When you hear the word microbiome, you probable immediately think about the gut, right? But did you know that many parts of the body have a microbiome?? Yup! The mouth, nose, gut, and vagina all have their very own unique microbiome communities, and they all communicate with each other. Crazy right?

The gut and vagina share a communication channel called the gut-vagina axis, and today we are going to dive deeper into how exactly they affect each other–and how your nutrition & gut health play a role in that connection. I have experienced vaginal issues due to what was happening in my gut, so I really think it’s important to talk about so more women understand what is happening in their bodies.

I had no idea that the gut and vagina were interconnected until I started investigating the symptoms I was having on my own–and I found out (and fixed) what was happening in my body. I am so passionate about sharing this topic so I hope you are too.

What is the gut-vagina axis?

The gut–vagina axis is the communication channel between your digestive system and your reproductive tract—a two-way relationship where the health of your gut microbiome can directly influence the balance of bacteria in the vagina, and vice versa.

Just like your gut, your vagina has its own microbiome made up of bacteria and fungi that help protect you from infection and maintain overall balance.

Here’s the interesting part: in the gut, a diverse mix of microbes is considered healthy. But in the vagina, the opposite is true—a healthy vaginal microbiome is actually less diverse and dominated by just one or two species of good bacteria called Lactobacillus.

These Lactobacillus species produce lactic acid, which keeps the vaginal environment slightly acidic (around a pH of 3.5–4.5). That acidity makes it harder for harmful bacteria and yeast to grow, which helps prevent infections like BV (bacterial vaginosis) and yeast overgrowth.

Researchers have found that the gut and vaginal microbiomes stay in constant communication through several key pathways:

• Microbial migration – since the gut and vagina are anatomically close, bacteria can travel between them.

• Immune signaling – the gut trains immune cells that later help defend the vaginal lining.

• Hormonal regulation – certain gut bacteria influence estrogen levels, which shape the vaginal environment.

In short, when the gut microbiome is balanced, it helps the vaginal microbiome stay resilient and protective too. But when gut health is off—like with inflammation, dysbiosis, or sluggish digestion—it can show up as changes in the vaginal microbiome as well. This can lead to things like yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, painful intercourse, UTI’s and other issues.

So if you are experiencing any of these issues, it may just be related to your gut!

How The Gut Affects The Vaginal Microbiome

Like we just learned, the gut is home to billions of bacteria–both good and bad–and when they are playing together nicely, the gut stays balanced. This then leads to the vagina staying balanced and happy as well. But–if something is off, this can lead to a disruption of the ratio of good and bad bateria, which can seep its way down to the vagina and cause it to go off balance as well.

How does this happen?

It’s really fascinating actually!

The gut and the vagina communicate in different ways. The first is through immune signaling. The gut is home to around 70% of your immune system, and it actually “trains” immune called to know what is friendly or harmful. When the gut is healthy, it teaches your immune system to support the good guys like Lactobacillus–the same species that dominates in a healthy vaginal microbiome!

Here’s something cool–immune cells called IgA producing plasma cells can actually travel from the gut to the vagina! They create an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA), which coats the good bacteria like Lactobacillus and helps them stick to the walls of the vagina. So it kinda of flags them as good bacteria so they can grow and thrive, and for a stable and protective community in the vagina.

If the gut microbiome becomes imbalanced, your immune system can get confused, and will then produce less IgA antibodies and more inflammatory signals. This makes it harder for the good bacteria to colonize the vagina, and opens up opportunities for the unwanted microbes that can cause infections or inflammation to make their way in.

Another way the gut and vagina communicate is the hormonal pathway. Particularly the hormone estrogen.

Estrogen is so important to the health of the vagina. It helps the lining to stay thick, hydrated, and rich in glycogen–yes THAT glycogen–a natural carbohydrate that feeds the good Lactobacillus bacteria! Glycogen is good for more than just building muscles, and feeding your brain!

When estrogen levels are balanced, these health bacteria can thrive, and start producing lactic acid to maintain the vagina’s healthy acidic pH and keep harmful microbes at bay.

Here’s where the gut’s role comes in: your gut microbiome actually helps regulate how much estrogen is circulating in your body. If the gut is inflamed or sluggish, it can interfere with the way estrogen is broken down and recycled. This imbalance can show up as dryness, irritation, or shifts in the vaginal microbiome–because without enough estrogen, Lactobacillus doesn’t get the food it needs to flourish.

So even though you wouldn’t think that the gut and hormones have anything to do with vaginal health, they’re actually deeply connected. A healthy gut also helps keep the hormones steady too–creating the perfect environment for your vaginal microbiome to thrive.

Lastly–and in my opinion, the most fascinating way the gut communicates with the vagina is through the estrobolome.

What The Heck Is The Estrobolome?

The human body is so complex and it never ceases to amaze me! The estrobolome is the group of bacteria in your gut that helps to regulate estrogen–basically it’s your body’s natural hormone-balancing microbiome.

Cool right? If you don’t think that’s cool I understand but I do!

How does it work? When your liver processes estrogen, it “tags” it for removal so it can leave your body through your stool. But certain gut bacteria have an enzyme called β-glucuronidase that can actually remove that “tag”, allowing that estrogen to be re-activated and re-absorbed back into your system.

When the gut is in balance, this process helps keep estrogen levels healthy–not too low or too high. But if your gut microbiome is off ( like from antibiotics, low-fiber, inflammation, or like me–damaged from illness like covid), your estrobolome can go too quiet, or it can ramp up into overdrive. This can lead to too little estrogen (which can cause dryness, discomfort, and loss of Lactobacillus), or too much estrogen ( which can lead to PMS symptoms, endometriosis, or even fibroids!).

This is one of the clearest examples of how gut health affects hormone balance, and why supporting the microbiome with nutrient- dense, and fiber-rich foods is so important. Fiber actually helps the body remove used estrogen, while fermented foods and prebiotics feed the good bacteria that keep the estrobolome functioning properly.

So now we know that the bacteria in your gut are literally helping manage your hormones, mood, and even your vaginal health…which is crazy to think about! And all that we hear online and in advertising is that beneficial bacteria are just good at regulating your bowel movements, when it’s so much deeper than that.

Bringing It All Together

When you sit back and look at the big picture, the gut and the vagina are always talking to each other behind the scenes. What happens in one area doesn’t stay there–it travels through the immune system, hormones, and even the blood stream.

A healthy gut supports a thriving vaginal microbiome by:

• Strengthening Immunity through antibodies like IgA, which help good bacteria like Lactobacillus stick there and grow
• Balancing hormones through the estrobolome
• Reducing inflammation so your body can focus on protecting tissues instead of constantly putting out fires

How do we support all of this?

The best way to support a healthy vagina is the same way we support a healthy gut–through our diet. We need to not only eat to nourish our microbiome, but also to prevent and calm inflammation.

• Eat plenty of of fiber-rich foods–but be mindful of too much fiber if you have gut issues, this can cause more problems. Things like non-starchy veggies, fruit, legumes and nuts & seeds.
• Incorporate probiotic & prebiotic foods, like fermented veggies (if tolerated),like raw sauerkraut and kimchi, as well as other fermented foods like kefir and coconut yogurt.
• Eat more warm cooked meals that are easier to digest and support Agni (your digestive fire). This has been so beneficial for me.
• Cut out ultra-processed foods as much as possible. White flour and refined grains, sugars, oils, preservatives like carrageenans and polysorbate 80 can wreak havoc on an inflames gut. Also try to cut out all fried foods, these are not going to add any health benefits to your body, but especially to an already irritated digestive system–and then your vaginal ecosystem. Think fresh whole food as much as possible.

I have tested these out on my own body and have seen so many wonderful benefits to my gut, my vaginal health, AND my rosacea. Remember, the gut communicates with every part of the body through different pathways, but they are all connected, so when you improve one area, you will improve over all.

When your gut is happy, your hormones steady themselves, your skin calms, and your whole body feels more balanced. Everything from digestion to your cycle, to your mood! That’s the essence of Nutriopathy™. Healing one system leads to overall healing.

Lifestyle & Product Support

I have found some products in my healing journey that I found helpful to the vaginal microbiome if you want to look into them for yourself.

Seed VS-01 Vaginal Symbiotic | Probiotic Suppository: This is a probiotic capsule that you insert into the vagina and it helps repopulate your vaginal microbiome with Lactobacillus crispatus bacteria–one of the most protective species for maintaining a balanced low pH environment.

The Honey Pot Co Prebiotic Wash: The is a feminine wash for the vagina that  promotes a healthy balance of good vaginal bacteria with the infusion of prebiotics and the probiotic lactobascillus ferment.

The Honey Pot Co Organic Cotton Cover Cooling Herbal Infusion Regular Liners: These daily liners are infused with cooling herbs like aloe vera, mint, and lavender, and help sooth and keep you feeling fresh. I find them to be helpful after my period, since that can cause your pH to become off balance. These are very helpful if you ever suffer with irritation.

Another thing I found is to use period underwear instead of tampons or pads, since you can wash them and they breathe, allowing better airflow on your period. I use The Period Co.

In conclusion

Your gut and vagina are always in quiet conversation — through hormones, immunity, and even the foods you eat. When you start caring for one, you naturally begin to support the other. That’s the beauty of a whole-body approach. Healing isn’t about quick fixes; it’s about helping your body remember how to balance itself— from your digestion to your hormones to your skin.

I hope you found this helpful — and if you learned something new, that’s all I could hope for! If you’d like to work with me or just chat more about your own wellness journey, I’d love to hear from you.

📧 Email: Shauna@realisticwellnessbyshauna.com

📱 Instagram: @realisticwellnessbyshauna

🎥 TikTok: @realisticwellness8

See you next time

Shauna