Life
While research is still underway, many medical experts believe that taking a probiotic can benefit your health in a few ways. Some probiotics are formulated to improve digestive health, while others may target vaginal, urinary, and immunity health, or any combination of these. When shopping for the best probiotics for women, you'll want to look for one that addresses your specific needs, or search for one with a broad range of bacteria that can improve many facets of your health at once.
According to Dr. Allison Hill, a Los Angeles-based OB-GYN, women should look for brands that contain a wide array of bacteria.
"Taking a probiotic that contains multiple strains can increase its benefits to your body. For example, a probiotic that contains the strain Lactobacillus acidophilus can improve your digestive and intestinal environments. This benefit is in addition to its most basic benefit of counterbalancing antibiotic use and maintaining general health, which is a common reason people take probiotics," she told Bustle.
One thing to note: You should always check with your health care provider before adding a supplement to your diet, but it's especially important to talk to your doctor before you start taking a probiotic if you're pregnant or have a serious health condition. Also, if you have food allergies, pay attention to the bottle's labeling to make sure it doesn't contain any allergens that may affect you.
With that said, scroll down to see the three best probiotics for women.
1
The Overall Best, All Things Considered
If you're searching for a single probiotic pill that offers the maximum amount of heath benefits, look no further than this Garden of Life women's probiotic. This probiotic contains 50 billion cultures of 16 strains of bacteria (including the aforementioned Lactobacillus acidophilus) that improve your immune system, vaginal, and digestive health. It's also vegetarian, free of gluten, soy, and dairy, not genetically modified, and made in the United States. But the true test: Over 1,000 Amazon reviewers have weighed in and have given it a glowing, 4.1-star rating.
What fans say: "These probiotics make a huge difference in my life! I love this brand specifically because it's made for women and it doesn't need to be refrigerated! That's a huge plus because you can travel with them and not have to worry about refrigerating them."
2
The Runner Up
While these Florajen women's probiotics don't contain as many cultures as the previous pick, they're still a solid choice for a probiotic and have a 4.4-star rating on Amazon. They boast 15 billion cultures of three different bacterial strands that target women's vaginal and digestive health needs. In addition, they are free of gluten and dairy, not genetically modified, and are even made in the United States. Unlike the option above, you should keep these probiotics refrigerated to extend their freshness.
What fans say: "My nurse practitioner recommended this brand, and I honestly notice when I don't take it! It's also way better than eating five million yogurt cups."
3
The Best Gummies
For anyone who hates swallowing pills, these Yuve probiotic gummies are a chewable alternative to probiotic capsules. Although they contain just one strain of bacteria, Bacillus coagulans, Amazon reviewers have given them a major thumbs-up and an average 4.6-star rating. Formulated to support immunity and digestive health, these strawberry and orange-flavored probiotic gummies contain over 5 billion cultures and are completely vegan. They're also not genetically modified, and are free of sugar, gluten, nuts, soy, yeast, and artificial flavors. One note: Keep them refrigerated to extend their freshness.
What fans say: "This probiotic tastes like a treat! There is no after-taste and it’s flavorful but not like the typical chewable vitamins or probiotics. I can take it any time of day on a full stomach or empty and it doesn’t make me nauseous. It also helps my GI system immensely. I got these because they were vegan and a lot of probiotics have cows milk, which I am allergic to. This was a healthier version with no added sugar or anything artificial."
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