The 6 Best Vitamins & Supplements For Vaginal Health

Vaginal health is something most of us don't give a second thought until we really need to. However, given its important role in sexual pleasure, day-to-day comfort, and even gut function, it's worth taking a more proactive approach to the health of your vagina.

Your vaginal health encompasses not only your vagina but your urinary tract (bladder and urethra), too. Like your gut, these areas are teeming with bacteria, fungi, archaea, and eukaryotes1.

In a healthy vaginal microbiome, these microbes work together to maintain a balanced pH (around 4 to 4.5) that's not hospitable to harmful bacteria like E. coli and fungi like yeast.

It's when our microscopic good guys are outnumbered by bad guys that problems can occur. Periods of high stress, certain medications, and hormonal changes can all throw off your vaginal microbiome and leave it more susceptible to intruders.

Once you have an overgrowth of bad bacteria, you'll start to notice issues like unusual discharge, odors, and irritation.

There are a few stages of life when people are more susceptible to suboptimal vaginal balance. For instance, estrogen shifts during one's cycle can negatively affect the vaginal microbiome, as can hormonal changes during menopause.

Postmenopausal women may also find it harder to maintain vaginal health due to weakening muscles in the bladder and pelvic floor.

Of course, vitamins alone cannot guarantee vaginal health. Drinking plenty of water, eating an anti-inflammatory diet, practicing safe sex, and tending to vaginal hygiene are essential, too.

Taking steps to improve your overall immunity will also help keep this area in fighting shape.

When shopping for a vitamin for vaginal health, you'll want to go with a product that contains clinically tested ingredients.

We've got you covered there: In the next section, you'll find six science-backed supplements that were hand-picked by mindbodygreen's vice president of scientific affairs, Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN, for their positive impact on vaginal health.

To narrow down this list to one, think about your specific needs and lifestyle. Vaginal health supplements come in a wide array of delivery formats—from powders you drink after sex to capsules you take in the morning.

You'll want to choose a form that is easy to incorporate into your routine, since these products aren't a one-and-done deal. Most of them need to be taken daily for a few months before taking full effect.

"The vagina is essentially a snapshot of what's happening inside the body [and] in the gut," Wendie Trubow, M.D., MBA, a functional medicine gynecologist, previously told mindbodygreen. Since the vagina and the gut are linked, a lack of balance in the vagina can harm gut health (and vice versa), sending a cascade of negative effects throughout the body.

On the other side of the coin, practices that keep your vagina healthy—like eating a variety of plants, managing stress, practicing healthy vaginal hygiene, etc.—can pay dividends for overall health and longevity.

The vaginal microbiome is a complex ecosystem of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that naturally inhabit the vagina.

It can be vulnerable to disruption via menstruation, as well as any external intrusions, like penises, fingers, tampons or menstrual cups, IUDs, or sex toys, and can lead to potentially negative impacts on vaginal health.