Tea Tree Oil Candida - How to Use It

Tea tree oil for candida - How to use it

We have received many requests from our clients on natural remedies that work to fight off candida albican infections. These are fungal infections that occur on skin (think athlete's foot and ringworm) to vaginal yeast infections.

The good news is that there is scientific evidence that tea tree oil works to kill off the fungus.

The full report can be found in our article Benefits of Tea Tree Oil so we won't provide the details here.

How to use it for candida infections - The various dosage recommendations

How to use it for athlete's foot

Apply a 10% (up to 50%) tea tree oil solution or gel to the affected areas two times daily. It may take up to 4 weeks for a complete cure, depending on the severity of the infection. For information on how to make this gel, see our article Tea Tree Oil Dilution Guidelines.

How to use it for ringworm infections

The same dosage formulation for treating athlete's foot can also be effectively used on ringworm infections as well. It probably takes about 2 weeks for a cure, a bit faster than with athlete's foot. However, it may take up to 4 weeks in some cases.

How to use it for vaginal yeast infections

The vaginal douche formula is fully described in the article Tea Tree Oil for Infection.

No doubt, tea tree oil is a versatile antiseptic liquid that many people have in their first-aid cabinet. Find out all the benefits of tea tree oil in our unbiased review today!

The Complete and Unbiased Review of Tea Tree Oil

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How to Use Tea Tree Oil for Bad Breath

Discover how to use tea tree oil for bad breath. Does it really work?

Tea tree oil is known to possess antiseptic properties. It can kill fungus and bacteria in the mouth responsible for bad breath (halitosis). But are there scientific studies to show this to be case?

Fortunately, the answer is yes!

A study completed in Korean in 2007 at the School of Nursing showed that a solution of tea tree oil with peppermint and lemon was more effective than Tantum (a prescription mouthwash) for reducing bad breath.

The odor reduction was noticed in 5 minutes after treatment and it lasted up to 1 hour. (Of course, the odor control could have lasted much longer but the study stopped at the one hour mark.)

And the level of odor reduction wasn't just what the researchers thought they smelled. They actually used a halimeter to accurately determine the level of the bad breath reduction.

Bottom line?

It works!

Make a 5% tea tree oil mouth wash for bad breath by mixing 5 mL of pure tea tree oil with 100 mL of water. Instead of water, you may choose to mix it in your favorite mouthwash. You may add several drops of peppermint and lemon if necessary. Rinse your mouth for 3 minutes (that's how long the subjects did in the above mentioned research study) and spit out.

You can follow this regime two or three times daily after brushing your teeth.

Remember not to swallow any of this mouth rinse as tea tree oil can be toxic if taken by mouth.

For more detailed information on how to dilute tea tree oil properly, see Tea Tree Oil Dilution Guidelines.

To discover the many health benefits of tea tree oil see the article Benefits of Tea Tree Oil.

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Tea Tree Oil for Fungal Infection of the Nails

How effective is tea tree oil for fungal infection of the nails?

Our clients are always looking for natural remedies to treat common ailments. Onychomycosis is the medical term for nail fungus.

It is a very difficult condition to treat and cure, in part, due to the poor circulation to the nail bed. Moreover, the nail is pretty much a solid mass that doesn't easily allow medications to get to.

But, you might have heard of the potency of tea tree oil as an antiseptic liquid. Indeed, studies show that it has the ability to even kill off MRSA (methacillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), a very difficult bacteria that is found in hospitals.

We did find one clinical trial (J. Fam Practice, 1994) showing that a 100% tea tree oil solution applied twice daily to the nails for 6 months resulted in a cure rate similar to using the non-prescription anti-fungal solution (clotrimazole).

If you think six month is a long time for tea tree oil to work, it is. And that should not be surprising. Even the best prescription anti-fungal pill (Lamisil) takes about 3 months to show good results. And the cost of that treatment is $1,400 for a 3 month supply!

That's the nature of fungal infections of the nail.

For more information about all the Health Benefits of Tea Tree Oil, see our detailed unbiased report with the link provided below.

The Full Unbiased Review on the Benefits of Tea Tree Oil

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Lysine for HSV - Does It Work?

Does using lysine for HSV reduce the frequency and severity of the cold sores?

Lysine is an essential amino acid that the body uses to build protein. There's good scientific evidence to show that indeed, taking lysine supplements as well as using lysine creams on cold sores may be helpful in reducing the severity and frequency of cold sores outbreaks.

Cold sores virus (caused by the herpes simplex virus, HSV-1) and genital herpes (caused by HSV-2) seem to be inhibited from multiplying in the presence of l-lysine.

Lab studies have shown that high levels of lysine seem to inhibit viral reproduction. But what is the evidence from clinical studies to show that this effect can be expected in real-life situations?

Fortunately, there are many clinical trials (trials done in human subjects) that show this to be the case. One study (Dermatologica, 1987) showed that taking 1,000 mg daily of lysine supplement resulted in 2.4 times less outbreaks compared to the placebo group.

Another study (Altern Med Rev., 2005) also showed that an ointment containing l-lysine and zinc resulted in the lesion clearing up in 40% of the volunteers.

A large study involving 1543 volunteers (J. Antimicrob Chemother., 1983) showed that cold sore lesions healed in 6 to 15 days without lysine supplement but healed in only five days or less with lysine.

You can get lysine from your diet by eating foods high in lysine or by taking l-lysine supplements. Either method is an effective method of increasing the amount of lysine that is available to your body. As a matter of fact, by including more lysine rich foods in your diet, you can reduce (and perhaps eliminate) the amount of lysine supplements you will need to take.

Indeed, using lysine for HPV is effective and can go a long way in reducing the frequency and severity of cold sores outbreaks.

What about for HSV that causes genital herpes?

There is some evidence that lysine might be helpful for genital herpes as well, although the studies are less conclusive. It would be a good idea to give it a try anyways, since the side effects of lysine are minimal and the cost of the supplements is reasonable.

What is the best dose of lysine to use?

Our article Lysine Dose for Herpes gives a complete report on the best dose of lysine to take. It ranges from a low of 1 gram daily up to 3 grams three times daily for severe cases.

See Lysine for Cold Sores Dosage for the complete details along with recommendations from our panel of clinical pharmacists.

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Dose of Lysine for Cold Sores

What is the most effective dose of lysine for cold sores?

In our clinical practice, we often get questions about using lysine for treating herpes infection. Prescription drugs for treating herpes are generally expensive (as are all anti-viral medications).

Some people have heard that eating foods high in lysine can help to reduce the severity and frequency of cold sores (caused by the herpes simplex virus or HSV). Indeed, there is some evidence that lysine supplements are effective.

Lysine is an amino acid that seems to inhibit viral replication. Lab studies show this. Many clinical studies, both involving small numbers and large numbers of subjects show significant reduction in frequency of outbreaks and the time for it to heal completely.

Upon reviewing existing clinical studies, the dosage ranges from a low of 0.5 gram once daily all the way up to 1 gram three times daily. Some experts have even suggested dose up to 3 grams three times daily ( 9 g daily). (This high dose is not dangerous as the side effects of lysine is uncommon.)

How is a person to decide? 

There are two main factors one can consider when deciding an appropriate dose of lysine to use for treating cold sores.

For cold sores that are not severe or do not happen frequently, a preventative dose of 1 gram daily is suitable. Increase the dose to 1 g three times daily during an outbreak.

For outbreaks that are frequent or severe, a higher dose of 1 g three times daily can be taken for prevention and 3 g three times daily for treatment.

How would we define frequent? Perhaps three or four times a year. Infrequent might be, perhaps, once a year. As for severity, that would be open to interpretation.

Don't forget that if your diet is high in lysine, you can reduce the amount of lysine supplements to take.

See our detailed and unbiased article Benefits of Lysine to get a complete review along with ratings for each of the health conditions that lysine can be used to treat. 

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