Can Ozone Therapy Cure Candida Infection in the Gut?

Ozone is said to be able to kill any and all pathogens: bacteria, viruses, mold, parasites, and fungi. You name it, ozone will kill it. So, it would be only logical to assume that it can do the same with candida, a fungal infection often found in human intestines. Is this in fact the case? Not necessarily, as it looks. 

Although ozone can kill candida spores on surfaces, and in the oral and vaginal cavity, it appears to be much less successful in eradicating the yeast in the human gut. 

Let's first look at what candida is and what the research says on the topic.

What is candida?

Candida is a yeast which causes fungal infections in humans. There are many different candida species. The one which seems to affect humans the most and which has been researched most extensively is candida albicans.

Candida can be found in healthy human subjects on the skin, the respiratory tract, in intestines, and the vagina. [1]

Similar to clostridium difficile, the generally benign candida can under certain conditions turn into a deadly infection. 

Diabetes patients, the immunocompromised, patients using antibiotics, birth control pills, corticosteroids, chemo or radiation are under an increased risk of developing candidiasis which can affect the mouth, the gastrointestinal tract, heart, or the blood and in the extreme case even lead to death. [2] [3] [4] 

Some alternative practitioners are of the opinion that chronic mercury poisoning can lead to candida infections or exacerbate them. [7] [8]

Can ozone kill candida? 

It has been shown with various experiments that ozone is a great candida killer.

Whether in the treatment of dentures [10] [11], oral cavities [12], or on surfaces and petri dishes [5] [9], ozone will often perform better than conventional anti-fungal and anti-yeast agents.

Ozone has been also successfully used for vaginal candida overgrowth. [13] [14] 

It seems that whenever candida is directly exposed to ozone, it can be successfully removed.

So yes, ozone can reliably neutralize candida and many other yeast and fungi on various surfaces. 

Local ozone lavages have also proven successful in the treatment of internal (knee joint) yeast infections. [6]

Can ozone kill candida in the gastrointestinal tract?

When the yeast is inside the intestines, the situation is a bit more complicated.

Although candida is relatively easy to eliminate on surfaces and under laboratory settings, it seems that this is not necessarily transferable to the digestive tracts of human beings.

The small and large intestine add up to a total of around 23 feet (ca. 7 meters) with many nooks, folds, and crevices.

Not only may it be impossible to expose the entirety of the colon surface to ozone, but it may be contraindicated to do so.

The colon plays an important role for our immune system, bone and mental health [15] [16] [17]. Sterilizing it with ozone may kill all the candida spores, but also all other life sustaining microbes.

Nevertheless, such things have sometimes been attempted by both home ozone users (including the author of this article) as well as medical professionals.

Which ozone treatments are used to treat candida overgrowth? 

The most often recommended ozone treatments to eradicate candida are rectal insufflations, drinking ozonated water, intravenous ozone, and magnesium peroxide (Oxy-Powder, Homozon).

Does it make sense to use them for candida overgrowth in the gut?

Here are my thoughts: 

Can rectal ozone insufflations eradicate candida in the gut?

Rectal ozone insufflations consist of introducing a few hundred milliliters of ozone rectally, into the large intestine. 

They often trigger an instant bowel movement. Many patients ascribe them a systemic effect, although I tend to be skeptical about it (although I have re-started personal experiments to get to the bottom of it, pun intended). 

Candida can be found throughout the gastrointestinal tract, which includes the small and large intestine [19] [20]. 

Given that the ozone during a rectal insufflation goes primarily into the large intestine, it is unlikely that candida could be eradicated through RI alone.

Although this may depend on how much ozone is used, where the infection is located in a given patient, how bad the situation is, and how often at what strength the ozone is used. 

At the same time, it may be good to keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of good gut bacteria reside in the large intestine [18] – which is exactly where the ozone goes during rectal insufflations. As shown before, there is no reason to believe that ozone would selectively spare the good bacteria and only kill the bad ones. 

But, the enema effect of rectal insufflations plus the connection to the liver via the portal vein may improve bile flow and help detox the liver. This in turn may have a beneficial effect on the overall digestion and so indirectly help fight candida overgrowth. 

Having said that, I could not find any evidence of successful candida eradication with rectal ozone insufflations alone (leave a comment below, if you have had a different experience).

Can drinking ozonated water eradicate candida in the gut? 

A similar situation exists with ozonated water and candida: Ozone water will reach the small intestine, but here also only a limited portion of it.

Given that the small intestine is very poor in gut bacteria (and is supposed to be that way) [18], at least there is only a negligible risk of damaging the microbiome. 

But, here as well: drinking ozonated water could potentially help eliminate inflammation in the digestive tract and so improve digestion, possibly the secretion of enzymes, and maybe open up liver or pancreatic ducts. 

This again could result in an overall improvement in digestive health and so have a positive effect on candida. 

Are there any anecdotes or well documented cases of candida eradication by drinking ozonated water?

Not that I know. (Please leave comment below, if you disagree.)

Microscopic image of Candida albicans. [Source]

Can magnesium peroxide treat intestinal candida overgrowth?

Magnesium peroxide is sold under the brand names Oxy-Powder or Homozon. 

It is not an ozone treatment, but is believed to work very similarly to either ozone or hydrogen peroxide therapy.

Once ingested, magnesium peroxide releases singlet oxygen ions which can oxidize pathogens. 

Oxy-powder will likely reach further into the small intestine than ozonated water, but also unlikely treat every nook and cranny. For this, large amounts of the powder would be necessary.

Given that magnesium peroxide is a potent laxative, this may not be a realistic endeavor. 

Could magnesium peroxide be combined with drinking ozonated water and rectal insufflations to cover all possible hiding places?

Such a thing could be attempted, but since ozone is part of a healthy gut biome, it may be the wrong approach, see further below.

Can intravenous ozone treatments eliminate a candida infection in the gut? 

Some medical ozone doctors recommend intravenous ozone treatments to treat candida (and other intestinal disorders), in the hopes of stimulating the immune system. 

This may work in situations like diabetes or cortisone damage where there is a systemic immune system suppression.

Intravenous ozone treatments can successfully boost the immune system, and so potentially help fight candida in those specific cases.

How successful are ozone treatments in eradicating intestinal candida infections? 

Unfortunately, there is no reliable data available on the topic. 

A search on pubmed with the keywords “ozone candida” did not yield a single study or paper pertaining to candida infections in the gastro-intestinal canal.

Internet searches link to various websites which make claims about ozone treatments being the best candida treatment, but it’s not clear what those assertions are based on.

Studying posts in an ozone therapy group of 16,000 members yields reports of both successful treatments as well as claims that ozone made the infection worse [21].

In most cases, it’s not clear what test was used to make the candida diagnosis. Some patients are being told by their doctors that they have candida just based on symptoms alone. Others self-diagnose themselves. It's unknown, how accurate such self-reported case stories are. 

Does it make sense to use ozone for an intestinal candida infection?

The question is also whether using a killing mechanism like ozone therapy is the right approach with intestinal candida infection. 

After all, candida is part of a healthy human gut biome [1]. When there is an undisturbed gut flora present and a well working immune system, candida doesn't seem to be a problem. 

It only becomes a problem if there is imbalance or immune system suppression.

So it appears, that the goal should not be so much the killing of candida, but the re-establishment of a healthy digestion (which in turn can boost the immune system). 

The digestive system functions thanks to:

• The gut biome (mostly in the large intestine)
• Stomach acid (produced in the stomach)
• Bile salts (produced by the liver)
• Digestive enzymes (produced by the pancreas and small intestine)
• Sodium bicarbonate (produced in the pancreas)

If all those parts are intact, candida typically does not become a problem. 

Once digestion works optimally, candida is kept in check and does not become a problem.

Ozone can accomplish this only to a limited degree, since it cannot re-establish the gut biome, or replenish the body with minerals or vitamins which are necessary for enzymatic function. 

What is a better approach to treating candida than ozone treatments? 

Healing instead of killing

In my opinion, a better approach is to use natural supplements and interventions to keep candida at healthy levels and in symbiosis with other gut organisms.

The following suggestions are based on my research, personal experiments, published studies, online anecdotes, blogs, and comments sections of various websites.

The below supplements can help with intestinal candida infection by repairing digestion:

• Probiotics, especially those which cause acidity in the colon (lactobacillus strains) [22] [23]
• Mimosa pudica [24]
• Digestive enzymes
• Oxbile [25]
• MCT-Oil / Caprylic acid
• Lauricidin / Monolaurin [29]
• Low carb, meat based diet
• Fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, apple cider vinegar, yoghurt, kefir)
• Sodium butyrate [26]
• Lactoferrin [27] [28]
• Thiamine (Vitamin B1)
• Bone broths
• Betaine HCL
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Milk thistle (Silymarin)
• Activated charcoal

The above interventions and supplements may work both directly or indirectly to heal the gut, re-introduce healthy bacteria, improve the function of digestive enzymes, stimulate bile flow and other digestive secretions, heal bile ducts, lower stomach pH, and increase gut peristalsis.

Ozone, in the form of drinking ozonated water, ingesting oxy-powder, doing vaginal and rectal insufflations can be used as an added treatment, instead of a main candida killing tool.

What experience have you made when treating a suspected candida infection? Has ozone helped or nah? Let us know in the comments.

Sources

[1] Wikipedia: Candida (fungus)

[2] Septic Shock Attributed to Candida Infection: Importance of Empiric Therapy and Source Control 

[3] 9 Candida Symptoms and 3 Steps to Treat Them 

[4] Parasitism in humans: The yeast Candida albicans, a normal inhabitant of the human mouth, throat, colon, and reproductive organs, does not cause disease when it is in ecological balance with other microbes of the digestive system. 

[5] Effect of ozone gas on cultures of candida albicans and aspergillus fumigatus: evaluation of two ozonation equipment

[6] Ozone Treatment Unveils the Veil of Candida parapsilosis Infection in the Knee Joint: A Case Report and Literature Review

[7] Mercury Toxicity: Associated Symptoms and Conditions

[8] Mercury Overload: What It Is & How It Affects Your Health

[9] The efficacy of gaseous ozone against different forms of Candida albicans

[10] Antimicrobial effects of ozonated water on the sanitization of dental instruments contaminated with E. coli, S. aureus, C. albicans, or the spores of B. atrophaeus

[11] Microbicidal efficacy of ozonated water against Candida albicans adhering to acrylic denture plates

[12] Antifungal action of ozone therapy assessment against different Candida species for oral cavity application – Literature Review

[13] Vaginal Ozone Insufflation in the Treatment of Recurrent Candidal Vulvovaginitis : Randomized Control Trial

[14] Ozone therapy in the treatment of recurrent vulvo-vaginitis by Candida albicans

[15] Links Between the Microbiome and Bone

[16] Gut microbiota’s effect on mental health: The gut-brain axis 

[17] Microbiome and the immune system: From a healthy steady-state to allergy associated disruption

[18] Healthy gut bacteria

[19] Candida albicans

[20] Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth

[21] Is MgO a weak acid or a base?

[22] Probiotic lactobacilli inhibit early stages of Candida albicans biofilm development by reducing their growth, cell adhesion, and filamentation

[23] The role of Lactobacillus species in the control of Candida via biotrophic interactions

[24] Bioassay-Guided Isolation of Fungistatic Compounds from Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Leaves

[25] Aspects of the effect of bile salts on Candida albicans

[26] Sodium butyrate inhibits pathogenic yeast growth and enhances the functions of macrophages

[27] The fungicidal effect of human lactoferrin on Candida albicans and Candida krusei

[28] Activated lactoferrin's ability to inhibit Candida growth and block yeast adhesion to the vaginal epithelial monolayer

[29] What Is Monolaurin?

Related reading

Does Drinking Ozonated Water Damage the Gut Biome?

Does Rectal Ozone Kill Good Bacteria in the Gut?

How to do Vaginal Ozone Insufflations?