Probiotics and essential oils (such as the now famous tea tree oil) are an excellent combination in the treatment of various health problems, including vaginal candida. Research confirms that the synergy between these two natural remedies can help defeat the annoying candidiasis.
probiotics and essential oils (such as the now famous tea tree oil) are an excellent combination in the treatment of various health problems, including the vaginal candida. Research confirms that the synergy between these two natural remedies can help defeat the annoying candidiasis.
We have talked several times about the potential of essential oils, natural substances with very interesting and diversified active principles depending on the plants, flowers or fruits from which they are extracted. The best known and most used are undoubtedly tea tree oil, lavender essential oil, eucalyptus, thyme and lemon oil, but there are many others.
Several researches have focused on the health benefits of essential oils, in prevention but also as real therapeutic treatments, in recent years. Among these, the one conducted by Dr. Francesca Mondello of the Department of Infectious Diseases of the ISS, in collaboration with other departments of the institute and some universities and scientific associations. She focused in particular on analyzing the effectiveness of essential oils and hydrolates against infections due to fungi or bacteria, even those that have now become resistant to traditional drugs.
The potential in this sense is placed for example in tea tree oil (extracted from Melaleuca alternifolia) on which in vitro and in vivo studies on the potential preventive and therapeutic role of a specific active ingredient have been carried out and are still ongoing. , terpinen-4-ol. This, according to the results obtained, could be useful in combating different types of fungi and bacteria:
- Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli (all drug resistant)
- Legionella (to avoid contamination in water systems)
- Candida
Tea tree oil against vaginal candida, the study
Tea tree oil has been shown to be active and useful against recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis and resistant to common antifungals.
Research, published in the Medical Journal of Obstetric and Gynecology, has shown how this essential oil is effective in the form of vaginal pessaries, particularly when combined with the use of probiotics.
Probiotics are supplements capable of restoring the correct balance of our intestinal flora which, in the case of candida but not only, can be in a condition of dysbiosis and therefore favor the appearance of various disorders even far from the gastro-intestinal system.
The study noted how the association of these two natural remedies was able to attack the fungus by attacking it in the two areas of the body concerned: the vaginal canal (thanks to the tea tree oil eggs) and the intestine (thanks to probiotics in able to re-colonize it at best).
All this without creating any side effects and without any residue of the oil components being found systemically.
As he explained to Dr. Mondello:
"In light of our previous preclinical studies together with those of other researchers and our pilot study mentioned above, randomized controlled clinical trials would be useful to determine the therapeutic index of TTO and its main component, terpinen-4-ol, against recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis, for which currently no eradicating cure is available ".
Research therefore does not stop. There is a need for new confirmations to understand if the combination of these two remedies can actually be always and in any case effective in case of relapsing and drug resistant candida.
Read also:
- Candida: how to prevent it and how to cure it
- Candida: causes, remedies and recommended foods
- Candida: the most common symptoms
