Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice, and is just the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to yeast infections.
AZO Yeast Plus is an over-the-counter (OTC) supplement used to relieve symptoms of vaginal yeast infections including itching, burning and discharge. It’s a homeopathic medicine, and its manufacturer describes the effects as “yeast infection symptom relief you’ll wonder how you lived without.”
But is homeopathic medicine proven to be ineffective? Does AZO Yeast Plus contain ingredients shown to treat yeast infections? Does it contain any unhealthy ingredients? And is it better or worse than other popular anti-yeast supplements like URO Vaginal Health?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze clinical studies on homeopathy to determine whether or not this type of medicine is effective.
We’ll then analyze the ingredients in AZO Yeast Plus to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to be effective, feature unsponsored customer reviews, and discuss the risk of side effects.
Key takeaways:
- Homeopathy is disproven by clinical studies
- AZO Yeast Plus contains an active ingredient that causes yeast infections
- We do not currently recommend AZO Yeast Plus
Do Homeopathic Treatments Work?
Homeopathy is a practice that involves using extremely small quantities of active ingredients to treat a condition.
The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) documents how homeopathic practitioners claim that the lower the dose of the medication, the more effective it is, which defies logic.
A meta-study published in the Medical Journal of Australia analyzed data from tens of clinical trials on homeopathy.
The study authors concluded that homeopathy is ineffective for all health conditions: "The findings of currently available Cochrane reviews of studies of homeopathy do not show that homeopathic medicines have effects beyond placebo."
As we discussed in our Emuaid reviews article on another popular homeopathic product, we have not come across any convincing evidence that homeopathic treatments work.
An animated YouTube video on homeopathy has over 10 million views and explains how the treatment is supposed to work, as well as whether or not it’s effective:
Ingredient Analysis
The active ingredients in AZO Yeast Plus are shown below:
Candida albicans is the type of yeast that causes yeast infections, as documented in a 2022 medical review, so it seems like a strange ingredient to take orally to treat a yeast infection.
Kreosotum appears to be derived from wood pellets, according to NIH data.
Natrium muriaticum appears to be the homeopathic name for table salt (sodium chloride), according to Encyclopedia.com.
Sulphur is a chemical element.
We cannot identify any medical research suggesting that these ingredients are effective for treating vaginal yeast infection symptoms when taken orally.
The dosage of homeopathic medicines is strange and counterintuitive. "30x" in homeopathy actually means the ingredient has been diluted 30 times.
Wikipedia’s page on homeopathy documents how a 30x dilution results in such a small amount of the original ingredient that no molecules of the original ingredient would exist if diluted in water.
The good news is that the inactive ingredients in this formulation should be safe and non-toxic.
Overall, we do not consider AZO Yeast Plus likely to relieve yeast infections, because we can't find any clinical evidence that its active ingredients are effective for that purpose.
Does AZO Yeast Plus Cause Side Effects?
AZO Yeast Plus does not appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, which makes it more challenging to determine the risk of side effects.
However, we can make an educated guess based on its ingredients.
We do not believe that AZO Yeast Plus is likely to cause side effects in otherwise healthy adults.
Because it’s a homeopathic remedy, the active ingredients are included at such a low dose that we don’t believe they will have any biologic effect.
The inactive ingredients should also be safe and non-toxic, so there are no ingredients of concern in our opinion.
AZO Yeast Plus vs. Popular Anti-Yeast Supps
Here's how AZO Yeast Plus compares to other popular anti-yeast supplements in terms of potential effectiveness and healthiness, in our opinion:
URO
While not explicitly an anti-yeast supplement, this women's health supplement contains probiotics, which are clinically shown to optimize vaginal pH.
This supplement is a standard dietary supplement with research-backed doses, which automatically gives it an advantage to any homeopathic supplement.
Winner: URO
Monistat 1
Monistat 1 is a topical product that contains an anti-fungal active ingredient with significant clinical backing.
While it contains one inactive ingredient we consider unhealthy, it's overall a significantly better formulation than AZO Yeast Plus.
Winner: Monistat 1
Boric Acid
Shown in clinical trials to have anti-yeast effects when taken as a dietary supplement.
Highly favorable side effect profile.
Winner: Boric acid
Our Clean Anti-Yeast Picks
MBG Vitamin D3 Potency+ is our top vitamin D3 supplement.
A 2023 medical review described vitamin D3 as having "a significant inhibitory effect on Candida growth and biofilm formation," and "demonstrated antifungal and antibiofilm properties."
AZO Boric Acid Suppository is our top vaginal suppository pick.
A medical review published in the Journal of Women’s Health concluded that “boric acid is a safe, alternative, economic option for women with recurrent and chronic symptoms of vaginitis when conventional treatment fails.”
Both of the products recommended in this section are free of ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.
AZO Yeast Plus Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Highly affordable
- Highly positive online customer reviews
- Unlikely to cause side effects
- No unhealthy inactive ingredients
Cons:
- Homeopathic remedy
- We can't find evidence any of its active ingredients are effective
- Actually contains yeast
- Doesn't appear to be clinically studied
