Can Probiotics Boost Vaginal Health?

Probiotics – the renowned microorganism super aid for your gut health may also be a game changer for your vaginal health. How so? It comes down to microbiomes, baby. It’s estimated that about 100 trillion microbes are found inside the human body, with many of them residing in your gut. But there are also more than 50 different microbes that live inside your vagina!

Bacteria and Vaginal Microbiome

In a healthy vagina, the microbiome is usually dominated by over 70% of Lactobacillus bacterial strains. When the vagina’s microbial balance is thrown off and other microorganisms gain dominance – a process known as dysbiosis – infections like bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections can occur. These imbalances can be caused by:

• Having unprotected sex
• Changes in hormones
• Douching
• Antibiotics
• Menstruation
• Stress

 

Numerous Lactobacillus strains have been shown to be active against the main pathogens responsible for bacterial infections of the vaginal and urinary tract with several studies even demonstrating the ability of Lactobacillus to adhere to vaginal and cervical epithelial cells. 

What Are the Best Probiotic Strains to Look Out for?

There are around 500 different strains of probiotics. When it comes to your vagina though, you want to look for probiotics like  Lactobacillus crispatus and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. 

• Lactobacillus crispatus. This strain is one of the predominant ones found in the vaginal microbiota and produces hydrogen peroxide.

• Lactobacillus rhamnosus. This strain is typically found in your intestines and produces lactase, an enzyme. Lactase can break down sugar lactose into lactic acid. 

Additional Lactobacillus strains that can help with vaginal health include:

• Lactobacillus acidophilus.
• Lactobacillus gasseri.
• Lactobacillus jensenii.
• Lactobacillus reuteri.

Do I Need Probiotics for pH Balance?

Your vaginal pH levels play a role in preventing infections, supporting healthy pregnancies and any hormonal changes. A healthy vaginal pH should be between 3.8 – 4.5, which is somewhat acidic. Turning to probiotics may help with maintaining your vaginal pH balance. As mentioned above Lactobacilli produces substances like lactic acid and hydrogen peroxide. This creates an acidic environment that prevents bad bacteria like e. Coli, Staph, and Candida from growing.

Bottom Line

Probiotics are widely known for improving digestive health, but what many people don’t realize is that it’s not just their gut that benefits from these friendly bacteria; the vagina does, too. More research still needs to be done, but seeing as one probiotic strain — Lactobacillus — plays a major role in maintaining vaginal pH, we’d say we’re excited to see where the future of vagina probiotics takes wellness!

Stay tuned with Quanna today and start restoring your bacterial balance tomorrow. The future of wellness begins here.