Overview
Yeast infection or candidiasis is caused by too much Candida albicans. Yeast infection treatment is often medication, but the food you eat may also play a role. Interestingly, yeast infections can be found in or on any dark and moist part of your body.
These areas include your genital area, urinary tract, skin folds, mouth, and intestines. Though unclear, dietary changes may help improve the symptoms of yeast infections. Some food may even help control the growth of Candida albicans.
The information in this article may help you prevent yeast infections and will help you to differentiate what not to eat when you have a yeast infection.
What is the candida diet?
The candida diet, also known as the yeast infection diet, eliminates foods that help yeast infection. In addition, people are advised to avoid foods and drinks that increase the risk of Candida overgrowth. The list mainly includes gluten, certain types of dairy, sugar and alcohol.
The diet encourages the consumption of lean proteins, healthy fats, nonstarchy vegetables, and probiotics. These foods help minimize inflammation and balance the colonies of bacteria inside the gut.
It is believed that people may have a lower risk of Candida infections if they eliminate foods that contribute to yeast growth. However, there isn’t a substantial claim confirming the effectiveness of this diet, as large-scale human studies have not been conducted. However, overall the candida diet is healthy and worth giving a shot.
Here are foods that women should avoid to keep those uncomfortable yeast infections away.
Avoid Sugary Foods and Drinks
Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that may be a food source for yeast infections. So avoiding sugary drinks like soda may help prevent them. One theory behind this is that the lack of nutrients in simple carbohydrates can decrease your immune system’s ability to fight off candidiasis.
Sugary food high in fructose and glucose like candy, soda, fruit juices, and most high-sugar fruits may increase your chances of yeast infection. However, avoiding sugary foods can improve your overall health and wellness too.
Foods that cause yeast infections include processed sugar such as white or brown sugar derived from the cane sugar plant. Moreover, simple sweeteners derived from maple syrup, honey, agave, or malt also lie in this category. Avoiding high fructose corn syrup is essential. This processed sugar from the corn plant should be eliminated as it can contribute to yeast overgrowth. Make sure to read labels for hidden sources of sugar that you may be consuming. Some potential sources include packaged soups, coffee creamers and seasonings.
Decrease Your Yeast
Foods and drinks high in yeast may also increase your chances of getting a yeast infection. This is due to their natural yeast-promoting effects. Avoiding foods and beverages like alcohol, bread, pizza, pastries, bagels, vinegar, and most cheeses can help you stay infection free.
Candida is a yeast. That is why you are adding more yeast into your system when you consume foods with yeast. High yeast foods include:
Alcohol: This is fermented using yeast; for instance, wine and beer contain high amounts of yeast.
Fermented products: This includes soy sauce, all types of vinegar, tamari, salad dressing, mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard.
Bread: Yeast makes the bread rise so that it is fluffy and light. It is best to avoid all forms of bread, including sourdough, as they contain yeast spores.
Avoid Simple Carbohydrates
Processed carbohydrates such as white flour or white rice turn into simple sugars in the digestive system and should be avoided. Other food items in this category include pasta and noodles, and crackers.
Avoid Mold
Cheese and yeast infections have a close association, and avoiding all types of cheese is recommended when on Candida cleanse.
Foods that contain mold can add to the intestinal tract’s fungal spores that contribute to Candida’s growth. Such food items include:
Smoked/dried Meat: Hotdogs smoked salmon and pork bacon.
Cheese: Brie and camembert, all kinds of mouldy cheese.
Dried fruits and fruit bottled, canned or jarred: Peanuts & Pistachios may also contain mold spores on the skin.
Avoid Consuming Mushrooms
Mushrooms are a fungus and resultantly may contribute to yeast overgrowth. Mushrooms have a medicinal role, and some species can boost the immune system. To treat Candida, any foods in the fungus category should be avoided to minimize yeast growth in the body.
Avoid Allergens
Eating food that your body is sensitive to can make your yeast infection worse. Allergen-type foods for you can cause indigestion, stomach cramps, diarrhea, itching, and more. If you have a yeast infection, it is best to avoid all foods that may make you feel not so great, regardless of how much you enjoy them.
Saturated Fats and Yeast Infections
For example, saturated fats found in cheese and cheesy foods can kick your inflammatory response into high gear. This can increase the potential for excessive Candida albicans growth. In addition, eating saturated fats could cause or worsen a yeast infection.
However, not all fats are bad fats. For example, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids found in fish and nuts can actually act as an anti-inflammatory. This will give your immune system a boost to fight candidiasis.
List of Foods to avoid with a yeast infection:
- In vegetables: Potatoes, corn, beans, and peas.
- In fruits: High-sugar fruits like bananas, mangoes, figs, and raisins.
- Caffeinated coffee and tea, sugar-sweetened beverages, and alcohol-type beverages.
- Processed meats and farm-raised fish.
- Peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and cashews.
- Gluten-containing grains.
- Lactose-rich dairy items, such as milk and soft cheeses.
- Canola oil, soybean oil, and margarine.
Lists of Foods to eat:
Foods that prevent yeast infections include:
- In vegetables: broccoli, kale, onions, brussels sprouts, and tomatoes.
- In fruits: olives, berries, and citrus fruits.
- Lean proteins: chicken, eggs, and fish.
- In dairy products: butter/ghee, kefir and yogurt.
- Fermented foods: yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi.
- Gluten-free grains: quinoa, oat bran and buckwheat.
- Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, avocado, coconut oil, and flaxseed oil.
- Low mold nuts and seeds: almonds, sunflower seed and flaxseed.
- Natural sugar-free sweeteners: stevia, monk fruit extract and xylitol.
- Probiotics.
Lifestyle changes that help prevent yeast infections
Following these steps may help prevent yeast infections:
- Practice good genital hygiene: Keep the vagina clean and dry
- Wear suitable clothes: Cotton underwear absorb moisture and hence keeps you dry. Nylon and synthetic fabrics can irritate and accumulate moisture, promoting yeast growth.
- Using unscented soap and water to wash the vaginal area helps prevent irritation.
- Avoid wearing swimsuits or wet clothing: The humid and damp environment causes the yeast to grow and spread.
- Don’t douche
- Avoid certain medications: Avoid taking antibiotics unless necessary, as they make you more prone to developing a yeast infection.
- Maintain proper diet, sleep, and exercise.
Recurrent yeast infections can be prevented by following these steps strictly.
What Causes Recurrent Yeast Infections?
Some women can get recurring yeast infections. The cause is entirely not known. There are a variety of risk factors that can predispose you to it.
Some risk factors that contribute to developing a yeast infection include:
- Birth control pills, estrogen therapy or pregnancy lead to hormonal fluctuations.
- Taking antibiotics frequently can kill the bacteria that usually keep Candida’s population in check.
- Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus can result in a spike in sugar in the membrane of the vagina, and sugar encourages candidal growth.
- Conditions that affect weaken your immune system, such as HIV
- Tightfitting and synthetic clothing can contribute to vaginal area moistness, thereby promoting Candida growth.
When to Consult a Doctor
Yeast infections are common, and talking to a doctor about any condition is essential. If you get a lot of yeast infections per year, it may be time to look at your diet and other daily routines.
However, keep in mind that dietary changes alone may not help avoid yeast infections. Anti-fungal medications are often required to treat a yeast infection. Consult our doctor at Your Doctors. Online for prescription medications you may need in addition to making dietary changes to combat your yeast infection.
FAQs About How to Fight a Yeast Infection Answered by Your Doctors Online
People are advised to avoid foods and drinks that increase the risk of Candida overgrowth. The list mainly includes gluten, certain types of dairy, sugar and alcohol.
The following food items help get rid of a yeast infection:
In vegetables: broccoli, kale, onions, brussels sprouts, and tomatoes.
In fruits: olives, berries, and citrus fruits.
Lean proteins: chicken, eggs, and fish.
In dairy products: butter/ghee, kefir and yogurt.
Fermented foods: yogurt, sauerkraut and kimchi.
Gluten-free grains: quinoa, oat bran and buckwheat.
Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, avocado, coconut oil, and flaxseed oil.
Low mold nuts and seeds: almonds, sunflower seed and flaxseed.
Natural sugar-free sweeteners: stevia, monk fruit extract and xylitol.
Probiotics.
The following food items may cause or worsen a yeast infection:
Caffeinated coffee and tea, sugar-sweetened beverages, and alcohol-type beverages.
Processed meats and farm-raised fish.
Peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and cashews.
Gluten-containing grains.
Lactose-rich dairy items, such as milk and soft cheeses.
Canola oil, soybean oil, and margarine.
Processed carbohydrates such as white flours or white rice, pasta, noodles, and crackers.
For example, saturated fats in cheese and cheesy foods can kick your inflammatory response into high gear. This can increase the potential for excessive Candida albicans growth. In addition, eating saturated fats could cause or worsen a yeast infection.
Dairy products containing refined sugars and high lactose can encourage the growth of microorganisms such as Candida, resulting in a yeast infection.
Can drinking too much soda cause yeast infections?
Sugary food high in fructose and glucose like candy, soda, fruit juices, and most high-sugar fruits may increase your chances of yeast infection. Avoiding sugary foods can also improve your overall health and wellness too.
Bread is another food item that is believed to cause yeast infections. The ingredients in bread include yeast and sugar; therefore, it is believed to worsen a yeast infection.
The Candida diet is recommended in case of a yeast infection. The diet focuses on consuming lean proteins, healthy fats, nonstarchy vegetables, and probiotics.
Consuming fruit juice like orange juice causes a spike in our blood sugar, similar to drinking a soda drink, and can worsen your yeast infection.
Foods that cause yeast infections include processed sugar such as white or brown sugar derived from the cane sugar plant. Moreover, a simple sweetener derived from maple syrup, honey, agave, or malt also lies in this category. Avoiding high fructose corn syrup is essential. This processed sugar from the corn plant should be eliminated as it can contribute to yeast overgrowth.
Eating probiotic unsweetened yogurt may help treat a yeast infection. However, eating yogurt with added sugar may worsen the condition.
Probiotics help cure a yeast infection. According to some studies, taking a good quality probiotic can also be effective for treating vaginal candidiasis.
