"the iron-chelating function of lactoferrin may contribute to the synergism."
Synergistic antifungal effect of lactoferrin with azole antifungals against Candida albicans and a proposal for a new treatment method for invasive candidiasis.
This is an interesting article. If I am reading it right candida uses iron as a food source and the iron chelating properties of lactoferrin deny candida a food source.
I have hemochromatosis (absorp too much iron) and have ignored it. I recently found that my tranferrin saturation is high which means that i have a lotof free iron floating around. I wonder if this could be contributing to my constant yeast battle.
There are other interesting aspects of this article but this is the one that jumped out at me.
Posted by Sonatina (Member # 45056) on :
From what I've read iron is a KEY factor in the growth of many -- if not most -- opportunistic pathogens, including candida. They need iron to reproduce. (Note: Lyme may be an exception to that usual rule.)
It is for this reason that the body normally stores iron in a form that makes it hard for pathogens to access. So yes, too much *bioavailable* iron could be a contributing factor I would think, although I'm not a doctor.
There are certain foods and certain medications that can affect iron levels as well.
For example, doxycycline BINDS iron, thereby making it less available to potential pathogens that require it for growth.