Probiotics are all the rage. From specialty yogurts to gut-healing gummies, people will run to try a product that claims to heal their gut microbiome. But probiotics aren’t just to heal your stomach. In the same way that probiotics can improve your gut health, you can use probiotics for your vagina.
Vaginal probiotics are increasingly becoming a popular way for people with vaginas to improve their overall vaginal health. Learn more about the many benefits of vaginal probiotics.
What exactly is a probiotic?
While the word is thrown around a lot, it’s important to first understand what a probiotic is and how it works. Probioticsare healthy bacteria that help balance your microbiome. Essentially, probiotics feed the “good” bacteria present in the body. As healthy bacteria is nourished, the “good” bacteria kills off the “bad” bacteria present in the microbiome.
While we’re used to thinking of probiotics in the context of the gut, research has increasingly shown that vaginal probiotics have a myriad of benefits.
How can I Benefit from Vaginal Probiotics?
You may have heard that vaginas self-regulate, so is it really necessary to take vaginal probiotics? Plenty of medications like antibiotics or illnesses can disrupt a vagina’s natural balance over time. A vaginal probiotic has plenty of benefits for those looking to improve their vaginal health.
Improve Vaginal pH Level
When your vaginal pH is off, it can send the entire body into a frenzy. People with a healthy pH balance have healthier pregnancies, improved hormones, and fewer infections. To avoid chronic vaginal infections, probiotics can help your pH level reach an optimal level. A low pH balance of 3.8 to 4.5 is ideal.
Balance Microbiome
The vagina’s microbiome is a key pillar of woman’s health. Healthy microbiomes help fight off illness and keep the vagina healthy. Certain behaviors may throw off the microbiome. Unprotected sex with a male, menstrual cycles, or poor hygiene can cause a microbiome imbalance. Unhealthy microbiomes lacking in lactobacilli are a breeding ground for bad bacteria.
Lactobacilli is an important bacterium naturally present in a healthy vagina. The presence of lactobacilli helps people with vaginas conceive and protects the vagina from infection. Those naturally lacking lactobacilli can supplement it with a vaginal probiotic. Lactobacilli is a good bacterium that can help the vaginal microbiome fight off infections.
Fight Bacterial Vaginosis
If you’ve experienced green discharge with an off-putting smell, it could be a vaginal infection like bacterial vaginosis. This vaginal imbalance increases the pH level and reduces lactobacilli. Bacterial vaginosis can make sex painful and cause vaginal odors.
Typically, BV is caused by a pH balance thrown out of whack. Bacterial vaginosis is often treated with antibiotics. But vaginal probiotics can prevent BV from happening in the first place. Because vaginal probiotics improve your vaginal pH level and balance pH levels, it can also combat pesky bacterial vaginosis.
Treat Yeast Infections
Chronic yeast infections are painful and annoying for those who experience them. Mild yeast infections may cause some itching, while moderate infections can cause thick white discharge. Most of the time, the fungus candida albicans is to blame for your yeast infection.
A vaginal probiotic can help eradicate common vaginal issues like yeast infections. Probiotics prevent overgrowth of yeast and fungi by maintaining a healthy microbiome. Healthy bacteria in probiotics keep the vagina balanced so yeast infections don’t occur.
Prevent UTIs
Urinary tract infections are common, with up to 1 in 2 women experiencing them in their lifetimes. UTIs happen when part of the urinary system such as the urethra, bladder, or kidneys become infected.
Prevent painful UTIs from reoccurring with vaginal probiotics. A vaginal probiotic cannot change any genetic predispositions that may cause your UTIs. But it can help keep good bacteria present in the vagina to prevent infections from occurring.
Reduce Vaginal Odor
All vaginas have a smell. While a scent is perfectly normal, a noticeable odor outside your norm could be a sign of a vaginal imbalance. Harmful bacteria can increase your pH levels and develop “fishy” vaginal smells.
Ditch the feminine washes and heal your vagina from within. Vaginal probiotics help reduce uncomfortable odors by improving your pH level. Once the microbiome is balanced again, your vagina can fight off the odor-causing bad bacteria.
Summary
Vaginal probiotics may be new to the market, but they offer an array of benefits for people looking to improve their vaginal health. Many common reoccurring vaginal issues like UTIs, odor, or yeast infections can be treated with a vaginal probiotic. By balancing your pH levels and improving the vaginal microbiome, vaginal probiotics benefit anyone with a vagina.
If you’re looking for the #1-rated vaginal probiotic, try ProFem.
Sources:
Probiotics for Vaginal Health: Do They Work?: healthline, 2019.
Should You Use Probiotics For Your Vagina?: Harvard Health Publishing, 2019.
The Role of Probiotics in Vaginal Health: National Library of Medicine, 2022.
