What Makes a Women's Gut Microbiome So Unique
Your gut microbiome is completely unique to you. It’s shaped by your diet, environment, age, medication - and even your gender!
While research is still ongoing, there is increasing evidence that sex hormones like estrogen and androgens can influence the gut microbiome. What’s more, common health problems like urinary tract infections and vaginal infections can also be influenced by the health of your microbiome.
Ladies - here’s what you need to know.
3 key facts about the women’s microbiome
1. Vaginas have their own microbiome.
Your vagina is an ecosystem in itself, home to more than 200 different bacterial species that are shaped by your genes, environment, ethnicity and more. These bacteria help to keep your vagina healthy and functioning normally - they’re our friends!
Your vaginal microbiome can also be shaped by lifestyle factors like your diet, use of probiotics, and use of lubricants. Problems like stress and disease can negatively impact your vaginal microbiome. For example, stress in pregnant women has a negative impact on vaginal immune activity and changes the composition of the vaginal microbiome, including reducing the number of Lactobacillus present.
2. UTIs can be caused by microbiome imbalances.
Your urinary tract also has its own microbiome. Research has found more than 100 species of microbes in the human urinary tract, including bacteria, fungi and viruses.
The urinary tract is the most common place for bacterial infection in adults. UTIs can be caused by a variety of different bacteria and fungi - and unfortunately antibiotic resistance is common. UTIs disproportionately affect women, with as many as 50% of women suffering from a UTI in their lifetime. UTIs are common among sexually active young people but the risk of UTIs actually increases with age, with postmenopausal and elderly women most at risk.
This means solutions to target UTIs in women - like specially formulated probiotics - are really important to protect the urinary tract microbiome and keep infections at bay.
3. Your diet matters
Your diet has a big impact on your microbiome - from your gut to your vagina and beyond! For example, research found that diet has a key role to play in the composition of the vaginal microbiome. Lower intake of some essential nutrients, including vitamins A, C and E, could contribute to increased risk of bacterial vaginosis and Candida colonization (aka yeast infections). Animal studies have also suggested a gender-specific relationship between diet and microbiota, where the same foods lead to increases of different bacteria in men and women.
How to look after your unique microbiome
To keep your health as a woman in tip top condition, it’s important to look after your microbiome. That’s why we created Women’s Daily Probiotic!Gen Our research-led formula is made for women by women, designed to work in harmony with your body, no matter your lifestyle, diet or age. With 15 diverse bacterial strains, our 50 billion CFU probiotic has been created to support stress, gut, skin, vaginal and immune health, all at once and every day, including:
- L. acidophilus for anti-microbial support against uropathogens
- L. fermentum for decreasing vaginal pH
- L. gasseri for vaginal microbiome support
- Lactococcus lactis for healthy skin support
The formula is built to strengthen your gut flora and simultaneously support vaginal and immune system health. Simply take 1 capsule a day and know that your body is being looked after. We’ve got you girl!
