Re: Natural cure for Bladder infection and IC?

The best treatment for standard urinary tract infections is the herb uva ursi, or manzanita leaf if you can find it. Uva ursi contains 2 aglycones (hydroquinone bound to a Sugar molecule). These aglycones remain intact until they reach the kidneys, then the aglycones are split releasing the antiseptic hydroquinones. The advantage here is that the antiseptic effect is specific to the urinary tract and will not kill the flora like Antibiotics or herbs like goldenseal, which can lead to secondary infections. Manzanita is stronger containing 16 different aglycones, but it is not as readily available as uva ursi.

The hydroquinones in uva ursi work most effectively in an alkaline environment. So it is best to take the uva ursi with some calcium citrate or a small amount of baking soda to alkalinize the urine.

I prefer using the tea made from steeping 1 teaspoon of the cut leaves to a cup of hot water.

Cranberry is a common treatment for UTIs as well, but studies have found that the capsules are not very effective, and most of the cranberry juice on the market is cocktail, not pure cranberry juice. Look for pure cranberry juice, or cranberry juice liquid concentrate. You can also use blueberries or blueberry juice to achieve the same goal. Unlike uva ursi, which kills the infection, cranberry and blueberry work by preventing the adherence of bacteria to the bladder wall.

Remember to drink plenty of water throughout the day and urinate frequently. One of the most common reasons for UTIs is not urinating frequently enough. Frequent urination flushes bacteria out of the urethra so it does not work its way up in to the bladder. For the same reason make sure to urinate immediately after intercourse. During intercourse bacteria can be pushed up in to the urethra.

The reason women are more prone to UTIs than men is because the urethra in women is shorter so there is less distance for the bacteria to travel to reach the bladder.

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the bladder with ulcerative and non-ulcerative subtypes. There has been no specific cause identified. One theory of IC though involves urinary toxins seeping in to the wall of the bladder triggering a release of histamine leading to tissue damage and nerve pain.

My recommendations for IC would be to focus on the adrenal glands first and to strengthen the bladder wall. The reason to focus on the adrenals is two part. Chronic inflammatory conditions in the body often result from adrenal dysfunction. Properly functioning adrenal glands produce sufficient levels of anti-inflammatory corticosteroids to keep inflammation down. The adrenals also release epinephrine, the body's own natural antihistamine. Schisandra berry and nettle leaf would both be good choices for supporting the adrenals. Both of these herbs also supply nutrients needed to strengthen the tissues. In particular vitamin C, bioflavonoids, and silica. Nettle leaf also provides the flavonoid quercetin, which is a natural antihistamine. This is how nettle leaf works for allergies, by both supporting the adrenals and due to its antihistamine quercetin. Watercress is also a good choice as well as it also provides nutrients to help stabilize tissues and it is very rich in quercetin. Tweet