Using Yogurt for Yeast Infections
The most common home remedy for vaginal yeast infections
is non-sweetened yogurt that contains active bacteria.
 Many
commercial brands do not contain live acidophilus, so be sure
to read the label. Nancy’s Yogurt, made here in Oregon,
contains several different types of live cultures and may help
you re-establish your yeast/bacteria balance.
Men with male yeast infections can also try eating yogurt to
see if it will correct their bacteria-yeast balance. If the
infection is mild enough, the infection may go away in a day
or two.
Nancy’s
website has a lot of interesting information about the cultures
contained in their yogurt. If you don’t live in an area
that sells this particular brand, check the labels on the yogurt
available at your local supermarket – “live cultures”
should be prominently noted.
If you add sugar to the yogurt you will cancel out its benefits
by feeding your yeast – if you really can’t bear
the idea of eating unsweetened yogurt, add a small amount of
honey instead of sugar. Honey has been proven to increase the
numbers of beneficial bacteria in your gut, while sugar inhibits
bacteria and feeds yeast. If you have to choose between sweeteners,
always choose honey. Brown sugar, raw sugar, and other forms
of sugar are just sugar – they aren’t any better
for you, and they should be avoided like the plague if you have
a yeast infection.
Some people put yogurt in the vagina instead of eating it,
in order to get the acidophilus down where it’s needed
more quickly. You can insert the yogurt directly into the vagina
by dipping a tampon (the kind without an applicator, like the
OB brand) into unsweetened yogurt and then inserting it into
the vagina. Remove the tampon after an hour or so. Do not forget
it’s there.
You can also freeze yogurt in the fingers of a sterile plastic
glove, and then insert the frozen yogurt popsicle in the vagina
like a tampon. This can be a bit messy, so you may want to use
a sanitary pad for a few hours. Believe it or not, the icy yogurt
will feel good against your inflamed vaginal walls.
You can also find suppositories containing live bacterial cultures
at the natural food store and online. These products deliver
the beneficial probiotics directly to the affected area. Make
sure you select a capsule that contains only live bacterial
cultures, and which does not contain herbal remedies such as
Pau D’ Arco bark extract or black walnut that may kill
the bacteria.
If you use one of these products or put yogurt in the vagina,
you should also eat a cup of unsweetened yogurt every day as
well. You need a strong population of acidophilus in your intestinal
tract to help build up your natural defenses and keep your infection
from coming back.
Since yogurt is not an antifungal treatment, there is no risk
that it will cause your yeast population to mutate and become
drug resistant. Even if you are lactose-intolerant, you may
be able to tolerate yogurt, but if not, try one of the acidophilus
capsules sold at the natural food store, instead.
Although thousands of women swear by this treatment for yeast
infections, some
research studies have shown that it doesn’t really
help because acidophilus is present in the vagina already during
a vaginal yeast infection. This may explain why many health
practitioners suggest that you eat the yogurt, instead
of inserting it in the vagina – by eating the yogurt you
improve the yeast/bacterial balance in your colon, which improves
your digestive function, and this may improve your overall health
enough to cause your vaginal yeast to calm down and go back
to being a benign guest.
If you want to use yogurt as a treatment, go ahead and experiment
to see what actually works for you. You may decide to cover
all your bases, and use yogurt both as a topical treatment in
the vagina or on your genital area, while also including it
in your diet.
|  Articles
on this site were written by Jonni Good, author of one of
the Web's most popular books on sugar
addiction.
A number of people have asked me for advice about natural
yeast infection remedies to use when nothing seems to work.
I read through many books and articles, and I recommend
Yeast
Infection Away by Crystal McBride. Her information
is well researched, and the instructions are easy to follow. |
|
 New
Craving Control Diet...
Lose weight the healthy way by choosing a healthy
diet based on nutritious foods that help control food
cravings and binge eating, increase your metabolism,
and reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
And without all the sugar and other refined carbs,
you reduce the risk of yeast infections, too.
For details, visit CravingControl
Diet.com |
|
© 2006 - 2008 Jonni Good | All Rights Reserved
1311 V Ave
La Grande, OR 97850
Site Map |
Contact Us | Candida
| Causes
| Prevention
Yeast Infection
Symptoms | Treatment
for Candida Infections
Stop Sugar Cravings
| Stop Chronic Yeast
Infections
Healthy Diet for
Candida | Your
Yeast Infection Home Page
Disclaimer:
The information presented on this page and other pages on this
site is based upon the opinions of the author, and on the author's
interpretation of published reports and articles. It is not intended
to replace your relationship with a qualified health care professional,
and is not intended as medical advice.
The author encourages
you to make your own health care decisions based upon knowledge
of the issues of nutrition and health, and in partnership with
a qualified health care professional.
|
