An Extensive Guide on Probiotics for Women: UTI, Weight Loss & IBD
The microbiome contains multiple microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, protists, and archaea. However, bacteria make up the most significant portion, and there are “good” and “bad” bacteria. Most bacteria in the body are found in the gut, and we acquire this bacteria at birth and maintain it with diet throughout life and with prebiotics.
Table of Contents
What Are Probiotics?
Probiotics are healthy bacteria living organisms in the gut, skin, and other body areas. Probiotics boost your natural immunity, lower intestinal ph, and vitamin synthesis, affect gut permeability, and produce short-chain fatty acids.
Probiotics occur naturally in our bodies from Saccharomyces Boulardii yeast or lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium species.
Probiotics are from Saccharomyces Boulardii, a probiotic that fights h.pylori and stomach bugs and rebuilds the intestinal lining.
Our bodies contain over 100 trillion microbial cells that help break down food and establish homeostasis in the body.
Benefits of Probiotics
Probiotics are typically known for helping improve digestion; supplementing with probiotics can help with:
- Infection
- Diarrhea
- Cancer prevention
- Brain Health
- Weight Loss
- Diabetes
- Chron’s Disease
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
- Leaky Gut
- Inflammation
- Anti-carcinogenic activity
- Decrease LDL Cholesterol
- Improves lactose intolerance
- Allergies
If you do not want to read this whole blog post and you want to get started with an excellent everyday probiotic for women, here it is. Probulin Women’s Health Probiotic, this is a 2-month supply!
How to Take Probiotics
Probiotics can be taken any time of the day. However, they must be taken at least 2 hours before or after an antibiotic. Antibiotics deplete excellent and harmful bacteria. There are natural antibiotics such as colloidal silver.
Different probiotic strains are associated with different benefits.
A few strains that are beneficial for antibiotic-associated diarrhea include:
- L. acidophilus
- B. animalis subsp. lactis L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus S. thermophilus
- L. rhamnous GG (LGG)
Strains for IBD:
- L. acidophilus La-5
- B. animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12
- B. longum With fructooligosaccharide/inulin mixture for synbiotics
Strains for Chron’s disease:
- L. rhamnosus NCIMB 30174
- L. plantarum NCIMB 30173
- L. acidophilus NCIMB 30175
- E. faecium NCIMB 30176
- VSL #3 (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium S. thermophilus)
Strains for Colorectal Cancer:
- L. paracasei
- Leu. mesenteroides
- L. plantarum
- P. pentosaceus with a prebiotic mixture (beta-glucan, inulin, pectin, and resistant starch) for synbiotics
- B. longum
- L. acidophilus
- E. faecalis
These strains may be confusing with the numbers and names, but I felt the research was essential to share.
Make sure you take your probiotics daily, and taking them at night before bed is beneficial so your body can rest and digest and absorb all healthy bacteria overnight.
The Best Probiotics For Women
This list of probiotics for women is categorized by the different benefits of the combination of probiotic strains and digestive and immune support.
UTI Support
UTIs (urinary tract infections) are bacterial infections that are the second most common type of bacterial infection worldwide. A UTI can lead to kidney dysfunction and abscess formation, not to mention intense pain. The risk of developing a UTI is only 12% in men and as high as 50% in women.
UTIs are typically caused by the bacteria Escherichia coli (UPEC) or Klebsiellapneumoniae or Gram-positive bacteria of Enterococcus and Staphylococcus genera.
Probiotics are a less disruptive alternative to antibiotic use to fight off bacterial infections.
Cranberries contain flavonoids that, combined with phenolic acids, can act as antiadhesive agents in preventing the adherence of pathogens to uroepithelial cell receptors.
Probiotics such as Lactobacillus combined with cranberry polyphenols can fight UTIs naturally without significant side effects.
This probiotic combines cranberry and potent probiotic strains to fight UTIs for daily use.
- DOCTOR FORMULATED PROBIOTICS FOR UT, DIGESTIVE AND IMMUNE HEALTH: This urinary tract supplement delivers 50 Billion CFU, 16 Probiotic Strains, 500mg Organic cranberry, 439mg of Organic Prebiotic Fiber and 1,000 IU of Vitamin D3—in just 2 capsules a day
When you are suffering from a UTI, this supplement takes over a few days to quickly eliminate it. U.T Vibrance is best taken for flare-ups or can be taken every few months to reduce the risk of getting a UTI. U.T Vibrance can be taken with the Garden of Life Urinary Tract probiotic supplement for extra protection.
Weight Loss
This is shared with caution; taking a probiotic supplement without making any diet or lifestyle changes is unrealistic regarding weight loss or any form of the condition.
However, some strain combinations can help weight loss by reducing inflammation and minimizing sugar cravings. In addition, using fibers such as inulin or galactomannan prebiotics to feed probiotics helped with weight reduction and anti-inflammatory activity.
- This probiotic includes clinically researched herbal extracts including African Mango Seed Extract to support weight management and Ashwagandha to support healthy energy.
- Probulin's scientifically formulated MAKTrek 3-D Probiotic Delivery System protects, feeds, and hydrates to ensure better delivery of beneficial bacteria to the gut
- 10 probiotic strains and 20 billion CFU per capsule including Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria are important for digestive health and balance.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis)
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) includes two different diagnoses Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). IBD became a thing in the 1970s and affects people worldwide, including as many as three million Americans.
Crohn’s disease affects the digestive tract, including the oral cavity and the anus. Whereas ulcerative colitis is limited to the colon area, where inflammation spreads within the mucosa’s inner part.
Common symptoms of IBD are diarrhea, bleeding, abdominal cramps or pain, fever, weakness and malnutrition.
Essential aspects of addressing IBD include:
- Restoring Microbiome
- Reducing Gut Permeability
- Minimizing Environmental Factors
- Supporting Overall Immunity
Increased risk of IBD comes from:
- Low consumption of fruits, vegetables, and fatty fish
- Diet rich in soft drinks & sugar
- NSAIDS
- Contraceptive Pills
- Frequent consumption of trans-unsaturated fats
A leaky gut contributes to IBD because the intestinal wall is damaged, allowing pathogens and bacteria to enter the gut and limiting the absorption of vital nutrients.
Saccharomyces boulardii helped with bowel sealing and maintaining remission in IBD patients.
Furthermore, probiotic strains can fight inflammation to help reduce IBD symptoms.
- Diet, stress & certain medications may cause an imbalance of gut bacteria. Probulin Colon Support offers support with occasional gas & bloating.
- DOCTOR FORMULATED. Created by a board-certified naturopathic doctor specializing in research and development. 20 billion CFU per vegan capsule. 12 scientifically-studied probiotic strains to target colon health.
- It survives the stomach acid because of the protective layer in the capsule.
Mental Health & Mood Support
Mood disorders include major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, seasonal affective disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder, just to name a few.
Disorders such as anxiety and depression have been shown to cause low levels of serotonin. 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut; this is why improving your gut health is also critical for mental health.
Probiotic supplementation alone has shown a reduction in depression.
Another way that probiotic support mental health and mood are by affecting the gut-brain axis. The vagus nerve is a part of this axis, and it helps communicate with the brain and the digestive system that it is time to relax and digest.
In addition, there are psychobiotic bacteria that affect mental health when taken in high enough amounts.
Psychobiotics have the benefits of altering neurotransmitter levels and other brain-supporting nutrients such as GABA and 5-HT (serotonin). Decreased levels of GABA contribute to anxiety and depression. Certain probiotic strains also produce serotonin which comes from the amino acid tryptophan.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunction is also known as Adrenal Fatigue. The HPA axis stimulates the stress response, including the production of the stress hormone cortisol.
Stress hormones can cause intestinal permeability via corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which creates adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).
Probiotic supplementation can combat the effects of stress hormone response and intestinal permeability.
This probiotic helps with stress/mood support because it contains Alaskan blueberries that are higher in antioxidants due to the amount of stress they are put under in cold weather. In addition, they contain ashwagandha, which lowers cortisol levels, and it contains 50 billion probiotics to support gut health.
- DOCTOR FORMULATED PROBIOTICS FOR EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND RELAXATION: Mood Probiotic provides 50 Billion CFU and 16 Probiotic Strains including Clinically Studied probiotics, plus 350 mg of Organic Ashwagandha and Alaskan Blueberry for stress management
High Dose Probiotics
If you have tried one of the above formulas consistently for months and want to jump-start the number of healthy bacteria in your body, then a more potent formula may be for you.
You can do a 5-day supplementation with Garden of Life’s 400 Billion probiotic supplements.
Then go down to either
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In Conclusion
Probiotics are beneficial for many reasons, and there are some probiotics for women are tailored to specific health conditions. Getting the correct formula and dosage could increase the therapeutic benefits of supplementation.
Originally posted 2022-08-11 20:50:04.
Megan Santiago
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