7 year old DS has candida in intestines, what can he eat?

[MrsDermotOLeary]

I posted in food topic but no replies so thought I'd try here...

DS is 7 and has been to gp with various symptoms including swollen stomach (causing his ribs to grow outwards), sloppy stools, irritability etc. GP says probably candida in intestines, we are waiting for appt with paediatrician.
For now, we are advised to give a powdered probiotic and to cut out wheat, sugar and carbs in his diet.
He drinks only water so no probs there. But what can I feed him?

Today he had - Breakfast: eggs and tomatoes, Lunch: veg soup & carrot sticks, Snack: red pepper. Dinner/Tea will be roast lamb & veg.

We usually eat meatballs & pasta, home made chilli & curry with rice, pizza, shepherds pie, macaroni cheese, toad in the hole...

Any ideas? I have 2 other children who can eat anything but feel it may stop arguments if we all eat the same.

Aren't onions & leeks supposed to encourage the right kind of good bacteria?

Are they? I cook with both of those a lot so that's good. Coconut oil is good too. I just need some inspiration, how can I replace carbs?

I gather the onion-leek-chive-garlic family are full of Oligosaccharides.

I think you need more specific advice on how low carb, the odds are that he is actually ok with many carbs, just not the most refined carbs (disclaimer, am not an expert).

Plain live Yogurt wouldn't be okay on an ordinary low carb diet but might be fine for your boy, or whole meal pasta with lots of veg & sauce & a little meat & sunflower seeds, etc.

You could google for low carb recipes, I'd be googling for the vegetarian versions just because I wouldn't want to eat a lot of meat.

Has your son been tested for coeliac disease? If not, get that done right away - the test has to be done before wheat/gluten is cut from the diet.

Also, have you had more specialist assessment than the GP? They are suggesting big changes to his diet - I think he needs to see a pediatrician and preferably a gut specialist. Then a dietician. It is so easy to make things worse without meaning to.

How was he diagnosed?

Sorry for the delay and thanks for the replies. He was diagnosed by the GP after a friend (who's a cranial osteopath) raised concerns with DH. He's been referred to the hosp to see a paediatrician.

Hasn't had any blood tests e.g. coeliac yet. That wasn't discussed but could be a possibility.

DH took him to the appt and we have been following the 'candida diet' advice.

Feel pretty clueless.

He's loving the probiotic granules though - eats them like sherbet!

Not sure what to do while waiting for referral to come through - could be weeks.

Various candida species are part of normal gut flora - I am not aware that 'candida overgrowth' is currently considered a pathological thing?

What tests were done? How did the GP arrive at this diagnosis?
Are you in the UK?

I'd be vary of any exclusion diet for a young child without qualified dietetic input (from a dietician, not a nutritionist).

This sounds v odd from a GP.
A blood test for coeliac is easy and can be arranged while awaiting paeds appt. it would be useful for the Paediatrician to have the results if these too.
Any drastic dietary exclusion, such as carbs, in a growing and young child should be supervised by a dietician.
I wouldn't place too much value with the gut candida diagnosis, this isn't even recognised as a true condition by the NHS I don't think?

I would go back to the GP - request a referral to a Dietician. I would also request a Coeliacs test, which means he must be eating wheat (for 12 weeks before I think), this should be one of the first things to be investigated.
I would more expect a osteopath than a GP to suggest changing diet before all the tests have been done.

I would stick with meat/ fish/ veg/ eggs for now until appointment. But I would assume they mean carbs that are refined like pasta and bread, rather than whole grain rice and potatoes so once they have confirmed you should be able to eat similar to now ie chilli and rice, cottage pie all fine. And where you usually use pasta or bread change to root veg, potatoes or rice.

Coeliac sounds way more likely than intestinal candida....and the problem is that if you cut out wheat before the test, then it tends to be muck up the test.

Thanks so much for all your replies. Had a letter to say an appt with the paediatrician is pending. Have cut out all rice cakes, breadsticks, dried fruit snacks (yo-yos etc) and sweets/cakes/biscuits. Cooking meals as normal until appt.

Thanks for all the advice.

Just to add, a coeliac screen can be falsely negative if you've followed a gluten free diet leading up to the test.