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Learn what to look for and what to avoid when shopping for a women’s probiotic supplement
Occasional gas, bloating, and constipation? Chances are your gut’s to blame. In fact, scientists, researchers and physicians are discovering that the gut is responsible for many aspects of our health and ultimately, the quality of our lives.
Along with housing over 70% of our immunity, our gut directly impacts our digestion, lungs, heart, and even the brain! And when bad bacteria start outnumbering the good, it can negatively impact one or more of these vital systems.
If you are a woman, did you know probiotics also populate your urinary tract and vagina? These probiotics can help protect and fight against bacterial yeast infections, urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis (BV), and maintaining optimal PH balance.
But a quality probiotic supplement can do wonders to help replenish our gut, urinary tract and vagina with billions of helpful bacteria, thereby re-establishing the correct balance of our gut flora.
Unfortunately, not all probiotics are made the same. And with so much clutter on the market it’s tough to know what direction to take when looking for a high quality supplement. So, Smarter Reviews did the hard work for you, by revealing what to look for and what to avoid when shopping for an effective probiotic.
We even researched hundreds of women’s probiotics on the market to give you the 10 very best women’s probiotic supplements on the market today.
Probiotics are in your urinary tract and vagina too! These probiotics can help protect and fight against bacterial yeast infections, urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis (BV), and maintaining optimal PH balance.
Probiotics have been proven to help with healthy weight management by increasing your metabolism and reducing your appetite
There is a strong connection between gut and brain health. The bacteria in your colon digest and ferment fiber into short-chain fatty acids that nourish the gut. Research has shown that these compounds may also benefit the brain and nervous system. A review of 38 studies on animals and humans found that various probiotics helped improve symptoms of anxiety, depression, autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder and poor memory. Probiotics appear to be effective for both generalized anxiety and anxiety related to specific causes
Taking probiotics may help reduce the risk of heart disease. Several studies have found that certain bacteria in yogurt or probiotic supplements may lead to favorable changes in heart health markers. These include a decrease in “bad” LDL cholesterol and an increase in “good” HDL cholesterol. An analysis of 14 studies found that probiotics led to an average reduction in LDL cholesterol, a slight increase in HDL and a decrease in triglycerides.
Studies suggest that taking probiotic supplements may shift the balance of gut bacteria in a way that increases your body’s defenses against allergies, infections and cancer. In addition, probiotics have been shown to reduce inflammation, a known risk factor for many diseases.
A recent study has shown a direct relationship between bad bacterial growth in the gut and the ability to fall and remain asleep. This can lead to sleep disorders that zap our energy during the day and create erratic sleep patterns. In short, the more good bacteria in our gut, the better our sleep!
If you ever wondered how people slide past the age of 100 so effortlessly, chances are it’s because of their healthy, youthful gut. In fact, recent studies show that participants over the age of 100 who are less physically frail and enjoy greater mental acuity had one thing in common: an abundance of healthy bacterial strains in their gut. So, the fountain of youth may just be located in our gut after all!
Gas builds up when large food particles aren’t broken down properly. Probiotics introduce bacteria that help the stomach break down food into smaller, more manageable particles. This reduces the amount of gas produced.
Bloating is often caused by gas building up in the stomach or undigested food particles causing the gut lining to swell. By helping your stomach break down the food you eat, probiotics ease the causes of bloating.
Most often, diarrhea occurs when the intestines can’t properly absorb nutrients from food. Probiotics aid the digestion and absorption of these nutrients, helping you take fewer (and more comfortable) trips to the bathroom.
In a healthy microbiome, “good” bacteria take up so much space, there’s nowhere for “bad” bacteria to live. Probiotic bacteria have been shown to suppress the spread of bad bacteria this way.
Different species of bacteria specialize in breaking down different nutrients. A healthy microbiome contains so many of these species, it’s able to help digest anything we eat. Quality probiotics support a wide variety of these species to make any food easy and comfortable to digest.
Good bacteria help us extract more nutrients, and thereby energy, from food. This leads to better concentration, stronger athletic performance, and reduced fatigue throughout the day.
Recent science suggests digestive distress can send signals to your brain that actively harm your mood. These signals are part of what scientists refer to as the “gut-brain connection.” By addressing the causes of the discomfort, probiotics can stop this negative signaling at the source, helping reduce anxiety and bad moods.
Research has revealed that there are thousands of different probiotic strains. Each brings a different benefit. Some well known strains are:
Based on our research and feedback from our real consumers, these are the things to look for in an exceptional probiotic supplement:
There are probiotics that specifically benefit women’s health which should be included in your probiotic if you are a woman. Certain probiotics in the right dosages can populate your urinary tract and vagina. These probiotics can help with women’s health issues like bacterial yeast infections, urinary tract infections, bacterial vaginosis (BV), and maintaining optimal PH balance.
Since our microbiome is composed of about 100 trillion good and bad bacteria, a high number of probiotic Colony Forming Units (CFUs) will have greater impact on the growth of beneficial bacteria within our gut. It’s essential to choose a probiotic which specifies CFU versus “active cultures” or “live cultures.” Look for a formula with a minimum of 50 billion CFU.
Prebiotics are food for probiotics. Probiotics need food to survive and grow. Pairing probiotics with prebiotics will help ensure their survival and growth in order to populate and flourish in our gut. Choose probiotics supplements containing prebiotics to significantly increase the overall effectiveness of the probiotic.
The latest research shows that digestive enzymes work together with probiotics to aid digestion and gut health and your supplement should include digestive enzymes for better overall effectiveness.
Each probiotic strains serve many different purposes in the body and interact in many different ways. Modern probiotic science has discovered thousands of beneficial probiotic strains. For maximum effectiveness we recommend a supplement with a diverse mix of probiotic strains.
It takes specific expertise to form a safe and effective probiotic formulation. More is not necessarily better. The exact combination of strain type, potency, quantity, and prebiotics determines the product’s quality.
The best indicator of product safety and effectiveness in the real world is real customer reviews. Only real world results can truly judge the effectiveness of a product. You should read the customer reviews from websites such as Amazon.com to help with your decision.
Probiotic strains serve different purposes in the body, so it’s important to choose a probiotic supplement that features a variety of robust strains. Most probiotics feature only one or two strains — far too few to be effective.
We recommend looking for a supplement with at least 10 unique strains for a more comprehensive approach to overall health and immune function.
Your body contains trillions of probiotics and taking probiotics with a lower probiotic CFU count is less likely to have an impact on your gut microbiome.
A probiotic that isn’t formulated for women likely isn’t going to be as optimal for women’s health
Probiotics requiring refrigeration can be damaged or killed off during shipping. They may also be unable to survive the hot, acidic environment of our gut. We therefore suggest choosing a probiotic that is shelf-stable and does need to be stored in the refrigerator.
Studies are unclear about the effects of soy and dairy on the microbiome. Aside from a few select cases, the inclusion of soy, dairy, or GMOs in a probiotic reflects poorly on its quality.
Our research and shoppers have voted Wholesome Wellness’ Raw Probiotics for Women 100 Billion CFU the most popular daily probiotic they tried. It is one of the best formulas on the market, due to its potent 100 billion live probiotic cultures, 34 unique and clinically studied raw organic probiotic strains, organic prebiotics, organic digestive enzymes, whole food fruits & vegetables, additional active ingredients for women’s urinary tract & vaginal health, acid resistant capsules, vegan composition, and no synthetic fillers or additives.
This product is one of the few formulated by a doctor for women. It also has the most clinically studied women’s probiotic strains out of all the probiotic products. Finally, it’s 18,000+ Amazon reviews and 365 money back guarantee show a very positive customer satisfaction and safety rating..
*Results are based on the our ranking system and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. For more information about this product please visit it’s official website.
Garden of Life’s 50 Billion CFU once daily women’s probiotics provides provides a good variety of women’s probiotics and prebiotics but is missing newer probiotic ingredients like digestive enzymes and acid resistance. It provides a great foundation but is expensive compared to other less costly options with higher potency and more ingredients.
*Results are based on the our ranking system and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. For more information on this product please visit it’s official website.
Physician’s Choice 50 Billion CFU women’s probiotics is an okay value with women’s probiotics, prebiotics, acid resistant capsules, and additional active ingredients for women’s urinary tract & vaginal health like cranberry and D-mannose. Although it is missing digestive enzymes and has low probiotic diversity with only 6 probiotic strains.
*Results are based on the our ranking system and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. For more information about this product please visit it’s official website.
by RenewLife
RenewLife’s 50 Billion CFU Vaginal Probiotic provides a well rounded 12 women’s health probiotic strains, prebiotics, and acid resistance. But is missing digestive enzymes, is not doctor formulated, and the high price to value was not good.
*Results are based on the our ranking system and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. For more information on this product please visit it’s official website.
Garden of Life's 100 Billion CFU probiotic is a potent 100 billion CFU 34 strain probiotic with digestive enzymes. Although the probiotic is not formulated for women's health, it is missing prebiotics and it is a lot more expensive then our #1 pick. It also unfortunately is not formulated by a doctor and the value for price is not good.
*Results are based on the our ranking system and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. For more information about this product please visit it's official website.
by Renew Life
Renew Life’s 25 Billion CFU 10 strain probiotic is basic and missing newer probiotic ingredients like prebiotics, digestive enzymes, and acid resistance.
*Results are based on the our ranking system and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. For more information on this product please visit it’s official website.
by Culturelle
Culturelle’s 15 Billion CFU Probiotic is very basic with a small amount of 5 types of probiotics. It is missing modern probiotic ingredients like prebiotics and digestive enzymes. We recommend a probiotic with higher potency and more probiotic strains as well as prebiotics and digestive enzymes.
*Results are based on the our ranking system and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. For more information on this product please visit it’s official website.
by Align
Align’s DualBiotic 1 Billion CFU 1 strain probiotic gummies give you probiotics in a gummy form. But the extra price, calories and sugar don’t seem to be worth it for only 1 billion probiotic cultures of one strain of probiotics. Unless you need only the Bacillus Coagulans strain or can’t take capsules then we recommend a more potent probiotic for a better chance of effectiveness.
*Results are based on the our ranking system and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. For more information on this product please visit it’s official website.
by Nature’s Way
Nature’s Way 1 Billion CFU 3 strain probiotic is extremely basic compared to other options at the cost of making the probiotic’s look like pearls. Unless you need only the 3 Lactobacillus strains in this product then we recommend a more potent probiotic for a better chance of effectiveness.
*Results are based on the our ranking system and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. For more information on this product please visit it’s official website.
Nature’s Bounty 100 million CFU probiotic was formulated over a decade ago but it is still selling as it was one of the most popular probiotic supplements back then. Probiotic science has progressed significantly since then and the paltry 100 million live probiotic cultures is significantly less than any product on the market nowadays. It is also missing all the newer probiotic ingredients such as prebiotics, digestive enzymes and acid resistance. The only redeeming factor is the low price but even then the value is still not there.
Unless this probiotic is already working for you or you only want the one Lactobacillus Acidophilus probiotic strain then we recommend a newer more potent probiotic for a better chance of effectiveness.
*Results are based on the our ranking system and do not necessarily reflect typical results from the use of these products. For more information on this product please visit it’s official website.
