When it comes to choosing a supplement, it can be a bit of a minefield with so many different ones to choose from. Lots of people, understandably, don’t know where to start, so this article looks at the key nutrients including vitamins, minerals and probiotics that women need to support both their hormonal and reproductive needs, along with the best nutrients to support beautiful skin, hair and nails.

Women have a very different set of nutritional needs to men when it comes to hormonal health, as in general there is a lot more that can go wrong for women. Once a man has been through puberty, they have a relatively steady stream of hormones for the rest of their lives. Women, on the other hand, are often at the mercy of a roller-coaster of hormonal changes each month.

Alongside the nutrients mentioned below, it is important for women to follow a diet that assists in balancing hormone levels. In general, this means adopting the following principles:

Avoiding simple sugars and refined carbohydrates, only consuming carbohydrates that have a low glycaemic load

Avoiding stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes

Eating plenty of essential fats in the form of cold-pressed seed oils, avocados, nuts, seeds and oily fish

Increasing soluble fibre

Consuming foods that supply us with phyto-oestrogens (such as lentils, chickpeas and linseeds and sesame seeds)

Vaginal infections

Infections of the urogenital tract are very common in women of all ages. Conditions such as bacterial vaginosis (BV), cystitis/urinary tract infections, and yeast infections take hold when the balance of normal, healthy vaginal flora is affected either due to medications (such as antibiotics and the birth control pill), stress, the use of soap-based products or poor diet. A lack of Lactobacilli bacteria in the vagina alters the pH making it less acidic than it should be. Under these conditions pathogenic (undesirable) bacteria and yeasts are able to flourish. 

The vaginal flora is directly affected by the GI flora. It has been proven in clinical trials that certain strains of Lactobacilli pass through the entire digestive system alive, and then cross from the anus (via the perineum) to populate the vagina and urogenital tract. In this way we can positively influence the levels of beneficial bacteria in the female urogenital tract and help support womens intimate health, reducing the risk of infections such as bacterial vaginosis (BV), thrush, and cystitis/UTIs. Two strains in particular have shown superior capabilities with regards to adhesion to the vaginal epithelia and effective inhibition of uro-pathogens, and these strains are: Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14^® and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1^® . These two strains have been clinically trialled in women for decades, looking specifically at their ability to support intimate health.

These strains can be found in Sunulos® Probiotics For Women.