Garlic may seem like just an innocuous herbal product that you use to spice up your pasta dishes, but it actually packs a disease-fighting punch. Garlic has been valued for its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties since ancient times, and recent research is finding more medicinal uses for garlic. For instance, if you are susceptible to yeast infections, you may find that garlic applied topically helps to rid your body of the troublesome yeast.
Yeast Infection Overview
Yeast infections, or candidiasis, are caused by an overgrowth of the fungus Candida albicans, that occurs naturally in the body. Typically, candidiasis happens when something, such as a course of antibiotics or steroids, being pregnant, or having a compromised immune system; causes an imbalance in the body that makes it more hospitable to fungal growth. Yeast infections usually occur either in the vagina, where they are called vaginal candidiasis or vaginal yeast infections, or in the mouth, where they are called oral thrush. Sometimes breastfeeding mothers also get thrush in their nipples.
Treatment for yeast infections generally involves either oral or topical anti-fungal drugs, but sometimes can include complementary and alternative therapies like garlic or probiotics.
Garlic and Thrush
Thrush, or oral candidiasis, is one of the most common fungal infections that occurs in people who are immunocompromised; such as AIDS patients, people receiving chemotherapy treatments, the elderly and infants. The National Institutes of Health reports that research findings have indicated that the candida fungus is especially sensitive to some of the chemicals in garlic, but more research is needed before it is recommended as a treatment for thrush.
If you wish to fight candidiasis with garlic, take the equivalent of one clove per day, or a supplement that provides between 4,000 and 5,000 mcg of allicin.
Garlic and Vaginal Yeast Infections
Since the fungus that causes vaginal yeast infections is sensitive to garlic, some practitioners recommend either increasing the garlic in your diet or applying it topically to treat vaginal candidiasis. Garlic can be used as a suppository to treat vaginal yeast infections. Wrap a fresh, peeled clove of garlic in gauze and carefully insert it into your vagina. Be sure to change the garlic suppository twice a day.
You can also increase the garlic in your diet, or take 2g to 4g per day of fresh, minced garlic, or the equivalent of between two to four cloves.
Other Complementary Treatments for Yeast Infections
If you are trying to avoid traditional anti-fungal medication, there are other treatment approaches besides garlic that you may opt for. Probiotics such as lactobacillus have been shown to be useful in preventing or treating candida overgrowth. Probiotics can be found in active-culture yogurt or in over-the-counter supplements.
To prevent or shorten the duration of yeast infections, some health practitioners recommend the "candida diet," which requires that you eschew simple sugars, dairy products and foods with an abundance of yeast such as beer, cheese, and peanuts. For some people, just reducing or eliminating sugar in their diet can improve yeast infection symptoms.
Other supplements that may be recommended for people who suffer from yeast infections include vitamin C, calcium, essential fatty acids and B-complex vitamins.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Candidiasis
- National Institutes of Health; Garlic Revisited: Therapeutic for the Major Diseases of Our Times?; TH Abdullah, et. al. 1988
- "Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine"; Candidiasis; Richard Lampert; 2002
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Garlic
