Prone To Yeast Infections? This Natural Remedy Could Be Your Best Bet

A yeast infection is one of those things I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Honestly, just thinking about my one experience with this horribly uncomfortable condition—caused by an overgrowth of yeast called Candida albicans (and sometimes the more resistant Candida glabrata)—is enough to make me squirm. The burning, the itching, the inability to focus on anything else. (Excuse me while I go pop another preemptive probiotic.)

As I soon learned, boric acid (derived from boron) is a totally legit and natural alternative remedy. While it should never be eaten, it's actually been used to treat yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis for over 100 years1. And many functional docs recommend it to their patients. 

"Boric acid suppositories are fantastic; they have both antiviral and antifungal activity, especially for nontraditional yeast, the Candida glabrata species," says Wendie Trubow, M.D., a functional medicine gynecologist and mbg Collective member. "They're gentle, nontoxic, and, except for experiencing discharge after insertion, have almost no side effects."

In case you're wondering, a boric acid suppository is a capsule containing boric acid powder (typically 600 mg, the amount used in studies) that is inserted into the vagina, where it then works its magic. And it works pretty quickly. "We typically prescribe 10 days of treatment (one suppository per day), but it can begin working in as little as 36 hours," says Dr. Trubow.

There's research to back up boric acid's itch-easing properties, too. In one research review2 of 14 studies examining boric acid's effect on yeast infections, cure rates spanned between 40 and 100 percent, and it was even effective for women with treatment-resistant yeast infections. And some research3 suggests boric acid suppositories may be a beneficial treatment for bacterial vaginosis as well. While a yeast infection is caused by an overgrowth of yeast, bacterial vaginosis is caused by an overgrowth of "bad" bacteria that flourish when the vagina's pH becomes elevated. Boric acid can help bring the vagina's pH back down to a normal level.

The most common cause of yeast infections is taking antibiotics, which kills the normal vaginal flora in both the GI tract and the vagina, allowing yeast to thrive. But they can also be caused by ingestion of high levels of sugar (which feeds yeast) and an elevated heavy metal burden in the body. "Boric acid is a great first-line treatment," says Dr. Trubow, "but other ones include tea tree oil suppositories and/or using oral probiotics that contain lactobacillus in the vagina."