Foods That Help Fight & Cure Candida Yeast

Yeast infections result when the Candida albicans fungus colonizes specific areas of the body, such as the vagina, skin, mouth or stomach. Vaginal yeast infections strike 75 percent of women at least once in their lifetime, and 90 percent of HIV-positive patients experience a candida infection, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Candida infections of the mouth result in a condition called thrush that is common in infants. Diets aimed at addressing candida infection often focus on what foods to avoid, but consuming certain foods may actually help you fight candida infection.

Probiotics

Probiotics are micro-organisms that exist naturally within the gastrointestinal tracts of healthy human beings. These same micro-organisms are present in certain food items that are touted for their probiotic health benefits. According to Clark College professor Dr. Travis Kibota, Lactobacillus acidophilus, a probiotic bacteria that is present in yogurt and other fermented milk products, can help control the spread of candida yeast infections. Raw vegetables and krauts may also help repopulate regions where candida infestation has taken over by supplanting that fungal infection with beneficial probiotic bacteria, says Kibota.

Garlic

Garlic has long been prized for its antimicrobial properties. It may be helpful as a fungicide to be used in the treatment of candida yeast infections as well. Freshly crushed garlic releases allicin, an active compound that exhibits antifungal activity against Candida albicans and other fungi such as Cryptococcus neoformans and Aspergillus, according to Yona Shadkchan of the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University in Israel. Schadkchan's findings were published in the "Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy" in February 2004.

Antifungal Spices

Certain common kitchen spices, including oregano, cinnamon and cloves, have antifungal properties and may be helpful in helping you to resist infection by candida. Drugs.com attributes the antifungal properties of oregano to its content of a phenolics compound called carvacrol. Cinnamon oil has shown antifungal properties against Aspergillus, Candida, Cryptococcus and Histoplasma fungi, according to Armando Gonzalez Stuart of the University of Texas at El Paso. Meanwhile, at the Department of Microbiology of the University of Porto in Portugal, Dr. Eugenia Pinto found that clove oil has considerable antifungal properties against Candida, Aspergillus and other fungi. Her findings were published in the "Journal of Medical Microbiology" in November 2008.