Lactobacillus a worthy ally, not mortal enemy of Candida (kinda long)

Embedded in Epperly's first claim is the notion that Lactobacillus is Candida’s mortal enemy. Overgrowth of Candida causes/or is cancer. The issue with such a claim, it is currently unsubstantiated by research. As noted in a previous post, Candida is a fungus not “cancer”; current research only shows that Lactobacillus may control the growth of cancer cells. Within that assertion, supported by research, is the question of which strain of Lactobacillus are we speaking about as Lactobacillus currently contains over 180 species and encompasses a wide variety of organisms, a point that Epperly doesn't even acknowledge.   

I will remind you again that cancer, is not one condition but takes many forms with different etiologies. To clarify a bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus are members of the lactic acid bacteria (LAB), a broadly defined group characterized by the formation of lactic acid as the sole or main end product of carbohydrate metabolism. So which species combats which form of cancer?

Whatis interesting about Lactobacillus, "it exhibits a mutualistic relationship with the human body as it protects the host against potential invasions by pathogens, and in turn, the host provides a source of nutrients. Lactobacillus is the most common probiotic. L. acidophilus has been used to control certain types of diarrhea. It may be especially helpful for diarrhea due to oral antibiotics. These medicines destroy the normal flora of the intestine. L. acidophilus replenishes the intestine with a beneficial bacterium. This often stops diarrhea. It may also help keep vaginal yeast infections in check." 

What is baffling about Epperly's claim (#1) concerning Lactobacillus, she not only contradicts herself but refute her own claim only a few pages later.

  

While cabbage is nutritious (not the super-food Jillian claims), the woo she attaches to Pink Himalayan Salt (PHS), ie the trace minerals, is not.  The “trace minerals” present are labeled such for a reason. There is not enough present to make a damn bit of difference, even at the amount of consumption Epperly suggests for her slop. Salt poisoning would occur first before any benefit would be applicable.

Epperly reiterates the confusion in a recent FB post,

So which is it Jillian – the PHS or the Lactobacillus? I can guarantee her response will be along the lines that PHS initiates the ferment of the Lactobacillus, the're both special. But by that token, ANY NaCl product (Sea Salt, Celtic Salt, etc) would do such as salt is salt. PHS has no special magical properties. (One caveat I would throw in for good measure, iodized salt is not recommended for ferments or canning.)

My point being, Jillian is not very concise as to what the important component is, in her brew. I believe that is due to her cherry picking nature as well as ignorance of what she reads concerning the science. It's my-way or the high-way!

Sorry Jillian, there is no two-sides to this debate. You claim throughout your book that your JJ will reverse all sorts of conditions, from aging to regrowth of limbs.  Mega doses of salt will kill. Candida is not cancer. Lactobacillus is not Candida's mortal enemy.

Soooo,,, I'm not sure how to broach what Lactobacillus is or the benefits of consumption. It is a VERY broad topic with many ramifications. I could write 1000 pages (which would be really boring) and not even scratch the surface. So, I am going to approach this, I hope, a bit differently. I am going to let this 2008 review, Ecological Role of Lactobacilli in the Gastrointestinal Tract:Implications for Fundamental and Biomedical Research by Jens Walter speak for me.


Jillian's self refutation/contradiction aside, does Lactobacillus treat Candida?


Short answer – quite possibly!


A necessary qualification needs to be made. According to Walter's review, there are 17 Lactobacillus species that are associated with the human GIT, some of which were only recently detected. Jillian, as far as I can tell does not specify which strains she is speaking of in her book, The Jilly Juice Protocol. Since she considers book one (The Lies Exposed) “retired “ and superseded by book 2, I am not revisiting book one.
 

 
Assuming I read this review correctly, only a small number of Lactobacillus species are true inhabitants of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT ) and most lactobacilli present are allochthonous, IOWs derived from fermented food. So based on that, Epperly's contention of consuming lacto-fermented cabbage juice is not a far out statement. Just consuming her slop where the salt content could inhibit ferment and possibly kill you is. BUT,,,


The ecological status of most intestinal isolates, including the strains for which genome sequences are available, is at best uncertain. Furthermore, most of the Lactobacillus strains currently used as probiotics are not adequate model organisms with which to study ecological aspects of gut colonization, as they belong to species that have never been shown to form stable populations in this ecosystem. It would be of great value to include Lactobacillus strains, having strong evidence as autochthonous organisms, in comparative and functional genomic investigations.


the health claims are tenuous at best and need more study. As stated in the beginning of this post, the claims made, not just by Epperly, are unsubstantiated. As noted,


Lactobacilli offer exciting research opportunities, both in terms of biomedical applications and in acquiring fundamental knowledge about the functionality of gut microbes,,, it is important to consider the ecological characteristics of individual species and their relationship with their host in such studies. Unfortunately, the ecological status of Lactobacillus species in the human gut has generally not been taken into consideration by researchers working in the field, despite its important implications.

,,,

It is now generally recognized that the health benefits of probiotics are conferred mainly though a stimulation or modulation of the immune system. Several animal and human studies have provided unequivocal evidence that specific strains of probiotics are able to stimulate as well as regulate several aspects of natural and acquired immune responses, which opens opportunities to treat or prevent specific diseases that have an immunological etiology. When host immune functions are targeted, it is again likely that the evolutionary history of the probiotic strain is of paramount importance. The autochthonous microbe-immune system relationship in healthy animals is characterized by tolerance, while the exposure to allochthonous bacteria results in a stronger immune response,,, As a consequence, autochthonous bacteria might be more promising candidates for probiotics aimed at suppressing an inappropriate immune response, desirable in the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). L. reuteri, which is autochthonous to rodents and humans, has been shown to modulate macrophage and dendritic cell functions in a way one would expect to favor immunological tolerance. Accordingly, strains of L. reuteri are especially successful in the prevention of colitis in several animal models. On the other hand, the activation of the immune system (such as enhanced phagocytosis and adjuvant effects) observed after the administration of some probiotic strains may reflect the allochthonous nature of the bacteria, and these bacteria might be more effective for the treatment or prevention of infectious and rotavirus-caused diarrhea. One would assume that allochthonous organisms are also more successful in the prevention of atopic diseases in early life because the immune system will experience novel antigenic complexes with the encounter of the bacterial strains.

A note of caution, that does not mean probiotics or JJ should be given to children under three. “Some manufacturers recommend that Lactobacillus preparations not be used in infants and children <3 years of age unless under the direction and supervision of a physician.” 

It has been shown that virtually all health benefits and effects on host cells reported for probiotics are strain dependent. Mechanistic explanations for this strain specificity are so far lacking, but it is likely that the distinct evolutionary histories of currently used probiotic strains are at least partly responsible for their different effects.


Notice what is not mentioned specifically? Candida or “cancer”! Jillian, in making her all encompassing claim ignores the minutiae. Colon cancer is mentioned but as an adjunct to it being a part of the GIT to which these members of the microbiota flourish. As Walter makes clear, it is still important to determine which stain of Lactobacillus is responsible for any gains made in combating colon cancer.


In concluding their review, Walter states,

The scientific data presented in this review indicate that most Lactobacillus species found in the mammalian intestinal tract are in fact not true intestinal inhabitants. They probably originate from more proximal or exogenous sources where the nutrient requirements of these fastidious organisms are satisfied. Future research is needed to identify the autochthonous Lactobacillus microbiota of the mammalian intestine.
,,,
It is important to note that the majority of traditional probiotic strains are probably allochthonous to the intestinal tract, and they show very little ability to persist in the human gut.
The BIG BUT,,,
These strains might nonetheless be excellent probiotics with respect to activation of the immune system. As there is no indication that colonization is required for the health benefits of these strains, research of traditional probiotic strains should focus less on the investigation of ecological fitness and the identification of putative colonization determinants and more on the provision of mechanistic explanations for the health benefits that have been achieved in clinical trials.


There's a project for you Jillian, use your Google U degree and identify the autochthonous Lactobacillus microbiota of the mammalian intestine, specifically human. You could then provide us sheeple “[a] better understanding of the ecology of lactobacilli will help us to more systematically develop probiotic applications.” 

The above is but one review, but I think it illustrates well how Jillian erred in the use of her “deductive reasoning” (reasoning from one or more statements to reach a logically certain conclusion.)

With that information, my deductive reasoning and the ability to make connections between patterns and trends, I came to the conclusion lifestyle, belief systems, vaccines, food choices, cultures and habits, all factor in why all of us had different medical issues. (Exposing the Lies, 3-4)

While the review gives an overview Lactobacillus use in facilitating the gut microbiome and the need for further research, it does not address specific use in combating Candida. According to Matsubara, et al in Probioticsas Antifungals in Mucosal Candidiasis (2016), probiotics may serve in the future as a worthy ally in the battle against chronic mucosal candidal infections.


Candida albicans is the most common Candida species inhabiting the mucosal surfaces both in health and disease, whereas other Candida species such as C. tropicalis, C. guilliermondii, C. krusei, and C. glabrata are less frequently isolated,,, Candida is considered to be an opportunistic pathogen, causing “diseases of the diseased”,,, The limited spectrum and toxicity of available antifungals and the gradual emergence of resistance to these drugs are a concern; thus, alternative therapies are urgently warranted,,, The use of probiotic bacteria against microbial infections has emerged as an alternative therapeutic technique for Candida infections in view of the limitations of the currently available antimicrobials. 
,,,
Bacteria belonging to the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium and, to a lesser extent, Enterococcus, Streptococcus, and Saccharomyces have often been used as probiotics in food supplements for a considerable period of time.


Again remember what I said in regard to Jillian not specifying a species.


A safe probiotic needs to be of human origin, devoid of intrinsic and transmissible antibiotic resistance genes. The functional requirements of a probiotic include acid and bile tolerances, adequate adherence and colonization on epithelial surfaces, immunostimulation, and antagonistic activity against pathogens


In therapeutic terms, probiotics are known to reduce Candida infections in different organ systems of the human body, and are generally considered to be beneficial for overall health,,, Organisms of the genus Lactobacillus have been traditionally used as probiotics for decades, and they are deemed worthy as an alternative biological approach to combat bacterial and fungal pathogens in the oral cavity, GI tract, and urogenital system,,, the selection of probiotics for therapeutic purposes should be targeted for specific pathogens and their beneficial effects cannot be generalized.


A number of in vitro studies have demonstrated the antifungal effect of polymicrobial combinations of probiotics against human C. albicans isolates from the oral cavity, GI tract, and genitourinary tract,,, Candida albicans was found to be more susceptible to the antifungal effect of Lactobacillus than C. tropicalis.


Here's a specific we can bite into, see: The in vitroActivity of Vaginal Lactobacillus With Probiotic Properties AgainstCandida


Keep in mind the above information is all in vitro, and there is no guarantee that would translate to in vivo. “The challenge now is to clarify the mechanisms involved and harness these in further translational work. Investigations of the molecular mechanisms underlying the probiotic effect using gene expression and related technology are likely to yield interesting data in this regard.”


As opposed to the in vitro studies reported above, a number of in vivo studies have also been performed over the past decade or so to substantiate the antifungal activity of probiotics in humans,,, The oral cavity, GI tract, and urogenital tract have been the major loci of investigation, as these sites are susceptible to Candida infections.


Matsubara et al then go on to discuss “,,,the Antifungal Effects of Probiotics in the Oral Cavity, Urogenital Tract, and Gastrointestinal Tract of Humans .”
 
Clearly, the major attribute of probiotics appears to be the restoration of a natural healthy microbiome in a given habitat, turning it from a catastrophic, disease-inducing, dysbiotic microbiota to a healthy, symbiotic, stable equilibrium. A number of hypotheses, most unproven as yet, has been proposed for the genesis of this well-balanced state from disease to health,,, Despite such in vitro data on the inhibitory effect of probiotic products on yeasts, the direct effect of probiotics on mucosal candidiasis is yet be shown in a laboratory environment mimicking the oral cavity, vagina, or GI tract.


Overall what they found in determining the possible mechanisms on how probiotics work,


Administration of probiotics in tandem with antifungal drugs synergizes clearance of Candida. Apart from the obvious antifungal effect of the drug, the role of the probiotic under these conditions remains to be elucidated. The increased expression of stress-related genes and decreased expression of genes involved in drug resistance in Candida, promoted by the probiotics, would possibly increase the fungus's susceptibility to the antifungal agent administered.


In some cases, it was not the probiotic working alone but the addition of an antifungal. As stated, research is not clear on this point. Translation, Lactobacillus is not necessarily the “mortal enemy” of Candida.
 
Clinical studies indicate that probiotics may reduce Candida colonization on human mucosal surfaces, relieve signs and symptoms of fungal infection, and enhance the antifungal effect of conventional therapy, implying that probiotics have the potential to sustain a healthy mucosal microbiota by acting both as prophylactic and adjunctive therapy against candidiasis. In vitro studies indicate that the antifungal effect of probiotics is likely to be due to their interference with Candida biofilm development and hyphal differentiation. However, it is premature to designate probiotics as an alternative to antifungals as yet, due to the paucity of available clinical trials.


Funny that, neither review addressed systemic Candida nor cancer-treatments. Both reviews discussed that Candida showed promise in vitro, translating those results into humans was another issue.


The whole point of this very long exercise was to show that, Jillian does not have the science to back her claim. She has cherry-picked information that confirms her bias. In some cases Epperly has left out important information, ie. what strain of Lactobacillus would appropriately combat Candida. While drinking properly fermented cabbage juice (or eating properly ferment veggies) appears to be harmless, her slop is not. As shown previously what Epperly demonstrate primarily via FB, is dangerous regardless of the salt content. The ferment is done improperly and she encourages her minions to ingest rotten cabbage and mold.

Overall I rule Epperly's first claim as false.