Probiotics to Support Urogential Health
And
Help Prevent Urinary Tract Infections
Recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) afflict a great number of women around the world. Since lactobacilli (probiotics) dominate the urogenital flora of healthy women, supporting the urogenital flora with probiotics may protect against UTIs. Clinical trials in women with UTIs have been carried out to assess the effectiveness and safety of probiotics for protection against harmful bacteria (uropathogens.) The evidence from the available studies suggests that probiotics can be beneficial for preventing recurrent UTIs in women1.*
Probiotics additionally play a major role in the maintenance of a healthy vaginal tract by preventing the colonization of pathogenic bacteria. Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. paracasei in particular have been shown to inhibit, by exclusion and competition, the adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus, Group B streptococci, and Gardnerella vaginalis to the vaginal tissues.2, 3 These Lactobacillus strains and others (L. rhamnosus, L. fermentum3) have been identified as anti-infective agents in the vagina.2 The benefits seem to derive from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), lactic acid, and natural antibiotics (bacteriocins) produced by the probiotic bacteria.3 It should be noted, however that none was able to decrease the attachment of E. coli.*
But cranberry extracts are known to help resist E. coli adhesion on urogenital tissues. For added support to urogenital health, Vibrant Health’s U.T. Biotic products include a new cranberry extract, PACrantm that provides a unique class of proanthocyanidins clinically shown to resist adhesion of unwelcome bacteria in the urinary tract. It joins 25 billion probiotics from 7 strains known to be beneficial for urogenital health as identified in the scientific literature.*
Available in bottles of 30 vegetable capsules, and in jars of 75 grams of powder.
Each serving of powder also provides 2 grams of Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) to support probiotic colonization.
1. Probiotics for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: a review of the evidence from microbiological and clinical studies, Falagas ME, Betsi GI, Tokas T, Athanasiou S., Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS), Athens, Greece, Drugs. 2006;66(9):1253-61
2. Influence of probiotic vaginal lactobacilli on in vitro adhesion of urogenital pathogens to vaginal epithelial cells, Zárate G, Nader-Macias ME, Centro de Referencia para Lactobacilos (CERELA)-CONICET, San Miguel de Tucuman, Argentina. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2006 Aug;43(2):174-80,
3. Probiotics for the treatment of women with bacterial vaginosis., Falagas ME, Betsi GI, Athanasiou S., Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Marousi, Greece., Clin Microbiol Infect. 2007 Jul;13(7):657-64
