Can beer cause yeast infections?

Can beer cause yeast infections?

 

 

You may have heard that it’s best to avoid drinking beer when you suffer from yeast infections. I love having a beer from time to time, especially on hot days and I always wondered if it could cause my yeast infections.

 

Somehow, I was always skeptical about beer triggering Candida bouts and I decided to do some research to find if it’s true.

 

Can beer cause yeast infections?

 

Next time you ask yourself if having a beer will cause a vaginal yeast infection, remember these facts about Candida and beer:

 

  • The type of yeast used in brewing and baking belong to different species than Candida, mainly Saccharomyces cerevisiae and they’ve got no connection to Candida whatsoever. So consuming yeast-containing foods, such as bread or beer, cannot trigger Candida infections. It doesn’t affect Candida either in a positive or a negative way because your body treats it as any other food.

 

Can beer cause yeast infections?

 

  • Candida doesn’t feed on alcohol either, it actually produces ethanol as a waste product, so you can safely enjoy an alcoholic drink without causing a new Candida bout. You could argue that alcohol, as a form of complex sugar, can feed Candida. However, there is a lot of evidence that suggests that ingesting sugar will not cause a vaginal yeast infection in healthy women, only in women with an impaired tolerance to glucose, diabetics.
 

 

 

Does it mean that drinking alcohol can’t cause yeast infections?

 

 

Unfortunately not. Alcohol upsets the bacterial balance in your body. It can destroy friendly bacteria that help maintain healthy levels of yeast.

 

When the balance becomes upset, yeast can start overgrowing and causing infections in different parts of your body, such as vaginal yeast infection.

 

Can beer cause yeast infections-

 

To reduce the risk of upsetting your bacterial flora while drinking, it’s best to drink moderately and take probiotic supplements on daily basis.

 

The probiotics that are especially potent against vaginal yeast infections are Lactobacillus rhamnosusLactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum. Make sure the probiotic supplement you’re using contains at least two of these strains.

 

  • Alcohol has also been shown to increase cortisol levels in your blood. Cortisol is a stress hormone which can inhibit your immune system and make you more susceptible to vaginal yeast infections. In order to lower cortisol levels in your blood, you should limit your alcohol and caffeine intake, make sure you get enough sleep and learn to handle stress effectively.

 

 

 

==> Check my review of the best probiotic supplements for vaginal yeast infection here <== 

 

 

Conclusion

 

 

All in all, it seems that beer doesn’t trigger yeast infections because Candida doesn’t feed on yeasts found in beer nor on alcohol itself.

 

Can beer cause yeast infection?

 

I think we can all enjoy a nice cold beer or any other alcoholic beverage from time to time without the risk of suffering from another Candida bout.

 

However, we have to remember that alcohol does upset the bacterial flora in our bodies, so if you drink, make sure you supplement with probiotics on daily basis to keep Candida at bay.

 

If you often suffer from vaginal yeast infections, apart from taking probiotics every day, you could also insert a probiotic vaginal suppository overnight after a night out.

 

Order Boric Acid Suppositories Today

 

Anyway, it’s always safer and healthier to drink moderately or even better, not drink alcohol at all!

 

Do you think drinking beer triggers your yeast infections? Please share your comments and experiences in the comment section below.

8 comments

  • I like how it’s only the vagina that gets the bad wrap!!! Men consume a lot of alcohol and they can get messed up as well. There are all kinds of places yeast can grow on a man unless we are suggesting men can’t get yeast infections or are carrying around a secret mangina. O-O

    • Hi Janey, I totally agree with you. We can all get yeast infections in all kinds of places, however this website is specifically about vaginal yeast infections, so I always write my articles and do my research focusing on vaginal yeast infections only. Thanks for stopping by!

  • That is great information for a drinker like me ! I have no clues that yeast infections can really be such a big issues as I’m usually too engrossed with drinking. Definitely one has to be careful when taking alcohol products.

    Any idea how fatal can this be if it gets worse?

    • Hi, fortunately vaginal yeast infections don’t pose a great health risk, they are simply very unpleasant and if one suffers from recurrent infections, it can even trigger depression and relationship problems.

  • That’s so relieving to hear ! When I saw the article, I must admit it’s something I had never even considered. It’s hard sometimes to make changes for your health if it takes away your comforts.
    I’ll definitely be careful to make sure to take some action with the probiotics as you’ve suggested just to make sure I can counteract it.
    Do you take any probiotics in particular ?

    • Hi Skai, it’s always a good idea to cut down on alcohol, it’ll benefit your health in so many ways! Having said that, consuming beer has been linked to yeast infections for all the wrong reasons, it’s not because of the sugar it contains or the yeast. Alcohol in general is known to upset your bacterial flora, but if you can supplement with the right probiotics, you should be absolutely fine having a beer or another alcoholic bevarage from time to time. Please visit my section on probiotics for vaginal health or my probiotic supplement post to check my reviews and my recommendations.

  • Very good to know. Excellent read.

    • Hi Deanna, I’m glad you enjoyed reading my post about whether beer can cause yeast infections, it’s actually good news for those who like beer! The only thing you need is a good probiotic supplement and you should be fine.

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