probiotic treatment for various diseases like IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), diarrhea, bacterial vaginosis, and other diseases (especially infectious diseases) have been used widely nowadays.
these treatments have proven to give promising results.
the use of probiotics for medicinal purposes is increasing over the globe each day. more and more new probiotic strains and species are beginning to be used for this purpose.
UTI is one of those diseases that probiotic treatment has shown to give good results.
here is the list of the best probiotics that can treat uti.
1_ Lactobacillus acidophilus
2_ Lactobacillus rhamnosus
3_ Lactobacillus reuteri
4_ Lactobacillus plantarum
5_ Lactobacillus casei
6_ Lactobacillus fermentum
7_ Lactobacillus paracasei
8_ Lactobacillus gasseri
9_ Bifidobacterium bifidum
10_ Lactobacillus crispatus
so I have found a product on amazon which contains about 5 of these UTI healthy probiotics listed above within its probiotics formula it’s a 60 billion probiotic formula, here you can check its price on Amazon.
this is the best probiotic product suited for people with UTI that I found until now, I’ll keep you in check if I find other UTI suited probiotic products
it also contains prebiotics which are basically the food for the probiotic bacteria and also dietary fibers to ease the digestion process.
now we will break down this list and talk about each probiotic strain that we have given you in this list and talk about it individually.
why is this strain or species of probiotics can help in treating the UTI? does it has any particular risks for the UTI or our health in general or can these probiotic species turn into bad bacteria? in what type of food or supplement can we find this probiotic? and more questions will be answered on this subject next.
but before that, we must answer this question what are probiotics?
probiotics are microorganisms (mostly bacteria) that are not harmful to the human body but on the contrary, the body can benefit from them in various ways.
now our bodies already contain various species of probiotics in the large intestine area or the guts or bowel. most of the probiotics in our body are found in the colon region in the large intestine.
not all of the probiotics are 100% beneficial for human beings. some probiotics inside our body turn bad when the immune system gets weak or in case of a certain disease.
some others are beneficial for humans in a certain area of the body but if they go to another area they turn bad.
some of them can help in curing certain diseases more than others and so on. so now let’s begin our discussion on the best probiotics that can help in treating the UTI shall we?
the first beneficial probiotics for the UTI that we are gonna discuss is
1_ Lactobacillus acidophilus:
Lactobacillus acidophilus is a species of bacteria that have been found naturally in the gastrointestinal tract (gut) and the mouth of humans and other mammals too.
now UTI is a bacterial invasion to one or more of the parts of the urinary tract it occurs mostly in the bladder. now, where did this invading bacteria come from? in most cases, they come from the large intestine (colon).
in some people, the probiotics that are living inside their large intestine (called normal flora) are somewhat weak or small in quantity. this gives the harmful bacteria a chance to invade the colon and from there they can go through the anus to the outside.
and then from the outside to the urethra of the infected man or woman and then to the bladder where they cause the UTI. when you have an adequate quantity of L. acidophilus and an adequate quantity of probiotics in general in your large intestine and especially in the colon then that will prevent the bad bacteria from invading your colon.
according to the Oxford academic website L. acidophilus has the ability to produce compounds that have antimicrobial activity. so if you have an adequate quantity of L. acidophilus in your gut then you are less likely to have intestinal problems and thereby less likely to have UTI also.
L. acidophilus has also been found in the vagina of female humans.
it’s has been found that this species of probiotics play a very effective role in the prevention of bacterial vaginosis (bacterial infection of the vagina).
it prevents the invading bacteria from sticking out to the inner walls of the vagina. also, L. acidophilus produces lactate and other acidic compounds that kill the bacteria.
when there is a small amount of L. acidophilus in the vagina it will begin to be less acidic and this will give the harmful bacteria the chance to cause bacterial vaginosis which can lead to UTI.
many patients that suffer from recurrent UTI don’t know that bacterial vaginosis is causing the urinary tract infection (UTI) to return. because they manage to kill the bacteria in the urinary tract but the bacteria in the vagina is still there.
so this bacteria inside the vagina will have the opportunity to travel to the urethra (which is a very short distance between them) after the treatment of the UTI for a while and cause the UTI to recur.
with L. acidophilus treatment this scenario will be much harder to happen in the future. although L. acidophilus has shown to have no harm to humans and they are considered as generally safe.
taking supplements that contain L. acidophilus in immunocompromised patients is not advisable.
people with short bowel syndrome, central venous catheters, cardiac valve disease, and premature infants should not take L. acidophilus supplements.
normally I would recommend taking a product containing a variety of probiotics types but Lactobacillus acidophilus alone can also be helpful for UTI.
so I found a product on amazon that contains only lactobacillus acidophilus (10 billion CFU per capsule) click on the link to check it out
2_ Lactobacillus rhamnosus:
some strains of the Lactobacillus rhamnosus species are beginning to be used for medicinal purposes.
they appear under the microscope in a rod shape gotten together in a chain shape.
just like L. acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus posses a great ability in the treatment of bacterial vaginosis infection (bacterial infection in the vagina).
and as we said earlier bacterial vaginosis is a disease that can cause a UTI or cause it to keep coming back even if the patient had treated it properly.
bacteria from the vagina can easily invade the near urethra and then go to the bladder and cause a uti. Lactobacillus rhamnosus is not usually involved in the process of milk fermentation, but recently they have been used in certain types of cheese and yogurts and other dairy products.
taking oral Lactobacillus rhamnosus supplements has not shown to have any dangerous consequences.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus does not have the ability to go through to the intestinal mucosa and reach the blood, in healthy individuals generally.
most of the bacteria when ingested they cannot tolerate the acidity of the stomach. and the ones that can tolerate the acidity of the stomach (like Lactobacillus rhamnosus and L. acidophilus) will not breach the barriers of the stomach or the gastrointestinal tract to reach the blood.
only in the case of people who have certain diseases like ulcer or people with a weak immune system or infants, it would be dangerous for them to take any type of supplements that contain Lactobacillus rhamnosus.
taking supplements or eating yogurts and cheeses that contain Lactobacillus rhamnosus, although very rare, can lead to sepsis or other dangerous diseases (like endocarditis) with these people groups.
Lactobacillus rhamnosus can be found (sometimes) in the gut of the humans, meaning that it’s not always there with the microflora of the intestine (the natural probiotics of the intestine).
its presence has been found to enhance the balance of the intestinal microflora (the more probiotics you have in your intestine the better).
a significant improvement in the conditions of gastroenteritis, irritable bowel syndrome, and diarrhea have been found in the people who were given Lactobacillus rhamnosus.
improvement in those diseases plays a major part in the treatment and protection against UTI because intestinal diseases can lead to UTI at many times.
also here is lactobacillus rhamnosus alone (5 billion CFU) in a product made by Swanson probiotics
3_ Lactobacillus reuteri:
this bacteria has been found to release a certain type of antimicrobial compound called Reuterin, which possess antimicrobial activity. meaning that it has the ability to kill bacterial, fungal, and also viral infections.
according to a review done by the NCBI website to a bunch of studies done on the subject of probiotics that can treat the UTI. Lactobacillus reuteri is one of two strains of probiotics that had the most effective in treating the UTI.
Lactobacillus reuteri is found in the urinary tract as part of the urogenital flora (the good bacteria or probiotics in the urinary tract of normal healthy human beings).
when a person gets a urinary tract infection (UTI) the invading bad bacteria dominates the urinary tract. so as the quantity of the bad bacteria rises, the quantity of the probiotics or the normal flora including the Lactobacillus reuteri decline.
which gives the chance for more bad bacteria to come in, which leads to a worsened infection.
it’s only a matter of logic that scientists will try to restore those good probiotic bacteria to where they were in the urinary tract. and this has actually worked, giving Lactobacillus reuteri to patients who suffer from recurrent UTI, has shown to prevent the UTI from happening in the future.
Lactobacillus reuteri is best taken after you treat the UTI, meaning that it showed the best effect in the prophylaxis (prevention) against the UTI.
Lactobacillus reuteri as we said produces a compound called Reuterin.
some studies done on this compound have shown that it has the ability to kill one of the species of bacteria that cause the uti which is the E.coli bacteria.
reuterin had the ability to kill that bacteria just like an industrial antibiotic which is called gentamicin, this is a very promising result. in 80% of the cases, community-acquired UTI is caused by the E. coli bacteria.
having the ability to kill that bacteria, and also having the ability to colonize the intestine when given orally means that Lactobacillus reuteri is one of the best probiotics that you can have to prevent or even treat your UTI.
also, Lactobacillus reuteri has shown its ability to kill the fungi called Candida albicans which is also responsible for some number of cases of the UTI.
also, it has shown to have the ability to kill many other infectious organisms that cause many intestinal diseases and infections. and in this way it can be considered an immunomedietary probiotic, meaning that it helps the immune system in getting rid of many dangerous organisms (including the E. coli bacteria that cause the UTI).
and by that, it can keep the immune system from being worn off by too many infections that it has to fight. and stay fresh for the infections that might occur in the future.
4_ Lactobacillus plantarum:
these probiotic bacteria have two indirect ways in which it can help you if you have a UTI. but first, we must know about the background of this probiotic bacteria.
it has a rod shape with rounded ends on both sides, it’s found in many types of dairy products like yogurts and cheeses. it’s also a natural inhabitant of the large intestine and saliva of the humans, so it’s found naturally within us without having to deliver it by foods or supplements. but it’s numbers can get low.
Lactobacillus plantarum can help the uti in two indirect ways.
the first one is that it’s responsible for producing antimicrobial substances that can suppress the growth of harmful bacteria in our intestines. when there is little of Lactobacillus plantarum in the intestine, the harmful bacteria will take its place and disturb the intestine and produces gasses which can cause bloating.
so gasses can actually be a symptom that your intestine is not very well.
by protecting the intestine from the harmful bacteria, Lactobacillus plantarum can help in treating or preventing the UTI. because the E. coli bacteria that cause the UTI comes from the colon first and then invade the urinary tract.
the second one is that Lactobacillus plantarum can help in reducing depression. how is that possible?
Lactobacillus plantarum can increase the concentration of a certain type of protein in the body called (hippocampal brain derived neurotrophic factor) which is known for its effects to reduce depression in humans.
so Lactobacillus plantarum can actually reduce depression.
no depression or reduced depression means a healthier immune system, a healthier immune system means a higher possibility of treating the UTI and a less possibility of getting a UTI in the first place.
here is a link for the study that was done on this subject in case you want to know more.
also here is a product that contains Lactobacillus plantarum alone (10 billion Cfu) check it out on Amazon.
5_ Lactobacillus casei:
these probiotic bacteria inhabit the intestines of humans naturally. it has the ability to survive in multiple ranges of temperature degrees and also highly acidic conditions.
the studies that I have looked on this subject suggest that Lactobacillus casei can have a slight effect on treating the ulcer disease caused by the H. pylori bacteria, but only to a slight degree.
no direct effect on healing the uti has been noticed, but its role in protecting the intestine from the harmful gas-producing bacteria is crucial in protecting and healing the UTI.
because just like it’s sisters that we have discussed before, the Lactobacillus casei treatment and protection for the intestine means closing the doorway to the urinary tract for harmful bacteria.
a healthy intestine means a healthy urinary tract which means no UTI.
not all of the Lactobacillus casei strains are considered probiotics, but in general, the strains that are used commercially are probiotics and safe. the most common use for Lactobacillus casei is in dairy production.
6_ Lactobacillus fermentum:
Not all the strains of this species have proven to be probiotics in the first place, meaning that some strains of this bacteria has a harming potential for humans.
but one strain from this bacteria species called Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 has shown to have antimicrobial effect which is good for the UTI.
after passing many tests in which it was put under somewhat acidic conditions and other extreme conditions in which it had survived, Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 is now considered as a probiotic.
Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 antimicrobial activity is mainly focused on killing the gram-negative bacteria. now the E. coli bacteria and other bacteria that cause the UTI like Klebsiella, Pseudomonas are gram-negative.
mainly all of the bacteria that cause the UTI are gram-negative bacteria. so the ability of Lactobacillus fermentum ME-3 to kill the gram-negative bacteria is a big advantage for people who have UTI over the other strains of probiotics.
the main disadvantage for this strain is that it’s not commercially available everywhere and only found under one brand name, not in supplement combinations with other probiotics.
Lactobacillus fermentum species have also cholesterol reduction properties and also antioxidative properties meaning that it can protect against cancer and that is another advantage for it.
7_ Lactobacillus paracasei:
this species of bacteria is a natural inhabitant of the human gastrointestinal tract. antimicrobial activities have been found in this species of bacteria.
About 8 strains of this probiotic have been found in the gut of humans.
They protect the intestine against the bacteria that might invade the intestine including the enterococci bacteria and other bacteria as well. This antibiotic property is beneficial for people with UTI.
8_ Lactobacillus gasseri:
these bacteria inhabit the inner lining of the vagina in females naturally.
it can produce a compound that is toxic to other bacteria called Lactocillin to prevent them from invading the vagina.
this Lactocillin has antimicrobial activities.
Of course, it does not do that for our sake, but to prevent other bacteria from competing with it over food in the vagina. but by doing that, female humans are benefited from this bacteria.
bacteria like E.coli will not enter the vagina in the presence of Lactobacillus gasseri and therefore it will not have the chance to cause UTI or other infections.
if you want lactobacillus gasseri you can find it here on amazon (3 billion Cfu), this product is also made by Swanson company (apparently this company makes a lot of probiotic products and they are getting good reviews on them too)
they claim that lactobacillus gasseri helps in fat metabolism some people have seen some weight loss with their lactobacillus gasseri product.
9_ Bifidobacterium bifidum:
this strain of probiotic is found in high quantities in the human and other mammals intestine, in fact, it may be the most abundant one.
its role in preventing infections caused by the E. coli bacteria is the reason why I have put it on this list.
preventing the E. coli bacteria means that the single most dangerous bacteria on the people with UTI is now eliminated.
that’s why this probiotic is very important for people suffering from uti.
10_ Lactobacillus crispatus:
this probiotic works hand by hand with Lactobacillus acidophilus in the female vagina to repel foreign microorganisms.
one of the microorganisms that Lactobacillus crispatus repels is the UTI causing bacteria.
many women who lack this probiotic have problems with recurrent UTI infections.
taking a supplement or a dairy product that contains this probiotic might solve the problem. and also better if it’s taken with the acidophilus probiotic.
both of these bacteria effects on the prevention or even the treatment of UTI is now scientifically proven.
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here is a little video about the probiotics benefits
so these were the best probiotics that you can take to treat your uti.
if you want to incorporate probiotics in your treatment for the uti it’s better to begin with eating different types of dairy products like cheese and yogurt and others. and then consult your doctor if you need more probiotics.
if it turns out that you need more probiotics then start to take some probiotic supplements. I advise you to take the supplements that contain 3 or 4 types of probiotics not more than that.
supplements that contain one type of probiotic can also be good especially for people with cases that need just this one specific probiotic.
if you gonna try dairy products I advise not to eat high amounts of it but rather eat it in moderate amounts on a daily basis. as for the supplements usually, the dose for them usually comes written on the package.
but usually, most of the probiotics supplements come with one capsule of probiotics per day dosage. otherwise, you can consult your doctor or local pharmacist about the dose.
in the end, I would like to bring your attention to the fact that probiotic treatments are generally safe and effective and are gonna be improved over time as new probiotic strains are gonna be introduced in the future.
as a pharmacist, I highly recommend taking probiotic treatments after healing the UTI, so that it won’t come back again.
if you want to use them as you are treating the UTI that’s fine but make sure you contact your doctor first.
some illnesses make it somewhat risky to use probiotic treatments mostly infections because they weaken the immune system, so it’s better if you heal the infection that you have first and then take probiotics.
an intestinal disease that weakens the inner lining of the gastrointestinal tract can increase the chance of some probiotic passing through the intestine to the bloodstream so be careful from that.
if you are taking medicines or having a condition that might weaken the immune system then you should not take any probiotic supplements and even decrease your intake of dairy products.
otherwise in healthy human beings or even if you have a UTI it’s O.K. to take probiotics but I’m only saying that for you to take precaution that’s all.
thank you for tuning in with me till the end of this article. be healthy and goodbye.