Build up vaginal flora: This is how it works naturally

Building up a healthy vaginal flora is important to prevent infections and wounds in the intimate area. Here you can find out what distinguishes a healthy vaginal flora and how you can promote it yourself.

The vaginal flora describes all the bacteria that are found on the mucous membrane of the vagina. However, these bacteria are not pathogens in a healthy flora. On the contrary: These are beneficial lactic acid bacteria that keep fungi, viruses and pathogenic bacteria away from your vagina and thus protect it from diseases.

However, it is not uncommon for the vaginal flora to become imbalanced at times. Then germs have an easy time. This can lead to a fungal infection or bacterial vaginosis, for example. Both diseases manifest themselves in itching, redness and possibly also pain. To avoid this, you can follow a few tips in everyday life to build up a healthy vaginal flora.

A word about vagina, vulva and vagina

The vagina is the tubular organ located inside the body. The term vulva is often used interchangeably, but in contrast to this only refers to the parts of the genital organ that are visible from the outside (including the vulva lips and the mons pubis).

The well-known term “vagina” is not only imprecise, but also has a sexist and patriarchal origin, as the feminist magazine PinkStinks reports. So the word alludes to the scabbard of the sword. According to this ideology, the vagina and vulva are nothing more than a hole into which the penis should be inserted as a “sword”.

That’s why you won’t find the more common term “vaginal flora” in the following, but the medically more precise term “vaginal flora”.

By the way: The vagina is often only associated with women. However, women and people with a vagina and vulva are not an identical group. After all, roughly some trans women, but also some cis women, don’t have vaginas, just as people who aren’t women can have vaginas.

The following article is therefore aimed at all people with a vagina who want to build up a healthy vaginal flora.

Build up vaginal flora: Why it gets out of balance

According to the University Hospital Zurich, the optimal pH value for a healthy vaginal flora is around 4.5. An acidic environment prevails in the vagina. If this is imbalanced, different symptoms can occur. You can recognize an unhealthy vaginal flora by a sore feeling, itching, burning, swollen vulval lips or pain during sex, among other things.

Factors that can unbalance vaginal pH include:

• antibiotics
• Intensive intimate hygiene (with shower gel, creams, etc.)
• a lack of estrogen
• Condoms with spermicides
• STDs (such as chlamydia or gonococci)

So if you notice one of the symptoms listed above, you should first visit a gynecologist and have yourself examined. In the best case scenario, you will find out the exact cause and can get advice on any medication or other treatment options.

A vaginal flora that is not in balance often leads to a fungal infection or bacterial vaginosis. There are special medications for both diseases, but you won’t get far with home remedies. However, in order to rebuild the vaginal flora after the therapy and prevent relapses, there are some tips that you can implement in everyday life.

Build up vaginal flora: the don’ts

In order to build a healthy vaginal flora, you should break some habits that damage your intimate area and your hormonal balance. This helps:

• No exaggerated intimate hygiene: According to the University Hospital Zurich, conventional shower gels and creams damage the vaginal flora because they are too alkaline. Instead, it is healthier to wash the intimate area with warm water once a day. You should also avoid vaginal douches. Because these flush out the lactic acid bacteria and can thus cause the milieu in the vagina to tilt.
• No smoking: The gynecologist Dr. Denise Tiringer of the Medical University of Vienna also sees smoking as a risk factor for vaginal infection. Smoking can reduce the effect of the hormone estrogen and thus unbalance the vaginal flora.
• No unprotected sex: Condoms protect you from sexually transmitted diseases, which also damage your vaginal flora. They also help prevent bacterial vaginosis. According to the AOK, this disease is not caused by contagious pathogens, but by an imbalance in the lactic acid bacteria. Studies from 2007 and 2013 show that condoms also protect against it. The study from 2013 shows that the vaginal flora of people who used condoms was significantly richer in lactic acid bacteria after sex than was the case with people who had sex without a condom.

Build up vaginal flora: the do’s

Your diet, your clothing and your mental well-being also play an important role in building a healthy vaginal flora:

• Healthy Diet: According to a 2020 meta-analysis, a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals is associated with a healthy vagina. Because these nutrients promote the formation of healthy lactic acid bacteria. The scientists consider vitamins A, C, D and E, as well as beta-carotene and the minerals zinc and calcium to be particularly important nutrients. On the other hand, a nutrient-poor diet that is high in sugar and unhealthy fats can prevent the development of a healthy flora and possibly promote the development of bacterial vaginosis.
• Cotton underwear: The University Hospital Zurich recommends wearing cotton underwear whenever possible. This is significantly more breathable than panties made of synthetic fabrics. In synthetic underwear, on the other hand, you sweat more in the intimate area. The moisture then accumulates and can throw the flora out of balance. Cotton panties also have the advantage that you can wash them at 60 degrees. This is especially important if you’ve just had an infection and want to get rid of the germs.

• More relaxation: A 2018 scientific article from the University of Sheffield takes a closer look at the link between stress and the health of the vaginal flora. According to the researchers, stress causes the number of lactic acid bacteria to decrease. So the flora gets out of balance. Vaginal infections can now occur more frequently and severely. Another 2021 study demonstrates the link between psychosocial stress and the balance of vaginal flora. The researchers suspect that stress could increase the risk of bacterial vaginosis. However, this needs to be further investigated. In order to build up your vaginal flora, it is also helpful to counteract stress in everyday life. For example, you can integrate yoga, meditation, breathing exercises and other relaxation techniques into your daily routine.

Healthy vaginal flora with probiotics

Probiotic foods contain a variety of live lactic acid bacteria. According to gynecologist Dr. Sybille Görlitz-Novakovic you can build up a healthy vaginal flora by regularly including it in your diet. This is because they promote the production of lactic acid in the vagina. Examples of probiotic foods include raw sauerkraut, kefir, yogurt, and other fermented foods. According to the University Hospital Zurich, a probiotic diet is particularly important to strengthen the flora after an infection.

You can also find probiotics, which contain specially useful strains of bacteria for the vagina, as dietary supplements in powder and capsule form. The effectiveness of oral probiotics on the vaginal flora has been confirmed in various studies. They may also help treat some forms of vaginal infection. It is best to discuss individually with your gynaecologist whether it makes sense to take additional probiotics in your case.

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