Do nutritional supplements help against preterm birth and bacterial vaginosis?

Do nutritional supplements help against preterm birth and bacterial vaginosis?

This newsletter is mainly based on a so-called meta-study done by Cooper and Moores. Meta-study means, that they have collected everything available in the scientific literature, evaluated the methods and for those studies evaluated adequate, pooled all the data. Thus trying to get substantial evidence-based knowledge out of all the studies.

Cooper and Moores summarizes: Although there is evidence that taking probiotics in pregnancy may reduce the incidence of preterm birth, it is mainly derived from small, poor quality studies. Vitamin D and vitamin C may have potential benefits, but these remain to be proven. Large randomized controlled trials are needed to more accurately evaluate the potential benefits of these low-cost interventions for reducing preterm birth and its consequences

Probiotics (lactic acid bacteria), vitamin D and vitamin C were all identified as nutritional supplements that have the potential to alter bacterial flora and consequently reduce preterm birth (PTB) and treat or prevent genital infections. Evidence shows that probiotics may be effective at treating bacterial vaginosis (BV), a known cause for preterm birth. Low vitamin D levels may be associated with BV, although Cooper and Moores concluded, that no evidence was identified which demonstrated that vitamin D supplementation reduced the risk of having BV or PTB. A recent study from India (Taheri and others, 2015) though concluded from their study with 208 women, that among women in reproductive age group with vitamin D deficiency, the administration of 2000 IU/day edible vitamin D was effective in eliminating asymptomatic BV.

There is little evidence regarding vitamin C supplementation, although it does suggest a possible benefit with regard to preterm rupture of membranes; however, this did not appear to reduce rates of preterm birth.

From our own world:

The patent for using pure lactose vaginal tablets as treatment for discharge with fishy smell has finally been granted for US. Now the task to have the product approved in US remains.

A small video presentation covering the most common vaginal nuisances – and how to handle them – has been uploaded on YouTube. Please share, if you think more women should know about LadyBalance.

https://youtu.be/_XjF53xabtw

Recent user feedback:

October 19, 2015

I started using LadyBalance on a regular basis over two years ago and I cannot even begin to say how it has changed my life.

I use to have an odor that made it unpleasant to be intimate and it was not because I was not clean.  Since I have been using LadyBalance I no longer have to worry about odor.  I am moist and no longer have to use a lubricant during intercourse and I no longer bleed after intercourse.  If that is not enough, the most amazing thing is that I have a wart that had become large in that area and I was considering seeing a dermatologist to have it removed.  I believe because of the PH balance using LadyBalance, the wart has reduced so small in size that I am no longer considering having it removed.

Thank you for creating LadyBalance and changing the intimate part of my life.

Regards,

Nancy

References:

NA Cooper & R Moores (2014): A review of the literature regarding nutritional supplements and their effect on vaginal flora and preterm birth. Curr. Opin. Obstet.Gynecol. 26(6) 487-92.

M.Taheri et al. (2015) Treatment of vitamin D deficiency is an effective method in the elimination of asymptomatic bacterial vaginosis: A placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial. Indian J. Med. Res. 141(6) 799-806