Vaginal health is essential for most women, and it’s something that you may not think about regularly.
Of course, plenty of things can go wrong with this delicate area and cause discomfort or pain. If you’re experiencing any issues in this area, it could be due to an infection—either bacterial or viral—or just dryness.
While many products out there claim to help improve vaginal health, sometimes the best thing we can do is eat better foods! So here’s a list of 10 superfoods that will help keep everything functioning properly down below from Dr. Susan Fox, OBGYN.
Cranberries
Cranberries are a good source of vitamin C, which can help the body absorb iron. Iron is vital for healthy blood and helps with energy levels, wound healing, and overall health. Cranberries also contain antioxidants that help to protect the body from disease.
Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes, like all orange vegetables, are high in beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is an antioxidant that helps maintain the elasticity of your skin and eyes. It also supports average cell growth, which can help protect against cancer.
Sweet potatoes are also a good source of vitamin C, which helps keep your immune system strong and fight off infections more effectively. To increase the nutritional value even further, try roasting them with butter or coconut oil instead of frying them!
Broccoli
Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable that has been shown to improve the health of the vagina. It’s high in vitamin C, folate, and fiber, which help balance pH levels and regulate the immune system.
Broccoli is also rich in antioxidants like sulforaphane, which can help fight free radicals before they can damage cells.
Citrus Fruits
If you’re looking for foods that can help vaginal health quickly, citrus fruits are the way to go. They are a good source of vitamin C and fiber, two things your body needs to stay healthy.
Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for your immune system, as well as for collagen production. Collagen helps keep our skin smooth and elastic; if we lack sufficient amounts in our bodies, we may not be able to maintain this youthful appearance as we age. Fiber is also important because it helps facilitate digestion by regulating bowel movements and absorbing water from food waste before elimination occurs—this means fewer irritations caused by constipation!
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are high in zinc. Zinc helps maintain the health of the mucous membranes, which line your reproductive tract and provide protection against infection. Pumpkin seeds also contain magnesium, iron, vitamin E, and potassium — all nutrients that aid skin cell production.
Peppers and Capsaicin
Peppers are a great addition to your diet, and one of the many benefits of their high capsaicin content is that they can help with vaginal dryness.
Capsaicin is a chemical in peppers that produces a burning sensation when consumed, which has been shown to help with pain during intercourse. When applied topically (not recommended for sensitive skin) or ingested orally, capsaicin can effectively treat vaginas experiencing dryness or inflammation.
Whole Grains
Whole grains are a great source of fiber. Fiber helps to maintain the balance of bacteria in your gut, which in turn helps regulate digestion and keeps you feeling full. With its ability to keep you satiated for extended periods, fiber also makes it easier to manage weight loss efforts by promoting healthy metabolism and helping fight cravings.
Fiber is also good at keeping you regular. This can be especially helpful during pregnancy—a good thing when it comes time for that baby to exit!
Flaxseeds
Flaxseeds are a great source of lignans, which are known to help with vaginal health. Lignans have been shown to reduce the risk of endometriosis and ovarian cancer. They may also help with hot flashes and menopause symptoms since they mimic estrogen in the body. Flaxseeds are also high in fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium—all of which can benefit your overall health.
Probiotics
Probiotics are a special kind of bacteria that help protect the body from disease-causing bacteria. They also help to keep your digestive system healthy and can even help with allergies, eczema, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Probiotics are found in foods like yogurt and are also available as supplements. Probiotic supplements can be taken as pills or liquids that you drink. If you want to try them out but want to avoid buying a supplement, ask your doctor about getting some probiotic pills at the pharmacy or health food store.
Nuts and Olive Oil
Nuts and olive oil are excellent for vaginal health because they contain monounsaturated fats, which help maintain the proper pH balance.
Nuts have magnesium—a mineral shown to relax muscles and improve blood flow, which can help you when it comes to time in the bedroom.
Olive oil has high levels of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat known to fight inflammation and protect against cardiovascular diseases. It’s also rich in antioxidants like polyphenols that offer many health benefits, including acting as natural anti-inflammatory agents while inhibiting tumor growth in cancer cells.
Blueberries
Blueberries are packed with powerful antioxidants. These compounds help protect against free radicals, which have been linked to cancer and other diseases; they also boost the immune system and may even slow the aging process.
Trust Dr. Susan Fox, OBGYN
Vaginal health is essential, and many ways exist to help maintain it, but eating these superfoods may be the best.
Keep reading our blog to learn more about the benefits of eating these foods and how they help keep your vaginal health strong.
