The good bacteria, or probiotic colonies that your body hosts are critical to your health, and it goes so far beyond digestion. Weight, mood, immune health, and according to a new study, when babies are born are all affected by what type of bacteria you cultivate.
While we can do a lot for premature babies these days, that doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot of problems to overcome, and cooking a baby to term is almost always the number one goal. So where do probiotics come in?
The study found that what type of vaginal bacteria women had was one factor for premature birth (while others are explained more obviously—multiple babies, maternal age, etc.). They all lacked a bacteria called lactobacilli, and some were more likely to have the bad bacteria associated with bacterial vaginosis.
The vagina is one of the main places where your probiotic colonies are important, in addition to the stomach and your skin. So much so, that many woman eat yogurt just to support vaginal health and to help prevent yeast infection. During pregnancy, eating lots of probiotics may also help with avoiding being positive for strep—something that puts babies at an increased risk for infection during long deliveries, and women more at risk for hospital intervention.
Midwives and OBs on top of their research usually tell patients to make a probiotic food a part of their daily diet (but to be careful about any DIY versions, which carry greater consequences if done wrong since pregnant women have weaker immune systems!).
With all the ways that probiotics are not just critical to our health, but define it, eating more can’t hurt. If you want to be sure to get enough every day, or need to avoid traditional probiotic-rich foods because you’re lactose intolerant, counting calories, or just can’t handle the taste, do it the easy way with a probiotic supplement like Flora MGR.
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