Honey As a Yeast Infection Remedy

Honey as a yeast infection remedy may not be a course of treatment you have heard of, but it can be beneficial for improving levels of good bacteria in your body that can eliminate the infection.

A yeast infection happens whenever the body has too much of a particular strain of yeast known as Candida albicans. There are different names for yeast infections that happen in different parts of the body, such as thrush in the mouth and diaper rash on the bottom.

The most common manifestation of a yeast infection, however, is the vaginal yeast infection. About three-quarters of all women will have this problem eventually.

It's often caused by taking antibiotics, which kill off the good bacteria that normally keep the yeast in check. Other possible causes are the menstrual cycle, taking steroids or having diabetes.

Symptoms of a yeast infection include white, thick, odorless discharge from the vagina, painful urination, itching, burning or swelling of the vulva and pain during intercourse. If you've never been diagnosed with a yeast infection before, it's a good idea to go to a doctor for diagnosis, but if you have yeast infections regularly you probably know one when you see one.

If you go to a doctor about your yeast infection, you will likely be prescribed some sort of anti-fungal treatment. The over-the-counter remedies for yeast infections also work to kill the fungus.

While a natural remedy may focus on killing the fungus, there are other remedies that help boost the production of good microbes in the body, enabling your body to heal itself. This is the idea behind the suggestion to eat more yogurt (or even insert it into the vagina) to treat the infection.

Garlic, for instance, is a potent anti-fungal, as are oregano, tea tree oil, grapefruit seed extract and goldenseal.

Some people suggest that you can use honey as a yeast infection remedy much like you would use yogurt. It's not a particularly clean solution, but is said to work well.

All you need to do is get some honey, organic if you like, and spread it on the affected areas while sitting on the toilet. Sit for about 20 minutes, then take a warm bath and thoroughly dry the area. Do this up to twice a day to relieve itchiness and speed curing.

Honey is said to help increase the level of beneficial bacteria in the body much like yogurt does, so eating more honey during a yeast infection would also be beneficial.

Some natural health experts say that honey shouldn't be used as a yeast infection treatment for a simple reason: sugar helps yeast grow. If you've ever made bread, you know this. Yeast is often added to a solution of warm water and a bit of sugar or honey to get it started before it's mixed with the other ingredients.

Sugar actually allows yeast to grow, so some recommend that people with excessive and regular yeast infections cut out sugar and honey from their diets, as well as anything sweet-tasting such as beets and carrots, refined carbohydrates, and in some instances all carbohydrates. This is similar to the Ayurvedic protocols for dealing with excess yeast.

Others say that honey is not a problem as long as the levels of beneficial bacteria in the body are kept high, and that honey can actually boost those levels. However, if you find that you're having infection after infection and nothing really seems to be helping, cutting out sugar in all its forms may help ease the discomfort.

Treating a yeast infection naturally will take longer than if you used those Over-the-counter anti-fungal treatments, but in the end you'll likely be a lot happier that you didn't need chemicals and drugs to bring your body back into its natural balance.

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