UVA URSI
Bearberry Bear's-grape Crowberry Foxberry Hog Cranberry Kinnikinnick Mealberry Mountain Box Mountain Cranberry Red Bearberry Sagackhomi Sandberry Upland Cranberry Uva Ursi Bearberry or Uva Ursi is a small, evergreen shrub found in the northern U.S. and in Europe, especially in dry, sandy or gravelly soils. A single long, fibrous main root sends out several prostrate or buried stems from which grow erect, branching stems 4-6 inches high. The bark is dark brown or slightly reddish. The small leathery obovate to spatulate leaves are rounded at the apex, 1/2-1 inch long, and slightly rolled down at the edges. Fall is the best time to pick the leaves.Bearberry is remarkable for reducing accumulations of uric acid in the body. Bearberry also relieves the extreme pain accompanying kidney and bladder stones and inflammation of the bladder itself. This is best accomplished by soaking a handful of fresh leaves in enough brandy to cover for one week, after which 1 tbsp. of these leaves, chopped or cut, are then simmered in 1 cup of boiling water for 20 minutes. Then before drinking when lukewarm, add a teaspoon of the brandy solution in which the leaves had been soaked to each cup of tea consumed. Bearberry or manzanita is terrific for treating kidney problems. Nephritis (inflammation of the kidneys) and renal calculi (kidney stones) are overcome with a tea made from the berries and leaves of this plant. Cystitis (inflammation of the urinary bladder) and urethritis in women (inflammation of the urethra) have been successfully treated using the same tea. It is the astringency of the tannin acid on the berries and leaves that makes them work so well in such medical conditions.To make an all-purpose tea, bring a quart of water to a boil. Then add 3 tablespoons of dried, chopped berries and leaves. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 5 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the brew steep for a half hour. Strain one cup at a time and take when lukewarm on an empty stomach. In folk medicine, bearberry is a diuretic and astringent for diseases of the bladder and kidneys. It is supposed to impart tone to the urinary passages and also to exert an antiseptic action there. This is supposed to render the medication practicable in various inflammatory diseases of the urinary tract such as urethritis, cystitis, etc. Bearberry contains about 5 to 12 percent of the phenolic glycoside arbutin, which hydrolyzes when taken to release hydroquinone, the principal antiseptic and astringent constituent of the plant. Ursolic acid, a triterpene derivative, and isoquercitrin, a flavonoid pigment, also contribute to the diuretic action. Bearberry contains large amounts (15 to 20 percent) of tannin, an undesirable constituent that tends to upset the stomach. Consequently, the leaves should not be extracted with hot water, as is normally the case in preparing a tea. Rather, it is better to pour cold water over them and allow them to stand twelve to twenty-four hours before drinking. This minimizes the tannin content of the beverage. Arbutin, or more specifically, the hydroquinone derived from it, is a rather effective urinary antiseptic, but only if taken in large doses and if the urine is alkaline. This means that consumers should avoid eating acid-rich foods, including many fruits and their juices, sauerkraut, vitamin C, and similar products. Consumers must also be aware that hydroquinone, in large doses, is toxic and may cause ringing in the ears, vomiting, convulsions, and collapse. However, since the recommended dose of bearberry is 1 gram, three to six times daily (delivering an average of 400 to 800 mg arbutin daily), and doses as large as 20 grams have produced no adverse response in healthy individuals, there would seem to be minimal cause for concern. Bearberry is not recommended for children and pregnant or lactating women. If symptoms persist beyond two weeks, or worsen during treatment, medical advice is necessary. Bearberry is an ingredient in practically all of the kidney- and bladder-type teas, large numbers of which are marketed in Europe. It appears to be a modestly effective urinary antiseptic and diuretic if properly employed. The wisdom of self-determining conditions in which it might prove helpful and then self-treating them is, of course, an individual matter. PARTS USED Leaves, berries. USES Bearberry is one of the best natural urinary antiseptics. Bearberry has been used extensively in herbal medicine to disinfect and astringe the urinary tract in cases of acute and chronic cystitis and urethritis. However, bearberry is not a suitable remedy if there is a simultaneous infection of the kidneys. Other medical uses - Prostatitis, Urinary incontinence.
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