Both oral and vaginal yeast infections are more common in people who eat a lot of refined sugar and other simple carbohydrates.
Eating lots of sugar and white flour (in bread, cakes, cookies and pasta) can upset the balance between good bacteria and Candida yeast, and this can allow the yeast population to grow out of control. It can also lead to insulin resistance and a pre-diabetic condition, and these hormone changes can also lead to yeast infections.
The bacteria/yeast balance is disturbed in two ways by a poor diet:
- The yeast feeds and grows on the refined carbohydrates;
- And the sugar suppresses the growth of bacteria.
Children who eat high-sugar diets are more prone to oral thrush infections, and women who eat a lot of refined carbohydrates are more susceptible to vaginal yeast infections.
For more information on how to prevent chronic yeast infections by eating a healthy diet, see The Sugar/Yeast Connection.