6 nutrients you should consume for vaginal health
Our diet affects almost everything in our body. Your diet is important at every stage, from your mood during your period to vaginal health.
Here are 6 nutrients you can consume to increase vaginal health.
1. Probiotic and prebiotic
The vagina, like the intestines, requires healthy bacteria to fight infections and maintain a normal pH. Fortunately, any food that helps support gut health can also help promote healthy vaginal bacterial balance. Probiotics can also help women with vaginitis who have chronic vaginal conditions that can cause pain during sexual intercourse.
To improve both your gut and vaginal health, you can consume prebiotic foods like garlic, onions and raw leeks, and probiotic foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir and kombucha.
One thing to remember: Prebiotic and probiotic supplements aren’t as good as true prebiotic and probiotic-containing foods.
2. Healthy oils
Healthy oils, such as those found in nuts, olive oil, and avocados, are often touted as super foods, as they help regulate cholesterol. But these oils also help keep estrogen levels in balance and create a healthy mucosal lining that can help prevent infections. Oilseeds such as almonds, hazelnuts are especially good because they contain B vitamins and calcium that prevent vaginitis.
3. Avoid processed foods
While prebiotic and probiotic foods provide beneficial bacteria to the intestine and vagina, processed foods can suppress the immune system and allow the removal of harmful bacteria. This can lead to all sorts of problems, such as bacterial vaginosis, yeast infections, dryness, pain during intercourse, and urinary tract infections.
4. Reduce sugar
Too much sugar is also not good for vaginal health. In particular, it can damage or kill important vaginal bacteria called ‘lactobacilli’. Basically, sugar is the opposite of probiotics. Bacterial imbalance can cause three things you don’t really want to deal with, fungal infections, pain, and irritation.
5. Avoid meat and dairy products containing artificial hormones
Some meats and dairy products contain xeno-estrogens, artificial hormones that mimic estrogen. These can block estrogen from the vagina, prevent the formation of the mucous membrane, which can leave you vulnerable to infections.
6. Enough water
Adequate water consumption is very important for vaginal health. Adequate water intake can also help prevent the emergence of any unusual vaginal odor.
For information about how much water to drink per day, you can read my article “How many liters of water to drink per day” by clicking here.
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