Evidence based strains of lactobacillus for female urogenital healthcare

Urinary tract infections (UTI), bacterial vaginosis (BV), and vaginitis are recurring conditions that present ongoing challenges for general practitioners and their patients. A 2004 review looking into the rationale for probiotics in female urogenital healthcare described these challenges as “nothing short of a silent epidemic worldwide.”[1] While emerging clinical evidence strongly suggests that Lactobacillus strains can play a protective role in preventing or treating female urogenital infections and are a viable treatment option for UTI, BV and vaginitis, only certain strains have shown positive clinical results. Not all Lactobacillus strains work In 2008, Cribby, Taylor and Reid reviewed vaginal microbiota and the use of probiotics and emphasised the strain-specific aspects of probiotic use.[2] “One cannot and should not utilise the data from one strain to infer that another untested strain will provide the same benefits,” they wrote.