Contents:
- Medical Video: 15 Foods to Boost Your Vaginal Health | Best Food To Improve Your Vaginal Health
- How can probiotics maintain vaginal health?
- What foods are good sources of probotics for the vagina?
- Besides taking probiotics, maintaining vaginal hygiene is also important
Medical Video: 15 Foods to Boost Your Vaginal Health | Best Food To Improve Your Vaginal Health
Our body is a place for living bacteria. There are various types of bacteria that live in certain parts of your body, including in the vagina. In the vagina, there are more than 50 species of unique bacteria, such as those in the digestive tract. Don't panic, these bacteria are good bacteria that can maintain vaginal health. However, if these good bacteria are threatened by bad bacteria, the vagina will be susceptible to infection.
For that, you need to maintain the balance of bacteria in the vagina. One way is to eat foods that contain good bacteria or probiotics.
How can probiotics maintain vaginal health?
Bacteria in the vagina, especially Lactobacillus, can protect the vaginal canal from bad bacteria or microorganisms that cause disease. Good bacteria work by stopping the basic formation of microorganisms that cause disease.
Good bacteria can create an acidic vaginal environment (maintaining a healthy vaginal ph environment) so that it can prevent the growth of bad bacteria. This is done by producing lactic acid in the vagina. Hydrogen peroxide is also produced by bacteria to inhibit the development of bacteria or microorganisms that cause vaginal infections, such as bacterial vaginosis.
The most important, probiotics or good bacteria can also increase the body's immune response. So, it can help fight infections that attack the body as a whole, not only to maintain vaginal health but also for the health of the bladder and digestive tract.
What foods are good sources of probotics for the vagina?
Estrogen levels and changes in vaginal pH that are lower can cause a decrease in the Lactobacillus population in the vagina, allowing bad bacteria to replace it and infect the vagina. So, by adding the number of good bacteria in the body through food, it can maintain the position of good bacteria, especially Lactobacillus, to protect the vagina from infection.
Research, which was launched from Medical Daily, has also proven a link between a diet rich in probiotics with an increase in the immune system and hormonal balance. Some food sources of probiotics that can maintain vaginal health are:
- Yogurt, is milk added with Lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria so that fermentation occurs.
- Kefir, is fermented goat milk with good bacteria.
- Kimchi, is a typical food from Korea which is a fermented vegetable product, especially chicory.
- Sauerkraut, almost the same as Kimchi but originating from mainland Europe, sauerkraut is a fermented cabbage.
- TempeThis authentic Indonesian food is soybeans fermented with yeast or good bacteria.
- Miso, is a traditional Japanese food made from wheat, soybeans, rice, or fermented barley with a mushroom called koji.
- Pickle or pickle, is cucumber fermented by soaking in salt and water solution.
- Kombucha tea, is a green tea or black tea beverage that is fermented with bacteria.
- Other fermented foods.
Besides taking probiotics, maintaining vaginal hygiene is also important
Vaginal hygiene is also important so that you avoid bacterial infections. Although the vagina actually has its own system to cleanse itself, some things you still have to do to keep the environment in the vagina balanced.
Some things you can do to maintain vaginal hygiene are:
- Clean the vagina regularly, just with warm water. Or, you can also use vaginal cleansing products (not soap) that contain povidone-iodine, if needed, especially during "red days" (menstruation).
- Clean the vagina from front to back so that the germs in the anus do not spread to the vaginal area.
- Keep the vaginal area dry. We recommend that you choose cotton underwear that easily absorbs sweat and avoid using tight pants or skirts. Wipe the area around the vagina with a soft towel after bathing or after from the toilet.
- Avoid cleaning the vagina by douching because it can disrupt the balance of natural bacteria in the vagina. Also avoid using paper towels with fragrance, deodorizing soap, or vaginal deodorant.
- Change pads regularly when you menstruate.
- Lubricate the vagina well before intercourse to avoid irritation.
