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Urogenital Infections & Probiotics

Updated: Jul 1


Singapore Nurses Association, Miraco Nutripharm, Pro-Uro logo

Pro-Uro®: Empowering Women Everywhere

This article about Urogenital Infections was written by our in-house Pharmacist who was one of the speakers at our recent educational webinar “Women’s Health & Self-Care” jointly organised with Singapore Nurses Association in conjunction with Nurses’ Day. Read on to learn more about Urogenital Infections and the Role of Probiotics.




Have you experienced Urogenital Infections?

Urogenital Infections are an invasion of the urinary or genital tracts by harmful pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, viruses or parasites.


There are 3 common urogenital infections that are not sexually transmitted:

  • Yeast infections (VVC)

  • Bacterial vaginosis (BV)

  • Urinary Tract Infections (UTI)

Urogenital infections are common in women and can significantly reduce their quality of life. Many women become frustrated by the diminishing effects of antimicrobial therapy due to antimicrobial resistance.


Bacterial Flora in Your Body

There is strong clinical evidence that the balance of intestinal and urogenital bacterial flora plays an important role in the health and well-being of humans. The use of good bacteria or probiotics to augment or replace bacterial flora in the human body is beginning to be scientifically accepted as more clinical studies on probiotics have surfaced.

Probiotics or bacteria image
Probiotics are beneficial live bacteria that can provide health benefits to the human body.

What are Probiotics?

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines probiotics as live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host.¹


Probiotics are beneficial bacteria which helps to maintain the balance of bacterial flora in our bodies, leading to optimal health outcomes.¹ Some probiotics are also clinically proven to help prevent and manage urogenital infections like yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and UTI.


However, different strains of probiotics have different functions and can confer different health benefits. For example, L. rhamnosus GR-1® has affinity for adhering to vaginal cells while L. rhamnosus GG does not. Thus, it is important to identify the most suitable probiotic strain for your body!

Probiotic Nomenclature Naming Structure
Probiotic Name Structure: Different strains are not the same and have different functions.

Do Probiotics Help with Urogenital Infections?

Clinical studies have shown that certain specific strains of probiotics are able to help treat and prevent yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis and urinary tract infections.


For example, combination probiotic Lactobacillus strains GR-1® and RC-14® found in Pro-Uro® have been clinically researched to help with urogenital conditions and also maintain urogenital health long term by producing anti-microbial agents, inhibiting the adhesion of harmful pathogens in the urogenital tracts, and promoting a healthy vaginal flora.²'³'⁴'⁵'⁶ In addition, probiotics such as GR-1® and RC-14® are safe to be taken for long term as they do not cause antibiotic resistance.


Conclusion

  • Urogenital infections remain a major and common medical problem in women worldwide, affecting their self-confidence and quality of life.

  • Antimicrobial therapy is generally effective for treatment, however, there is still a high incidence of recurrence for urogenital infections.

  • Urogenital infections can be prevented by using specific probiotics such as the clinically proven combination of Lactobacillus strains GR-1® and RC-14®.


This health article is brought to you by Miraco Nutripharm. With clinically proven women’s probiotic Pro-Uro® as our key product, we believe in sharing about common health topics relevant to women. Look out for second part of this article to learn more about Yeast Infections.





References:


1. Markowiak P, Śliżewska K. Effects of Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Synbiotics on Human Health. Nutrients. 2017 Sep;9(9):1021.

2. Anukam K, Osazuwa E, Ahonkhai I et al. Augmentation of antimicrobial metronidazole therapy of bacterial vaginosis with oral probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14: randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial. Microbes Infect. 2006 May;8(6):1450-4

3. Rafael C, Martinez RC, Franceschini SA et al. Improved cure of bacterial vaginosis with single dose of tinidazole (2 g), Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1, and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Canadian Journal of Microbiology. 55(2): 133-138

4. Martinez RC, Franceschini SA, Patta MC et al. Improved treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis with fluconazole plus probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GR-1 and Lactobacillus reuteri RC-14. Lett Appl Microbiol. 2009 Mar;48(3):269-74

5. Kingsley C. Anukam, Martin U. Duru, Clinton C. Eze, Johnbull Egharevba, Alfred Aiyebelehin, Andrew Bruce & Gregor Reid (2009) Oral use of probiotics as an adjunctive therapy to fluconazole in the treatment of yeast vaginitis: A study of Nigerian women in an outdoor clinic, Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, 21:2, 72-77

6. Falagas ME, Betsi GI, Tokas T, Athanasiou S. Probiotics for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: a review of the evidence from microbiological and clinical studies. Drugs. 2006;66(9):1253-61

5. Kingsley C. Anukam, Martin U. Duru, Clinton C. Eze, Johnbull Egharevba, Alfred Aiyebelehin, Andrew Bruce & Gregor Reid (2009) Oral use of probiotics as an adjunctive therapy to fluconazole in the treatment of yeast vaginitis: A study of Nigerian women in an outdoor clinic, Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease, 21:2, 72-77

6. Falagas ME, Betsi GI, Tokas T, Athanasiou S. Probiotics for prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections in women: a review of the evidence from microbiological and clinical studies. Drugs. 2006;66(9):1253-61




Disclaimer: The article content is intended for informational or educational purposes only, and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultations with healthcare professionals. The disclaimer also provides that no warranties are given in relation to the medical information supplied in the article, and that no liability will accrue to Miraco Nutripharm Pte Ltd or any affiliated authors in the event that a user suffers loss as a result of reliance upon the information.

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