Got Candida? Have some Yogurt

Candida is basically an overgrowth of yeast. It will normally show itself through thrush (a white discharge).

Oral candida will show up a white layer on the tongue and at the back of the roof of your mouth. Vaginal candida will involve some itching and a whitish discharge.

Candida is a fungus that responds well to yoghurt (or yogurt).

How to do it: Eat one or two cups of yoghurt with live cultures (or probiotics) daily. Try to have the yogurt on an empty stomach instead of after a full meal to have maximum effect.

Also, if you’re currently on a course of oral antibiotics that is non-essential to your health, lower your dose or stop taking it.

Ladies can also also apply yogurt topically to the vagina if dealing with vaginal thrush. Use unsweetened for this of course!

Why this works: Candida lies dormant in most people but will overgrow if a person has been on oral antibiotics for some time. This happens because oral antibiotics (even acne medication) taken continuously will effectively kill the good bacteria in your intestines.

In the gut, good bacteria (called Lactobacillus or Bifidobacteria) is important because it supresses the number of bad organisms that also usually lie dormant there such as E.coli, yeast, and fungus (e.g. Candida).

Thus, taking yoghurt with live bacteria cultures will slowly repopulate the good bacteria in your gut and suppress the candida overgrowth.

[TIP: If you can't stand eating yogurt, try fermented milk drinks with probiotics (e.g. Yakult). Kefir is also an excellent substitute.

Or you could forgo the food and drinks and take your good bacteria straight. Acidophilus supplements (in pill form) can be bought at health food stores and some supermarkets. ]