You would know that the food you consume plays a big role in maintaining your health. But, few people know that food choices can affect their vaginal health as well. The foods you eat daily can help you maintain the pH levels in your vagina. They can also help you to prevent or fight infections in the area.
If you follow the right diet, you can also deal better with conditions like genital herpes in women. This virus affects about 1 out of every 5 women around the world. Many women don’t realize that their food choices affect how they deal with the virus. Over-the-counter genital herpes treatments can provide you with symptom relief.
They can also help you manage your genital herpes better in the long run. You can pair this medication with a healthy diet to control STDs. But, not everyone is aware of the right foods they should be eating for optimal vaginal health. So, here we’ll discuss the effects of your food practices on the same.
It Helps With pH Levels
The main reason to clean up your diet is it helps maintain the pH levels in your vagina. Sure, good personal hygiene is sure to help you with this as well. But maintaining your pH levels is the key to keeping infections at bay. You should remember that your vagina thrives in a mildly acidic environment.
The ideal pH level for it would be between 3.8 and 5.0. This level would allow healthy bacteria to flourish in your vagina. It would also help prevent harmful microbes from growing there. So, it’s important that you do your best to maintain your vaginal pH levels.
The right thing to eat to achieve the same would be probiotics. Lactobacillus is the most common kind of probiotic that you can consume for your vagina. There are many advantages to eating this ‘good’ bacteria for the same:
- It prevents microbes from getting attached to your vaginal tissues
- It helps in regulating the microflora in your vagina
- It helps you maintain the optimal pH levels in your vagina
You could consume probiotic supplements for their useful effects on vaginal health. But you should know that getting your probiotics from fermented food and drinks is always better. You can consume pickles, kimchi, or yogurt often to gain the benefits of probiotics.
Consuming probiotics often can also play a big role in fortifying your immune system. This, in turn, will help you fight your recurrences of conditions and infections. This includes the recurrence of the common virus HSV, also known as genital herpes. You would be better positioned to deal with genital herpes if your immune system is strong.
It Purifies Blood
Another important reason to pay attention to your diet is that it purifies your blood. Having a clean blood supply plays a role in maintaining vaginal health. You may have heard of the many benefits of consuming leafy vegetables. Green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale contain nutrients you won't find in many other foods.
One of the benefits of eating them often is they improve your vaginal health. They can do this by helping to purify your blood. Make sure you eat plenty of the dark green kind of leafy vegetables for the same. The many nutrients they contain can also increase your blood circulation.
This, in turn, helps prevent vaginal dryness and increases stimulation. Another reason leafy vegetables are good for your vagina is they can boost muscle health. This is thanks to the magnesium, calcium, and vitamin E they contain.
It Prevents Infections
It’s as important to avoid junk food as it is to eat healthy food for your vaginal health. While junk food can’t cause infections, it can lower your immunity. This reduces your body’s ability to fight against genital herpes and infections.
Junk food here includes highly processed and sugary foods. This includes deep-fried foods, packaged foods, and carbonated sugary drinks. Cutting down your intake of these foods will help you improve various functions. But you should know they have particularly beneficial effects on your vaginal health.
Sugary and processed foods can kill the good bacteria in your vagina. This would leave you more vulnerable to vaginal infections. This is true even if you follow the best personal hygiene routines. After all, you don’t want to be more susceptible to catching UTIs due to poor eating habits.
UTIs are urinary tract infections caused by bacteria entering your urethra or bladder. In extreme cases, the bacteria can also enter your kidneys and cause damage. If you avoid junk and drink healthy fluids, you can prevent UTIs. Stay away from carbonated drinks and opt for fresh juices like cranberry juice.
This will help keep UTIs and other infections and conditions at bay. Overeating junk food can also lead to vaginal dryness and soreness. So, you must be careful about your junk food consumption for vaginal health.
It Reduces Inflammation
Focusing on your diet can also help you reduce the risk of vaginal inflammation. Yeast infections are quite common among women all over the world. These infections aren’t serious, but they can irritate and burn in your vagina.
So, it’s a good idea to do everything you can to prevent yeast from forming down there. Your efforts towards this should include eating a healthy, balanced diet. Remember that some foods contain ingredients that fungus can use to grow. These ingredients include artificial preservatives and refined sugar.
You may be able to save yourself from inflammation if you choose to stay away from foods that contain these. Some studies suggest foods like coconut oil and garlic can prevent vaginal inflammation. This is because they may reduce your susceptibility to facing yeast infections.
Conclusion
These are some of the many reasons why your food habits affect your vaginal health. You should remember to follow a healthy diet to protect yourself from infections. Certain conditions like candida, infections, and genital herpes can also be prevented.
Besides, eating a healthy diet will help you improve all your bodily functions. You should remember to avoid junk food and pack on green leafy vegetables. Also, drink plenty of fluids and exercise often to boost your vaginal health.
