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At Healthfully, we strive to deliver objective content that is accurate and up-to-date. Our team periodically reviews articles in order to ensure content quality. The sources cited below consist of evidence from peer-reviewed journals, prominent medical organizations, academic associations, and government data.
- Tropical Doctor: Efficacy of Garlic Paste in Oral Candidiasis
- Tropical Doctor: Efficacy of Garlic Paste in Oral Candidiasis
- BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology: The Effects of Oral Garlic on Vaginal Candida Colony Counts: A Randomised Placebo Controlled Double-Blind Trial
- BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology: The Effects of Oral Garlic on Vaginal Candida Colony Counts: A Randomised Placebo Controlled Double-Blind Trial
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Can Raw Garlic Kill Candida?
Garlic is a folk remedy for candida yeast infections, but the jury is still out on whether or not the herb will kill candida in the body 1. While garlic does appear to destroy candida in the lab, no large-scale study has been performed on humans.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
The Research
Research on raw garlic is limited, but one study published in "Tropical Doctor" in 2005 found that garlic paste was as effective in treating oral thrush, a type of candida infection, as the anti-fungal drug clotrimazole 2. Another study, published in "BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology" in 2013, found that oral garlic tablets did not help yeast infections 3. Both studies were small, however, and more research is needed to confirm garlic's role in treating infections. But eating garlic certainly won't hurt, and the University of Maryland Medical Center reports that candida-prone people may help avoid infections by adding more garlic to their diet 4.
Related Articles
References
- The New York Times: Garlic Fails to Curb Yeast Infections
- Tropical Doctor: Efficacy of Garlic Paste in Oral Candidiasis
- BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology: The Effects of Oral Garlic on Vaginal Candida Colony Counts: A Randomised Placebo Controlled Double-Blind Trial
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Candidiasis
- Bayan L, Koulivand PH, Gorji A. Garlic: a review of potential therapeutic effects. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2014;4(1):1-14.
- Garlic. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
- Garlic. Penn State Hershey. Milton. S. Hershey Medical Center.
- Garlic. Herbal Safety. UT El Paso / Austin Cooperative Pharmacy Program & Paso del Norte Health Foundation.
- Garlic. Therapeutic Research Center. Natural Medicines Database.
- Garlic. National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.
- Garlic. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. About Herbs, Botanicals, and Other Products.
- Garlic. Michigan Medicine. University of Michigan.
Writer Bio
Nina K. is a Los Angeles-based journalist who has been published by USAToday.com, Fitday.com, Healthy Living Magazine, Organic Authority and numerous other print and web publications. She has a philosophy degree from the University of Colorado and a journalism certificate from UCLA.