sippin' on that good good...drink for my vagina

In honor of the launch of our new panti, the DRNK IN LOVE (the bikini cut to slay them all), dylan wanted to find out just how drinking alcohol affects our favorite body part and what (if anything) is good for us to sip on in honor of our vaginal health. Can drinking too much beer give you a yeast infection? Can drinking pineapple juice really make you taste better down there? 

We did some research and spoke to naturopathic doctor Laura von Hagen, ND. to get the answers.

So, let's get straight to it. 

Can drinking too much beer give me a yeast infection?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: It can contribute. According to Dr. Laura, the yeast in beer is not enough on its own to give you a yeast infection. That being said, poor hydration (which drinking alcohol causes) and excess sugar (which beer has) can upset your flora balance, which are both contributing factors to yeast infections (as is birth control). If you do have a yeast infection, it’s best to avoid drinking alcohol in general.

Extra Good-Good: If you do have a yeast infection or are prone to them, reach for an unsweetened kafir drink. This fermented yogurt drink has tons of beneficial bacteria in it and is easier for people who are sensitive to lactose to digest.

Will drinking alcohol mess with my vagina’s PH levels?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Yes. Drinking alcohol dehydrates you and the excess sugar can cause your flora to become imbalanced. Dr. Laura recommends drinking in moderation and making sure you stay hydrated.

Extra Good-Good: According to Dr. Laura, we shouldn’t let ourselves fall into the trap of getting trendy “alkaline” foods to heal our bodies. “The whole eating more alkaline foods is a load of crap. I don’t see any research that supports the theory that more alkaline foods are better for you than acidic foods. Just be balanced,” she says. In fact, we want our vaginas to be more acidic!

Will alcohol make it harder or easier for me to have an orgasm?

Short answer: Probably harder.

Long answer: For some women, having lowered inhibitions will enable them to come to orgasm more quickly. However, alcohol is a suppressant, so your central nervous system will be working more slowly. This means you may feel less and it may take you longer to get to where you wanna go!

Can kombucha help cure my yeast infection by giving me probiotics?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: Drinking kombucha may help prevent yeast infections as it helps the gut stay balanced and if you’re processing your food better, then your vagina will be healthier.

Extra Good-Good: If you have an overabundance of candida, which can lead to fungal infections, Dr. Laura suggests a 'weed and seed' regiment to bring your vagina back to balance. Weed out the excess candida by using garlic, which has natural antimicrobial properties. Eating it raw directly after crushing or using a natural garlic supplement will be the most effective way to ingest the garlic. Then, seed the good bacteria by taking probiotics that contain lactobacillus rhamnosus and lacto bascillis reuteri.

Can drinking ginger tea help alleviate my cramps?

Short answer: Yes!

Long answer: You just need to get the right amount. Drinking the tea might not be enough to help. Studies show that if you consume two grams of ginger a day, beginning three days before you expect your menses, it can be as effective as taking medication for relieving cramps.

Extra Good-Good: Take ginger capsules to ensure you’re getting enough active ingredients to get the benefits and drink ginger tea, for the therapeutic effects. Give yourself all the love before your moon cycle.

Will drinking pineapple juice help me taste better down there?

Short answer: No.

Long answer: According to Dr. Laura, nothing is guaranteed to make you taste a certain way down under. We all have our own natural scents and flavors (which we should embrace). Having a healthy, balanced diet will make you healthier overall and if you are healthy, your flora will be too. Musty, metallic, and earthy smells are all completely normal! However, if you have a strong fishy smell happening, it's a good sign something is off.

Extra Good-Good: If you want to make sure your vagina is in tip-top shape, talk to your doctor about getting on a pro-biotic regiment that includes lactobacillus rhamnosus and lacto bascillis reuteri, as both have been shown in studies to benefit our vaginal health. 

Can cranberry juice cure a UTI?

Short answer: Probably not, but it may help prevent one.

Long answer: If you already have a UTI, drinking cranberry juice is probably not going to be enough to cure it, just because of the insane amount of (unsweetened!) juice you would actually have to drink to get rid of the infection, Dr. Laura tells us.

However, cranberry juice is rich in anthocyanins, which have been shown to prevent E. coli from sticking to the walls of the urethra. So, drinking unsweetened cranberry juice regularly can help prevent UTIs from happening in the first place and may help you kick one if you catch it early on. However, you’re going to need to drink around 8 glasses to get a high enough dose of anthocyanins to help.

Extra Good-Good: If you’re reaching for supplement pills as a regiment to help prevent UTIs, try D-mannose pill. D-mannose is a natural sugar found in cranberry that has been shown to be helpful in the prevention of UTIs.

Can drinking soymilk help alleviate my vaginal dryness?

Short answer: Maybe.

Long answer: It depends on what is causing your vaginal dryness. The vagina is an estrogenized organ, and sometimes women going through menopause experience vaginal dryness as their estrogen levels drop. If you vaginal dryness is indeed caused by your estrogen levels dropping (only a blood test will be able to tell you for sure), then drinking soymilk, which contains phytoestrogen, will likely help! The estrogens in soymilk can help your vagina start to produce moisture again. Dr. Laura recommends 2-3 servings of unsweetened soymilk (or any other soy product) a week to begin. 

Extra Good-Good: Of course, too much of anything is bad. Increasing estrogen levels in the body too much can cause adverse problems, like acne. Keep an eye on how your body is reacting to eating soy.

Is there anything I can drink that will increase my sex drive?

Short answer: Maybe.

Long answer: There’s not a lot of research out there about natural remedies for sex drive and most of the research is for men (go figure). However, there’s promising new research out there about maca from Peru. Preliminary studies have shown it to stimulate libido and increase sex drive.

Extra Good-Good: Dr. Laura recommends adding the gelatinized form of maca to a smoothie for best results.

The Takeaway

It’s all about balance, lady. There’s no magic elixir for a healthy vagina. We have to make ourselves healthy first! This means a healthy, balanced diet and staying hydrated. Drinking alcohol affects our vaginas only as much as we let our drinking make us unhealthy.

"If you have reoccurring UTIs, yeast infections, or other symptoms, you should talk to your doctor about preventative measures. These things can happen, but they shouldn’t be the norm. If you are having reoccurring issues, it’s a sign that something is off," Dr. Laura says.

Another way to make sure your vagina is happy is by wearing the right underwear! Check out our other blogs posts to see what dylan underwear style to wear, when. We love DRNK IN LOVE because of its versatility and wearability--whether it be to bed, to brunch, or to board meetings.

Written with love by Kristen Koester-Smith of copybykristen.com, providing copywriting and storytelling for brands of integrity.