Women: The key to urinary health starts with the gut

As most women who have suffered urinary health issues know, such conditions can be irritating and uncomfortable. Luckily, there are practical steps you can take to naturally support your urinary tract. It’s first important to understand how your body stays healthy. Believe it or not, one of the keys to optimal urinary function is a healthy gut. When you have diverse strains of good bacteria thriving in your digestive tract, it fortifies your immune health and makes it more difficult for the bad guys to settle in, promoting urinary health from your core.

Unfortunately, many aspects of modern life can make it difficult to maintain a healthy level of good bacteria: Processed foods, stress, exposure to antibiotics, environmental toxins, the use of daily antibacterial products and even overzealous hygiene habits, to name a few.

What’s more, even the inevitable process of ageing is a factor. To support your gut health, aim to eat a diet high in whole foods, paying careful attention to include prebiotic-rich choices, such as garlic, dandelion greens, and onions. Prebiotics feed the good bacteria in the gut. You’ll want to be sure to take care of your gut and immune system with probiotics, too. While foods like yoghurt, kimchi and miso soup contain probiotics, you may find it helpful to incorporate more targeted support like probiotics for women into your wellness regimen. Look for a time-released formula designed to survive stomach acids (as many do not).

In addition to prioritising gut health, you’ll want to consider adding powerful benefits of cranberries to your daily routine. And while cranberry juice is often the go-to solution for urinary health, cranberry extract in supplement form is much more concentrated, and doesn’t have the added calories or sugar.

Whether you struggle with urinary health issues or want to stay one step ahead of the potential problems, be proactive about your wellness. Do what it takes to protect and nurture your gut, immune, urinary and overall health so you can feel and function at your best each day.