Natural Yeast Infection Remedies: Herbal Solutions & Lifestyle Tips - Ted's Q&A

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Recurring Yeast Infections

Posted by S on 09/27/2007

Ted, I am a 34 year old mother that has had reoccurring yeast infections for the past year, every month 5 to 7 days prior to my menstrual period a yeast infection develops. My physician says my Ph balance is off and I need to work on getting that in order with my diet. Due you think the Apple Cider Vinegar remedy will help me in this case and if not, what?

Replied by Ted
Bangkok, Thailand
391 posts

Apple cider vinegar may help in some cases, actually more like through the use of douches.

But I think trying to get a normal nutritional pH balance is more important. A normal pH balance can be supplemented so that the urinary pH is within normal parameters. Take for instance, a lime and baking soda remedy where 2 tablespoon of lime juice plus 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in 1/2 glass of water taken twice a day, will normalize or reduce the excess serum calcium, and will allow a more generalized pH balance overall. Apparently yeast growth is more apparent whenever serum calcium is higher than usual.

The most common remedies other people use seems to be the use of douches, such as boric acid, gentian violet, yogurt, potassium sorbate, hydrogen peroxide (one teaspoon H2O2 3% in one glass of water as douche), potassium sorbate (3-4% solution) and cranberries. Most interesting is that apple cider vinegar can be combined with cranberries. However thatphilosophy involved killing the yeast. But killing them is not a way to resolve recurring yeast problems.

A good example to draw parallels involve ants in my house around the kitchen area. I can kill them with bug sprays forever and the queen ant don't seem to care - as the biology of reproduction of mother nature reigns supreme . As long as there are food to be supplied, mother nature will produce all the ants needed and produce more of those ants coming backagain and again. I can go on killing them forever, and the ants will just attack my kitchen forever. The real issue is to remove its food source, and the ants are no longer there. So I guess it's simple human laziness as opposed to rocket science in washing dishes here. However in a biological system, you just simply can't withdraw food source entirely, and mother nature uses a different mechanism where normal bacteria flora are kept in equilibrium or within normal parameters, whatscientist called symbiosis. A yeast outgrowth will only occur whenever the nutrients in our system, not just the pH are off the normal parameters. Hence, it should be noted that nearly everyone has yeast present in their body only that their growth are kept in check through mother nature's equilibrium. An equilbrium can only be achieved if nutrtion and other parameters are within normal range. It is acheiving this equilibrium that interest me when finding a cure of yeast infections where a recurring yeast infection can't happen. What that is depends on its occurence.

It is well known that a woman will have yeast infection after her pregnancy, it is quite worse if it happens during her pregancy and a vitamin deficiency can deform a baby through a deficiency. So a yeast infection is mother nature gentle warning of a deficiency of an impending child's development in the womb. The most common deficiency of mothers tend to bethe sudden deficiency in the water soluble vitamins,in particular is the vitamin C (usually sodium ascorbate insufficient might lead to miscarriage) and vitamin B complex, but also trace micronutrients, as well as acidosis typical during term pregnancy. Water soluble vitamins are unique - the body can't store them and they get depleted fairly quickly. It is thesame with electrolytes in maintaining the sensitive sodium, potassium, and magnesium without excess calcium, in a specific ratio and levels. Bicarbonates deficiency occurs relatively quickly and unrecognized since the body can't store that very well either. Of course, all this sounds complicated, but it boils down really to a simple remedy if I understand what otherfactors keeps the yeast infection growth in check as a clue.

One major vitamin I have narrowed down, is the niacinamide vitamin B3, usually taken at about 300 mg/day has usually resulted in 50% reduction in yeast infection on the first dose, and the resulting doses, on the third or fourth day nearly all the yeast infection goes away and never came back, provided of course the body has sufficient vitamin B3 maintenance dose without causing a deficiency. The reason why is that yeasts have a gene called SIR 2 mechanism whereby the niacinamide induces early death of the yeast cells and hence keep their growth in check and stays within normal biological parameters and ideal symbiosis. If I am looking for that one single bullet it has got to be that niacinamide B3. No need for antibiotics when deficiency is indicated. There is even no need to worry about biological resistance to antibiotic either. The yeast have existed along with human evolution for billions of years and have become part of the normal flora, but if they are not, thennutrition imbalance are indicated. To keep niacinamide B3 not within the excess, assuming some people were to take it only 5 days out of a week, a twice weekly (say on 3rd and 5th day) of vitamin B complex where B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B8 are 100 mg each, and B12 are 100 mcg.

Once the condition has reduced, then the dose can be pared off, but not completely while maintaining perhaps much later, a once a week or twice a week dose of B3 plus B complex. It SHOULD BE noted that B12 cyanocobalamin is a cobalt and the B12 is also important because cobalt also has anti-fungal properties on that cobalt element too. Hence a B3 and a B12, appears important factor, but the body'sability to handle glucose from the B1 thiamine and B3 are just as important too, and a one tablespoon a day of granulated lecithin can also maintain blood glucose to be stable too. Too high of a blood sugar glucosecan also cause candida overgrowth just the same. It is therefore important that all sugar, and mostly oily and fatty foods be avoided whenever a candida becomes a major problem too.

Perhaps I am being too simplistic, just narrowing down the Niacinamide B3, but there are others that are also helpful too. Yeast generally can grow unabated if copper are low, free metal iron (free radicals!) are high, molybdenum levels are low, iodine levels are low, and electrolytic imbalances, and the body's acidosis occur too. Hence, copper from cocoa (no sugar), drinking green tea (without milk and sugar) to reduce the free metal iron, and eating kelp and use iodine tincture drops as a mouthwash can raise the iodine levels. The lime and baking soda remedy will normalize the excess calcium levels, discouraging the yeast growth, normalizing acidosis, optimizes the body's ability to manage pH differences in the body. Drinking some 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt in one liter of drinking water should help maintaion some normal electrolytes and microminerals too.

Therefore to prevent recurring yeast infection, it is nutrition, especially B3 and vitamin B complex which is the most important. Mineral and electrolytes mentioned should also be considered. This is not just a theory, it has worked quite well to such an extent that it has worked much better than boric acid, and all other common remedies, and yet most people now don't even know that yeast infection can be controlled through simple vitamins. Certain cases of allergies,eczema and mycoplasma, hence a B3 mght also be helpful too.

Replied by Meral
Marlton, Nj
09/22/2009

I have recurring yeast infection and heital hernia. I have been having sometimes fullnes sometimes acid reflux problem and than I saw some remedies on this link. I started using ACV baking soda. It seems help. My proplem didn't go away yet , but i have been taking it for a week. I was wondering whether there is a relationship between this two situations. My yeast infection has been going on more than a year. My stomach problem started 3 months ago.

Replied by Bodulica
Barrie, Canada
10/27/2011

No one is talking about it, but... For vaginal yeast infections: if you are using any sugar based personal lubricant (like KY), stop it, because it WILL triger your infection over and over again.

Replied by David
Lubbock, Texas
10/27/2011

Iodine is very alkaline, and will kill any and all yeast infections if taken in higher doses, I have leukemia, comprmized immune system, and of course problems with yeast/candida, as day follows night, a weak immune system will have problems with yeast/candida.

But iodine cured my systemic yeast, it took ten weeks of 250mgs of lugols daily, it helps to mix in some dmso to detox, but that will fix depression as well. Prior to nineteen fifty, MD's used up as high as fifteen grams of iodine for antibiotics, even in children, nothing toxic about iodine, the more you take the better you feel. Some folks think iodine is toxic as you begin to take it, it releases a lot of toxins into the blood, and that causes inflammation, and you feel toxic, but it is not the iodine, my MD told me, watery eyes and burning eyes were a symptom of iodine toxicity, urban legend at work there, taking large amounts of iodine, will eventually, cause your sweat and body oils to become alkaline, then that causes burning eyes, so not the iodine itself that is toxic.

david lubbock tx.

Replied by I Need Help_SC
USA - South Carolina
01/22/2022

I'm concerned by Ted's recommendation of 100-300mg of B3. The USA's Institute of Medicine's reference intake says adults should not go beyond 35mg/day, and the recommended amount for pregnant women is 18mg/day. I found one study that showed folks with a genetic mutation that affects their ability to synthesize vitamin B3 precursors need to supplement niacin 140mg/day. But that is nowhere near 300mg/day.


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