258 Diet Wise
form exists, for those likely to develop reactions to medication. Except for
Nystatin, lengthy treatments should not be undertaken, as side-effects are
potentially serious, particularly liver toxicity.
Much is disseminated about the ‘burn off ’ reaction patients
sometimes get when first starting antifungal treatment. This is similar to
the Herxeimer reaction that syphilis patients used to get when starting a
course of penicillin; it was caused by a flood of circulating dead spirochetes
(syphilis germs). Burn-off (a sudden exacerbation of symptoms) does exist
but is much exaggerated and rarely amounts to anything serious. Temporary
discontinuance allows it to settle and, nine times out of ten, when the patient
resumes the treatment there is no further trouble.
Caprylic Acid
Caprylic acid (a medium-chain triglyceride) is an anti-fungal agent
found naturally in coconuts. It smells and tastes horrible but it well known
for its anti-Candida properties. It’s sometimes called octanoic acid.
Caprylic acid is a commerical antimicrobial pesticide used as a food
contact surface sanitizer in commercial food handling establishments on dairy
equipment, food processing equipment, breweries, wineries, and beverage
processing plants. It is also used as disinfectant in health care facilities,
schools/colleges, animal care/veterinary facilities, industrial facilities,
office buildings, recreational facilities, retail and wholesale establishments,
livestock premises, restaurants, and hotels/motels. In addition, caprylic acid
is used as an algaecide, bactericide, and fungicide in nurseries, greenhouses,
garden centers, and interiorscapes on ornamentals.
Capricin, a trade brand of caprylic acid, has been frequently
advocated as an antifungal. Like malic acid in the vagina, it creates a hostile
environment for pathogens. Caprylic acid is the active ingredient in a new
medical food validated by scientific research as an effective treatment for
Alzheimer’s. The medical food is being marketed under the name Axona.
Now The Real Story
OK, that was the story, as it was known, up until about 1995. Since
then, things have got steadily more interesting, more complex and actually
more understandable.