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 does homeopathic medicine actually work or is it pseudoscience? Does AZO Yeast Plus contain ingredients proven to relieve yeast infection symptoms in women? Does it contain any questionable or unhealthy ingredients? And how do real users rate and describe the effects of this product?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more. We’ll start by sharing our thoughts on why homeopathic medicine may not be the most effective approach to any health condition.
We’ll then review the ingredients in AZO Yeast Plus based on medical research to give our take on whether or not the supplement is likely to be effective. We’ll also share real, unsponsored user reviews of this product.
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 documents how homeopathic practitioners claim that the lower the dose of the medication, the more effective it is, which defies basic 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 (whether oral or topical) are effective.
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:
AZO Yeast Plus Ingredient Analysis
AZO Yeast Plus contains four active ingredients: candida albicans, kreosotum, natrium muriaticum and sulphur.
Candida albicans is the type of yeast that causes yeast infections, as documented by 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 also very strange. 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 this formulation contains no questionable inactive ingredients like artificial flavoring agents or sweeteners, but we do not believe it’s likely to be effective for the treatment of vaginal yeast infection symptoms based on its active ingredients.
How to Prevent and Treat Yeast Infections Naturally
A popular health influencer named Nurse Key who’s a licensed practical nurse has a video with over 500,000 views that discusses natural solutions for vaginal yeast infections and how to prevent them in the future:
What Do Real Customers Say About AZO Yeast Plus?
AZO Yeast Plus is sold on Amazon which is a more objective resource for customer reviews than a brand’s website in our opinion. The supplement has been reviewed over 14,000 times and has an average review rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “Alexis Alexander” who claims that the pills not only treat yeast infection but also work as a preventative:
“...these are fantastic and a great accessible option to relieve those yeast infection symptoms and get yourself to a healthy hooha. I started taking these semi regularly as recommended by my gyno and it’s been preventing urgent care visits.”
The top negative review review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “K. Kulig” who claims the pills caused a yeast infection in her mouth:
“So I chose to believe the other reviews, and ended up with oral and esophageal thrush. Oral Thrush is an overgrowth of candida albicans, the exact same thing in this product! Who thought dosing someone with candida was a good idea? I really wish I had done more research before trying this, but anyone with problems 'down there' understands how desperate you can be to find relief. So now I have a yeast infection in my mouth and throat”
A TikTok user named Natasha Figueroa claims the supplement has been effective for her, in an unsponsored product review:
@natashafigueroa1021 #feminine #femininehygiene #hygieneroutine #femininecare #femininehealth #feminineproducts #yeastinfection #yeastinfections #hygiene #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound - Natasha Figueroa
Can Natural Supplements Prevent Future Yeast Infections?
There are a few natural compounds that have clinical research backing for prevention of yeast infections.
Probiotics were shown in a medical review published in the Microorganisms journal to reduce the incidence of vaginal yeast infections by colonizing the gut and body with healthy bacteria. Our top probiotic supplement pick is Future Kind Vegan Probiotic because it provides an effective dose of 30 million colony-forming units (CFU).
Interested consumers can check out Future Kind Vegan Probiotic at this link to its product page on the official brand website.
Boric acid is a naturally-occuring chemical compound that’s well-studied for the treatment of vaginal yeast infection when used as a suppository, which means it’s inserted into the vagina.
A medical review published in the Journal of Women’s Health analyzed data from 15 clinical trials on boric acid supplementation for recurrent vaginal yeast infection. The study authors concluded that “boric acid is a safe, alternative, economic option for women with recurrent and chronic symptoms of vaginitis when conventional treatment fails.”
AZO (the same brand behind Yeast Plus) sells a boric acid supplement that’s our top pick because it contains an effective dose based on the above-linked research review (600 milligrams), and has no questionable additive ingredients.
Interested consumers can check out AZO Boric Acid Vaginal Suppositories at this link to the product’s official Amazon listing.
Unscented soap is important for regular, non-irritating cleaning as recommended by Nurse Key in the video from the previous section.
Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Castile Soap is our top pick in this category, because it contains all natural ingredients and may be especially effective for vaginal yeast infection prevention because its first ingredient is organic coconut oil, which is antifungal.
Will AZO Yeast Plus Cause Side Effects?
AZO Yeast Plus does not appear to have been studied in any clinical trials, so it’s impossible to say for certain whether or not the supplement causes 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. 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 used are also safe and non-toxic, so there are no ingredients of concern in our opinion.
