Advertorial promotion
As experts in gut health, women often ask us if we can help with their perimenopause and menopause-related symptoms – so we thought we’d write an article answering your questions about the gut and vaginal microbiomes and highlighting some of the ways that bacterial balance and ProVen Biotics For Women can support your body during menopause.
What is the gut microbiome?
Our gut bacteria (microbiome) are a key part of our digestive system and live within our intestines from the moment we are born until we die. They help to break down nutrients and assist with digestion, supporting energy production and producing key vitamins and other substances that support our body’s optimum function.
How do our gut bacteria affect our hormones?
If our gut is not working well, it will affect our digestion and absorption of nutrients from our food, impacting many of our body’s functions, including hormone balance. Our gut bacteria ‘talk’ directly to our body’s hormone system, helping to balance levels of oestrogen and progesterone. And certain bacteria strains have specific roles, producing necessary vitamins and enzymes, and influencing the levels of oestrogen circulating in the body.
ProVen Biotics have developed a product specifically for women, which contains 17.5 billion female-friendly bacteria (probiotics) per capsule.
What about the vaginal microbiome?
Our ‘vaginal microbiome’ is the billions of bacteria that live naturally in and are central to the health of the female reproductive tract. Imbalance in the vaginal microbiome may make us prone to problems in this area, such as UTIs, bacterial vaginosis (BV) and menopause-related symptoms, and bacteria pass easily between the gut microbiome and the vagina.
What about menopause specifically?
Our microbiome impacts a wide variety of menopausal symptoms (including energy production, brain health, weight, hormonal balance and vaginal symptoms) and maintaining balanced gut and vaginal microbiomes may help menopausal symptoms in the following ways:
- Reducing digestive issues caused by aging, which directly impacts gut health, and can affect appetite, energy, sleep and gut function.
- Supporting diversity in our microbiome can help balance changing hormone levels, as certain bacteria interact directly with different hormones.
- Specific gut bacteria strains help to break down toxins, including excess hormones, so they can be easily detoxified and excreted from the body.
- Maintaining levels of Lactobacillus bacteria in the vaginal tract may reduce susceptibility to UTIs and fungal infections, hot flashes, vaginal atrophy and menopausal symptoms, such as itching, burning and dryness.
- Healthy, balanced gut bacteria contribute around 5% of total body energy, influencing weight and energy balance.
- Supporting hormone balance may offset the effect of lowered oestrogen on increasing stress hormone levels, which impact digestion and weight.
- Gut bacteria also help with mood balance, producing chemicals that support brain function.
Where do probiotics fit in?
Probiotics act as substitutes for the bacteria that live naturally in our gut and vaginal microbiomes. They are found in certain foods (live yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut) and in supplements, and including them in our daily routine can help to maintain bacterial balance in our microbiome.
The capsules also contain cranberry extract and vitamin B6 to further support female health and hormonal balance.
What about ProVen Biotics For Women?
ProVen Biotics have developed a product specifically for women, which contains 17.5 billion female-friendly bacteria (probiotics) per capsule to support microbiome balance, with added cranberry extract and vitamin B6 to further support female health and hormonal balance.
