Yes, I’m talking yeast infection, thrush, UTI’s!⁣

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The world down under!⁣

Unlike the gut microbiome, which house lots of different types of bacteria with various functions, the vaginal microbiome is a complex little ecosystem made up of more than 200 bacterial species, which is dominated by a type of bacteria called Lactobacillus.⁣

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Lactobacillus supports our ability to fight off infections (oh the dreary UTI), dysbiosis (imbalance of the microbiome, hello thrush and yeast infections), prevent sexually transmitted infections, and helps care for a healthy pregnancy and vaginal delivery.⁣

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It also maintains a low pH of the vagina, which is a good thing, we need the acidity to fight off unwanted bacteria affecting our lil muffin!⁣

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Causes of an unbalanced v microbiome: ⁣

* Antibiotics and contraceptive pills⁣

* Unprotected sex (Not only can your partner can pass on a number of pathogens, but semen in the v can be enough to cause an imbalance as it is naturally alkaline, which disrupts our acid environment)⁣

* Hormones (Estrogen helps to maintain a good amount of lactobacilli down there. Those with imbalanced estrogen levels may experience them more like, women going through menopause will see their estrogen levels drop; therefore dysbiosis is more likely. Estrogen levels can also drop after ovulation during the menstrual cycle, causing some women to experience yeast infections more regularly in the luteal phase)⁣

* Douching (The vagina is a self-cleaning system, put the products DOWN, you can upset the pH balance)⁣

* High stress⁣

* Unbalanced diet and dehydration ⁣

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So, what can we do?⁣

Nutrition is one of the easiest ways to keep your lil lady happy! Incorporating high prebiotic and probiotic foods, wearing breathable underwear, wiping front to back so there is no bacteria coming in from the other hole 😂⁣

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Take care of her, if she is off, you are off!

“The Adolescent Brain: Beyond Raging Hormones.” Harvard Health, 7 Mar. 2011, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/the-adolescent-brain-beyond-raging-hormones. 

“What Is the Endocrine System?” United States Environmental Protection Agency, July 2015, www.epa.gov/endocrine-disruption/what-endocrine-system

Peper, Jiska S., and Ronald E. Dahl. “Surging Hormones: Brain-Behavior Interactions during Puberty.” Current Directions in Psychological Science, vol. 22, no. 2, Apr. 2013, pp. 134–39.

“Hormones.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22464-hormones. Accessed 25 Nov. 2022.