Natural health is on the rise and I am all about it. When you hear the word bacteria, what do you think about? Germs, gross and sickness are probably in line with the adjectives that come to mind.
This is true, but there are actually bacteria in our bodies that keep us healthy. When this gets out of whack, it can really affect women’s health in some of the most annoying ways.
Read on to learn about how you can use probiotics to enhance the natural treatment of four common issues in women’s health.
What are probiotics?
Probiotics have been among the latest buzz words in women’s health. These little gems of live, beneficial bacteria have been said to help with a wide range of issues affecting women from improving gut health to mood.
This theory shouldn’t surprise you too much. I talked about how one of our happy hormones called Serotonin is primarily formed in the gut.
The most common source I see women finding probiotics in is yogurt. That’s a great place to start, but there are other options as well and I will give you a few others to add to your grocery list.
Are probiotics just for antibiotic use?
Antibiotics don’t distinguish between good and bad bacteria. They are effective, but not that smart.
So when you take antibiotics, they do their job by getting rid of all bacteria related they were created to fight. Unfortunately they can rid the body of good bacteria that we need to keep our normal flora balanced and happy.
What is normal flora?
Normal flora are bacteria that do not cause disease. A disruption in normal flora can have negative effects in women’s health.
As a result women become subject to yeast infections, urinary tract infections, digestion complications and even hormone imbalances and mood.
Antibiotics aren’t the only culprit so let’s not beat them up too bad here. Other offenders include poor diet, hormonal contraceptives (birth control pills) and even stress.
It’s safe to say that at some point, moms are going to take antibiotics, birth control pills or go through a stressful period.
If you’re going through any of that, taking probiotics may help to keep your normal bacteria where it needs to be to stay healthy and avoid infections and digestive troubles and keep you in a more alert and clearer state of mind. Sound good mama? Okay, good now let’s figure this probiotic thing out.
In pharmacy we have a little saying called matching the “bug to the drug”. Just like not every antibiotic treats all bacterial infections, different strains of probiotics are much better at treating or preventing different symptoms. Let’s dive right in and discuss 4 popular theories on how probiotics can promote women’s health!
Disclaimer : The statements made have not been evaluated by the FDA. The efficacy has not been confirmed by approved research. This is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Just some awesome suggestions to help you in your natural health journey. Enjoy!
Women’s health meets probiotics
1. Bubble guts
Women have a more complex digestive system than men. For example, women are more prone to digestive discomfort such as bloating, constipation and irritable bowels. When the gastrointestinal tract’s normal flora is disturbed there can be many conditions directly related to the GI tract.
You may call these the infamous “BGs” also known as the bubble guts. These conditions include irritable bowel syndrome and diarrhea. According to this study, probiotics play a key role in supporting the treatment of these conditions.
Probiotics for the digestive system
Look for lactobacillus casei, which helps restore gut flora. L rhamnosus and L reuteri are reliable remedies for diarrhea in adults. The Saccharomyces type helps restore normal flora lost with diarrhea due to antibiotics
2. Vaginal health
The thought is that an unhealthy gut with an imbalance of good to bad bacteria will carry over to the vagina and cause the same imbalance. This disruption of vaginal normal flora….dun dun duuunnn…is what can certainly lead to vaginal problems such as yeast infections.
Probiotics for vaginal health
Lactobacillus reuteri and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. Studies have stated, and I quote directly per this article, “there is evidence of the effectiveness of L rhamnosus and Lactobacillus reuteri in restoring vaginal lactobacilli and reducing infections in more than 50% of women after daily oral use and in 79% of women after once-weekly vaginal use. Results of 25 women’s once-weekly vaginal use of L rhamnosus and L fermentum compare favourably with results from various daily antibiotic regimens and twice-daily vaginal washes or breakthrough UTI”.
3. Hormonal imbalance
The healthy process is for the broken down estrogen to be eliminated from the body as waste. How does this happen? Well, I’m so glad you asked.
Put on your dirty nerdy thinking cap with me and buckle up for a quick lesson in chemical metabolism.
As your hormones break down they form a secure bond with a traveling molecule and the bacteria in your gut makes sure that happens. Remember when I talked about how caffeine binds to the same receptors as adenosine to give you more energy? Same concept.
As long as that bond is secure, the newly formed complex is excreted and your gut is super happy. Now, what makes your gut not super happy? Again, so glad you asked. Here we go.
Some bacteria can produce what I call a homewrecker. It’s an enzyme that breaks that secure bond and let’s the toxins roam about freely. So, the better and more stable your normal flora is, the happier your gut.
Probiotics for women’s hormonal imbalance
Start with lactobacillus
4. Mood
There is plenty of discussion and even some research out there on probiotics’ ability to help with anxiety and mental clarity.
The technical term is “gut-brain axis”, but most just call it the “gut-brain connection”.
Either way it’s the strong theory as stated before that when the normal gut flora is off, the mood is affected because Serotonin is highly produced in the gut.
I love where the research on this topic is headed. Research is progressively arguing that there is a link between gut health and mood and that you can begin to help ease anxiety with promoting a healthy gut flora.
With that being said, they say you are what you eat. A poor diet can very well lead to poor gut flora. I would again suggest starting with cleaning up your nutrition and see if anything is throwing off your gut’s normal flora vibe. This is why if someone tells me they feel better when they avoid certain foods, I believe them.
As you eat cleaner you will begin to notice which foods you react to. You may not be affected at all, but you can try an elimination diet if your physician approves and quickly find out!
You can read more on this topic by clicking here later.
Probiotics for mood
lactobacillus and bifidobacterium
Side effects of probiotics
The side effect profile is somewhat neutral and dosing based. Upset stomach has been reported. However, there are a few options for that.
- You can try a pill that is coated. This will typically mean that the pill will not dissolve in your stomach, but in your intestine.
- Another option is to take it with food which may give the stomach something else to focus on and not such a pill concentrated environment.
What if you’re symptom free?
Probiotics are not just for when you’re feeling bad. They can still serve as a preventative measure for you. A good maintenance choice could be Lactobcillus and bifidobacterium. Your own personal dose will depend on your reactions and results.
What are prebiotics?
They feed probiotics. They are fiber based and a few examples of many include flaxseeds, asparagus, dandelion greens and chicory root. It is best to have a combination of prebiotics and probiotics for optimal results.
Have that talk : It is always best to consult your physician! Research is on the rise with assisting Physicians in learning how beneficial probiotics can be in women’s health.
When to use probiotics
Probiotics are not just for when you’re feeling bad. They can still serve as a preventative measure for you. A good maintenance choice could be Lactobcillus and bifidobacterium. Your own personal dose will depend on your reactions and results.
If you haven’t picked up on it by now, the common thread here is the disruption of normal flora that we talked about at the start of this article.
Like I said in the beginning, you don’t have to just rely on yogurt! Other probiotic foods include kefir, kambucha, sauerkraut and kimichi.
Challenge yourself
Try adding some prebiotic and probiotic foods to your grocery list. I challenge you to clean up your nutrition and add some of these foods to your daily meals. How do you feel after a few weeks? Lighter? Better mood? Follow up with me and let me know! If you liked this post pin it and share it with other women who could benefit as well.
For continued updates and easy tips like these take a look around the blog. Let me know if you want more information on something you haven’t seen here yet.
Thanks for hanging out with me!
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