In this article, we will examine what probiotics are and why they are important when it comes to women’s health. Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that help our bodies recognize and defeat the harmful bacteria we come in contact with throughout our lives, including what we put in our mouths. The human gut has naturally occurring bacteria that work to defend and nourish our digestive tract. Throughout our lives, we consume foods and part take in lifestyle habits that can affect our beneficial bacteria, which further affects our health.
The following list is examples of what can harm our beneficial bacteria in our gut:
- NSAIDs medications (aspirin/ibuprofen)
- Hormonal birth control
- Antibiotics
- Stress
- Artificial sugars
- Processed foods
- Hydrogenated oils
- Alcohol
- Lack of sleep.
Hormonal birth control pills work similarly to antibiotics in the body, reducing the beneficial bacteria in the gut. Probiotics also play a large role in supporting women’s overall health, which we will discuss next.
When dealing with Pre Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) and other period problems it is so important to address our gut health first. Having a dysfunctional gut means having an overgrowth of bad bacteria and contributes in a large way to hormonal health. Women experiencing PMS, heavy periods, clots, weight gain, and other symptoms due to menstruation, may have an estrobolome imbalance. The estrobolome is a group of bacteria responsible for regulating estrogen in the body and it lives in the gut.
An estrobolome imbalance can impact how well if at all, Estrogen is eliminated from the body. If not eliminated, estrogen is reabsorbed into the body leading to estrogen dominance causing painful symptoms as mentioned above. It is clear to see why it is so important to support gut health and you may be wondering how to best support the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
Taking care of gut health can include: reducing inflammation, encouraging proper detoxification, eating prebiotic and probiotic-rich foods, managing stress levels, addressing food sensitivities, supporting digestive health, and getting quality sleep every night. Let’s dig into each of these topics a little more.
- To reduce inflammation you could eliminate vegetable oils and fast foods from your diet, and instead use olive oil or avocado oil, and cook the majority of your meals. For proper detoxification of the body, one should have daily bowel movements. If you are not having 1-3 bowel movements a day you may increase your water intake and try including psyllium husks in warm water first thing in the morning. Psyllium husks can be beneficial for both constipation and diarrhea.
- Consume both prebiotic and probiotic-rich foods to help replenish and feed the good bacteria in the gut; include at least one prebiotic and one probiotic food each day. Here is a list of prebiotic foods: onions, chicory, garlic, leeks, bananas, soybeans, peas, legumes, eggplant, asparagus, and whole wheat. Here is a list of probiotic foods: yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, kombucha, and pickles.
- Managing stress is important for overall health as well as our gut health. A daily meditation practice can help unwind from the day and reduce stress, and there are many other self-care practices or rituals that can help too.
- Recognizing food sensitivities and supporting digestive health is also important to address; if you notice symptoms after a meal or eating specific foods, start a food journal to write down what you ate throughout the day, how you feel physically and emotionally. Keeping a food journal is informative when trying to determine food sensitivities as symptoms usually show up through patterns.
- A quality night’s sleep, ideally for 8 or more hours a night, is crucial for maintaining overall health so the body functions smoothly. Implementing these six steps is a great start for supporting gut health.
Taking probiotic supplements is another way of helping maintain good gut health. Probiotic supplements that are beneficial for women are HMF Women’s Daily and HMF Vaginal Health. HMF Women’s Daily is designed to support the needs of women. This probiotic supplement contains strains to help restore and maintain healthy vaginal flora. HMF Vaginal Health is designed to maintain healthy vaginal microflora and restore healthy microflora after antibiotics treatments. HMF stands for Human Microflora and is human-sourced proprietary strains that adhere to the gut lining better and colonize the intestinal environment efficiently.
Benefits of taking probiotics can include a decrease in allergies such as skin and food allergy, improvements in heart health, cholesterol metabolism, metabolic health, weight management, glucose metabolism, mental and neurological health, mood balance, nervousness, liver health, vaginal health, infantile colic, bowel function constipation ( constipation, diarrhea, motility, IBS), eradication of H. Pylori, and athletic performance.
As you can see gut health and probiotics are important for overall health as well as hormonal health and the menstrual cycle.
Please note this is general information about probiotics for women’s health. Before starting any new supplements including probiotics please speak to your Nutritional Health Practitioner, Naturopath, or Medical Doctor. If you would like diet and lifestyle suggestions and protocols made specifically for you, or if you have any questions, contact the Hubliss team of practitioners. We would love to support you on your health journey.
