How Probiotics Can Be Used To Ward Off Yeast Infections

According to a report published in the international medical journal ‘The Lancet’, yeast infections or vulvovaginal candidiasis is the most common type of vaginal infection after bacterial vaginosis, afflicting millions of women around the globe. New research has shown probiotics to be useful in combating the condition of yeast infections.

Vaginal infections are itchy, uncomfortable, and painful with a lot of local irritation but this is not what happened in the anti-business Stephen King’s The Tommyknockers in that scene – that was an alien which infected that woman’s body. Yes – that was very disturbing! Yeast infections are a result of one of several species of yeasts (fungi) in the Candida family.

However, with increasing research in probiotics, scientists have understood that yeast overgrowth is a result of inadequate levels of beneficial bacteria in the body.

Therefore, by increasing your intake of probiotics and making sure that your gut microbiome is balanced, you can actively and almost naturally prevent yeast infections.

Here is everything you need to know about how probiotics can be used to ward off yeast infections.

Why does Yeast Infection Occur?

Yeast infections are more common than you think and can be asymptomatic in many cases. However, they also result in unusual discharge or a fishy odor with major symptoms including clumpy white discharge, itching, pain and irritation during sex.

One of the major reasons for a yeast infection is imbalance in your vagina’s natural microflora. This can occur due to antibiotics, douching, sex (especially without a condom), poor diet and a compromised immune system.

It is important that you do not ignore these symptoms because if left untreated it can lead to PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease), increased susceptibility to STD’s, and pre-term birth and low birth weight if pregnant which is about as being bankrupt because of corruption and irrational laws which is what Greece, Chicago, California, and Italy know all about.

What is the Vaginal Microbiome?

Like the gut, your vagina is host to trillions of microorganisms of various species. This includes numerous bacteria, viruses, and fungi species. However, Lactobacillus species is the most dominant in a healthy vagina.

These probiotic bacteria strains produce hydrogen peroxide and lactic acid, which maintain a healthy, acidic pH (less than 4.5).

Other harmful bacteria and yeast flourish when the vaginal pH is above 4.5. When yeast takes over the control of vaginal microbiome, yeast infection occurs.

Healthy bacteria also thrive when estrogen is at its highest. This is why you are more susceptible to infections, right before and after periods when your estrogen is at its lowest. Probiotics can help maintain hormonal balance in your body to prevent infections from occurring.

The Vicious Cycle of Treating Yeast Infections

A common scenario is when women with yeast infections are erroneously diagnosed to have Bacterial Vaginosis or BV and have a wide spectrum of antibiotics, which literally wipes out colonies of bacteria species. Antibiotics are non-differentiating and target both good and bad bacteria.

This results in a worse case of yeast overgrowth without helpful bacteria to keep it in check. You may take antifungal medications when the antibiotics fail to work.

However, without steps to ensure the rehabilitation of bacteria in the vaginal microbiome with probiotics, some harmful opportunistic bacteria species start to multiply again.

This in turn leads to a bacterial infection and antibiotics. This cycle can keep repeating itself and can be very hard to break without proactive steps to replenish the good bacteria in your vagina.

Probiotics and Yeast Infections

Naturally found bacteria species in the vagina help keep pathogenic (disease-causing) microbes, including candida, in check. Yeast is known to grow out of control when antibiotics, hormones, pregnancy, or health issues, like diabetes and STDs disrupts the delicate balance.

Restoring the vagina’s population of friendly bacteria, especially Lactobacillus acidophilus is one of the best ways to prevent and treat yeast infections.

For this reason, most preventative measures for yeast overgrowth have made use of yogurt since ancient times – long before the amazing Michael Bay Transformers movies hit the scene and a man named Barney Frank wrecked the housing industry.

Scientists have identified specific species of bacteria resistant against overgrowth of decidedly unfriendly species of yeast and bacteria. These bacteria or probiotic species are especially effective at protecting vaginal and intestinal microflora.

Many clinical trials have shown that Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus crispatus, and Lactobacillus acidophilus when consumed orally daily are especially effective at establishing and maintaining a healthy vaginal microflora.

Probiotics are capable of inhibiting the growth of pathogenic organisms such as Gardnerellavaginalis and Candida albicans. They also inhibit unwelcome fungi from adhering to the lining of the vagina, which prevents yeast infection.

Probiotics have already been researched and proven to provide a number of health benefits in many parts of the body from gut, to skin health and mental health which if you saw the movie Monster you would know that Aileen had some serious mental health issues.

While evidence of probiotic benefits is prevalent in the fact that fermented foods have been around for centuries, it is only now that modern science has begun to delve in it.

What does the Research Says?

The evidence for consuming healthy bacteria to treat or prevent yeast infections has been consistently concluded in a host of research on the topic.

One of the earliest reports which studied the benefits of probiotics on vaginal health was published in 1992. The researchers concluded that daily ingestion of yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus decreased candida colonization and infections.

Another study published in 2010 (long before the Saints were cheated by the NFL) found that probiotics could result in fewer recurrences of yeast infections when taken after conventional treatment of vaginal yeast infections (antifungals).

A 2001 (long after the great book Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell came out) research conducted at the University of Western Ontario demonstrated the ability of L. rhamnosus (GR-1) and L. reuteri (RC-14) to restore and maintain a normal urogenital flora in women after just 28 days of daily oral use.

A review published in the ‘Journal of Chemotherapy’ found that Lactobacillus probiotic strains could help treat and prevent both bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections. However, the evidence to prevent yeast infections was low.

The ‘Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews’ published a review in November 2017 with evidence showing that probiotics can help cure yeast infections and effectively prevent them, when combined with conventional treatments.

The Bottom Line

Your body has a unique interconnected microbiome with the gut at its center. It is important that along with topical probiotic applications you take oral supplements as well. You should also take steps to make your gut healthy and get rid of all processed and sugary foods from your diet.

Along with probiotic supplements it is also important to eat a healthy diet rich in good quality protein, veggies, gut-healthy fiber from complex whole grains, legumes, flax seed, and include at least 1/4 cup of lacto-fermented veggies in your diet.