9 Surprising Foods That Can Impact Your Vaginal Health

When eating particular foods, we usually think about what is good for our body or our energy levels, but we don’t usually pick a meal based on what it will do to our vaginal heatlh. However, there are a number of foods that can impact vaginal health, and this can be anything from causing a yeast infection or even some unwanted odor. It’s not exactly something you learn in nutrition class, but if you’re looking to keep your vaginal health in tact, you’ll want to make sure you’re tweaking your lifestyle to make sure everything runs smoothly with your reproductive system. “Diet affects everything, and the vagina follows the same rules of thumb as the rest of your body,” Dr. Angela Jones, M.D., FACOG, tells Bustle. “Too much sugar — not a good thing. Too much alcohol — not a good thing.” Everything in moderation. Some of these foods, especially the ones that just affect smell, are still healthy for you, which means you don’t want to cut them out completely. Just make sure you’re balancing them with other food groups. To keep your vaginal health in tip-top shape, pay attention to these nine surprising foods that can may impact vaginal health, according to experts.

1. Alcohol

“While most of us enjoy a drink or two (or three), remember some of the detrimental effects of alcohol,” Jones says. “Other than hangovers, alcohol is very ‘drying.”’ And if your body is dry, Dr. Jones says that this may have consequences for your vaginal health as well. “Not being adequately hydrated makes it harder for the vagina to produce adequate amounts of lubrication,” Jones says. There’s nothing wrong with having a few drinks now and then, but it’s important to keep in mind that anything more than that can be potentially harmful. Chronic binge-alcohol drinking can also lead to problems with sexual functioning and drive as well as sleep, so talk to your doctor if this is an issue for you.