CANDIDA NOUN (HEALTH AND FITNESS)

Short for Candida albicans, a yeastlike fungus which causes inflammation and itching in the mouth or vagina (commonly known as thrush), and is also thought to cause digestive problems when it multiplies in the digestive tract. Also, loosely, the set of digestive problems caused by excessive quantities of Candida in the gut; candidiasis. Etymology: A shortened form of the Latin name Candida albicans; popularly, the genus name Candida (which is formed on the Latin word candidus 'white') is used to refer to the particular species Candida albicans (whose name is a sort of tautology, meaning 'white-tinged white'). History and Usage: The effects of Candida in the mouth and vagina (thrush) have been well known since the thirties. The theory that the fungus can get out of control in the gut (especially on a Western diet high in refined sugars) and cause digestive illness is one that has only been given any credence in the past decade, and is still not fully supported in traditional medicine. Bill Wyman...tours the world...while she stays in Britain suffering from an agonising allergy...He spoke of his wife's painful illness, Candida...Candida's a yeast allergy that usually affects the stomach...Certain food's OK for the Candida, but bad for the liver. News of the World 8 Apr. 1990, p. 9