The yogurt yeast infection connection

It has been known for a long time that yogurt can help prevent and even cure a yeast infection. But what is the yogurt yeast infection connection? What does yogurt contain that helps to prevent yeast infections? This article will explain why yogurt has an effect on a yeast infection.

A yeast infection is a very common infection that 3 out of every 4 women will experience. But yeast infections are not limited to women, men can get them too. They just don't talk about it as much. The microorganism responsible for yeast infections is Candida albicans. This microorganisms lives in small amounts on the skin, in the digestive tract and in the vagina. It is kept in check by a bacteria called Lactobacillus acidophilus. This bacteria is classified as a probiotic or friendly bacteria.

When something happens to upset the balance of Lactobacillus in the body, Candida is free to flourish. That is when you can develop a yeast infection. There are a variety of things that can kill off the Lactobacillus in your system. The most common is antibiotic use. Antibiotics kill the bacteria that is making you sick and in the mean time, it also kills off the good bacteria in your body, such as the Lactobacillus. Other conditions that can cause yeast infections are:

• Diabetes
• Pregnancy
• HIV
• Menopause
• Any type of hormonal changes
• Frequent douching
• Frequent intercourse

Yogurt has been proven to cure and prevent yeast infections. It contains live cultures of the bacteria Lactobacillus. Replenishing your body with this bacteria will help get the yeast in control and prevent future outbreaks. Always read the labels on your yogurt to make sure it says active cultures. If it reads heat treated after culturing, it will be useless to you since the heat treating killed off any live cultures present.

Eating yogurt daily can go a long way in preventing yeast infections. Studies found that when women who suffered from frequent yeast infections added yogurt to their daily diet they had fewer occurrences of yeast infections. In addition, if they did get a yeast infection it cleared up a lot faster.

Another way of combating yeast infections with yogurt is to use it internally. Soaking a tampon in yogurt and then inserting it into the vagina will help to clear up the yeast infection. This can be done several times a day until symptoms subside. Applying yogurt directly will allow the good bacteria to get control of the yeast a lot faster. Cool yogurt will also be soothing to a red and inflamed vagina.

So the next time that you have a yeast infection, look no further than your refrigerator or dairy aisle at your grocery. It has been proven, there is a real yogurt yeast infection connection.