Description

Acute UTI support

Bearberry has the highest natural content of the phenol arbutin (hydroquinone beta-D-glucoside), and has a long history of use as a urinary antiseptic.<sup>1 The aglycone hydroquinone of arbutin, which is released in alkaline urine, is thought to provide its antimicrobial actions.

In a clinical trial, women with recurrent cystitis had no infections over a one-year period when consuming bearberry, compared to 23% of the placebo group. Berberine, well known for its antibacterial properties, has been found to inhibit the adhesion of E. coli to human bladder cells, as well as the formation of bacterial biofilms by E. faecalis, in vitro. Berberine has also been shown to have anti-inflammatory effects and protect against oxidative damage, in part by enhancing nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activity, a key signalling pathway for antioxidant defence.</sup>