Herbs for Urinary Health: Uva Ursi

Last week I was preparing to travel with my hubbie to Europe and I came down with a urinary infection. Yuck!

I didn’t want to use antibiotics; as part of natural, healthy living, I save their usage until I really need them. So I turned to my list of herbal helpers: uva ursi, cranberry, and buchu.

It took only a few days to get my system up and healthy once again. I thought I would spend the next few blog entries briefly introducing these herbs.

Uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva ursi) is a hardy evergreen shrub. It is also known as bearberry since bears like eating the fruit. Uva ursi has been used medicinally since the 2nd century. Native Americans used the leaves for a natural remedy for urinary infections.

Until sulfa drugs and antibiotics were discovered, uva ursi was a common treatment for urinary infections. Its antibacterial properties come from several chemicals, including hydroquinone. The herb also contains tannins that have astringent qualities, which tighten body tissues, helping to fight infection and reduce inflammation.

For more info about uva ursi, visit the University of Maryland Medical Center’s website and HerbWisdom.com.

Next time I'll talk about the role cranberry can play as one of the best natural remedies for urinary problems.