Berberine Helps Prevent and Treat Yeast Infections

Vaginal candidiasis is a vaginal yeast infection, mostly caused by a fungus called Candida albicans. It’s extremely common; around three out of four women get it at some point during their reproductive years.

Doctors have used antifungal medications to treat it for a long time, but the fungus is increasingly becoming resistant to these drugs, so they don’t always work well anymore. The other problem is the infection comes back once the medication is stopped. Anti fungal drugs can be toxic to the liver.

For the yeast to cause an infection, it first has to stick (adhere) to the cells lining the vagina. Earlier research found that this sticking step is a key part of how the infection takes hold. If you can stop the yeast from sticking in the first place, you might be able to prevent or treat the infection more effectively, even in cases where it’s become drug-resistant.

How berberine helps

Berberine is a natural compound found in certain plants, and it’s been used traditionally to treat this kind of infection. Until recently, scientists didn’t really understand how it worked at a cellular level. The researchers showed that berberine reduces the yeast’s ability to stick to vaginal cells in two main ways:

–It lowers the levels of three specific proteins that the yeast normally uses as “grip points” to attach to vaginal cells.

–It rebalances two immune signaling molecules that control inflammation. Specifically it lowers IL-2 and raises IL-4 which calms down the inflammatory damage caused by the infection.

By blocking the yeast’s ability to grab onto vaginal cells and by calming the inflammatory response, berberine shows promise as a natural, plant-derived treatment option for this type of yeast infection, potentially offering an alternative or complement to existing antifungal drugs, especially as resistance to those drugs grows.

Other natural remedies to help fight yeast infections

• Avoid yeast extracts such as vegemite and marmite, alcoholic drinks that contain sugar (unsweetened spirits are generally safe), pickles and preserves containing sugar, jams, canned fruits, dried fruits, peanuts, melons and any fruit that is moldy.
• Avoid bread, muffins, pastries, cakes, and biscuits and all foods containing white sugar, baker’s yeast and flour. Avoid lollies, sugary sweet drinks, and any foods containing malt as an additive.
• Fruit can usually be eaten provided it is very fresh and free of moldy areas. Restrict the intake of fruits to no more than 2 pieces daily. In those with severe candida, fruit should be totally avoided for the first three months.
• It is best to avoid dairy products and gluten because these foods increase intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome) and will worsen the terrible symptoms and adverse health conditions that Candida can cause. Glutamine is one of the best natural remedies for repairing a leaky gut because your intestinal cells use it to repair themselves.
• Your diet should be high in healthy fats from nuts, seeds, oily fish, pastured meat, avocados and coconut oil. Coconut oil is particularly effective against several intestinal parasites including Helicobacter pylori bacteria and Candida. Intestinal Parasite Cleanse capsules are a powerful herbal formula that helps to eradicate Candida and other unwanted microbes in the gut. It is then vitally important to repopulate the bowel with good bugs, such as those found in FloraTone capsules.
• The liver is the first stop for all blood flowering from the intestines. An overwhelmed liver will not be able to cleanse and purify your bloodstream well. This can lead to symptoms such as fatigue, foggy head, sugar cravings, weight gain and allergies. Livatone Plus helps to support a healthy liver and can repair inflamed liver cells.

Reference

The above statements have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.