PREBIOTIC VS PROBIOTIC

because apparently we been buying probiotics and dont even know what they eat 😭

Hoochies lets get into some science real quick because everybody and they mama is selling probiotics now.

PROBIOTICS are live microorganisms.

Basically bacteria and yeasts that can be beneficial to the body when you get the right ones in the right amounts.

And yes bacteria can be GOOD.

Your body is literally covered in bacteria. Your intestines got bacteria. Your mouth got bacteria. Your skin got bacteria. And your coochie has its own little bacterial neighborhood too.

A healthy vaginal microbiome is commonly dominated by different types of Lactobacillus bacteria.

Those lil hoes help maintain the acidic environment of the vagina and make substances like lactic acid that can make it harder for certain unwanted organisms to overgrow.

So when people say GOOD BACTERIA thats what they talking about.

WTF IS A PREBIOTIC THEN?

A prebiotic is basically food for beneficial microbes.

Usually we are talking about certain types of fibers and carbohydrates that your body doesnt completely digest.

So instead of YOU breaking all of it down your gut bacteria get to eat some too.

Imagine probiotics are the people living in the house.

Prebiotics are the groceries.

Because what the hell you thought them bacteria was living off of hopes and prayers???

Foods that naturally contain prebiotic fibers include stuff like

Onions
Garlic
Leeks
Asparagus
Oats
Bananas
Beans
Lentils
Apples
Jerusalem artichokes
And other fiber rich plant foods

When certain gut bacteria ferment these fibers they can create compounds like short chain fatty acids that interact with the gut lining immune system and metabolism.

That is one reason fiber is such a big deal.

SO CAN I JUST EAT CANDY AND FEED MY GOOD BACTERIA?

LMAOOOO NO.

This is where the word carbohydrate gets people fucked up.

Yes bacteria can use different sugars.

That does NOT mean eating a bag of Skittles is the same thing as eating prebiotic fiber.

Most simple sugar gets absorbed by YOUR body earlier in digestion.

Prebiotic fibers are different because they can make it farther through your digestive tract where bacteria can ferment them.

So no bitch.

Candy is not a probiotic feeding program.

Nice fuckingn try though.

NOW LETS TALK ABOUT THE COOCHIE

The vaginal microbiome works differently.

One of the major food sources connected to vaginal Lactobacillus is glycogen.

Estrogen helps vaginal cells build up glycogen.

As vaginal cells shed and glycogen gets broken down it can eventually provide sugars that vaginal bacteria can use.

That is part of the relationship between

Hormones
Vaginal cells
Bacteria
And vaginal pH

Which is also why your microbiome can change during different stages of your life and menstrual cycle.

Your hormones are in the group chat too.

DOES EATING PREBIOTICS AUTOMATICALLY FEED YOUR COOCHIE BACTERIA?

Not exactly.

And this is where social media starts lying because everything gotta become

EAT THIS ONE FOOD AND YOUR COOCHIE WILL TRANSFORM IN 24 HOURS.

Girl hellllllllllllll no.

Most dietary prebiotic research is about the gut microbiome.

Your diet can absolutely affect your overall health metabolism immune system and gut bacteria.

And there is ongoing research into how the gut reproductive tract hormones and immune system communicate.

But eating an onion does not teleport onion fiber directly into your vagina so Lactobacillus can have dinner.

The body is way more complicated than that.

AND WHAT ABOUT PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS?

This is another thing I need yall to stop doing blindly.

Every probiotic is NOT the same.

Different bacteria have different strains and different strains can do different things.

Just seeing

“10 BILLION CFU”

on the bottle doesnt automatically mean you bought something specifically proven to help vaginal health.

Researchers have studied certain Lactobacillus strains for vaginal health BV and yeast related issues but the results depend on the strain product dose and situation.

Probiotics are not a guaranteed cure for BV yeast infections STIs or every random smell that comes out your coochie.

Sometimes you need an actual diagnosis.

Because throwing probiotic capsules at chlamydia is not wellness babe thats delusion.

THE EASY WAY TO REMEMBER IT

PRO = the beneficial microbes

PRE = what helps feed certain beneficial microbes

The probiotic is the bitch.

The prebiotic is her plate.

And your body is the whole damn restaurant.

But when it comes to your vaginal microbiome there is another major character in the story

GLYCOGEN.

And we finna talk about her too because Hoochie Science is officially in session.

The more you understand WHY your body does what it does the less somebody can sell you a cute pink bottle and tell you it magically fixes your pussy.