Foods to Eat to Fight Yeast Infections
Yeast infections are a common occurrence for many women and cause uncomfortable symptoms including burning, itching, inflammation and thick discharge, MayoClinic.com reports. Many over-the-counter treatments exist that can cure your yeast infection.
Yeast infections are a common occurrence for many women and cause uncomfortable symptoms including burning, itching, inflammation and thick discharge, MayoClinic.com reports. Many over-the-counter treatments exist that can cure your yeast infection. Food may be another way to treat your infection without you having to rely on medication. Adding a few specific foods to your diet may help your yeast infection clear up more quickly.
Yogurt
Yogurt contains live active probiotic cultures that may rid your body of a yeast infection, notes Beatrice Trum Hunter, author of "Probiotic Foods for Good Health: Yogurt, Sauerkraut, and Other Beneficial Fermented Foods." A yeast infection occurs when the balance of good bacteria in your vagina is upset by the invasion of bad bacteria that leads to an infection. Eating yogurt replenishes your body of the good bacteria needed to fight the infection. Eating a carton of yogurt each day while having a yeast infection may help you recover more quickly and may also prevent a recurrence, Hunter states. Other foods that supply probiotics include fermented foods, such as kefir and sauerkraut.
Garlic
Garlic can have a powerful healing effect on a yeast infection, the University of Maryland Medical Center notes. Garlic stops the growth of the yeast that is causing your infection so your body can get rid of the invaders more quickly. The substance in garlic that results in the spicy taste is the same property that can destroy yeast bacteria, which effectively treats your yeast infection. Try eating one clove of garlic each day starting when you first begin experiencing symptoms to help relieve your discomfort more quickly and prevent future infections.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit is a good source of vitamin C, which can help suppress a yeast infection and result in a faster healing time, the "Reader's Digest" reports. The vitamin C in grapefruit may work to get rid of your yeast infection by encouraging your white blood cells to work harder to destroy the bacterial invaders causing your symptoms. Adding several servings each day of vitamin C-rich foods, such as grapefruit, may reduce the number of days you suffer as well as prevent future infections. Other foods high in vitamin C include oranges, lemons, limes, kiwi fruit and bell peppers, especially red bell peppers.