Berries: A Natural Remedy for Bladder Infections

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Home remedies prepared from cranberries, blueberries and bear berries have been shown to help to prevent and treat Urinary tract infections (UTIs). A UTI is a bacterial infection that affects one or more components of the urinary tract.

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC), over half of all women suffer at least one UTI in their lifetime. While urinary tract infections are commonly treated with pharmaceutical antibiotics, 30 to 40 per cent of the infections recurr within six months of treatment. A number of studies have shown that compounds in the berries profiled below are beneficial in the treatment of these infections of the urinary tract.

Cranberry

According to a report carried in the ‘Journal of the American Medical association’, cranberry contains compounds that stop bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder, thereby preventing infection. In a study comparing seven different types of juice, it was shown that cranberry juice reduced the level of E. coli adhesion. This berry also has a chemical known as arbutin, which is both a diuretic and an antibiotic.

Drink 17 ounces of cranberry juice per day. You are bound to get a lot of calories from it, as its tart taste calls for sweetening to make it bearable. So bear this in mind when you plan the rest of your meals

Blueberry

Blueberry is a rich dietary source of antioxidants that help the body fight bacterial infection. Like cranberry, blueberry contains high levels of the arbutin compounds, which prevent infection by inhibiting the binding of bacteria to bladder tissue. Arbutrin also gives it both diuretic and antibiotic properties.

Bearberry

Dr. Varro Tyler, in the book ‘Herbs of Choice’, refers to bearberry as the most potent antibacterial herb for the treatment of urinary tract infections. The list of herbs he gives come from the recommendation of the body of experts in natural medicine in Germany, known as Commission E.

Bearberry is also rich in arbutin. Take ten grams every day, which equals between 400 to 700 mg of arbutin. Antibacterial activity will be at its peak after three or four hours after taking bearberry.

References

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/urinary-tract-000169.htm