Prebiotics that restore balance in the vaginal flora

Prebiotics help relieve intimate disorders such as vaginosis, while also preventing possible relapses.

Probiotic and prebiotic products of various types, in recent years, have become part of the diet of many people, who take them, daily or in cycles, with the most diverse purposes.

For example, there are probiotics (i.e. preparations containing live microorganisms) that improve the functionality of the intestine and the absorption of essential nutrients such as vitamins and mineral salts, which reduce the reactivity of irritable bowel or that help prevent and counteract diarrhea caused by taking antibiotics; others that support the activity of the immune systemor, that contribute to the prevention and treatment of urinary tract infections; still others that help protect sensitive skin from dehydration, irritation and allergies (in particular, in children with atopy), that prepare it to react better to sun exposure or that help counteract aging.

Similar actions are carried out by different types of prebiotic compounds (preparations containing substances capable of modifying the composition and/or activity of gastrointestinal microflora), some of which are also able to protect cardiovascular health (in particular, by reducing blood sugar levels and the risk of metabolic syndrome and diabetes) or, in women, to support the balance of the protective vaginal microflora, reducing the risk of developing intimate disorders such as candidiasis, bacterial vaginosis and other genital infections and / or experiencing them recurrently.

Available preparations: by mouth and for local use

Probiotics and prebiotics can be taken by mouth, in the form of easily digestible foods such as yogurt, milk, kefir, enriched fruit juices (often also added with other useful elements such as calcium and vitamin D, B vitamins, mineral salts, specific proteins or antioxidant compounds, in relation to the global action they must perform) or as real food supplements can be purchased in pharmacies or parapharmacies (capsules, ready-to-drink solutions, diluted powders, etc.).

More recently, probiotic and prebiotic preparations have also been developed that can be used “topically”, i.e. gels, creams or ovules to be applied directly at the point where they must exert their rebalancing and protective action which, often, allow to obtain better results than when they are taken with the diet.

What are probiotics

Although similar in name and often aimed at improving overlapping aspects of health and well-being, probiotics and prebiotics are actually extremely different products.

In particular, according to the official joint definition of the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations) and the WHO (World Health Organization), a probiotic is a “preparation containing live microorganisms that, if taken daily in adequate quantities and for an adequate time, are able to induce specific beneficial effects on the health of the host”.

In relation to the favorable action that is intended to be obtained with its intake, the probiotic product is developed starting from a precise group of microorganisms, characterized by a marked ability to improve the functionality of the organs or tissues in which they are located or on which they are able to act indirectly. For example, when the aim is to optimize intestinal function, the probiotic is almost always composed of lactobacilli (better known as lactic ferments), bifidobacteria or other bacteria of selected strains (for example, Saccharomices boulardii) and to derive adequate benefits it must be taken by mouth. Even in the case of probiotics aimed at combating urinary infections and vaginal candidiasis, the useful microorganisms are often lactobacilli, but of a different type, and the products that contain them mostly provide for local use.

Compared to probiotics taken by mouth, topical probiotics have some distinctive properties that make their action more immediate and reproducible. For example, in the case of probiotics against candidiasis, the application at the vaginal level allows direct adhesion to the mucous membranes on which they must act, without the cells of useful bacteria being damaged or made less viable by the passage into the stomach and intestine. In addition, they arrive in larger quantities at the site where their action is required, are immediately active and allow a rapid rebalancing of the vaginal microflora. Thanks to these characteristics, topical probiotics require less frequent administration and shorter treatment cycles than oral probiotics, saving time and money.

What are prebiotics

Unlike probiotics, prebiotic products do not contain microorganisms, either live or in any other form, but one or more substances capable of supporting the energy metabolism or other vital functions of protective microorganisms naturally present in a specific tissue of the organism (endogenous microflora) or optimizing the microenvironment that hosts them. (for example, by changing its pH). Thanks to these actions, prebiotics promote the multiplication of beneficial bacteria compared to potentially harmful ones, improving the physiological balance of tissues and the functionality of the organ on which you want to act.

More precisely, according to the FAO definition, prebiotics are “selectively fermented ingredients capable of determining specific changes in the composition and/or activity of the gastrointestinal microflora which (in turn) brings benefits to the host in terms of well-being and health”.

Prebiotics, such as probiotics, can also be taken orally or applied at the point where their action is required and, even in this case, the second option is generally more advantageous than the first.

The main prebiotic compounds used for over a decade for the most diverse purposes include mostly water-soluble fibers belonging to the group of oligosaccharides, often derived from fruit or cereals. The best known of these are inulin, fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS, of which bananas are rich) and galacto-oligosaccharides (GOS), to which is added lactulose (a synthetic sugar). More recently introduced compounds are isomalto-oligosaccharides (IMO), xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS), long-chain beta-glucans and glucomannan oligosaccharides.

Another prebiotic compound included in preparations to relieve the symptoms of bacterial vaginosis and to reduce the likelihood of the disorder reoccurring shortly after the healing of a first episode is ene glycog: anatural energy substrate consisting of glucose molecules linked together to form chains of varying length, Used as a form of energy storage and naturally also produced by the muscles and liver.

Prebiotics that help protect vaginal balance

Some probiotics and prebiotics can contribute to women’s health and well-being by helping to prevent and alleviate intimate disorders that are very common in childbearing age such as candidiasis and bacterial vaginosis.

In terms of prebiotics, one of the reference compounds for female well-being is the aforementioned glycogen, whose action in supporting the balance of the vaginal microbiota is particularly advantageous when it is included in preparations that also contain lactic acid. While glycogen is used as an energy source by lactobacilli (bacteria that make up 90% of the vaginal microflora in conditions of well-being), lactic acid allows to optimize the value of the local pH, keeping it around 3.5-4.0, ie sufficiently acidic to discourage the proliferation of potentially pathogenic microorganisms.

The usefulness of prebiotics against vaginosis

The treatment of bacterial vaginosis involves the use of antibiotics by mouth or applied topically in cream or endovaginal capsules, which must be prescribed by the doctor after a precise classification of the disorder. Prebiotic preparations can help relieve symptoms of the disorder more quickly (in particular, bad smell, liquid whitish-gray discharge and feeling of vaginal discomfort) and prevent early recurrence of vaginosis after healing of the first episode.