Best Probiotic for Yeast Infection Prevention & Treatment
How effective are probiotics for yeast infection? Basing on studies, what is the link between probiotics and yeast infections? Do probiotics treat and prevents yeast infection? What is the best probiotics for yeast infection. What are the tips and ideas when buying? Read on to learn more.
Probiotics and Yeast Infections
The body’s potential of hydrogen (PH) balance is maintained by various elements. The beneficial bacteria in the body have a role to play in maintaining the right PH balance in the body.
However, due to varying challenges, there are situations that can lead to a change in the balance of the good bacteria that are present and active in the body.
The balance, when tilted may lead to harmful bacteria taking advantage of the situation and leading to an infection. The good bacteria can be reduced due to a number of reasons.
For instance, there are toxins that can lead to the death of most of the beneficial bacteria. When this happens, the body is rendered vulnerable to various infections.
Due to the critical role that is played by probiotics in the retention of the right balance in the body, when it is altered, the body is exposed to infections. This can be as a result of taking drugs, specifically antibiotics that kill the good bacteria. When the numbers are not replenished, the body is attacked.
Yeast, according to Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D, is composed of a fungus, Candida albicans which lives in the intestines. It is associated with various other symptoms such as loss of libido, numbness, tingling among others.
When yeast, or candida by products start domination in the body, the individual may start experiencing more symptoms such as insomnia, sore throat, shortness of breath among others.
When there are no good bacteria in the gut, the room for yeast to grow is made larger. This implies that when one proceeds to take simple diets that are high in sugar, carbohydrates and fermented foods, they feed the fungus thereby giving them more impetus to grow since there are no opposing agents.
It is important to note that for instance in women, yeast exists and lives in the vagina. However, it becomes a problem when this yeast grows out of control which later results in symptoms such as itchiness, burning and redness.
When lactobacillus bacteria is reduced in number, in the vaginal area, then the yeast is given room to flourish.
To resolve the challenge of yeast overgrowth, there are various suggestions and methods that can be applied. For instance, the use of antifungal medicines serves to tackle the problem in one way.
While this will look towards killing the offending fungus, other methods such as the use of probiotics are used mainly because they take a more natural approach towards the control of the situation.
By inclusion of probiotics, the balance would gradually be tilted leading to a situation where the right balance and PH are availed. This would result in the more efficient tackling of the challenge.
According to Maris Cohen, probiotics have been noted to be effective in managing this condition. She notes that in a study, which was done in Italy, there was a selection of women who have had chronic yeast infections.
The goal was to observe the effect of probiotics on their condition. As such, the women who placed a probiotic tablet in the vagina once a night for seven night, and later three nights for three weeks were noted to have had their yeast infection rates go down by 87 %.
Some physicians such as Professor Laurie Cullen advice that one should treat the infection with conventional therapy first. When that does not work, they can then try a lactobacillus pill.
A study undertaken by Brzozowski, Mach, Trjanowska, Drozdowicz and Zwolinska-Wciso, which was attempting to find out the effectiveness of probiotics in the treatment of fungal colonization of the gastrointestinal track have some key perspectives that serve as insights into this issue. They did both experimental and clinical studies in this and made some conclusions.
First was that when the gut tract is infected by fungus, a patient who may have ulcers would have a slowed down response to treatment of the ulcer and any inflammation associated with it. However, when probiotic therapy was applied to this situation, it attenuated it.
They also noted that the use of probiotics was effective in treatment of fungal colonization of the gastrointestinal tract.
The final conclusion they made that regards to the issue at hand was that the Lactobacillus acidophilus therapy (the good bacteria) led to a reduction on the duration of fungal colonization of mucosa.
It further leads to enhanced clearance of Candida. Following this study, the question of the effectiveness in the use of probiotics in handling yeast infections seems to be a definite plus.
From the study it can be noted that probiotics can aid in handling yeast by
- Reducing the lifespan of the fungus that infects the GI tract
- Allowing faster healing in situations where an individual has ulcers and other forms of inflammation that originate from yeast presence or whose faster resolution is inhibited by presence of fungus.
- Clearing of candida in the gastro intestinal tract mainly by re-colonization of the tract.
Best Probiotics for Yeast Infection & Treatment
What are the best or top rated probiotics that may prevent and treat yeast infection?
To manage the yeast infections, one may opt to take anti-fungal medication which would kill the fungus. However, to do it in a way that retains and rebuilds your gastrointestinal flora requires the use of probiotics.
Nemerous clinical studies suggest that using L. acidophilus can help treating yeast infection.
Another typical probiotic products that are commercially available include culturelle (Lactobacillus GG) and Jarroe Fem-Dophilus probiotics.
Yeast Infection Advisor suggests the following best probiotics for yeast infection
- ProFase Probiotic
- Custom Probiotics 1(CP-1)
- 11-Strain Probiotic Powder
- Prescript-Assist
- Bacillus Laterosporus BOD
- Clinically Proven Theralac
Tips & Ideas when Buying Best Probiotics for Yeast Infection
Once settled that the solution to yeast infection is the use of probiotics, or when one feels that it is time to try it out, there are a few guidelines that can be used to settle on the most appropriate probiotic to use.
Generally, when using the commercially availed options, a product description comes in handy. In this description be keen to check the number of bacteria per capsule. It is mostly indicated in billions. It is considered that the more they are, the better.
The next consideration is on the number of different strains of bacteria that are available in the product that you settle for. There are products that have multiple strains while some are single strains. To get candida under control, a variety of strains is recommended. Therefore, go for a product that has multiple strains of bacteria.
The strain of bacteria that it contains also has a role to play. In fact, this is the key determinant between various probiotics products.
The lactobacillus acidophilus strain has been credited to enhance the immune system while tat the same time handle candida overgrowth. For the synthesis of vitamins such as vitamin B, Bifidobacteria bifidum is a strain that serves that role.
Its presence therefore enriches the product. Knowing the strain present aids in narrowing down to the specific target that the good bacteria will be intended to resolve.
As such, the strain to watch out for when handling candida or fungus overgrowth is the lactobacillus acidophilus strain.
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