IS BYE-LORI HELPFUL FOR YEAST INFECTIONS?
Q Dear Dr. V,
I read that Bye-Lori can work against yeast. I have chronic vaginal
yeast infections. Would Bye-Lori work for this?
TB
A Dear TB,
Bye-Lori contains mastic, a gum resin that exudes
from the trunk of the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus). It has been
shown to possess antimicrobial activity against H. pylori and various
other bacteria. Recently, three essential oils obtained by the steam distillation
of the gum, leaves, and twigs of the mastic tree were studied, and 69 constituents
were identified.1
These oils and some of their individual constituents have been shown to
possess different antimicrobial activities and to significantly reduce
various undesirable bacterial colonies. Mastic gum was found to be significantly
more active compared to the other constituents. In addition, mastic gum
was able to destroy various harmful fungi, such as the common Candida
albicans (a known culprit in most vaginal yeast infections), Candida
tropicalis, and Torulopsis glabrata.
But since these studies were performed in vitro
(in glass) rather than in vivo (in or on the body), there is no
evidence that Bye-Lori is an effective or appropriate treatment for the
eradication of yeast infections. Based on these studies, however, I believe
it is plausible that Bye-Lori may be helpful for yeast overgrowth of the
gastrointestinal tract, which begins at the mouth. Anecdotal evidence lends
support to this conclusion.
Bye-Lori is essentially innocuous, and a trial
use of it is very likely to be harmless. It is not, however, a substitute
for standard medical treatment where appropriate. I do not believe that
Bye-Lori, which is taken orally, would be helpful for vaginal yeast infections,
because there would be little opportunity for the mastic to make contact
with the microorganisms.
I hope this helps.
Dr. V
Reference
-
Magiatis P, Melliou E, Skaltsounis AL, Chinou IB, Mitaku
S. Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oils
of Pistacia lentiscus var. chia. Planta Med 1999 Dec;65(8):749?52.