garlic for yeast infection

Garlic for yeast infection cure – benefits vs. side effects experts review

In Candida, Health News, Home Remedies, Yeast Infection by Candida SpecialistsLeave a Comment

Garlic for yeast infection

Using garlic for yeast infection may offer many benefits but can also cause unpleasant side effects when used incorrectly. This experts guide summarizes our experience working with garlic for candida and yeast infections. We looked into traditional remedies, published medical studies as well as the thousands of the garlic for yeast infection reviews we gathered over our many years of practice.

We hope this guide will help you enjoy the many garlic benefits while minimizing the side effects.

Garlic for yeast infection

Problematic uses of garlic for yeast infection

Garlic benefits

Garlic is widely known as one of nature’s most potent natural antibiotic, with many of garlic benefits extensively studied and documented. Allicin, the active component of garlic that is responsible for garlic’s famous aroma, was shown by many studies to have strong antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties (source 1, source 2). When properly used, garlic is considered as one of the best natural remedies for yeast infection and candida issues.

Here is a quick summary of garlic benefits, focusing on the usage of garlic for yeast infection and candida issues:

Garlic antifungal properties

Garlic antifungal properties are well known and were shown in a very large number of published studies. Allicin, the active component of garlic that is responsible for garlic antifungal activity, is mentioned in the medical literature as particularly effective against Candida albicans (source 1, source 2).

The fact that garlic kills candida and yeast can be very helpful with the yeast infection and candida issues. It can however, cause a healing crises or candida die off. If you have never used garlic for yeast infection before, start with one small minced garlic clove mixed with your food and test your body’s response. As with all antifungals, natural or drugs, more is not always better.

The bottom line: garlic antifungal properties and unique flavor make garlic a true candida diet staple. If you like the way it tastes and your body agrees with it, adding garlic to your candida diet can be very helpful.

Garlic immune system activity

A weakened immune system is one of the main causes of candida and yeast infections (source). As an opportunistic organism, candida is known for taking advantage in situations where the body’s ability to fight infection is compromised. Making sure your immune system is healthy is very important in order to prevent yeast infections and other health issues.

This is where garlic may be an excellent fit. Commonly known as nature’s antibiotic (source), garlic immune system boosting activity was shown in many published studies. Research data found that people who consumed garlic usually had fewer colds, and recovered faster when infected (source 1 , source 2).

The importance of this finding: if you enjoy the taste of garlic, combine it with your food during the cold and flu season. Less infections may also mean less antibiotic medication use. Antibiotics is considered one of the leading causes of yeast infections, as they can kill the good bacteria in the body (source).

Garlic antioxidant activity

Natural antioxidants extracts such as CoQ10, PQQ, resveratrol, and astragalus are commonly used in cases of bad or severe yeast infections in order to protect the internal organs and cells from the damage caused by the candida toxins (up to 80 different toxins). It is much easier to prevent the damage, than treating internal organ dysfunction once developed.

Garlic may not be as potent as these extracts in terms of antioxidants strength, although it still has strong antioxidant properties (source). Garlic antioxidant activity has been suggested by a large number of studies. Allyl cysteine, alliin, allicin, and allyl disulfide, naturally occurring garlic compounds have shown strong antioxidant activity and were suggested as protective compounds against free radical damage (source).

Garlic for yeast infection side effects

Garlic side effects usually occur due to wrong use of garlic for yeast infection. Here are the most common garlic side effects causes and how to prevent them.

Eating too much garlic

Eating too much garlic is the reason behind many of garlic side effects. When taken by mouth, garlic side effects may include a burning sensation in the mouth and digestive issues such as heartburn, nausea, vomiting, bloating, gas and diarrhea. Offensive body odor is also very common (source).

These side effects are usually more noticeable when raw garlic is consumed, especially on an empty stomach. While many people see this as a clear disadvantages of eating raw garlic, here is something to consider. Garlic is most potent when eaten on its raw fresh form. It is also a very strong antifungal food. Eating more is not necessarily going to speed your healing time. In many cases, it can delay your healing due to the stress caused to your body by the toxins overload.

The bottom line: Start slow and see how your body responds. Use garlic as a tool to make your food taste better. Do not force yourself eating too much garlic as in most cases it can cause more harm than good. Another reason to start slow, is that some people may also have allergic reactions to garlic.

Insert garlic into the vagina

Garlic suppository

Intravaginal use of garlic by using garlic suppository or other methods involving inserting garlic into the vagina are known to cause many side effects. Garlic suppository side effects and other intravignal use of garlic include burning, irritation, pain and other discomforts.

Most of the research data on the effectiveness of garlic for vaginal yeast infection was based on oral consumption of garlic, with very little data on inravaginal use of garlic for yeast infection (source).
The medical literature did mention the risks of topical use of garlic, with cases of second degree skin burns (source) and chemical burns caused by topical application of garlic reported (source).

One human study did test intravaginal use of garlic though. This study compared a vaginal cream containing garlic and thyme to clotrimazole (canesten). Clotrimazole is a common antifungal drug used to treat vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, and other yeast infection issues. The study found that the garlic and thyme vaginal cream was as effective as clotrimazole for the treatment of the vaginal yeast infection. The study did report however, that both the drug and the garlic cream caused side effects to the participants (source).

Our Recommendation: Garlic for vaginal yeast infection

Based on our many years of practice, working with thousands of different cases of vaginal yeast infections, we believe that external use of garlic for vaginal yeast infection is a clear case where the risks outweigh the benefits. Many women that used garlic for yeast infection either as garlic suppositories or other methods reported side effects such as burning, irritation and other discomforts.

If you need a relief for the vaginal yeast infection discomforts such as the itchiness, burning and pain, you may want to look into Ozonated olive oil, which is considered as one of the best natural remedies for vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush and other yeast infection on skin, that is backed up by many published human studies as safe and effective (References to studies).

See the Ozonated olive oil tampon home remedy for a step by step instructions.

Garlic for thrush

Using garlic for thrush has been linked to many side effects such as burning and mouth irritation. Eating normal amounts of garlic with your food is one thing. Holding garlic in your mouth for a longer time however, may be a completely different story.

This concern is very well documented in the medical literature. There are various reports of cases where prolong use of garlic inside the mouth caused oral damage, including a burn inside the mouth as a result of a topical application of crushed raw garlic (source).

The effectiveness of garlic for thrush and oral candidiasis has been suggested by a few studies (source 1, source 2), although the concern of safety and side effects is usually reflected in most of the studies as well.

This garlic benefits vs. side effects debate was very well demonstrated in the following study:

The study was able to support the antimicrobial activity of garlic against oral microorganisms, but also captured the side effects reported by the participants: (source).

  • Unpleasant taste – 100% of participants.
  • Burning sensation – 100% of participants.
  • Bad breath – 90% of participants.
  • Nausea – 30% of participants.

In other words, using garlic for thrush may be effective in controlling the oral yeast infection, but you are very likely to experience side effects such as burning irritation and even damage caused to the delicate tissues inside your mouth. Unpleasant taste and bad breath are additional common side effects to consider unless your main objective is vampire protection :-).

Our Recommendation: Garlic for thrush

Using garlic for thrush by holding garlic or a solution made with garlic in your mouth, garlic mouthwash, garlic toothpaste, etc seems like another clear case where the potential side effects outweigh the benefits. Considering that your mouth, tongue and other delicate tissues in the mouth are already irritated and damaged by the yeast infection, the last thing you want is to consume an ingredient that may cause additional irritation.

If you need a relief for the vaginal yeast infection discomforts such as the itchiness, burning and pain, you may want to look into Ozonated olive oil, which is considered as one of the best natural remedies for vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush and other yeast infection on skin, that is backed up by many published human studies as safe and effective (References to studies).

To learn more about ozonated olive oil including a step by step remedy of how to use it for oral thrush, see:
home remedies for thrush.

Garlic supplements for yeast infection

Garlic pills for yeast infection

The effectiveness of using garlic supplements for yeast infection is a hot topic. Garlic supplements are very popular, and may come in many forms, such as garlic extract, garlic tablets, capsules, powders and more. Taking garlic pills for yeast infection is much more convenient for many people than eating garlic, especially considering the famous garlic aroma and potential body odor many people wish to avoid.

Is eating garlic better than Garlic pills for yeast infection?

The evidence suggests that eating garlic may be more effective than using garlic supplements or garlic pills for yeast infection. In lab settings (in vitro) the anti-candida and antifungal effect of garlic extracts was clearly demonstrated in many studies (source 1, source 2). Human studies however, did not always show the same results (source). The conclusion of most studies done with garlic supplements for yeast infection is that garlic supplements have the potential, but there is a need of more human studies.

Eating garlic for yeast infection

Raw garlic or cooked?

Eating garlic for yeast infection has been considered as a candida diet true staple. The raw garlic vs. cooked debate has always been one of the most popular topics. Since cooking makes the distinct garlic flavor and aroma more mild, many people prefer to cook the garlic before eating it.

The evidence however suggests that raw garlic is more potent than cooked or boiled garlic (source). The research was able to show that fresh raw garlic has a higher content of bioactive components and is more effective compared to other non-raw forms of garlic (source).
If eating raw garlic is not something you enjoy, eating cooked garlic can still provide many benefits. Some studies suggest that the reduced effectiveness in cooked garlic may be compensated by increasing the amount of garlic consumed (source). Just remember not to eat too much garlic, though.

How to use garlic for yeast infection

Garlic clove for yeast infection

The best way to use garlic for yeast infection, is eating raw garlic for yeast infection. Allicin, garlic’s main active ingredient becomes available when you cut, crush or chew the garlic. This is the reason you start to smell the garlic sulfur smell. According to research, Allicin is unstable and changes into a different chemicals very quickly (source). For this reason, it is recommended to consume the garlic shortly after the crushing.

To use garlic in your food:

  1. Use organic fresh raw garlic.
  2. Peel away the skin.
  3. Press on the garlic bulbs to get 2-5 garlic cloves.
  4. Peel the garlic cloves.
  5. Crush, slice or mince the gallic.
  6. Add to your food or salad dressing.
  7. Consume within 5-10 minutes.
  8. To avoid or minimize the chances of a healing crises or the other garlic for yeast infection side effects, start with one small garlic clove and wait for 24 hours to see how it made you feel. Increase the serving size if needed.

FAQ

How long does garlic take to cure a yeast infection?

On its own, garlic is not effective enough to cure a yeast infection, as many other factors need to be considered and addressed during the treatment. Eating garlic for yeast infection however, is shown to be very beneficial for a yeast infection and is considered one of the top natural remedies for yeast infection.

Garlic toothpaste for thrush

Using garlic for thrush has been linked to many side effects such as burning and mouth irritation, and it is not considered a safe method to treat oral thrush. Garlic has a strong antifungal and anti candida properties that are well documented in the medical literature. The concern has always been the safety, as garlic can cause burns when used topically.

One small study was able to test the effectiveness of garlic toothpaste for oral thrush though. This study compared the effectiveness of garlic toothpaste to clotrimazole (canesten). Clotrimazole is a common antifungal drug used to treat vaginal yeast infections, oral thrush, and other yeast infection issues. The study results suggested that using garlic paste for 14 days was as effective as clotrimazole solution in suppressing clinical signs of oral candidiasis (source).

How to insert garlic for yeast infection

Before you insert garlic for yeast infection into the vagina, here’s something to consider. Intravaginal use of garlic by using garlic suppository or other methods involving inserting garlic into the vagina are known to cause many side effects. Garlic suppository side effects and other intravignal galric use include burning, irritation, pain and other discomforts. Based on our practice and the medical literature, we believe that external use of garlic for vaginal yeast infection is a clear case where the risks outweigh the benefits.

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