SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth)? Are you feeling uncertain or frustrated? Are you struggling to navigate treatment plans, complicated diets and lifestyle changes? 

SIBO treatment can be daunting and the information available online may be confusing or conflicting. Things that used to seem simple, like grocery shopping, going to a restaurant or even deciding what to eat for breakfast, can suddenly feel overwhelming. The good news is that life with SIBO can be manageable, and partnering up with a Health Coach can help. 

If you’ve been diagnosed with SIBO, it is likely that your doctor has prescribed some combination of diet, medications, and/or herbs to eradicate the bacteria that are living in your small intestine, a place where they shouldn’t be. These bacteria can wreak havoc and they can be stubborn. That means that SIBO treatment is not always straight forward, which can make the treatment difficult for patients. 

One of the biggest complaints I hear from SIBO patients is that they are struggling to implement the diet prescribed by their doctor. They understand that making proper dietary changes is essential if they want to get better, but the food lists are confusing and they are at a complete loss when it comes to grocery shopping and cooking. Additionally, the food guidelines don’t take into account their individual needs, their lifestyle, or any other dietary or medical issues they may have, like food allergies. 

It is not uncommon for people to feel overwhelmed and want to give up. However, with the right team and the proper support it is possible to treat SIBO and restore your health. As a Health and Wellness Coach, I assist patients by making their SIBO treatment plan easier to follow. Working with a Health Coach allows you to individualize your program so that it is tailored to work best for you. We will design a diet based on your individual food preferences and needs. As you gain the knowledge, tools and resources you need, you will also develop confidence, knowing that you have what it takes to beat SIBO! 

One of the greatest benefits of working with a health coach is that inevitably questions, concerns or challenges arise between scheduled visits with your doctor. As a Health Coach, I am here for you: to answer your questions, troubleshoot any problems, and offer support via phone, email, or in person. If you are a patient at Be Well Natural Medicine Cl and diagnosed with SIBO, let us know if you think Health Coaching can help you. 

Bothered by bloating? Do probiotics make you feel worse? These could be signs of SIBO.

By Sangita Pedro, ND

Many of my patients tell me they wake up with a flat stomach and by late afternoon they look six months pregnant.  The bloating is sometimes accompanied by sharp, stabbing pains, but rarely gas or burping.  

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth, or SIBO, occurs when bacteria that should be in the large intestine find their way into the small intestine and set up shop.  A history of frequent antibiotic use, chronic constipation or diarrhea, and past intestinal infections such as traveler’s diarrhea or food poisoning can predispose a person to developing SIBO. A poor diet will help maintain the overgrowth once it is established. 

The standard Western diet with its high levels of sugar, salt, caffeine, alcohol, bad fats, and abundance of processed carbohydrates does little to support healthy microbial balance while feeding all types of intestinal overgrowth including SIBO. 

Once in the small intestine the bacteria take over, causing localized inflammation, leaky gut and various systemic symptoms such as skin rashes, rosacea, fatigue, allergies, difficulty regulating blood sugar, weight gain, nutrient deficiencies and fatigue. 

Bacteria in the small intestine ferment the food you eat, especially starches, fruit, sugar, fiber and alcohol, and produce hydrogen and methane gas as by-products. The build-up of gases causes excessive bloating and pain and dysregulates the muscular contraction of the small intestine

 ‘Good’ bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species can also overgrow in the small intestine, causing or worsening SIBO. The normal, rhythmic movement of the small intestine slows down or becomes irregular with SIBO. This causes everything, including probiotics, to linger in the small intestine where they can get ‘stuck’ and start to proliferate.  

Signs and symptoms of SIBO:

·      Constipation and/or diarrhea

·      Chronic reflux/heartburn

·      Abdominal bloating worse after eating (this can be excessive and painful)

·      Abdominal bloating, cramping and pain after taking probiotics

·      Excessive burping and/or gas after eating

·      Food allergies/sensitivities especially gluten, diary, lactose, fructose, and histamine intolerance.

·      Weight loss or weight gain (especially an increase in belly fat)

·      Fatigue

How is SIBO diagnosed?

The standard diagnostic test for SIBO is a lactulose breath test.  The test measures hydrogen and methane gas produced by the bacteria in the small intestine after they ingest and digest the lactulose. Breath samples are taken every 15 minutes for two hours.  

It is also helpful to look at standard lab values for select vitamins, minerals and total Immunoglobulins to get a sense of how well, or not well, the small intestine is breaking down and absorbing food.  

How do I treat SIBO?

There are five basic tenets of SIBO treatment that I follow in my practice:

·      Break down biofilms (protective coverings the bacteria use to hide from the immune system)

·      Decrease the number of bacteria by limiting their food supply

·      Kill the bacteria with antimicrobial herbs or pharmaceuticals

·      Detoxify the body

·      Reestablish a healthy digestive rhythm

If SIBO recurs after 3 months of diligent treatment, following these basic tenets, then further testing may be necessary to determine what is in the way of complete healing and recovery.