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June 28, 2023

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.

Taking a high-quality vitamin or supplement is one way to keep everything running smoothly down there. Here, we share what ingredients are best for promoting vaginal balance and reveal the year’s best vitamins for vaginal health.*

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.

Vitamins and supplements can be helpful in restoring balance in this sensitive region.* Some of the ones with the most research behind them include:

• Probiotics: Certain types of bacterium, like Lactobacillus acidophilus, have been shown to help promote a balanced vaginal flora2 and vaginal pH3. Taking a probiotic that contains Lactobacillus acidophilus can tip the scales back to a healthy microbial balance in your nether regions. While there’s a lot more research to be done on the best probiotics for vaginal health, Lactobacillus rhamnosus 4and Lactobacillus reuteri 5are a few others that naturally live in a healthy vagina and seem beneficial. These are the most common bacteria you’ll find in probiotics geared toward vaginal health.*
• Cranberries: There’s a reason cranberry juice is a drink of choice for urinary health. The compounds in cranberries can combat bad bacteria from sticking on the walls of the urinary tract6, making them easier to flush away.*
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D deficiency is associated with a whole host of challenges—including compromised vaginal health7. Getting levels back up with a vitamin D supplement has been shown to restore vaginal health in some studies, like this systematic review on menopausal women8.*
• D-mannose: A monosaccharide sugar, D-mannose has also been shown to help ease vaginal health issues9 (and potentially combat future challenges10) in clinical research. Like the compounds in cranberries, it seems to support bladder wall integrity and keep bad bacteria off of the lining of the urinary tract.* It’s naturally found in fruits like apples and oranges, but supplements deliver it in higher amounts.

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.

As with any supplement, you’ll also want to be choosy about who you buy from. Go with a company that is transparent about what is in their product (down to specific bacterial strains if it’s a probiotic), doesn’t use sketchy additives, and practices sustainable sourcing and packaging.

Summary

The best vitamins for vaginal health contain science-backed ingredients in targeted forms, are free of additives, and come in a delivery format that’s easy to take daily.

Our picks for the best vitamins for vaginal health of 2023

Best probiotic: Thorne Women’s Daily Probiotic

Pros

• 1 capsule serving size
• No refrigeration needed

Serving size:

1 capsule daily

Researched for:

Gut health & comfortVaginal health

Thorne is a leader in the supplement and probiotic space, and their Women’s Daily Probiotic contains 20 billion CFUs of bacteria that have been studied for gut and vaginal health, such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and of Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14, which have been shown to promote vaginal health when taken in tandem.

This probiotic comes in an easy serving size (one capsule daily) and does not need to be refrigerated. While proprietary blends aren’t typically ideal, the strains in this formula are at meaningful doses backed by science.*

Best for pH Balance: Garden of Life Dr. Formulated Probiotics Women’s pH

Pros

• Contains pre- and postbiotics
• B Corp certified company
• No refrigeration needed

Cons

• Probiotic blends are proprietary

Serving size:

1 capsule daily

Researched for:

Vaginal healthVaginal pHUrinary tract health

This probiotic blend contains 15 strains of bacteria, including L. acidophilus La-14 and L. rhamnosus HN001™—both of which show promise for supporting a healthy pH and bacterial balance in the vagina. Plus, each single-serving, shelf-stable capsule contains a unique pre- and post-biotic blend to feed and support the growth of healthy bacteria.*

Bonus: Garden of Life is a B Corp certified company, signaling a commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its business practices. Like Thorne’s probiotic, this one contains a proprietary ingredient blend so you don’t know exactly how much of each bacterial strain you’re getting.

Best for yeast balance: AZO® Urinary & Vaginal Wellness Bundle

Pros

• Contains clinically relevant doses of D-Mannose

Cons

• 5 capsule serving size
• Long list of “other” ingredients

Serving size:

5 capsules daily

Researched for:

Vaginal healthVaginal pHUrinary tract health

The AZO® Urinary & Vaginal Wellness Bundle contains two vaginal health heavy hitters: First, you have a blend of probiotics that promote healthy bacteria and yeast balance. Then, you have D-Mannose to help cleanse the urinary tract of potential irritants. The D-Mannose is present in clinically relevant doses (2000 mg) that are hard to fit inside one capsule, so the daily serving size is quite large: Four capsules, plus one for the probiotics. Though cumbersome, this is a great bundle for anyone looking for quick results in the vaginal health department.*

Best for gut-vagina axis: mindbodygreen probiotic+

Pros

• Helps aid digestion and ease bloat*
• Supports healthy weight*
• Sustainable packaging

Cons

• Not specific to vaginal health

Serving size:

1 capsule daily

Researched for:

Weight managementRegularityGut health & comfort

Best with cranberry: O Positiv Urinary Tract Health Capsules

Pros

• Unique botanical blend for urinary tract health*
• Vitamin C helps with healthy bacteria balance*

Cons

• Takes 2+ months to take full effect

Serving size:

2 capsules daily

Researched for:

Vaginal healthVaginal pHUrinary tract health

This unique blend of vitamins and plant compounds works to line the urinary tract to optimize urinary tract health and comfort. It features proanthocyanidins, the active compounds in cranberries that combat bad bacteria, as well as D-mannose sugars to further reinforce urinary tract lining. It’s topped off with 100 milligrams of vitamin C (111% of your daily value) to acidify urine, foster a healthy pH that won’t breed bad bacteria, and support immune function and response. Expect to take two capsules once daily for two months before feeling the full effects.*

Best with vitamin D: Uqora Complete Regimen

Cons

• 3-part regimen may be hard to keep up with

Serving size:

3 capsules daily + drink mix as needed

Researched for:

Vaginal healthVaginal pHUrinary tract health

Uqora’s Complete Regimen takes a three-pronged approach to vaginal health. First, the two Defend capsules support bladder wall integrity and clear away harmful bacteria with the help of D Mannose, vitamin D3, and powerful botanicals like turmeric and green tea leaf extract. Then, the one Promote capsule comes in to feed the vaginal microbiome with good bacteria. The Flush drink mix—a vitamin and mineral drink that helps flush and clear the urinary tract—forms the last part of the trio. Defend and Promote should be taken daily, while Flush should be sipped every three days, and after sex, for best results.

1.

Designed for vaginal health

2.

Contain effective ingredients

“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.

You’ll know your vaginal health is in a good place when you start to forget about it, Trubow says. Think of it like an elbow: “Most people don’t think about their elbows. That’s how your vagina should be,” she notes. “You don’t notice it; it just does its job.”