You can do a lot to improve your gut health by staying away from sugary foods, cutting out foods that make inflammation worse, and eating foods that are high in probiotics or antifungals.
As your digestive health recovers, you might find relief from many of the symptoms associated with Candida overgrowth.
The anti-Candida diet is a low-sugar, anti-inflammatory diet that promotes good gut health. The diet includes non-starchy vegetables, some low sugar fruits, non-glutinous grains, fermented foods, and healthy proteins.
The main ideas behind the anti-Candida diet can be summed up in 11 easy rules, which you can see below. These, along with the lists of foods that are allowed and foods that are not allowed, can help you plan your diet.
Can I Eat Bacon on the Candida Diet?
Bacon is a processed meat that is commonly eaten for breakfast or in sandwiches and burgers But is bacon allowed on the Candida diet? In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at bacon and help you understand if and when you can include it in an anti-Candida eating plan.
What is Bacon?
Bacon refers to cured and smoked pork belly. It is made by treating raw pork belly with salt, either through a dry-curing or wet-curing process. This preserves the meat and gives bacon its distinctive salty flavor.
After curing, the pork belly is cold-smoked slowly over a fire for days or weeks. This infuses the meat with smoky flavors and further dries it out. Finally, bacon is thinly sliced before being packaged and sold.
Bacon is a popular breakfast food in many Western countries. It is most often pan-fried until crispy and eaten in dishes like a Full English breakfast, with eggs and sautéed mushrooms. Bacon also features in many sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and salads.
Nutrition Facts of Bacon
A 28g serving (around 2 slices) of pan-fried bacon contains (1):
- Calories: 153
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated fat: 4.4g
- Cholesterol: 23mg
- Sodium: 178mg
- Protein: 8.8g
As you can see, bacon is very high in fat and sodium. Most of the fat is unsaturated, although there are decent amounts of saturated fat too.
There are also small amounts of vitamins and minerals in bacon such as vitamin B12, zinc, and selenium. However, the amounts are negligible compared to the high calorie and salt content.
In general, bacon should be considered more of a treat than a health food. The high sodium content is concerning for people with high blood pressure or kidney problems.
Is Bacon Allowed on the Candida Diet?
The Candida diet aims to starve Candida yeast by eliminating sugars, alcohol, grains, and starchy vegetables. High-sugar fruits, processed foods, and inflammatory oils are excluded too.
So where does bacon stand? Can you eat bacon on a Candida diet or not?
Here are the main factors to consider:
- Bacon is Cured and Smoked
Cured, smoked, and processed meats are not recommended on anti-Candida diets. This includes bacon, ham, salami, pepperoni, and sausages.
The curing process introduces sodium nitrite. In the gut, nitrites can be converted into nitrosamines, which may increase cancer risk (2, 3).
When meats are smoked, they can absorb cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the smoke (4).
For these reasons, it’s best to avoid frequently eating cured or smoked meats when healing a gut imbalance like Candida.
- Potential Additives
As a processed meat, bacon may contain additives like sugar, MSG, and preservatives.
Sugar and MSG are both excluded from the Candida diet. They can promote yeast overgrowth and worsen inflammation.
Check ingredients lists carefully and look for bacon without added sugar or other additives. Opt for bacon cured with sea salt rather than sugar.
- High in Saturated Fat
Although bacon contains some monounsaturated fat, it is high in saturated fat too.
Saturated fat, especially from meat, has been linked with inflammation and gut permeability (5). It may also negatively alter the gut microbiome (6).
Choosing bacon from pasture-raised pigs may provide a better fatty acid profile. But in general, bacon is high in inflammatory saturated fat.
- Contains Sulfites
Sulfites are sulfur-containing preservatives sometimes used when smoking or curing meats (7).
They help prevent browning, antimicrobial growth, and rancidity. But sulfites can also provoke adverse reactions in sensitive individuals.
Symptoms may include hives, stomach pain, diarrhea, headache, and wheezing (8). People with gut dysbiosis tend to have a higher sensitivity.
If you experience reactions after eating cured meats, you may have a sulfite sensitivity. Consider avoiding or limiting bacon until you heal your gut.
- High in Salt (Sodium)
Bacon contains very high amounts of sodium, with up to 1/3 of the RDA coming from 2 rashers.
A high-salt diet can negatively impact gut health in various ways:
- Increasing inflammation (9)
- Altering gut permeability (10)
- Changing gut microbiome populations (11)
- Affecting immune responses (12)
Minimizing sodium intakes generally seems wise on gut healing protocols like the Candida diet.
Is Pork Allowed on the Candida Diet?
Pork is not officially prohibited on anti-Candida diets. Lean cuts of pork can be included in moderation as an occasional meat choice.
Compared to beef and lamb, pork tends to be lighter and easier to digest. However, it still has downsides:
- Can cause inflammation due to high omega-6 levels, especially when pork is grain-fed (13).
- Has a higher risk of containing parasites like roundworm and tapeworm (14).
- May contain added sodium nitrite when cured into ham or bacon.
Overall, pork does not share the same health profile as oily fish, chicken, or grass-fed red meat. But excluding it entirely from your diet is not necessary either.
If you want to eat pork, opt for fattier cuts like pork shoulder. Avoid processed pork products and cook the meat thoroughly. Limit intake to once or twice a week at most.
What are Healthier Alternatives to Bacon?
If you’re avoiding bacon but still want a savory, crispy breakfast, here are some alternatives to try:
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Mushrooms – Slice large flat mushrooms and pan-fry in coconut oil. Season with sea salt, garlic, and thyme.
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Smoked salmon – Look for wild-caught salmon without additives or extra salt. Enjoy with eggs or assembled into lettuce wraps.
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Turkey or chicken bacon – Opt for low-sodium brands without sugar. Make sure it’s free from fillers, additives, and extra chemicals.
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Tofu – Marinated baked or pan-fried tofu can provide a crispy, savory texture. Add coconut aminos, turmeric, garlic, and ginger to marinate.
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Nut bars – Make crispy nut and seed bars with almond/walnut flour and egg. Top with sesame or poppy seeds for crunch.
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Veggie hash – Create a hash from diced veggies like zucchini, sweet potato, bell peppers, and asparagus. Cook in coconut oil and season well.
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Greens and eggs – Sauté greens like kale or chard in olive oil and garlic. Add pastured eggs and avocado for a filling meal.
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Veggie wraps – Fill collard greens or lettuce leaves with sautéed veggies, mushrooms, and a protein like chicken.
Should you Avoid Bacon Completely on the Candida Diet?
Bacon is not expressly forbidden on the Candida diet, but there are good reasons to limit it:
- The curing process may introduce potentially harmful compounds.
- Bacon is high in saturated fat, sodium, and often additives.
- It contains sulfites, which can trigger reactions in sensitive people.
- Overcooking creates acrylamide, a potential carcinogen (15).
That said, an occasional serving of good quality, additive-free bacon is unlikely to sabotage your Candida treatment.
If you do eat bacon, opt for high-welfare, uncured bacon without added sugars or MSG. Make sure to cook it thoroughly but not to a blackened crisp.
Pair your bacon with plenty of vegetables and healthy fats. And limit intake to once or twice per week at most when following a gut-healing diet.
Prioritize Anti-Candida Foods
Rather than fixating on occasional treats like bacon, focus your diet on these nourishing, antioxidant-rich foods:
- Non-starchy vegetables – Broccoli, leafy greens, asparagus, etc.
- Bone broth – Simmer bones with vinegar to draw out minerals.
- Cage-free eggs – Boiled, poached, or cooked over-easy.
- Wild fish – Salmon, sardines, and mackerel are excellent choices.
- Grass-fed meats – Lamb, beef, chicken, and turkey in moderation.
- Healthy fats – Olive oil, coconut oil, avocado, ghee, almonds.
- Lemons and limes – Add the zest and juice to sparkling water, salad dressings, etc.
- Green tea – Matcha tea is rich in gut-friendly catechins.
- Seaweed – Adds trace minerals and fucoidan, an anti-inflammatory polysaccharide.
- Sauerkraut – Choose unpasteurized for the probiotic benefits.
Prioritizing these nutritious foods
Enjoy healthy proteins and fats
When some anti-Candida dieters cut back on the carbohydrates in your diet, they lose weight quite quickly. Sometimes this is desirable and sometimes it isn’t – either way, this is not really a diet that’s focused on weight loss. Improving your gut health is the first priority.
If you want to maintain your weight, you’ll need to replace those calories. Put simply, that means eating more proteins and fats.
When buying meats, look for cuts that are as nutrient-rich and fresh as possible. That might mean buying organic, or local, or just working with a trusted butcher.
Avoid any added ingredients like sugars, nitrates or sulfites. Processed meats like bacon, ham, and turkey slices should be avoided (36). Try to stick to healthier, white meats as much as possible.
Eggs are an excellent food to incorporate into your Candida diet. They are one of the best, most nutritious sources of protein you can find. Look for organic and free-range eggs, as they tend to be more nutritious.
When buying fish, focus on the species that are less affected by heavy metals and other toxins. Swordfish, albacore tuna, shark, and king mackerel tend to be the worst affected.
Look for smaller fish like sardines and herring, as well as some larger fish like wild-caught salmon. Wild-caught fish is always a better choice than farmed fish.
No meat eaters need worry—nuts, beans, yogurt, and protein-rich fake grains like quinoa and teff will give you plenty of protein.
Eating fats and oils is a great way to keep your calorie intake steady, and many of them can also help with infections or inflammation. Coconut oil, olive oil, butter, and ghee are all good options.
How to Follow the Anti-Candida Diet
This is the anti-Candida diet plan’s 11 main rules, along with some tips on how to follow them and some recipes. If you follow these principles, you’ll see big improvements in your gut health.
Let’s take a look at those in more detail!