Probiotics are often thought of as being associated with intestinal digestion, but did you know they can also be beneficial to women’s health?

Probiotics have received increasing attention recently, especially in the field of women's health, due to their ability to prevent candida infections. It turns out that a simple probiotic can have many positive effects on a woman's physical, emotional, and overall health. We’ll dive deeper into the connection between probiotics and women’s health below, looking at two different areas of health that probiotics can improve: hormone balance and vaginal health.

What are probiotics?

Probiotics contain live microorganisms. Most probiotics are microorganisms that are already present in our intestinal microbiota, but we take additional probiotics to improve our health. Urbanites take probiotics for many different reasons, such as alleviating lactose intolerance, improving eczema symptoms, and even improving their overall and mental health. But unexpectedly, probiotics are closely related to women's health.

Benefits: Balance hormones

(Hormone)¹ is an important signal for our body. It is like a car driving on the highway, constantly transmitting messages between organs. These messages tell us how different parts of the body should function now. Estrogen is one of the most important hormones in the body, especially for adolescent women. Estrogen controls physical characteristics related to female reproductive health. It also controls cholesterol levels, protects bone health and regulates mood.

Scientists have discovered a group of bacteria in the intestinal microbiota called the (estrobolome)³ . estrobolome 3. These powerful microorganisms help regulate all of estrogen's functions by controlling the circulation of the active form of estrogen itself. These microorganisms work by first releasing an enzyme called β-glucuronidase. These enzymes are responsible for activating estrogen so that it is free to bind to its receptors.

When the microbiome is in a state of imbalance and imbalance, the levels of circulating estrogen will also be imbalanced. Through estrogen group bacteria, a healthy intestinal microbiota can improve a variety of diseases related to estrogen imbalance, including: obesity, cancer, endometrial hyperplasia, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, fertility, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cognitive function.

Although there are limited clinical studies on the direct impact of probiotics on hormone balance in humans, some research suggests that they contribute significantly to modulating the interaction between the gut microbiome and estrogen. Research has found that a probiotic regimen can restore intestinal microbial diversity in mice with polycystic ovary syndrome. This improves their reproductive function. Another study 5 also confirmed the same results and found that lactic acid bacteria in probiotics were the most effective factor in improving polycystic ovary syndrome and rebalancing estrogen circulation in mice.

What is Vaginal Candidiasis?

Candida vaginitis is one of the most common vaginal infections. According to data, 50% of women will be diagnosed with vaginal candida infection by a doctor at least once in their lifetime. If not diagnosed and treated in time, Candida infection will cause uncomfortable symptoms, such as vulvar itching, pain during sexual intercourse, discomfort during urination, increased and yellowing of secretions, etc.

Some women are more susceptible to Candida infection than others, including those who are pregnant, taking hormonal birth control, have diabetes, have a compromised immune system (eg, HIV infection), and have recently taken antibiotics. While Candida, the type of fungus that causes Candida infections, is a normal resident of many women's bodies, changes in the environment within the vagina can trigger fungal overgrowth and lead to infection. This change in environment may be caused by hormone imbalances, new medications, or changes in the immune system.

One of the biggest problems with candida infections in women is recurrence. Current holistic treatment strategies are not aimed at restoring the vaginal microbiota or preventing future recurrence. However, some studies show that probiotics can achieve the above effects.

How do probiotics work?

The female vaginal microbiota is home to more than 50 species of microorganisms7. Their ecological imbalance can seriously affect women's health. One of them is our familiar friend, Lactobacillus bacteria among probiotics. Medical research shows that lactic acid bacteria can destroy the development of Candida biofilm on vaginal tissue and indirectly inhibit the excessive reproduction of Candida. Clinical studies also found that these bacteria, whether taken orally or injected directly into the vagina, showed an effect in preventing candida infection. Because the risk of adverse effects from using probiotics is minimal, scientists believe probiotics may be a preventive treatment for women with recurring candida infections. However, large-scale studies on this project are limited, leaving much room for research development. 

Gutolution uses advanced sequencing technology to tailor a personalized probiotic formula for your unique intestinal microbiota. You can learn more on the website.

References:

¹ Endocrine Library: https://www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones

² Endocrine Society - Reproductive Hormones: https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/hormones-and-endocrine-function/reproductive-hormones

³ Estrogen-gut microbiome axis: Physiological and clinical implications: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28778332/

⁴ Diversity of the Gut Microbiota in Dihydrotestosterone-Induced PCOS Rats and the Pharmacologic Effects of Diane-35, Probiotics, and Berberine https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30800111/

⁵ Association between Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Gut Microbiota https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4836746/

⁶ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Vaginal Candidiasis https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/candidiasis/genital/index.html

⁷ Warding Off Recurrent Yeast and Bacterial Vaginal Infections: Lactoferrin and Lactobacilli https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7023241/

⁸ Probiotics for prevention of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis: a review https://academic.oup.com/jac/article/58/2/266/721575

⁹ Ask the Scientists about hormones: How they work to maintain your healthhttps://askthescientists.com/zh-hant/hormones/

¹⁰ Sun Genomics - Probiotics and Women's Health https://flore.com/blogs/learn/probiotics-and-womens-health

¹¹ Hong Kong Department of Health Family Health Service Candida Vaginitis:
https://www.fhs.gov.hk/tc_chi/health_info/woman/14808.html

¹² Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Nantou Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare︰
http://www.nant.mohw.gov.tw