The fungus in the study was Candida albicans (C. albicans), and using animal models, the research team discovered how this common fungus enters the brain, activates mechanisms for its clearance, and generates amyloid beta-like peptides—toxic protein fragments thought to be central to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings highlight our complex relationship with fungus and raise additional questions about how those infections affect our health as well as their implications in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and Alzheimer’s.
A Bit About Fungi
So, what exactly are fungi, and how do they affect us?
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Fungi are a group of spore-producing organisms that feed on dead organic matter and living organisms. Fungi include molds, yeasts, mushrooms, and mildew.
Fungi are neither plants nor animals, and they employ a unique method of survival—absorbing the nutrients that they need from dead and living organisms. In the world of biology, fungi have their own category, called a kingdom, separate from those of the five other kingdoms. A recent assessment from Kew Royal Botanic Gardens estimates that this kingdom contains approximately 2.5 million species of fungi, although only about 60,000 of the known species have been described.
C. albicans, a common fungus, has been found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s as well as in those with other chronic neurodegenerative disorders. It’s a form of yeast present in the gastrointestinal tract, mouth, skin, and reproductive tract of most humans.
Most of the time, C. albicans is a harmless member of a healthy microbiome. However, it can also be responsible for infections ranging from superficial infections of the mucosa and skin to more serious infections affecting the blood, heart, bones, and brain. C. albicans can survive outside of the body and can colonize every human organ and tissue. It’s the most common cause of systemic fungal infections.
Dr. C. Orian Truss and the Yeast Connection
Our understanding of fungi (and yeast in particular) and its connection to our health made a leap in 1978 when renowned cardiologist Dr. C. Orian Truss published an article called “Tissue Injury Induced by Candida Albicans: Mental and Neurologic Manifestations,” which appeared in the Journal of Orthomolecular Psychiatry.
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As described in a 2016 article, Dr. Truss’s insight was that C. albicans went beyond a superficial infection of the skin and mucous membranes and could cause a cascade of symptoms that included allergic and immune reactions that affected multiple organ systems—including the brain. This discovery, which he had observed in his patients, came at a time when a diet of refined carbohydrates was the norm, and the overuse of antibiotics and steroids by the medical establishment turned many patients into “yeast factories.”
Dr. Truss found that the combination of a low carbohydrate diet and the antifungal medication nystatin could reverse a wide variety of symptoms that included those from irritable bowel syndrome, skin conditions, allergies, and the extreme food cravings associated with obesity and pre-diabetes. He also found that mood disorders such as anxiety and depression often improved in patients treated for Candida infection. In 1984, he put his findings into print and published “The Missing Diagnosis.”
Candida albicans is a type of fungus that lives in places such as your mouth, your belly, and even on your skin. Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock
Another physician and contemporary of Dr. Truss was Dr. William Crook, who, although initially skeptical of Dr. Truss’s hypothesis, became a believer after one of his “stuck” patients saw Dr. Truss and experienced relief from many previously untreatable symptoms.
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Dr. Crook began to practice in accordance with Dr. Truss’s model, leading him to write “The Yeast Connection” in 1986.
Despite the work of Drs. Truss and Crook, mainstream medicine at the time largely rejected the concept of yeast and its negative impact on human health. Almost 50 years later, much of their work has been vindicated, and many of their hypothesized connections have been proven correct.
Evidence Linking Fungi to Neurodegenerative Diseases
Several studies have found intriguing evidence that fungal infections were present in the central nervous systems of those with Alzheimer’s but not in the healthy individuals who served as the controls.
In a 2022 review, researchers examined the role of fungus in central nervous system autoimmune and neurodegenerative disorders. The review states that, recently, increasing evidence has pointed to the role of certain peripheral fungi in triggering inflammation, immune response, and worsening of a range of noninfectious disorders of the central nervous system, including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s.
According to a 2015 study, several researchers have proposed the possibility that Alzheimer’s may have a microbial cause. The researchers found evidence that tissue from the central nervous system (which includes the brain and spinal cord) of patients with Alzheimer’s contained fungal cells. These fungal cells were found in different regions of the brain, and researchers identified several species of fungus in their samples.
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These fungal materials weren’t present in the control individuals who didn’t have Alzheimer’s. Interestingly, the study authors noted that fungal infection was also found in the blood vessels, which could explain the vascular pathology often found in Alzheimer’s patients.
Fungal Infections in the Brain
Dr. David Corry, a professor of pathology, immunology, and medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, is one of the recent study’s authors, and his lab has years of experience studying fungi.
Even though Dr. Corry’s research has focused on mice, he told The Epoch Times that C. albicans infections are common.
“It has long been known that C. albicans commonly infects humans and likely has infected the entire species. In a subsequent publication, we will explore the issue of C. albicans brain infections of humans,” he said.
Additionally, there is the question of how these infections get into the brain in the first place and across the blood-brain barrier, which protects the brain from invasion and infection.
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“We show in our publication that C. albicans uses its secreted enzymes (proteinases) to essentially dissolve the proteins that keep the blood-brain barrier tight, allowing the fungus to enter the brain proper,” Dr. Corry said.
“In more detail, we show that most or all of the secreted aspartic proteinases (Saps) secreted by C. albicans (total of 10) are involved in this, but by far the most important one is Sap2.”
In the original study from Dr. Corry’s lab, there was mention that the fungal infection in the brain could be cleared in 10 days in healthy mice. When asked about this, Dr. Corry explained the process a bit further.
“When the fungus is injected intravenously into mice, as we do with our model system, they immediately go to many organs, but the brain is certainly one of the big ones. This initial infection is indeed cleared after 10 days and occurs by the actions of infection-fighting cells of the brain called ’microglia.'”
Testing
Although Dr. Corry says that complete avoidance of infections by C. albicans isn’t possible, as C. albicans has, most likely, already infected the entire human species—he did say that it may be possible to eliminate C. albicans from humans—something that he hopes to work on in the future.
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There are currently no tests for the presence of a fungal infection in the brain, he said. In the meantime, however, there are ways to test if you have a fungal infection elsewhere and to test for the presence of mold in your home.
Dr. Jack Wolfson, a board-certified, now-holistic cardiologist and best-selling author, calls mold the hidden health crisis of the 21st century and believes that it’s at the root of the vast majority of diseases we face in the modern world.
He asserts that much of that mold exposure is from water damage in our homes—and that most homes have it. Although the connection between mold exposure and the most common diseases may not be one that we usually think about, Dr. Wolfson believes the connection is there.
“As far as I’m concerned, every illness, whether it’s high blood pressure, cancer, brain disorders, heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, COVID, immune issues—living in a water-damaged home, contaminated with mold and/or bacteria is a contributing cause,” Dr. Wolfson told The Epoch Times.
If you suspect that you may have mold in your body, you can seek out a mold mycotoxin test. Some tests involve a urine-based panel and look for many different toxins that are released from the environment and food molds. Those with compromised immune systems are much more susceptible to fungal infections and may benefit from this type of testing to detect the presence of mold and help get to the root of their health issues.
Final Thoughts
Fungi and humans have a complex relationship, and although most species aren’t harmful to us, some are. Fungi also have many beneficial uses and are used to create a variety of common medicines, such as antibiotics (penicillin), which have saved countless lives. They are essential for helping to grow fruits and vegetables and making many of our favorite foods, such as bread, wine, and cheeses. More research is needed to discover the implications of fungal species on our health and the etiology of specific diseases, as they may offer unique ways to treat the health challenges that we face now and in the future. More research may also help us to learn ways to navigate our ongoing relationship with this group of ancient organisms.
Emma is an acupuncture physician and has written extensively about health for multiple publications over the past decade. She is now a health reporter for The Epoch Times, covering Eastern medicine, nutrition, trauma, and lifestyle medicine.
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