What I Never Thought I'd Do With Yogurt

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Intentionally living with yeast and bacteria has been fun. They are useful in a surprising number of ways. We currently cohabitate with a kombucha mother, a thermophilic cultured whey (similar to kefir), a yogurt starter, tempeh cultures, mushroom spores, a mesophilic culture (for cheese making) a red wine kombucha mother and we regularly make bread and wine that use yeast for rising and the creation of alcohol.

One of the benefits to having these friends around is that they give us pro and antibiotics which add complexity to the flora in our guts and GI tract, balance bacteria and yeast counts, regulate ph, and at times predigest our food (as enzymes do for us when we consume raw dairy).

Women are more familiar with the symbiotic relationship we have with these little organisms because when vaginal flora is out of whack women suffer common nuisances like yeast infections or bacterial vaginosis.

Eating foods made with live cultures wont likely produce an effect on vaginal flora, it's too far a journey. So what to do? Yogurt can bring balance by mixing a couple tablespoons of it with a quart of water in a hot water bottle douche and douching with it. Similarly probiotics in pill form can be inserted into the vagina before bed. I've heard of women soaking tampons in yogurt and then wearing them. The vagina (unlike other parts of the body) should have a PH of around 4.5, it needs acidity to keep away bad bacteria. If a home PH strip reveals too alkaline an environment a dose of probiotics is likely a good idea to maintain good heath. Yogurt happens to contain just the right microbes for vaginas!

A tip: if you suspect you may have bacterial vaginosis you can perform a whiff test, which is one of the ways Dr. 's test for it. When discharge from the vagina meets potassium hydroxide (found in soap made with lye) a strong fishy smell should be produced. If soap is producing a scent than use a PH strip to see if the flora is too alkaline. If it is you likely have bacterial vaginosis and need to start building up probiotics in the body.

Cheers to good health and good relationship's with microorganisms.