The yeast Candida albicans can cause hyperactivity in children. The condition, called candidiasis, almost had some underlying cause that can produce behaviors seen in ADHD. The cause may be an immune disorder, a disorder affecting carbohydrate metabolism, or some other situation that alters blood sugar levels.

When children and adults exhibit listlessness and inattentiveness, they may have this yeast overgrowth, primarily in the intestinal tract. The presence of the yeast can create or aggravate a host of health problems including fibromyalgia, autism, hypoglycemia, ADD, ADHD, and adult ADD and ADHD. At one time only alternative practitioners talked about yeast infections, but with several recent research studies, medical doctors have considered the Candida connection.

In the intestines, numerous strains of bacteria, yeast, and other single-cell organisms reside. The organisms are called ''flora,'' and they may be both friendly and unfriendly. When they are all living together in a normal, healthy environment, everything is normal, but if something happens to destroy the good flora, the bad ones may take over. Overuse of antibiotics may sometimes kill friendly bacteria, leaving the harmful organisms such as yeast to thrive and grow because the antibiotics do not affect them. Other medications such as oral contraceptives and prednisone may also upset this balance.

Yeasts get nourishment from sugar, and they give off waste products called metabolites that can damage the intestinal wall. The walls may develop small holes that allow food and toxic chemicals to get into the bloodstream. This ''leaky gut'' causes poor health conditions such as food allergies, attention disorders, and other conditions.

A simple blood test that measures the antibodies that have been built up against yeast detects candidiasis. The treatment is threefold:

- Stop feeding the yeast with the intake of the organism's favorite food: sugar.

- Kill the yeast with either a prescription drug or product recommended by a practitioner.

- Replace the yeast with acidophilus and bifidobacteria cultures.

The symptoms of candidiasis are similar to those of hypoglycemia, and both can be present together. Fatigue and sugar craving are common to both conditions.

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