Uva Ursi / Arctostaphlos uva ursi

Herb Of The Week / Uva Ursi / Arctostaphlos uva ursi

I promised to keep this short and readable in a couple minutes and I
think I can do this... thus leaving you with enough information to
investigate further if you so desire.


Uva Ursi, from the evergreen leaves of Bearberry, has a specific
antiseptic and astringent effect upon urinary tract membranes. It may
soothe, tone and strengthen these membranes and helps the body
eliminate excess water. Is has been called the surest, safest and
well know diuretic plant found in nature. As such, it has been long
been used in alternative medicine to support matters having to do with
the kidneys including nephritis, cystitis, urethritis and kidney and
bladder stones.


Uva Ursi has also been used to help eliminate bloating and water
retention that is so commonly associated with PMS and female hormonal
imbalances and infections of the urinary tract.

Gastronomical side effects may occur in sensitive individuals and
pregnant or nursing mothers and in children for extended periods of
time.

An extract of uva ursi is widely used in Europe as a treatment for UTI
and bladder infections. The active constituent in uva ursi is arbutin.
In the alkaline environment of the urine, arbutin is converted into
another chemical, called hydroquinone, which kills bacteria. A
generally useful amount of uva ursi tincture is 3-5 ml three times per
day. Otherwise, 100-250 mg of arbutin in herbal extract capsules or
tablets three times per day can be used.


Until next time remember .... most illness (upwards of 80% according
to experts) can be attributed to FOUR important factors that can
weaken your immune system and your ability to fight off disease:


By good utilization of search engine technology, we can look up
information as in depth as we desire in our own free time. As we
mention all the time, with every post, that you can research anything
mentioned in this newsletter by yourself. Some good search engines are
www.mamma.com or www.google.com. or www.dogpile.com or
www.askjeeves.com ...etc. By entering one or more keywords you can do
your own research.


1. Anxiety, depression, anger, resentment, guilt and other STRESS
factors
2. Improper and/or inadequate NUTRITION habits
3. A sedentary lifestyle that does not include enough EXERCISE
4. Not enough rest and quality SLEEP time

The United States Surgeon General warned Americans in a landmark 1988
report on Nutrition and Health that "diet related diseases account for
68% of U.S. deaths"


Remember, we ALWAYS recommend that you ALWAYS consult a professional
herbalist, naturopathologist or physician. We are just passing along
what we hope to be useful information.


Bye-Bye Until next time,
Q