But despite the pioneering discoveries of these early microbial researchers, he and other fathers of microbiology viewed bacteria primarily as disruptive and disease-causing.

We updated this article in May 2023 to add more information about each featured product, based on extensive research done by our team. Kwoji ID, et al. (2021). Multi-strain probiotics: Synergy among isolates enhances biological activities. Gupta AK, et al. (2021). Efficacy and safety of Bacillus coagulans LBSC in irritable bowel syndrome: A prospective, interventional, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study [CONSORT Compliant]. Credibility: The products we chose are made by medically credible companies that follow ethical, legal, and industry best standards and that provide objective measures of trust, including having supplements thoroughly tested for purity and potency, ideally by third-party organizations. Probiotics are becoming an increasingly common fixture in supplement cabinets to improve digestion—but did you know that they can also target women-specific health concerns, like yeast infections and vaginal health?Formulated by Dr Perlmutter M.D., a leading expert in the human microbiome, our Microbiome Gas & Bloating capsules deliver 50 billion CFU of live cultures to encourage growth of good One capsule of Culturelle Digestive Daily Probiotic has 10 billion CFUs of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, a probiotic strain that may benefit a number of health conditions, such as diarrhea and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Chen X, Lu Y, Chen T, Li R. The Female Vaginal Microbiome in Health and Bacterial Vaginosis. Front Cell Infect Microbiol. 2021;11:631972. Published 2021 Apr 7. doi:10.3389/fcimb.2021.631972

These strains help keep your vaginal bacteria population healthy. They may also help protect against urinary tract infections (UTIs) by preventing the invasion of potentially harmful pathogens and encouraging a balanced environment in the vagina and urinary tract. Effective dose: With the exception of one product (which doesn’t use CFUs), all the supplements below contain at least 10 6 (1 million) CFUs per gram. May improve symptoms of IBS: Research suggests that probiotics, especially multistrain products containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, may help improve symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), such as bloating and abdominal pain. Just like a healthy rainforest needs diverse plant and animal life to flourish, our microbiome also requires a wide variety of bacterial species to thrive and remain in balance. Not only do probiotics support gut health, but a healthy microbiome is also linked to better mood, skin, immunity, cognition, and metabolism. Probiotics for Women’s HealthMourey F, et al. (2020). A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of Saccharomyces boulardii in infants and children with acute diarrhea. Probiotics, which are made up of healthy bacteria and yeast, support important functions of your gut microbiome, including nutrient absorption and immunity. They may also be useful for a range of digestive conditions. Look for a few key extras. A good supplement has time-release technology and delivers a dose of prebiotics—fibers that act as food for probiotic bacteria. “The time-release technology ensures the probiotic reaches your intestine and the prebiotic component aids in absorption,” says Dr. Rajapaksa. Another important extra is third-party certification; seek out a seal of approval from groups like Consumer Lab, NSF International, or the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), which ensures the product has been tested for quality, purity, potency, and ingredients. Vladareanu R, et al. (2018). New evidence on oral L. plantarum P17630 product in women with history of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC): A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study.