Bladder - Uva Ursi
This issue will go into the Bladder as well
as an herb that a lot of people have never heard of and that being Uva Ursi.
As always, I ask that you forward this to anyone that you
feel could use this information. As long as this newsletter is kept intact, I
have no objection to it being copied or passed along.
I must also offer this disclaimer. That none of the
information contained in this publication is meant to replace proper medical
treatment. If you chose to use this information to self treat a condition or
illness, please do so with the full knowledge of your physician or health care
provider.
CONTENTS
The Bladder
Interesting Facts
Uva Ursi
The Bladder
The bladder is classified as an organ. It is hollow, expandable, and somewhat
like a muscular balloon. It will hold an average of 16 ounces of urine, and is
located in the lower abdominal cavity behind the pelvic bone. Its primary
function is to store and release urine that is received from the ureters that
empty the kidneys.
Things you can do to improve the function of the bladder include
strengthening it, especially after childbirth. While urinating, try stopping in
midstream and holding it for a count of 15-20 and then begin urinating again.
This can be continued during the entire urination process. Stop and then start
again until you are finished.
Probably the most detrimental thing you can do to the bladder is to hold back
for long periods of time when the need to urinate arises. This action will cause
the bladder to lose its elasticity and will weaken it over time.
Symptoms and health conditions associated with the bladder include pregnancy
or prolapse of the colon, which can cause pressure and even cause the bladder to
drop. Painful urination, cystitis, bladder infections, bladder stones,
thickening of the bladder wall, which will reduce its ability to stretch. If any
of these conditions occur parasites should also be checked for. Bladder
fistulas, which is when Nature fuses an organ such as the intestine or the
uterus to the bladder, can then empty through the bladder. Cystocele is a
condition in which the bladder drops and protrudes into the vaginal wall.
Conditions that can be caused by a hyperactive bladder would include bladder
stones, bladder infections, yeast in the bladder and cystitis, which can cause
frequent and bloody urination. Conditions that can be caused by a hypoactive
bladder include bladder stones, these can form when the bladder fails to empty
completely. Bladder infections can cause the swollen inflamed bladder not to
empty fully.
Location of the Bladder in different Modalities:
Iridology:
In both eyes. In the right eye at 7:10 and in the left eye at 5:10
Kinesiology:
In the center of the body one inch above the pubic bone. Should be tested
when the bladder is empty.
Reflexology:
On the instep toward the heel 2/3 of the way down from the foots big toe.
Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs, and other Supplements:
Vitamins:
Vitamins A and D
Minerals:
Calcium,
manganese, and
potassium.
Herbs:
Corn silk
– flushes out sediment from the bladder.
Hydrangea – flushes and helps to break up stones.
Juniper Berries – flushes and increases the flow of urine.
Parsley – this herb is an excellent diuretic.
Uva Ursi
– Cleanses the bladder and helps tone it.
Herbal Combinations: (Nature’s Sunshine Products)
Cranberry
& Buchu Concentrate - Nutritional support of the urinary system
Urinary Maintenance – infections, builds, tones, and flushes.
Kidney
Activator – Provides nutritional support for the urinary
system, specifically kidney and bladder health
KB-C
– In Traditional Chinese Medicine,
it is used to nourish the kidneys
and nutritionally support the urinary and structural systems, eliminating
water
and providing extra joint support
Homeopathics: (Nature’s Sunshine Products)
Candida
– for yeast infections.
Inflammation – soothes swelling and inflammation.
Other Supplements or Dietary:
Cranberry Juice – helps acid balance to help control infection.
Lemon Juice – helps to flush the urinary system (no sugar).
Some additional notes of Interest:
Women should wipe after urination from front to back to help prevent
bacterial infections (especially e-coli).
The bladder can be removed and the urethra empty through the sigmoid colon,
but this will open one up to major infections.
Acidosis contributes to, if not causes cystitis.
Interesting Facts
A study conducted between 1976 and 1980 examined the different factors
associated with self-reported cataracts among Americans 60–74 years old. It
was found that when blood vitamin C level was low, the prevalence of cataracts
increased and vice versa; each 1 mg/dl increase in vitamin C was independently associated with a 26% decrease in cataracts. Other associations with cataracts
included increasing age, female sex, smoking, and diabetes. Thus vitamin C, a
water-soluble antioxidant found in high concentrations in the lens of the eye,
may be of importance for the prevention of cataracts in the elderly. Journal
of Clinical Epidemiology, 1999, Vol. 52, Iss 12, pp. 1207-1211
Free radicals and lipid peroxidation have been implicated in the pathogenesis
of an early stage of pancreatitis. When acute pancreatitis was artificially
induced in rodents, the degree of pancreatic edema (excessive tissue fluid), the
level of lipid peroxidation in the pancreas, and serum amylase activity were
increased significantly. However, when Melatonin was given 30 minutes before pancreatitis
was caused, there was a significant reduction in pancreatic edema
and levels of lipid peroxidation. Melatonin also reduced stomach edema as well
as high levels of lipid peroxidation in the stomach and small intestine.
Melatonin’s protective effects in pancreatitis presumably relate to its free
radical scavenging ability and to other antioxidative processes that are caused
by melatonin. Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 1999, Vol.44,
Iss. 11, pp. 2257-2262.
Continuity of training is more important than the amount and
intensity of training. The average lifespan of rodents is increased by life-long
physical exercise. It further improves the performance and retards the aging
process. Rats were trained on a treadmill for 12 months continuously or
intermittently for 3km/weeks for 8 week periods with 8 week resting periods in
between (72km). The both training regimens prevented the increase in body weight
seen in sedentary animals. The results showed that continuous training was most
effective in counteracting age-related changes, with respect to spontaneous
movements in an open field setting, and for delaying age-related increase in
thermal stability of collagen. Aging-Clinical and Experimental
Research, 1999, Vol. 11, Iss. 4, pp. 227-234.
Uva Ursi
Urinary Infection Fighter
Description:
This low-growing, evergreen ground cover, native to the Pacific Northwest
and northern Europe, grows especially well in elevations above 6,000 feet. Bears
enjoy eating the red berries, as did many of the early American Indians. The
trailing stems of the uva ursi are woody, while the roots are long and fibrous.
This perennial has alternate, oval leaves, which are leathery and thin. The tops
of the leaves are shiny while the undersides are more pale in color. The leaves
are the part of the plant used in healing. The flowers, shaped like an urn, are
clustered in colors ranging from pale pink to white. The fruit is small,
globular, succulent and almost scarlet, with a rather mealy pulp and five
angular seeds.
Medicinal Properties:
Uva ursi is a diuretic, astringent, antiseptic and a mild stimulant. This
herb has also been used as an antilithic (preventing stones), carminative,
emetic, lithontriptic (dissolving stones), nephritic, parturient (inducing
labor), purgative and acts as a renal sedative. Uva ursi is also useful for
those suffering from diabetes and prostrate problems.
Traditional Uses:
Uva ursi has been used to treat all bladder and kidney infections,
bed-wetting, bronchitis, cystitis, diabetes, dysentery, female troubles,
gallstones, gonorrhea, hemorrhoids, kidney stones, obesity, pancreas, profuse
menstruation, rheumatism, spleen, uterine ulceration, vaginal discharge and
venereal disease. Over a dozen American tribes used this herb almost as a
panacea (a medicine said to cure all diseases). The leaves were preferred for
medicinal purposes. Although the Roman physician Galen used uva ursi leaves to
treat wounds and stop bleeding, this herb was largely ignored by Western
herbalists. During the 13th century Marco Polo reported Chinese physicians using
this herb as a diuretic and as a treatment for kidney and urinary problems.
American colonists found that the Indians had independently discovered uva ursi
and mixed its leaves with tobacco in order to create the smoking mixture they
called kinnikinnik. Over the years uva ursi remained popular with the colonists
as a tea and was listed in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia as a urinary antiseptic from
1820 to 1936. Chemists isolated the herb's active constituent, arbutin, in 1852.
Modern Uses:
Uva ursi strengthens the urinary passages and is good for inflammation in
any part of the urinary system. This herb is also useful for arthritis and
inflammation throughout the body. In addition, this herb helps balance the pH of
urine which is high in acid. Uva ursi is also known to be a remedy for excessive
sugar in the blood. This herb contains allatonin, which spurs the healing of
wounds. Since animal studies show that uva ursi stimulates the uterus to
contract, pregnant women should not take it. The herb contains a large amount of
tannins which could cause stomach upset in large quantities. As a result, uva
ursi should not be given to children under the age of two. Begin with smaller
amounts of uva ursi and increase if necessary. You may notice that the herb
often turns urine a dark green. Do not become alarmed, this is normal. Uva ursi
effectively cures urinary infections unresponsive to pharmaceutical antibiotics.
Giving maximum antibacterial effects, uva ursi will peak from three to four
hours after administration. This herb contains vitamin A, iron and manganese. It
also contains such high tannin levels that it has been used to tan leather. Take
one capsule between meals twice daily. For urinary tract infections, make a tea
using the contents of two capsules with one cup of boiling water. Drink 1/2 cup
of the tea, twice daily in between meals.
Sources:
King's American Dispensatory, Vol. 2, by Felter and
Lloyd.
Textbook of Advanced Herbology, by Terry Willard, Ph.D.
The Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman.
The Healing Power of Herbs, by Michael Murray.
The Wild Rose Scientific Herbal, by Terry Willard, Ph.D.
For Educational Purposes Only
This hand out was prepared by Nature's Field
P.O. Box 425, Springville, UT 84663
It may be copied and distributed provided
it is not altered in any way.
