Urinary Health: Studies Show Probiotics Could Improve UTI Symptoms
Anyone who’s suffered from a urinary tract infection, or UTI, knows how debilitating they can be. Burning, cramping, spasms, frequency—all the symptoms of a UTI are unpleasant. Looking to improve UTI symptoms and boost immune health, decrease depression and anxiety, resolve digestive issues and clear up skin problems while you’re at it? Recent studies suggest that you might want to give probiotic supplements a try.
A urinary tract infection happens when bacteria enters the urinary tract and settles in the bladder. Like most body systems, the urinary tract is built to prevent these sorts of infections caused by bacteria that originate from other parts of the body. Sometimes, though, our best defenses fail. Most UTIs are caused by E. coli, which is a type of bacteria that you usually find in the gut. The bacterium is commonly spread from the anus to the urethra.
Bacteria and the human body
There are bacteria all over the human body. They’re on your skin, they’re in your digestive system and they’re in your urinary tract. These bacteria are meant to live in harmony together, working to keep your body systems healthy and functioning correctly. When the various types of “good” and “bad” bacteria fall out of balance, though, you start seeing the results in uncomfortable ways. If it happens on your skin, you might see increased acne. If it happens in your digestive system, you might experience diarrhea or abdominal pain. If it happens in your urinary tract, you might suffer through the symptoms of a urinary tract infection. Enter the probiotic. With billions of bacteria in every dose, probiotic supplements are becoming an increasingly popular treatment for illnesses caused by bacteria or a bacterial imbalance. That includes urinary tract infections.
How are urinary tract infections usually treated?
A three-day course of antibiotics is the standard first step to treating a UTI. They’re effective for first-time patients, but that effectiveness tends to decrease with each infection that follows. About 50 percent of women experience more than one UTI in their lifetime, so this is a very real concern. There’s also the risk of creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In fact, that’s what has spurred scientists to develop new alternative therapies, including the use of probiotics to treat urinary tract infections.
Using probiotics to treat urinary tract infections
If you’re at all familiar with probiotic supplements, you know that they tend to be taken orally. However, whether you take a probiotic as a pill, a tablet or a powder, the billions of bacteria cultures it contains end up in the intestines. While there are some small studies focusing on oral probiotics and their efficacy in treating UTIs, most of the research that’s been conducted focuses on probiotics used topically. Studies have also been done using vaginal suppositories, probiotic-coated catheters and administration directly into the bladder. What have those studies found? One researcher writes, “Probiotics can be regarded as the single most powerful alternative option under clinical development for the prevention and treatment of chronic infection.” The research has found that probiotics are useful as a treatment for recurrent urinary tract infections. This is particularly true for patients with urogenital diseases who use catheters daily and are thus at a greater risk of contracting severe UTIs. The vaginal use of probiotic capsules weekly for one year in these patients has resulted in a significant drop in the rate of UTI recurrence. Scientists have also found that taking probiotics can help treat other urological and vaginal infections. While a mass-market probiotic treatment designed for UTIs is still being developed, oral probiotic supplements are easy to find and offer whole-body health benefits. Research has yet to find that oral supplements are as effective as topical ones, but they are safe for most people to take and they can help decrease problems you’re having from head-to-toe in addition to urinary tract infection symptoms. The applications for probiotic supplements as a treatment option appear endless. Scientists are hopeful that more uses are yet to be discovered, particularly for difficult- and expensive-to-treat chronic diseases.
