Vinegar and the Yeast Infection Eliminating Diet

A common question I get regarding foods allowed or forbidden on the Candida diet concerns the use of vinegars.

Some vinegars have health promoting properties such as organic apple cider vinegar and balsamic vinegar, but still they should be eliminated from the diet in order to clear up systemic yeast infections.

I think it’s important for people to understand why vinegar shouldn’t be part of the yeast eliminating diet, so this article will hopefully help people understand why its on the do not eat list.

Vinegar is made with yeast. Now this is brewer’s yeast and is different than Candida albicans, so that’s really not an issue as long as a pure yeast source was used in making the vinegar. However, this fermentation produces ethanol and then bacteria convert this ethanol to acetic acid. Vinegar is therefore highly acidic and has an acidic effect on the body.

Candida alibicans thrives in an acidic environment so a Candida diet uses food sources that cause the body to be slightly alkaline instead of acidic in order to promote healing. If highly acidic foods such as vinegar are consumed then this can prevent this alkaline effect from happening.

Some websites say that organic apple cider vinegar is allowed, but I don’t really see how that is justified. I’ve seen some evidence that organic apple cider vinegar can be used to treat external yeast infections, however, taking the vinegar internally would have an undesirable acidic effect.

So as a general rule, distilled vinegars should be eliminated from the diet totally, however, after 60 days or when your symptoms have been eliminated, natural vinegars such as organic apple cider, balsamic, and red wine vinegars can be consumed in moderation. So you don’t have to give up natural, healthy vinegars for a lifetime, but just for a season while on the strict part of a yeast infection eliminating diet.