New findings could help combat bacterial vaginosis

One of the most abundant fatty acids in the body – and a key component of the Mediterranean diet – may be a safe, easy and natural cure for bacterial vaginosis, a new laboratory study suggests. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News

One of the body's most abundant fatty acids — and a key component of the Mediterranean diet — may be a safe, simple and natural cure for bacterial vaginosis, a new laboratory study suggests.

Oleic acid may inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria that cause vaginosis and promote other types of bacteria that contribute to female health, researchers reported Tuesday in the journal Cell.

“Current treatments work as well as a coin toss, and that hasn't changed in over 40 years of medical practice. So new methods are needed to help patients,” said lead researcher Meilin Zhu, a doctoral student at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT.

According to researchers, more than half of all women develop bacterial vaginosis (BV) at least once in their lives and suffer from abnormal vaginal discharge, odor, irritation, itching or burning.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaginal douching and sexual intercourse with multiple partners can increase the risk of vaginosis in women.

If left untreated, vaginosis can cause pregnancy problems and increase the risk of sexually transmitted diseases, the researchers added.

The disease can be treated with antibiotics, but often recurs within a short period of time.

That's because antibiotics can cause a decline in a healthy type of bacteria called Lactobacillus, which naturally colonizes a woman's genital tract, researchers say.

These healthy bacteria are replaced by another species called Lactobacillus iners, which makes the genital tract more susceptible to bacterial vaginosis.

With this study, the researchers wanted to find methods to promote healthy bacteria in the female microbiome by testing various substances on laboratory-grown lactobacilli.

While preparing her research, Zhu discovered that in order to grow lactobacilli in the laboratory, she needed to add oleic acid to the culture medium.

Furthermore, Zhu discovered that oleic acid inhibited the growth of L. iners and promoted the growth of healthier bacteria such as the genus L.

Oleic acid is a fat that plays an important role in the Mediterranean diet, according to Stanford University. It is found in olive oil, nuts, seeds, soybeans and avocado.

Genetic analyses have shown that healthy bacteria contain genes that can process unsaturated long-chain fatty acids such as oleic acid, researchers report.

“We used cutting-edge genetic tools that many researchers in the field of vaginal microbiology have not had access to, even though they represent the gold standard for any mechanistic study,” Zhu said in a Harvard/MIT press release.

Subsequent laboratory tests showed that oleic acid was effective in blocking the growth of even antibiotic-resistant strains of vaginosis-causing bacteria.

Researchers are currently preparing a clinical trial to test this potential treatment in humans.

“We believe there is great potential to translate these findings into meaningful change in the vaginal microbiome, improve treatment of BV, and reduce negative health outcomes for women worldwide,” said co-lead researcher Dr. Doug Kwon, an infectious disease physician at Massachusetts General Hospital.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information on vaginosis.