Choosing the Right Type of Probiotic for Your Vaginal Health

I love sharing with you here on the blog and Nourishing Women Podcast about our periods, what is normal and what is not (like how not having a period is NOT normal), and how connecting with our menstrual cycles is a wonderful way to take care of our health. And we also talk all the time about our gut health, how important this is to our health, and I always share how important our gut microbiome is to our digestive health.

But you know what conversation we have yet to have? A conversation all about the MICROBIOME of our vagina. Yes, your vagina also has a microbiome as well!

Your vaginal microbiome is quite different than your gut microbiome because the vaginal microbiome is primarily of the Lactobacillus genus in your vagina, and when they are in high numbers, this keeps your vagina acidic and bad bacteria at bay. When your vaginal microbiome experiences a shift to a more diverse microbiome, this affects the pH of your vagina and can contribute to experiencing vaginal infections like bacterial vaginosis and yeast infections.

For a healthy gut microbiome we want as diverse of a microbiome as we can have, and one of the best things you can do to support that is consuming a varied, diverse diet with tons of different types of prebiotics (i.e. food for bacteria). However, with your vagina microbiome we want to support a microbiome of the Lactobacillus genus.

If you remember from this podcast episode about the what, why and how of taking probiotics, there are a couple key factors when choosing a probiotic supplement. First, probiotic strains matter. There should be a first and second and third part to the name. The first is the genus, second is the species and the third is the strain. For example, in New Chapter’s Women’s Daily Probiotic, the two clinically studied probiotics in the product are Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001. The “La-14 and HN001” are the most important part of the name, because this indicates the type of strain, which matters more than you think.

Second, specific strains of probiotic matter and should always be labeled on a probiotic supplement, since each strain has been studied for different effects and symptom relief in the body. In my virtual practice Nourishing Minds Nutrition, we use specific strains for specific outcomes. So if we want to support a client with diarrhea, we use a specific strain probiotic to support that symptom. And if we want to support a client who has constipation, we use a completely different strain specific probiotic to support that symptom.

While all probiotic supplements support a wide array of mechanisms within the body such as improved immune support through modulation, improved intestinal permeability, and improved health of our digestive, urinary tract and vaginal microbiomes, getting strain specific can help you determine which of the thousands of thousands of probiotics out there to choose based off of which symptom or health outcome you’d like to support. In New Chapter’s Women’s Daily Probiotic the two probiotic strains within the supplement,  Lactobacillus acidophilus La-14 and Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001, have been well studied to support a healthy vaginal and urinary tract environment to reduce bacterial and yeast infections,*

I have been on the search for a specific probiotic to support vaginal health for a long time for my practice, so I’m happy I found one that actually contains well studied strains, plus also contains the prebiotic support too with organic Jerusalem Artichoke inulin to enhance the probiotic effects. Plus, it also contains extracts of organic chaste tree berry, organic maca root and organic lavender, which each can support hormonal balance.*

This blog post is proudly sponsored by New Chapter, and I’m honored to help spread the word on how important the right type of probiotic supplement is to take. You can purchase New Chapter Women's Daily Probiotic on New Chapter’s website, or at Whole Foods, CVS, Amazon and local health food stores. 

+ Consult your healthcare provider before use if you have a medical condition; supplements are not a substitute for medical therapy.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease