Have you heard of vaginal probiotics before? Probiotics are good bacteria that assist the body in performing various necessary functions.
For instance, healthy people have good bacteria in their digestive systems to effectively process food through the gut and colon. Good bacteria also help prevent bad bacteria from causing harm to the body, which ends up supporting the immune system.
Sustaining a healthy vagina depends on good bacteria to balance out its microbes. If the vagina has enough good bacteria, it can stop the bad bacteria from taking over and causing vaginal infections and other problems.
Therefore, probiotics can improve vaginal health by balancing vaginal pH levels and vaginal flora to stop infections. Some people consume probiotics from fermented foods like yogurt and sauerkraut, but you may see better results by consuming probiotic supplements instead.
Vaginal Probiotics Health Benefits
A healthy vaginal contains several beneficial bacterial strains, such as L. crispatus and L. iners. But when there are more harmful vaginal microbes than healthy ones, the person will have a greater risk of developing a yeast infection or a vaginal infection like bacterial vaginosis.
Probiotics may be an effective treatment for yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis if conventional treatment methods from your doctor have failed. Even though the medical community has not fully endorsed the effectiveness of probiotics for vaginal health, there is still a lot of credible evidence showing their positive effects.
Here are all the suggested vaginal health benefits of probiotics:
- Reduces the risk of bacterial vaginosis and its symptoms, such as abnormal vaginal discharge, itching, and foul odors
- Reduces the risk of yeast infections and its symptoms, such as vaginal burning, painful urination, stinging, and discharge
- Balances good vaginal bacteria and vaginal pH levels
- Supports urinary tract health
- Reduces pain during sexual intercourse
- Relieves discomfort from using certain cleaning products
- Eliminate the need for douching
Considering these benefits, don’t you think probiotics are worth considering to improve your vaginal health? Most people would say yes.
Vaginal Probiotics for Treating Bacterial Vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis is a vaginal infection due to the harmful bacterial overgrowth of bad strains like Prevotella and Gardnerella vaginalis. Women are the most susceptible to vaginal infections like bacterial vaginosis during their childbearing years.
Medical research has shown that effective probiotics for treating severe cases of bacterial vaginosis include reuteri, rhamnosus, and acidophilus. These three probiotics come from the Lactobacillus family and natural form in the vagina. If your vagina lacks these natural probiotics, you can consume probiotic supplements with these probiotics in them to effectively balance out the harmful microorganisms with the good.
Only take premium-quality probiotic supplements recommended by your primary care physician or gynecologist. The supplements must have a CFU count of between 10 and 50 billion CUs of strains like Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and L. reuteri RC-14. Physicians recommend Pro-Fem as the best vaginal probiotics which has a balance of GR-1 and RC-14.
Vaginal Probiotics for Treating Yeast Infections
Most yeast infections occur after the Candida fungus grows too much in the vagina. A healthy woman naturally has some Candida in her vagina. However, if the Candida grows too much and outnumbers the good microbes in the vagina, it will cause a yeast infection.
Medical experts recommend using similar probiotics for treating yeast infections as you would for treating bacterial vaginosis. Therefore, the three best probiotics for treating yeast infections are acidophilus, rhamnosus, and reuteri from the Lactobacillus family.
Balancing pH with Vaginal Probiotics
Once again, the same great probiotics mentioned above can also balance out your vaginal pH if you have high pH levels already. The acidophilus, rhamnosus, and reuteri probiotics can lower those pH levels and return your vagina to a normal and acidic state.
Conclusion
Remember to practice other ways of improving vaginal health too. Avoid douching, scented soaps, junk food, smoking, and other unhealthy habits. Always practice safe sex and limit your sexual partners as much as possible. And, of course, take probiotics to repopulate and balance the vagina with enough good bacteria to keep the bad bacteria under control.
