There has been growing interest in how elemental diets support gut healing, particularly for conditions like SIBO, IBS, and other forms of microbial overgrowth. We already know that elemental formulas can reduce harmful bacteria and calm digestive symptoms, but until recently, no one had closely examined how these diets affect the fungal side of the microbiome, especially Candida albicans, a yeast that can sometimes overgrow in the digestive tract.

A 2025 study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology helps answer that question by exploring whether elemental diets (or rather, the simple carbohydrates and fats they contain) might feed yeast or trigger fungal overgrowth. The researchers approached this by using both a laboratory experiment and a human clinical trial.

The Lab Experiment

In the laboratory portion of the study, scientists grew two types of fungi (Candida albicans and Nakaseomyces glabratus) in controlled conditions and exposed them to different elemental formulas, including Vivonex Plus, mBiota Elemental, and formulas with or without sugars, such as dextrose and maltodextrin. They also tested how the fungi responded to MCT oil, a fatty acid commonly included in elemental formulas.

After allowing the fungi to grow for 24 hours, they measured how many colonies developed. Despite concerns that the simple carbohydrates in elemental diets might “feed yeast,” the results showed the opposite: none of the elemental diets caused fungal overgrowth.

When both dextrose and maltodextrin were added, there was no increase in fungal growth compared to the control. Interestingly, MCT oil slightly reduced the growth of Candida albicans.

The Human Trial

To understand whether these findings translate to real life, the researchers analyzed stool samples from 30 adults with bacterial overgrowth who completed two weeks on an exclusive elemental diet (mBiota Elemental). Stool samples were tested for Candida albicans before and after the protocol.

After just two weeks on the elemental diet, Candida levels dropped by more than three-fold—a statistically significant decline. In other words, not only did the elemental diet fail to promote fungal overgrowth, it actually reduced it.

Our Clinical Experience

These findings mirror what we have consistently seen in our clinical practice. Over many years of guiding clients through elemental diet protocols (including individuals who are especially prone to yeast infections) we have not observed elemental diets worsening yeast issues or triggering new fungal problems.

This has been true both for clients using prophylactic antifungal support (natural or pharmaceutical) and for those who have not used any antifungal measures at all. It is reassuring to now see research validating what we have witnessed clinically for many years.

Physiologically, these results make sense. Elemental formulas are absorbed very early in the digestive tract, meaning they leave little to reach the lower gut where opportunistic microbes typically thrive. Without a steady supply of excess carbohydrates or undigested food to feed on, both unwanted bacteria and fungi lose their fuel and naturally decline.

The only potential exception may be individuals with oral Candida. In theory, those cases might benefit from using an antifungal mouth rinse during an elemental diet to prevent symptoms in the mouth. In our clinical practice, we have only seen this used once.

More research will certainly deepen our understanding, but for now, this study provides evidence that elemental diets do not promote Candida overgrowth—and may, in fact, help reduce it.

Interested in an Elemental Diet?

If you have been diagnosed with SIBO or IBS and believe that an elemental diet is the appropriate approach for you, please see the information on our self-guided program, the Elemental Diet Success Plan (EDSP). The EDSP has provided hundreds of participants with the exact roadmap that we have been using in our clinical practice with outstanding results.

For those who would benefit from additional support through their elemental diet process, I also offer a program that combines 1:1 Elemental Diet Guidance alongside the EDSP program.