One of the most common problems women deal with is yeast infections. Women accept that this is unfortunately just a fact of life that they must deal with. There are many things that women can do to prevent or treat a yeast infection on their own. Eating the right foods can help prevent regular occurrences of yeast infections or reduce recovery time when one occurs.
Apricots are rich in beta-carotenes which will help to boost the immune system enough to fight off the infection. In fact, studies have shown that the vaginal cells of women with yeast infections showed a significantly lower level of beta-carotene that the cells of healthy women. Another food high in beta-carotene is the sweet potato.
Another food that is extremely beneficial in preventing and fighting off yeast infections is yogurt. In fact, one study showed that eating yogurt rich in live cultures such as Lactobacillus acidophilus reduces the risk of yeast infections threefold! The best yogurt is plain, unsweetened yogurt with live cultures. It is best if you can find the organic variety. Stay away from the sweetened versions, as sugar feeds yeast. Skip over any yogurts that stay they are “heat treated” or pasteurized after culturing.” These methods destroy the beneficial cultures.
If eating eight ounces of yogurt a day seems boring to you, maybe you can use yogurt in other ways to get your daily dose. Use plain yogurt to dress up your salads. Replace half of your salad dressing with yogurt. Add plain yogurt to your fruit smoothie, use it as a replacement for sour cream, or use it as the base in a vegetable dip.