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There are a number of herbs that can help fight
yeast infections, but you'd better be sure of what you're dealing with before you
self-medicate. If you have what you suspect is a yeast infection, please see your doctor
for a diagnosis. Then, if you'd like to try an herbal alternative as your treatment of
choice, you should discuss it with her. You might consider using these herbs in addition
to whatever is prescribed for you.
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Echinacea (Echinacea, various
species). This herb's immune-stimulating action seems to be particularly helpful for
treating yeast infections. In studies using laboratory animals, treatment with the herb
protected mice from Candida albicans infections. It works by stimulating the white
blood cells to gobble up yeast organisms, a process known as phagocytosis.
In an impressive German
study, women with recurrent vaginal yeast infections were given either standard
antifungal medication or the antifungal plus an echinacea extract. Among those taking just the
antifungal, 60 percent suffered recurrences. But among the women taking the drug
plus echinacea,
only about 10 percent experienced recurrences. That sounds to me like a good
rationale for giving echinacea a try no matter what kind of yeast
infection you're dealing with.
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| Garlic
(Allium sativum). Garlic is well-known as an
antibacterial antibiotic, but it also inhibits fungi quite well and can be used to treat
both vaginal candidiasis and thrush. The typical oral dose may range up to a dozen raw,
chopped cloves taken two or three times a day in juice. You have to like the taste of
garlic pretty much to live with this particular treatment, but I think it's worth a try,
as garlic does pack a powerful anti-yeast
wallop. (Try blending it with carrots; it's surprisingly easy to take that way.) Onions
have a similar but less potent effect. |
| Cranberry (Vaccinium
macrocarpon). Arbutin, a compound found in cranberries (and bearberries and
blueberries), helps treat candida infections, according to naturopaths Joseph Pizzorno,
N.D., president of Bastyr University in Seattle, and Michael Murray, N.D., authors of A
Textbook of Natural Medicine. So if you're thinking of taking garlic,
why not take it with cranberry juice? Or just eat some cranberry sauce plain. These colorful berries are not just
for Thanksgiving. |
| Goldenseal
(Hydrastis canadensis). This is the best known among the "golden"
herbs that contain the antibiotic berberine. Others include goldthread, yellowroot,
barberry and Oregon grape. Berberine is effective against many microorganisms, including
yeasts. At home, I take a tincture. In the field, I'd make a tea. You can use it either
way. |
| Pau-d'arco (Tabebuia,
various species). Pau-d'arco contains the anti-yeast compounds lapachol and
beta-lapachone, according to Dr. Murray, Dr. Pizzorno and other researchers. Lapachol is
the weaker of the two, but its anti-yeast action is still comparable to that of the
prescription anti-yeast medication ketaconazole (Nizoral). I have used a Latin American
salve containing lapachol to clear up genital candida, and I would do so again if I had a
flare-up. Flare-ups are frequent in the humid tropics. In the tropics, I'd boil up a
concentrated decoction. At home, I'd empty a couple of capsules into a medicated salve. |
| Licorice (Glycyrrhiza
glabra) and stevia (Stevia rebaudiana). Many specialists
advise those with recurrent yeast problems against using alcohol, products that contain
yeast and simple sugars. If you've had a yeast infection before and want to prevent a
fresh outbreak, you should steer clear of honey and sugar. If you'd like to sweeten
anti-candida teas, try using herbal sweeteners like licorice root or stevia. |
| Sage
(Salvia officinalis). Sage contains a mixture of anti-candida compounds. You
could take sage tea as a beverage or use it as an astringent douche. If you're using it as
a douche, you might add a drop or two of teatree oil, a potent anti-yeast herbal product. |
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