Natural Treatments for Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, tend to be the most common in pregnant women in postmenopausal women as well, though it's not quite clear why. Harsh chemicals and medications are not always needed to treat these infections though, because there are actually many natural and herbal remedies which can be used for treatments of this problem.

Some types of food are excellent to use as natural treatments for urinary tract infections. Horseradish for example is a very common one and it has been shown that the oil from horseradish actually has antibiotic properties which is what makes it such a good remedy for a UTI. There are a variety of other types of natural plant products which contain an alkaloid known as berberine. Plants with this substance in them have found to be quite useful and effective for treating urinary tract infections.

One type of plant is another very common antibacterial herb known as goldenseal. Asparagus is another common plant and vegetable which works well, and parsley, garlic, and alfalfa are others which work wonderfully too.

In addition to everyday foods, there are many herbal remedies which do an excellent job fixing urinary tract infections naturally, gently, and safely too. Solidago virgaurea is an herb commonly known as goldenrod, Betula or birch, and even juniper and nettle are all quite effective as herbal remedies for UTIs.

Last but not least, possibly the most well known herb to treat UTIs is uva ursi. This herb comes from an evergreen shrub that grows naturally in many places around the world. This trailing shrub actually flourishes in Europe, North America, Siberia, and in the Himalayas among other places. Uva ursi has been successfully used to treat urinary tract infections across Europe for decades. It has been found that when this herb is ingested internally, it is converted to an active agent known as hydroquinone. This infection fighting substance is quite effective at killing bacteria which causes UTIs.

Most herbalists recommend only using this herb for a short period of time to treat a urinary tract infection. The usual advice is to take it three times a day for only a few days. Uva ursi is not usually recommended for anyone who has high blood pressure, or for women who are pregnant or breast-feeding.

Perhaps the most common home or natural remedy for treating urinary tract infections is plain old yogurt. Mainstream society, and the general medical profession have known for years that yogurt has a special bacteria in it which is human friendly, and this friendly flora naturally protects our bodies against various genital as well as urinary infections. Women actually use yogurt as a natural remedy for vaginal yeast infections too. All natural cultured yogurt is needed to get the infection fighting results though, so you can't buy flavored and sugared yogurts when you're planning to use it as a natural treatment for a UTI.

Statements in this article may not be approved by the FDA.