Fueling Your Pelvic Floor: A Nutritional Guide for Optimal Function and Health
What you eat plays a larger role in how you function than you may think. And what the pelvic floor needs to function is no exception.
When you consider foods that may benefit the pelvic floor you want to look for those that do the following:
reduce inflammation
promote healthy bacteria
balance pH
repair tissue &
improve muscle function
These benefits can lead to even more changes in your body, such as hormone balancing, when paired with other lifestyle modifications. For example, by reducing chronic inflammation and promoting healthy gut bacteria, your body is able to produce healthy levels of estrogen, leading to ovulation, which you’ll notice in your cervical mucus and natural lubrication.
These estrogen levels also promote healthy vaginal bacteria, like lactobacilis, which crowds out harmful bacteria that can cause yeast infections. And the same estrogen levels also improve muscle function, helping you control your bladder, get aroused, have an orgasm and much more.
So as you can see eating foods that promote a healthy pelvic floor, do so much more!
Let’s take a closer look at foods that benefit the pelvic floor.
Nutrients for pelvic floor health
A nutrient dense, well balanced “diet” allows you body to use the building blocks you are giving it to metabolize, create, or support cellular function. You will see an overlap in foods across the benefits, as they have multiple properties.
Foods to Reduce Inflammation
There are very specific anti-inflammatory foods that you can include in your diet. As well as foods containing protein and fiber, that when combined help your body decrease spikes in blood sugar that prevent insulin spikes leading to inflammation. The following list includes both:
Turmeric, especially its most compound form curcumin
Cinnamon
Eggs
Meat - when consuming meat source local, grass-fed, free-range, organic, pasture raised, vegetarian-fed as much as possible.
Fiber foods - Oatmeal, whole grains, beans, apples, berries, broccoli, nuts, avocado, greens
Healthy fats & omega 3s- olive oil, avocado, nuts, fish oil, coconut oil
Foods to promote healthy bacteria
When choosing foods to support your microbiome, it’s not only gut bacteria but vaginal bacteria that you want to bring balance to. This can be done with more direct methods with foods that are considered probiotics, which have live cultures in them or are fermented. As well as with foods like soluble fiber that nourish the good bacteria.
Probiotics - yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, sourdough bread
Soluble fiber - oatmeal, brown rice, onion, garlic, apples, peas, psyllium, carrots
Balance pH
The pH of your vagina is actually very acidic (<4.5) which helps the good bacteria thrive and kills the harmful bacteria. This maintains the “self cleaning” properties of the vagina, reducing your risk of infection or disease. When you pH is above 4.5 you are more susceptible to bacterial vaginosis, vaginitis, which is inflammation of the vaginal tissue, causing pain and can lead to pelvic floor muscle tension. This can then spiral into the sensations of an infection without actually having one and longer term pelvic floor issues.
Estrogen helps your body increase lactobacilis, which is the good vaginal bacteria, so eating foods like phytoestrogens which have similar properties as estrogen can help.
Probiotics - see list above
Phytoestrogens - soybeans, flax seed, dried fruit, apples, garlic, celery
Garlic
[Other than foods you eat, there are other recommendations for balancing vaginal pH, which is for a later blog]
Promote Tissue Repair
Once your pelvic floor has a healthy environment it is more likely to heal. This is especially important during rehab after birth or a surgery.
Part of healing may involve helping your muscles relax to reduce pain. Magnesium is a known muscle relaxant, thus foods rich, a supplement or topical magnesium may be helpful.
Food sources include:
Greens
Nuts & seeds
Beans
Whole grains, wheat and oat bran
Another piece to tissue healing is making sure the body has the building blocks to form new tissue, especially connective tissue called collagen. This requires specific amino acids, Vitamin C, zinc and copper, which can be found in the following foods:
Amino Acids (glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline)- fish, poultry, meat, eggs, legumes, dairy, soy
Vitamin C - citrus fruits, bell peppers, strawberries, broccoli, brussell sprouts
Zinc - oysters, nuts & seeds (pumpkin!), beans, whole grains & fortified cereals & dairy products
Copper - oysters & shellfish, nuts, beans, whole grains, organ meats, dark leafy greens, dried fruits
In addition to collagen building blocks, Vitamin B12 is important for red blood cell and DNA production, which is part of tissue repair.
B12 is found only in animal-based or fortified foods such as:
Beef
Liver
Fish & Shellfish
Eggs
Dairy products - milk, cheese, yogurt
Fortified cereals
Postpartum considerations include easy to digest meals and snacks that include a variety of these foods. Foods that have been slow cooked, roasted, or are warm can be more beneficial during the first 6 weeks than cold, uncooked foods.
Improve Muscle Function
Muscle function is important in the pelvic floor to ensure you don’t pee or poop yourself as well as to have good orgasms. Your muscles are made up of fibers that need specific nutrients to form and build strength. Again, there is an overlap seen here with estrogen, which has been noted to impact muscle function. So by do all of the above you are helping your muscles. Then you can support muscle formation and strength, with foods that are high in Vitamin D, omega 3 fatty acids and collagen such as.
Oily fish
Beef liver
Cod liver oil
Sardines
Certain mushrooms
Fortified foods - dairy products and cereals
When you are nourishing your pelvic floor through foods and you suspect a deficiency or want more in depth understanding of how foods work together, especially to balance hormones or in pregnancy & postpartum I highly recommend working with a dietician or nutritionist who is trained in women’s health.
Here are some to look into:
Local
Shelbyguptil.com
theprenatalrd.com
National
Hormonehealingrd.com
thefertilitypantry.com
rootsandshootsldn.com