They produce the lactic acid that lowers vaginal pH to a healthy range that inhibits overgrowth of bacteria and yeast. Greek yogurt has probiotics like L. Studies suggest eating yogurt at least 3 times a week can help you achieve benefits," Dr. If you're looking to add yogurt to your vaginitis recovery regimen, stick with snacking on it.
Reach for Greek yogurt with live and active cultures, which means it has the specific probiotics that help maintain your ideal vaginal pH. If you're still squirming, talk to your doctor about other treatment options and natural remedies. Corey Kagan Whelan. Corey Kagan Whelan is a Brooklyn-based freelance writer and patient advocate working in reproductive health.
She writes health, wellness and medical content for a wide range of clients. The probiotics in yogurt may benefit vaginal health. Barriers to accepting yogurt therapy for vaginitis reflect several factors: the ready availability of topical and oral antimicrobials metronidazole and clindamycin for BV and antifungals for yeast infections ; the uneven quality of yogurt products on the market; and the paucity of randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled trials.
In an open, seven-day trial by Neri and colleagues, 64 pregnant women with BV were randomized to twice-daily doses of yogurt douches or acetic acid tampons. Strengths of the study include using both clinical and laboratory outcomes for eradication of BV and a relatively long follow-up period.
Hilton and associates conducted a crossover study of Lactobacillus acidophilus -containing yogurt 8 ounces daily versus a yogurt-free diet for women with recurrent candidal vaginitis. Of 21 eligible patients, only 13 complied with the protocol eight patients originally assigned to the yogurt arm refused to enter the control phase six months later due to subjective and clinically confirmed improvement.
The resulting one-arm investigation followed 13 patients with culture-verified candidal vaginitis for one year: six months with and six months without yogurt ingestion.
A significant, threefold decrease in candidal infections was observed in those consuming yogurt, corroborated by a similar decrease in vaginal colonization. Neither patients nor clinical interviewers were blinded to the treatment assignment, although culture results were reported by technicians blinded to identity. However, of 46 patients randomized to each of the two groups, only seven completed the entire protocol, and the difference in BV infections observed between the two groups decreased with time.
To date, no serious side effects have been reported following ingestion of or vaginal douching with yogurt. Although there have been a few cases of lactobacillemia reported in severely immunosuppressed individuals, all cases have responded to standard antibiotic therapy.
Lactobacilli also have decreased efficacy in the presence of alcohol. The delivery of lactobacilli by yogurt is problematic for several reasons. Yogurt is a food that is not regulated in terms of its composition, nor is it even fully understood. Although yogurt must contain Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus to be sold, 17 it may contain live bacterial cultures which may or may not contain L. Furthermore, claims by dairy product manufacturers about the presence of certain Lactobacilli species do not always ring true when subjected to microbiological testing.
Yogurt with the greatest therapeutic potential for treating vaginitis should include added cultures of H 2 O 2 -producing lactobacilli after pasteurization, preferably L. For lactose-intolerant individuals, yogurt products that are less processed and contain H 2 O 2 -producing lactobacilli, such as Bulgarian yogurt and kefir, will minimize gastrointestinal symptoms. It is unknown, though biologically unlikely, whether the fat content of the yogurt significantly affects Lactobacillus colonization.
The high dropout rates in the above studies, patient reluctance to apply messy topical yogurt therapy to the genital area, in vitro studies suggesting decreased adherence of yogurt-derived lactobacilli to vaginal cells, and the potential dangers and medical bias associated with douching suggest daily oral ingestion of yogurt is the optimal mode of delivery.
Although there is a paucity of high-quality studies suggesting standardized dosing and duration of treatment, eating 8 oz of yogurt daily for one week for acute vaginitis and one month for chronic vaginitis will eradicate BV or candidal symptoms in those women for whom yogurt therapy will be effective. Two studies of yogurt douching and one study of orally ingested yogurt suggest clinical benefit for BV.
Oral yogurt ingestion may improve both candidal infections and bacterial vaginosis, and carries very little risk. However, a lack of trials comparing yogurt therapy to conventional treatments, inconsistencies in product quality, the paucity of high-quality studies upon which standardized dosing and duration of treatment can be established, and the fact that a significant portion of women with vaginitis erroneously self-diagnose candida or BV when they instead have gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomonas limit its universal recommendation.
Patients with confirmed diagnoses of yeast vaginitis or bacterial vaginosis may benefit from daily ingestion of 8 oz of yogurt with live H 2 O 2 -producing lactobacilli for treatment of their current and chronic vaginal symptoms; yogurt douching also is likely to be beneficial, but is accompanied by potentially greater risks. Metchnikoff E. The Prolongation of Life: Optimistic Studies.
New York: G. Putnam; Wood JR, et al. The institution highlights, however, that eating the yogurt or the bacteria in a supplement does not prevent these infections. Plain yogurt that contains Lactobacillus and no natural sweeteners might help treat the infection and ease the symptoms. But be sure to only use plain yogurt. Yogurt that contains added sugar will likely make the infection and its symptoms worse because sugar causes the yeast to multiply.
Also, while yogurt may be effective, it may not provide relief as quickly as traditional antifungal treatments. The vagina has a balanced environment of bacteria and yeast. When this balance is disrupted, Candida yeast can multiply extensively, causing an infection.
While sex can sometimes lead to an overgrowth of Candida , a yeast infection is not a sexually transmitted infection STI. It can be difficult to identify this infection, especially when experiencing it for the first time. This is why it is essential to receive a professional diagnosis. Also, a doctor can recommend different treatments if yeast infections develop often or do not improve with over-the-counter treatment.
Anyone who has ongoing pain or other vaginal symptoms should consult a healthcare professional. And it is a good idea for all sexually active people to receive regular STI screenings.
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