Cystitis: let’s cure it naturally

Discomfort, burning, an incessant urge to urinate. It is cystitis, an inflammation of the urinary tract that mainly affects women due to the conformation of their genital apparatus.

Generally the disorder is caused by a bacterial infection: the most common is that of Escherichia coli, in other words by fecal bacteria.

However, there are risk factors such as age, constipation, the frequency of sexual intercourse that favor the passage of bacteria causing infections.

Careful but not too drastic intimate hygiene – it is good to avoid aggressive detergents and vaginal douches if not prescribed by the doctor – is therefore the best prevention tool.

Do you want to know more about the rules of intimate hygiene aimed at preventing cystitis? Read this article.

It is also useful to avoid tight pants and undergarments made of synthetic material or panty liners, drink plenty of water and take care of the regularity of intestinal functions.

Official medicine treats bacterial infections with antibiotics, a remedy that can be unwelcome to many, also due to the frequency of relapses, which force a habitual consumption of such drugs, not free from unpleasant side effects.

It is therefore understandable that there is great attention to natural remedies, even if the scientific confirmations on their effectiveness are not as satisfactory as would be desirable.

Cranberry, the best known remedy

The most popular of these is certainly the cranberry or American cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), a berry with a sour taste that is consumed dried or more often in the form of juice.

Rich in antioxidant vitamins and calcium, cranberry has always been used by traditional Native American medicine that attribute various properties to it.

But today it is mainly used to treat and prevent urinary tract infections, even if there is no definitive confirmation of its effectiveness and precise indications on doses and methods of administration.

A lack of interest perhaps explained by the fact that it is not a drug but a tasty food (essential ingredient of the Cosmopolitan, the pink cocktail made popular by Sex & the city) and the easiest thing to do is perhaps to include it in the diet to see its effects.

There are still uncertainties about the mechanism of action: tradition has it that its effectiveness is due to its ability to acidify urine, while the most recent studies report the antibacterial effects of some components, but also a mechanical action that would limit the ability of the bacteria themselves to adhere to the walls of the bladder and urethra.

Adverse effects are rare, although cranberry can interfere with the action of anticoagulant drugs.

More generally, care must be taken to obtain products – dried fruits, capsules or juice – prepared with real cranberry and not simply “to the taste of”, while those who have problems with overweight or blood sugar should avoid juices too rich in sugar.

It is also available in tablets or sachets of extract titrated in proanticyanidins, whose dosages are more standardizable.

Bearberry: according to tradition

Bearberry is also traditionally used in urinary tract infections. The active ingredient is arbutin, which is metabolized to hydroquinone, which is excreted through the urinary tract, where it seems to exert antiseptic action.

This activity would require, however, that the urine is not acidic, so it is recommended to take the dry extract with water and bicarbonate, in order to make the urine less acidic.

An activity, however, not confirmed by scientific studies.

Mannose, only on E. coli forms?

Even less confirmed is the effectiveness of another natural remedy that is talked about on the internet and in blogs, mannose or D-mannose.

It is a sugar, extracted from birch or larch wood, which is not assimilated by the body and should work with a mechanical action, eliminating bacteria from the urinary tract.

So far, however, the confirmations of its effectiveness come only from in vitro or animal experiments and only on Escherichia coli, responsible for many but not all cystitis.

The fact remains that mannose is practically free of contraindications, although cases of meteorism or diarrhea are reported, more rarely constipation .

However, some of the plant ingredients with which it is often combined to enhance its effectiveness are not.

Such as Morinda citrifolia or noni, which should not be consumed by those suffering from renal failure, colitis or liver disease.

Yes to natural remedies, therefore, but with caution and with the foresight to contact the doctor in the most serious cases or when there is blood in the urine.