Besides being gross to look at, thrush is painful, problematic and easily shared with others. We’ll take a look at 15 effective home remedies for thrush, first, let’s consider its source.
The cause of oral thrush is the overgrowth of candida albicans in the lining of the mouth. A weakened immune system, certain medications, cancer treatments and diabetes are some of the underlying causes for this buildup in adults and children past the age of nursing.
The home remedies for thrush included in this article are not inclusive. In severe cases, it’s best to consult your health care provider.
There are many types of fermented vegetables, the most common ones are sauerkraut and kimchi. Both are made from cabbage and very easy to make your own sauerkraut. If you purchase it, purchase only the raw or unpasteurized varieties.
What to do:
Include these fermented vegetables as a regular part of your daily diet.
How it works:
Besides boosting good bacteria in your gut, these vegetables include vitamins C and B12, which help to boost your immunity.
Cranberry juice is also one of the most effective home remedies for thrush. Be careful not to get sweetened cranberry juice, however, because sugar helps yeast and therefore thrush grow.
What to do:
Add 8 to 12 oz. of juice two or three times a day to your daily diet.
How it works:
Prevent bacteria and yeast from clinging to mucus membranes including the mouth, intestines and urinary tract. It also corrects the pH levels of urine, to prevent the overgrowth of thrush causing yeast.
Boosting your intake of vitamin C either via a supplement or by eating foods that are rich in vitamin C is also among the effective home remedies for thrush.
What to do:
Add 1,000 milligrams of vitamin C twice daily to your diet or consume foods with at least 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C throughout the day.
How it works:
Because thrush is often related to an immune deficiency, boosting your adrenal glands with plenty of vitamin C will help your body to win its battle against oral candida.
As you’re killing candida, a reaction to the die off of it tends to cause headache, muscle fatigue, brain fog and fever. Taking a milk thistle supplement along with your other dietary efforts can help reduce those effects.
What to do:
420 mg of silymarin, which is the active ingredient in milk thistle, should be taken in three divided doses of 140 mg each day.
How it works:
The silymarin in milk thistle helps support liver function and therefore gets rid of the toxic waste of candida as it dies off.
Clove oil is one of several home remedies for thrush that is scientifically proven to kill candida. A number of studies show that clove oil eliminates all strains of candida.
What to do:
Make a tea using 15 to 30 drops of oil in a cup of warm water. NOT for children under 6 years old!
How it works:
Clove oil is made up of eugenol, eugenyl acetate, caryophyllene and iocaryophyllene, of which eugenol is the active ingredient. Its antiseptic properties kill candida while boosting your immune system.
Another of the effective home remedies for thrush is olive leaf. It can be consumed either as a supplement or in a tea.
What to do:
Take 250 to 500 mg, three times a day of olive extract supplement or boil 1 to 2 teaspoons of olive leaves in a cup of water and steep for 10 to 15 minutes and drink 2 to 3 times daily.
How it works:
Olive leaf has powerful antifungal properties and also contains oleuropein, which also helps to boost your immunity.
Another of the essential oils which is very effective at treating candida is oil of oregano. Similar to clove oil, this treatment has amazing antifungal properties to get rid of thrush.
What to do:
Mix 3 drops of oil in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Rinse it around your mouth for 10 minutes, and then rinse it out with warm water.
How it works:
Carvacrol is an important chemical constituent of oil of oregano. Studies have shown it to have effective antimicrobial and antifungal capabilities.
The antibacterial and antifungal properties of garlic make it one of the best and most readily available home remedies for thrush. You can get and use garlic in a number of different forms.
What to do:
How it works:
A raw clove of garlic is high in allicin and contains other beneficial enzymes and compounds. Also note that heating garlic destroys the allicin.
Cinnamon can also control the growth of candida albicans via its powerful antifungal and antiparasitic properties. Though it should be avoided by pregnant women, it is an effective remedy against thrush.
What to do:
Boil ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon or ½ of a cinnamon stick in 12 oz. of water for 5 minutes to create a tea. Strain it and drink it 2 to 3 times daily.
How it works:
Studies have confirmed that cinnamon bark extracts inhibit all candida species via the chemicals trans-Cinnamaldehyde and O-methoxycinnamaldehyde found in the cinnamon bark.
When it come to home remedies for thrush that are common to just about every home, sodium bicarbonate or baking soda is about as common as it gets.
What to do:
Two to three times per day, make a paste of 1 to 2 teaspoons of baking soda and apply it inside your mouth. Rinse after a few minutes. Or make a mouth rinse by mixing ½ teaspoon of soda in a cup of water.
How it works:
Baking soda helps to neutralize acids that contribute to candida growth.
Another essential oil that can be used to treat candida is tea tree oil. This powerful oil can be toxic if you don’t use it properly, so know exactly what you’re doing before using it to treat thrush.
What to do:
How it works:
Three compounds found in tea tree oil are effective against candida albicans: Terpinen-4-ol, gamma-terpinene and alpha-terpinene.
Another of the common home remedies for thrush is apple cider vinegar. To be effective you need to use raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar.
What to do:
How it works:
By restoring the balance of your body’s pH and therefore inhibiting candida growth, it helps to eliminate thrush. In addition, it strengthens your immune response.
Coconut oil is an effective remedy for a number of oral issues, including thrush.
What to do:
Apply extra-virgin coconut oil with a cotton swab to the affected areas of your mouth twice daily for a week and use 1 tablespoon of coconut oil first thing every morning and pull it through your mouth and between your teeth for ten minutes before rinsing with warm water.
How it works:
It is one of the essential oils and has become increasingly popular and more readily available in recent years it is highly touted as being extraordinarily effective at maintaining good oral health.
Similar to fermented vegetables, yogurt is also effective at fighting candida growth. Make sure to only use unsweetened yogurt.
What to do:
How it works:
Lactobacilli are found in live or active cultures of probiotic yogurt and are effective at inhibiting candida growth. Yogurt also improves your digestion and absorption of essential nutrients which boost your immunity.
Home remedies for thrush don’t get any more basic than this. If you’re looking for something that is readily available and easy to use to treat thrush, just get out the salt.
What to do:
How it works:
This remedy not only relieves symptoms quickly, but it also creates a very inhospitable environment for candida growth.
Thrush doesn’t have to have control over you and your lifestyle. Take control over it by using one or several of these simple home remedies for thrush, which can rid you of thrush and boost your immune system to keep it from returning. If you’ve used any of these remedies or have others to add to the list, please feel free to comment below.
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