| Urinary infection and bladder weakness ailments are | | | | curative effect on urinary tract infections. |
| known quite at early times. The early Egyptians as | | | | Goldenrod, Goldenrod is used to treat urinary tract |
| described in the papyri documents, recommended | | | | inflammation. It prevents the development of kidney |
| herbal treatments to alleviate urinary symptoms, | | | | stones, and has an quadratic effects combined with |
| though no detailed description of the ailment itself is | | | | both antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties. |
| given. Both the Roman and Greek medicine applied | | | | Juniper, Marshmallow is shrubby herb (Althaea |
| rather meagre and non-invasive techniques such good | | | | officinalis), the soft pith of which is used for gelatine |
| diet, bed rest and use of narcotic herbs. The Greeks | | | | production. It is also described to alleviate urinary |
| went further of advocating lithotomy for | | | | infection. |
| gallstones, abscesses, retention and catheterization. | | | | Usnea is a lichen species (family, Parmeliaceae) and |
| In the Middle Ages however, there was no major | | | | Uvia, Ursi (Uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva ursi) have |
| advances in the clinical and scientific knowledge of | | | | diuretic, astringent and antiseptic properties. |
| the cause(s) of the disease The therapies included | | | | The best selling products of these herbs as |
| bed rest, blood letting, cupping, leeches and | | | | sponsored by “altmedicine.about.com/ “are |
| non-anaesthetic surgery. | | | | marketed under the trade names: |
| To day, many recent synthesised as well natural | | | | Doctor’s Best, Best Saw Palmetto Standardised |
| herbal therapies are made available in the market. In | | | | Extract |
| this context we describe herewith but a few of the | | | | New Food Cranberry concentrate |
| natural herbal extracts which are used for the | | | | Now Foods, saw palmetto berries |
| treatment of urinary infections which may be of | | | | Now Foods, Prostate support, |
| diverse origin. Some of the best selling marketed | | | | Dynamic Health, 100% Pure, Cranberry concentrate, |
| products are obtained from the herbs, Cranberry, | | | | Country Life, Biochem Saw Palmetto& Pygeum |
| Goldenrod, Juniuper, Marshmallow, Oregon grape | | | | Extract, |
| roots, Ursi, and the lichen Usnea. | | | | Though there is an ever growing demand and use |
| :Cranberry is a low-growing shrub of the heath family | | | | of these herbal products versus synthetic |
| with leathery leaves and astringent red berries their | | | | medications, care and caution have to be exercised, |
| juice is used treatments for urinary infections. It is | | | | particularly of the adverse side effects, which are |
| claimed that the juice extracts prevent adhesion of E. | | | | not fully investigated. Renal failure may be at risk for |
| coli bacteria to linings of the bladder and the gut, | | | | further kidney damage as well as complications |
| thereby inhibiting their ability to colonize and cause | | | | related to interactions. |
| infection, i.e. it has a preventative, rather than | | | | |