Vagina is an important part of the body and needs special care and cleaning. For it to function well, you need to have proper diet as well. There are certain foods that are good for your vaginal health. These foods help in maintaining your vaginal pH and protect it from yeast and bacterial infections.
Healthy Vagina Foods:
Bananas:
Bananas are rich sources of potassium. Potassium can counteract the effects of foods rich in sodium. Salty food can reduce the flow of blood to the genital organs and also make you bloated.
Carrots:
Carrots contain the flavonoid luteolin. According to studies made, consuming this can reduce the risk of ovarian cancer by about 34%.
Coconut oil:
Applying coconut oil on your vagina helps in keeping your vagina more lubricated. In addition, it has antifungal and antibacterial properties, which can help in preventing yeast infections.
Garlic:
Garlic is known for its antimicrobial properties. This is because of the presence of a compound called allicin in garlic. This has antimicrobial properties. If you suffer from frequent vaginal infections, one of the best ways to treat this problem is to insert raw or cooked garlic in to the vagina at night before you go to bed. This helps in getting rid of the infection. When used as a suppository, the antibacterial and antimycotic properties of garlic act locally and help in getting rid of the infection, thereby giving you relief. Garlic also has the ability to increase the circulation of blood. This helps in improving your sexual health.
Omega-3 fatty acids:
Foods rich n omega-3 fatty acids are good for healthy heart and for increasing the blood circulation. It is also good for vaginal health because it increases the blood flow here. It was also found that foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can greatly reduce the risk of developing endometriosis.
Papaya:
Most women have to deal with menstrual cramps almost every month. Papaya is one of the most effective foods to give you relief from the discomfort and pain associated with menstrual cramps. Papaya is rich in Vitamin A and C. both these vitamins are very beneficial for making the wall of the uterus stronger. This fruit also contains iron and calcium in good amounts. These are also good for vaginal health. Moreover, they also help in reducing the contractions of the muscle fibres of the uterine wall, which is the reason for menstrual cramps. Unripe papaya is more beneficial to provide you relief from menstrual cramps and abdominal pain.
Spinach:
Spinach is a food that is great for your vaginal health. One cup of cooked spinach contains 39% magnesium. It is not only magnesium in spinach that makes it effective for vaginal health. It is also good for vaginal health in many other ways. Magnesium helps in decreasing inflammation and increasing the circulation of blood. This way it helps in ensuring that there is proper supply of blood to the extremities. This way it keeps the vagina healthy. Moreover, it is the increased supply of blood that arouses you. Regular intercourse is one of the best ways to make sure that your vagina is in good health. In addition to magnesium, spinach is also rich in flavonoids, omega-3 fatty acids, carotenoids etc. All these help in reducing inflammation.
Soy:
Soy and soy products are rich in phytoestrogens, which are estrogens that are derived from a plant source. Including foods rich in phytoestrogens help in preventing vaginal dryness, which is one of the most common problems experienced by women during the menopause. This is because during this period the estrogen levels in the body get reduced. The best way to compensate for this loss is to consume foods rich in phytoestrogens. The body can metabolize these phytoestrogens in the same way like it breaks down the estrogens in the body. So, including foods rich in phytoestrogens like soy products, flax seeds, nuts and whole grains, are very effective for women nearing their menopause. These foods help in reducing the symptoms related to low production of estrogen.
Sweet potatoes:
Sweet potatoes are rich on Vitamin A, which is very effective for making the muscle tissues strong, so that the vaginal walls remain healthy.
Yogurt:
Yogurt is an excellent probiotic and great for maintaining the balance between good bacteria and bad bacteria in the gut. Lactobacillus, one of the most common probiotics, is found in yogurt. If you are vulnerable to vaginal infections, you can consume yogurt to prevent bacterial and yeast infections. This is because of the good bacteria in yogurt, which helps in maintaining the vaginal pH. You can have Greek yogurt as well as the normal one. Greek yogurt is a probiotic and it also contains double the amount of protein found in the regular one.
Which Foods Deteriorate Vaginal Health?
If you suffer from vaginal infections, it is important that you avoid consuming certain foods. Make sure that you keep away from foods that are high in glycemic index.
Foods with high GI can make you more susceptible to infections. Too much of sugar is also not good for you. This is because sugary medium is the right condition for microbes like yeast to multiply. When there is inflammation in the body, substances called cytokines are released. These cytokines make you feel pain. Even during menstrual pain this is the main cause of pain. One of the ways to reduce this inflammation is to cut down the intake of sugary foods and foods with high GI.
Include all the foods that are good for your vaginal health. In addition to these foods, it is also important that you drink lots of water. Water will keep your body hydrated.