259 – Probiotics for Vaginal and Urinary Health – My Interview with Anthony Thomas

Clinically tested probiotic promotes healthy vaginal microflora.

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Anthony ThomasWe all know the big news about probiotics and the benefits to the digestive system. What is not as well known is that the probiotic microflora are also important specifically for women’s vaginal and urinary tract health. The bacteria that are the best for vaginal health are not necessarily the same as the intestinal flora. If you learn one thing from HealthQuestPodcast.com, it is that “not all products are equal.” This is never truer than with probiotics. You should always confirm that your probiotics have been shown to be effective. Good companies follow the science. Good companies use clinically tested raw materials. Good companies want you to know what they do to deliver high quality, safe and effective nutritional products.

That is why I wanted to do this interview with Anthony Thomas from Jarrow Formulas. The topic is female vaginal flora. One of the challenges for women is getting credible, accurate and reliable health advice. It’s difficult to know who to trust when it comes to nutritional advice. There are many probiotic formulas available that are labeled for vaginal and urinary support. The simple question is for any probiotic formula is: “How do you know it works?” The profound answer is that many probiotics labeled for women don’t have any clinical evidence as to their effectiveness. So what’s a woman to do? Follow the science. Most of the following information is from Jarrow Formulas.

 Disruption of the vaginal microbiota can result in low lactobacilli and an increase in vaginal pH, with yeast/anaerobic bacteria overgrowth as potential outcomes. Common factors that influence vaginal microbiota are varied:

  • Antibiotics
  • Hygiene
  • Fatigue
  • Sexual Activity
  • Pregnancy
  • Hormonal Imbalance
  • Age

In this interview, Anthony will discuss what are the challenges faced by women and he will discuss the science of probiotics for women’s vaginal health. We will also discuss which probiotics actually have clinical science. It may surprise you that the bacteria in a healthy vagina is different from digestive bacteria. Anthony will discuss the specific strains that are used in Jarro-Dophilus Women’s Probiotic.

Jarro-Dophilus Women contains four clinically documented probiotic lactobacilli vaginal strains, including hydrogen peroxide (H202 lowers pH) producers isolated from healthy women that promote optimal vaginal microflora. Clinically tested for efficacy in helping to maintain protective, native vaginal flora.*

  • Lactobacillus crispatus  LbV 88
  • Lactobacillus jensenii  LbV 116
  • Lactobacillus gasseri  LbV 150N
  • Lactobacillus rhamnosus LbV 96

These lactobacilli are the prevalent and dominant species of healthy vaginal microbiota. These four strains were selected from 166 strains isolated from healthy pregnant women. Let that sink in. These are the predominant forms, the ones most common in healthy women. When you are looking for the right probiotic, it makes sense to seek the most effective clinical strains. This is why you must look more closely at the products you buy and the companies that make them. Do they know and do they care? What if a company chooses strains that are low on the list of beneficial bacterial strains or not even on the list at all?

In the case of Jarro-Dophilus, not only have the individual strains been tested, but also the finished product has been shown to safe and effective. So you know that the product you put in your mouth is the same as was used in the study and you should expect similar results. Here is a link for more information about the study.

These lactobacilli produce H202, which is important for maintaining healthy vaginal flora. This lowers the pH which discourages unwanted overgrowth such as Candida albicans. This formula is also designed to tolerate stomach acid and bile salts ensuring survival in the gastrointestinal tract. 

The probiotic industry has exploded and now we have hundreds of companies putting products into the marketplace that have no real science or benefit. This is a big bandwagon and everyone now has a probiotic. If you are serious about the products you buy, then learn to dig deeper. Ask questions, seek evidence, and figure out what companies and which products you can trust. It’s only hard in the beginning, and as you learn more you will gain confidence. You will make better choices and better choices lead to better outcomes. 

This is why HealthQuestPodcast.com exists. To give you access to some of the best minds, companies, and products in the natural products industry. After you listen to this interview with Anthony Thomas you will understand much more about the need for and benefits of effective clinical vaginal probiotics. You need not wonder if this product is effective and worth your time and money. Now you will know. Strains matter. When evaluating a probiotic formulation to support vaginal and reproductive tract health seek out the data. This is what you will discover:

BOTTOM LINE: Jarro-Dophilus Women is the only commercially available and clinically tested probiotic formula to contain the most common and predominant lactobacilli species found in healthy vaginas. That is a huge distinction and that is why you should know about this probiotic.

About Anthony Thomas
Anthony Thomas, Ph.D. earned his B.A. in Nutrition, Food Science, and Dietetics from California State University Northridge, his doctorate in Nutritional Biology from the University of California at Davis, and conducted postdoctoral research at the University of California at Los Angeles Larry Hillblom Islet Research Center.  His primary research interests (via both pre-clinical and clinical studies) have focused on the influence of dietary and lifestyle factors (i.e., physical activity, circadian disruption) on the pathogenesis of chronic cardiovascular/metabolic diseases including obesity, insulin resistance syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.  He has authored/co-authored multiple peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts and has served as a referee with relevant expertise in the fields of nutrition, obesity, and diabetes for multiple scientific journals.

Jarrow Formulas

 

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