The Best Probiotics for Vaginal Yeast Infection

I have come up with a list of probiotic supplements that you can use on a daily basis to ensure your bacterial flora is balanced and help keep Candida at bay. I was looking for probiotics that are shelf stable (the friendly bacteria that they contain are still alive when you ingest it) and I chose those that have at least two out of four strains proven to be especially effective in women with a vaginal yeast infection.

They’re called Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum. Studies show that Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Lactobacillus reuteri strains are able to colonize the vagina when taken orally.

The best probiotic supplement bound to help you prevent a treat vaginal yeast infection is Garden of Life Raw Probiotic Women. It’s got a high CFU count and a broad spectrum of probiotic strains to fully support your vaginal and digestive health.

There are many probiotic supplements on the market that are totally ineffective either because they don’t have enough friendly bacteria cultures to colonize your body or the probiotics are already dead before you ingest them, making the supplement completely useless. When choosing a probiotic supplement, make sure it meets the following criteria:

• It’s shelf stable (the bacteria are alive at the moment of ingestion). If you want to make sure your probiotic has got live bacteria culture, do a milk test. Pour milk into two cups. Add a spoon of your probiotic powder to one cup and leave both at room temperature overnight. If the probiotic milk is curdled, has got a yogurt film or bubbles, you can be sure that your probiotic supplement is active.

• It contains at least 10 bn CFU (colony forming units)

• It’s got a least 2 out of 4 friendly bacteria strains that are very effective against vaginal yeast infections: Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus reuteri, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus plantarum. 

Have a look at my list of the best probiotics for vaginal yeast infection:

Probiotic	Price	CFU count	Strains	Shelf stable?
Ultimate Flora Women’s Complete by Renew Life	Amazon   30 count	90 bn		B lactis (two different strains), B longum, B infantis, B bifidum, L acidophilus, L casei, L plantarum, L paracasei, L salivarius, L rhamnosus, L gasseri	Yes Requires Refridgeration
Super 8 Hi-Potency by Udo	Check on Amazon 30 count	42 bn		L acidophilus, L rhamnosus, S thermophilus, L plantarum, B bifidum, B longum, L bulgaricus, L salivarius	Yes Requires Refrigeration
Primadophilus Optima Women’s by Nature’s Way	Check on Amazon 30 count	90bn	L rhamnosus, L casei, L acidophilus, L paracasei, L salivarius, L reuteri, B breve, B longum, B bifidum	Yes Requires Refridgeration
RAW Probiotics Women by  Garden of Life	Check on Amazon 90 count	85bn	L. casei, L. plantarum, L. reuteri, L. rhamnosus, B bifidum, B lactis, B longum, L. acidophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. gesseri, L. helveticus, L. kefiranofaciens, L. kefirgranum, L. lactis, L. cremosis, L. kefir, L. parakefir, L. brevis, Lactococcus lactis,biovar diacetylactis, Streptococcus thermophilus, Leuconostoc lactis, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Leuconostoc cremoris, Leuconostoc dextranicum, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Brettanomyces anomalus, Debaryomyces hansenii, Saccharomyces unisporus, Saccharomyces turicensis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces exiguus, Torulaspora delbureckii	Yes Requires Refrigeration
Healthy Origins 30 Billion	Check on Amazon 150 count	30 bn	Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifdobacterium lactis, Lactobacillus casei, Bifdobacillus breve, Lactobacillus salivarius, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifdobacillus longum, Bifdobacillus rhamnosus	Yes Requires Refrigeration

How to Take Probiotics?

According to research, probiotic supplements are most effective when ingested with milk or yogurt, or any other dairy products.

If you haven’t got any of those on hand, make sure you always eat something before taking your probiotic capsule, to lower the pH in your stomach and enable more friendly bacteria to get to your gut and colonize it.

If you’re currently taking medication or you’re pregnant, make sure you consult your doctor before taking any probiotic supplements.

Can Probiotic Supplements Give Side Effects?

The most common side effect of probiotic supplements is digestive issues. It doesn’t happen often, but if you notice bloating or diarrhea a few days after you start taking a supplement, you may want to consider switching to a different product with a lower CFU count or different probiotic strains and most probably you won’t experience any unpleasant symptoms again.

Some studies show extremely rare cases of probiotics causing sepsis, a potentially deadly invasive infection in people with compromised immunity. Those who should use probiotics with caution under medical supervision are:

• children with the short gut syndrome

• patients with central venous catheters

• immunocompromised people

• Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis  sufferers

• people who have suffered an internal injury or are recovering from an operation of the gastrointestinal tract

So, although the risk of getting an invasive infection after taking probiotic supplements is very low, it’s necessary to take precautions if you think you may be vulnerable to sepsis.

Conclusion

Taking probiotic supplements is an excellent way to boost your immune system and maintain a healthy bacterial balance in your body. They will not only help you prevent and treat a vaginal yeast infection, but also UTI and bacterial vaginosis. Make sure you take them on a daily basis for best results.

Have you tried any of these probiotic supplements? Are you using any other probiotic supplements to prevent or treat vaginal yeast infections? Please share your experiences and questions in the comment section below.