Every month, thousands of women search the Internet for a natural cure for yeast infections. This makes sense, since vaginal yeast infections are so common, and medications for this condition can be expensive. Some women are also concerned that antifungal drugs can be too harsh, and would prefer a natural remedy that is milder and safer to use.

So, do natural yeast infection cures really work?

The short answer is “Yes, they do work for many women.”

The more complete answer is “Yes, sometimes they work. But you need more facts about yeast infections before you decide if a natural remedy is right for you.”

Unfortunately, many claims are made by Internet marketing firms promising a “natural cure” that is “guaranteed” to get rid of your current infection and keep it from coming back. Most of these remedies are based on a treatment plan first promoted by Dr. C. Orian Truss, M.D., way back in 1978. There are several reasons why health care providers are concerned about these remedies:

1. These treatments were not created for vaginal yeast infections – they were promoted as the cure-all for a condition Dr. Truss called “systemic candidiasis.” This condition was thought to cause a wide variety of symptoms, including lethargy, fatigue, food cravings, depression, infertility, and vaginal yeast infections, plus many more. The theory was that “if you don’t feel good, and your doctor can’t find anything wrong, you have Candida.”

2. Although this theory was first written about 29 years ago, it has never been proven that any of the symptoms listed, except vaginal yeast infections, are actually caused by Candida yeast. And the powerful herbal remedies and complicated diets have never been proven to be effective in treating any of these symptoms, including vaginal yeast infections. And they have never been proven to be safe.

3. The remedies include “natural” herbal products that are anti-microbial – this means they can destroy the beneficial bacteria in the gut that are your body’s first line of defense against yeast infections.

Supposedly, you can replenish your beneficial bacteria by eating yogurt or taking supplements that contain live cultures, but your colon is host to over 500 different species of bacteria, and many of them are needed by your body. Yogurt will replace only one or two of these species, and a new strain of yeast could colonize your gut while your bacteria population is still being rebuilt. That means that taking some of these powerful herbal remedies could actually make your current yeast infection worse instead of better.

To protect yourself against false claims promoted by people selling “guaranteed cures” for yeast infections, it makes sense to learn all you can about this common condition.

Once you know what causes vaginal yeast infections, you’ll see why the old-wives' tales about yogurt, vinegar and garlic are actually more helpful and truthful than many marketing claims selling complicated and expensive herbal remedies.

These simple remedies that you can buy at the grocery store often do cure a mild yeast infection. And in most cases, simple changes in your diet and daily habits can keep yeast infections from coming back.

If the mild remedies your grandmother used don’t cure your yeast infection you should get yourself to a doctor, because there could be several reasons why the infection doesn’t go away:

• You could have an infection that is caused by something other than Candida. If you have an infection caused by bacteria or parasites, the infection could eventually damage your reproductive organs, and must be treated promptly by prescription medications.

• You may have a yeast infection that isn’t mild enough for the natural remedies to work. In this case, your doctor can recommend an over-the-counter topical cream that should cure your infection within a few days.

• Your yeast infections may actually be caused by an underlying condition that has upset your hormone balance or damaged your immune system. Many women are first diagnosed with diabetes when they go to their doctor about their chronic yeast infections.

So, do natural remedies work? Yes, sometimes they do. But you need far more information than that before you make an intelligent, informed choice about treating your vaginal yeast infection.