How your natural immunity affects your vagina

TL;DR

Your vagina’s health is closely linked to your overall immunity, influenced significantly by your diet and gut health. Consuming whole foods and maintaining healthy microflora can prevent common vaginal problems and enhance your body’s natural defenses against infections like BV, yeast, UTIs, and STIs.

If you think that your vagina is its own organ, you are wrong. Your vagina is connected to the rest of you, and everything you put into your body affects your vagina.

The little ecosystem you nurture in your intestines is also nurtured inside your vagina. If you love junk food, booze, drugs and fizzy drinks, you are going to get more vaginal problems than someone who eats good, whole foods, drinks enough water and has healthy microflora.

It has been suggested that the gut is over 60 per cent of your total immunity and it works like this: your good germs keep your intestinal walls healthy, fight off other bacterial and viral invaders, and provides a barrier to your other critical organs.

If you don’t have enough good bacteria, strong, healthy intestinal mucosa and good gut function, you are missing out on a crucial aspect of your overall immunity. This will leave you more susceptible to invaders such as G. vaginalis (causes BV), pathogenic yeasts, urinary tract infections and STIs.    



Jessica Lloyd - Vulvovaginal Specialist Naturopathic Practitioner, BHSc(N)

Jessica is a degree-qualified naturopath (BHSc) specialising in vulvovaginal health and disease, based in Melbourne, Australia.

Jessica is the owner and lead naturopath of My Vagina, and is a member of the:

  • International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease (ISSVD)
  • International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH)
  • National Vulvodynia Association (NVA) Australia
  • New Zealand Vulvovaginal Society (ANZVS)
  • Australian Traditional Medicine Society (ATMS)
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