Can gut health impact female fertility? Expert answers

Many may not be aware that your gut health and fertility are related as gut and vaginal microflora are probably not the first things you think about when you think of conceiving but according to health experts, maybe you should include them in your to-do list. Expert answers In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Ritu Hinduja, Fertility Consultant at Nova IVF Fertility in Mumbai, talked about Lactobacillus bacteria and its role in vaginal health and shared, “The profile of the vaginal microbiome differs depending on age, but for most cases of healthy women of reproductive age, Lactobacillus species are the dominant vaginal bacteria. A high estrogen concentration can induce thicker vaginal secretions and a favourable pH level of the vagina both of which are important in providing a favourable environment for the sperm.” She elaborated, “Generally, a relatively high percentage of seminal Lactobacillus is positively associated with semen quality, which indicates Lactobacillus species may play a probiotic role in the male genital tract. When we take antibiotics for any kind of infection that leads to the healthy flora getting destroyed.” As for the tests to identify the balance of good bacteria in your Endometrium, she suggested, “There is also a test, The EMMA, which stands for Endometrial Microbiome Metagenomic Analysis, which can determine the composition of microbial species in the uterus. From the biopsied endometrial tissue, it can help identify the proportions of microorganism species and can flag imbalance between the “good” and “bad” bacteria.” Dr Ritu Hinduja explained, “A normal healthy endometrial microbiome should consist of more than 90 percent Lactobacillus species.