You’ve probably got some around the house, but never thought you could use it to treat thrush.
Garlic has antifungal properties that make it a potent anti-thrush home remedy. Crushed, minced, paste, sauce, powder, taken as such or included in a tasty recipe – whichever way you take it, it’ll do wonders for your fungal infection.
To understand why garlic works against oral thrush, you first have to know how the infection appears.
Oral Thrush
Candida Albicans accounts for more than 50% of oral candidiasis, and it’s the main pathogen – the infecting organism – involved in oral thrush.
The fungi is often part of the intestinal gut. So often, in fact, that about 70% of the population carries it in their intestinal flora. Though this figure may seem high, most of the time this type of candida is harmless, since it’s kept in check by the rest of the bacterial flora.
Aside from the gut, candida albicans is also present in the mouth. About 50% of the world’s population carries it and, again, it’s not usually dangerous.
The real problem comes when this organism grows to disproportionate numbers – a process known as candida overgrowth. This may be caused by a variety of factors, from a course of antibiotics to an imbalanced diet to bad oral hygiene. Several diseases also cause an increase in the population of candida albicans, such as AIDS, cancer, vaginal yeast infections and diabetes mellitus.
Regardless of the cause, the PH balance in your organism gets affected, thus reducing the positive bacteria in your mouth and gut, and increasing the bad ones – namely, a string of candida albicans.
How does garlic work?
As several studies have shown, garlic is a powerful antifungal.
As you ingest garlic, a compound called ajoene is released into your mouth. This is a very powerful antifungal, and it prevents the candida colonies from growing any further.
How should I take it?
Whichever way you prefer.
You can eat 2-3 grams of minced garlic cloves per day, take 600-900 mg of garlic tablets/day, or take roughly 0.1 ml of garlic oil three times a day.
Depending on the severity of your infection, it’s best to also take other antifungals, such as probiotics, coconut oil, or, if the doctor says it’s OK, stronger drugs like fluconazole.
Who can take it?
Provided that they’re not allergic, pretty much anyone.
However, you should know that eating too much garlic may have negative effects. Aside from the well-known garlic breath, people have reported stomach ache, dizziness, and skin rashes. Since garlic has blood thinning properties, you shouldn’t take it if you’ve got hemophilia, or if you’re about to have a surgery.
Conclusion
Garlic is a powerful antifungal, and, if you combine it with other thrush home remedies, it will likely cure your infection.
Make sure you consult your doctor as soon as you notice the first symptoms, and stick to the prescribed treatment plan. This way, you’ll get rid of your infection quick and painlessly.
Resources
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/oral-thrush/basics/definition/con-20022381
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_candidiasis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candida_albicans
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Oral-thrush—adults/Pages/Introduction.aspx
https://www.thecandidadiet.com/garlic.htm
http://www.microbiologyresearch.org/docserver/fulltext/micro/134/11/mic-134-11-2917.pdf