What's The Best Probiotics For Women's Health?

The most effective probiotics supplement, for you, will depend on your needs and reason for wanting to begin taking them. There are many different types of probiotic bacteria, Lactobacillus itself has over 170 species and an additional 17 subspecies; different strains will have different benefits. For instance, if you are looking to support your vaginal bacteria (recolonize) then you may want to look for a probiotic microbe culture which includes Lactobacillus Acidophilus. Different probiotic bacteria will support your body in different ways; therefore in today's post, we aim to cover what probiotics are recommended for women specifically to support their overall intimate health… 

What are the best probiotics for pH balance? 

Probiotics are believed to be highly beneficial in rebalancing pH levels as well as aiding in vaginal infections; they can be especially helpful for women who experience bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections or UTIs regularly. Whilst antibiotics are still believed to be the most effective method of clearing up and rebalancing vaginal bacteria; probiotics can be used in conjunction to keep the vaginal flora balanced, and healthy. The two can be taken together, but probiotics can be implemented into your daily routine to ensure they continuously support healthy vaginal bacteria to avoid future bacterial imbalances causing infections. Probiotics with a blend of Lactobacillus strains (L. Reuteri, L.Acidophilus, L.Rhamnosus & B.lactis) are the most effective at maintaining natural pH balance, healthy vaginal bacteria, and yeast levels! 

Which probiotics do Doctors recommend most? 

It is a general recommendation that when it comes to probiotic supplements, those with at least 1 billion (CFU) colony-forming units are advised; although a higher CFU would be more beneficial to your health. That is why you may notice many probiotic supplements contain well above 1 billion CFU. For instance, here at Wellgard, we have three different types of probiotic supplements:

• Our infant and child-friendly probiotic supplement contains 4 billion CFU per capsule
• Then we have the teens and adults probiotic supplement with a 12 billion CFU per capsule
• Finally, we have our women's blend with 20 billion CFU per capsule

Both of our adult probiotic supplements contain the #1, most clinically studied strain of probiotics that is considered the premier probiotic in the world; with studies to support both its safety and efficiency. That #1 probiotic strain spot belongs to Lactobacillus Rhamnosus! If you would like to find out more about this particular probiotic then the following link will take you to our most recent blog post all about “What is Lactobacillus Rhamnosus Good For?” Be sure to look out for this ingredient if you are thinking of taking probiotics as it will be highly beneficial for supporting your health and well-being. 

What happens when you start taking women's probiotics?

In the beginning, when you start taking a new probiotics supplement, you may experience stomach bloating, more flatulence or even diarrhoea; these are just the body's way of ‘accepting’ and getting used to a new increased amount of ‘good’ bacteria entering the body. These minor side effects will only last for a couple of days, but may not even occur at all as they are somewhat uncommon. That being said, if you experience these small stomach upsets, then this is okay as long as these symptoms only last a couple of days. If they persist then you may want to get some further advice from your GP as there may be an underlying reason (unknown to you) as to why you might be experiencing these symptoms. 

When your side effects (if you experienced any) have eased off, your body will begin to pump the probiotic bacteria through your digestive system to all the places where any ‘unfriendly’ bacteria need neutralising. This could be for bacteria in the mouth and gut as well as the vagina. 

How long should a woman take probiotics?

Probiotics are natural and not a medicine, and are therefore typically considered safe to take daily. They can take a couple of weeks before you notice or feel any difference from regularly taking probiotics and should therefore be taken continuously for at least a couple weeks to 3-6 months. It typically takes around 2-3 weeks for probiotic bacteria to accomplish their three main objectives: 

• Increase good bacteria count
• Decrease bad bacteria count 
• Reduce inflammation

Probiotics can be taken well after this time frame as there is no evidence to suggest that taking probiotics long-term is unsafe and is also advised if a woman would like to keep on top of her vaginal flora; keeping it balanced to avoid bacterial infections from arising. A healthy vaginal microbiome can also balance pH levels as well as hormones. 

Which probiotic makes your vagina smell better?

Probiotics are considered to be a natural odour eliminator as they work to rebalance pH levels and vaginal bacteria that could be contributing to an unpleasant or strong odour. If you are concerned about your intimate odour then a probiotic with a blend of Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Rhamnosus and Lactobacillus Reuteri strains can help maintain a healthy vaginal balance. If your intimate bacteria is neutralised then the chances of a strong odour are less likely to occur; however, your vaginal odour is nothing to be ashamed of it might just mean your bacteria or pH is slightly unbalanced. A strong vagina smell is not always a sign of an oncoming bacterial infection or anything serious, but if you are worried then you want to want to speak to your GP or a pharmacist who may advise you to take antibiotics if your symptoms do sound (to them) like a bacterial infection. 

If you do have any more questions regarding your intimate health and are still wondering if probiotics are right for you then we have an entire Health Insiders Blog catalogue that may have some more answers to pressing questions. Feel free to connect with us via our social media links, where you can always drop our experts a DM over on Instagram if your question is specific to you and your needs.