It took me several years of cooking to appreciate the value that chicken broth and broth—indeed, all types of broth and broth—bring to the kitchen. What was once something of a specialty item in my kitchen has now become a mainstay on my weekly grocery list. I frequently buy chicken and vegetable broth and broth for a variety of my family’s favorite dishes. I have never found it convenient to make and store my own, so I rely heavily on commercially available products.
Although there are numerous types of broth and broth available at the supermarket, most of these contain ingredients that could be hazardous to your health. Since I don’t want to consume dangerous ingredients and I’m on the yeast diet, a diet to help treat yeast infections, choosing an appropriate chicken broth can be a challenging task. Candidiasis is a condition in which, through numerous external factors, yeast (candida) grows excessively in the body. This candida overgrowth can cause numerous health problems. Many times candidiasis patients go years without any explanation for their poor health. The candida diet is the main form of treatment for candidiasis, but one of the prohibited ingredients in the diet is preservatives, and commercially available chicken broths are notorious for containing them.
I found that the most commonly used prohibited ingredients in commercially available broths include monosodium glutamate (MSG), yeast extract, and citric acid. All three of these additives are used to preserve and/or improve flavor. All three also undergo the fermentation process whereby yeast and/or bacteria are added to change the substance into a form that is suitable for commercial use, and yeast is a prohibited ingredient in the candida diet. Monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, and citric acid may be derived from a sugar or carbohydrate source. Many of these original sources are also prohibited on the candida diet. Additionally, MSG has come under fire in recent decades due to numerous studies that have revealed that it causes a wide range of health problems. Yeast extract actually contains MSG, so there are some concerns to be aware of. In addition to the three additives already discussed, sugar is another ingredient that is often found in commercially available stocks and broths and is also prohibited on the candida diet.
So how do you find a chicken broth or broth without monosodium glutamate, yeast extract, citric acid, sugar, or any other preservatives? This is not an easy task, but I have found a few brands that are fine to use on a candida diet. Rather than gourmet chicken broth, Trader Joe’s Organic Free-Range Chicken Broth and Imagine Foods Organic Free-Range Chicken Broth seem to have ingredients that are fine for the candida diet. I bought More than Gourmet Chicken Stock from Whole Foods. Imagine Foods Organic Free Range Chicken Broth is quite readily available in the organic food section of most supermarkets. Trader Joe’s Organic Free Range Chicken Broth can only be purchased at Trader Joe’s. I use the Trader Joe’s brand more because it’s the most affordable at around $2.29 for 32 oz. I hope these suggestions provide you with the convenience of using commercially available broth and chicken broth without compromising the candida diet.