Uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva ursi): Uva ursi, which is also known as bearberry, grows in the northern United States and Europe. It has diuretic, astringent and antiseptic properties. Uses: Uva ursi is used to treat urinary tract infections. The urine must be alkaline for uva ursi to be effective (do not use with cranberry juice which makes the urine acidic). Cautions: Uva ursi is toxic in high doses and should not be used in pregnancy or by anyone who has a kidney infection.

Uva ursi, Arctostaphylos uva ursi, is a urinary tract antiseptic and diuretic. It increases renal circulation and stimulates tubular function. Research claims uva ursi works best in an alkaline pH for treatment of urinary tract infections.

Uva ursi - More than a thousand years ago, the Chinese and Native Americans were using uva ursi to treat urinary tract infections in both men and women. This herb contains a substance called arbutin, which is converted in the urine to hydroquinone, a urinary antiseptic. Uva ursi is a natural diuretic - it literally flushes out the kidneys. If you use uva ursi regularly, you will need to replenish potassium, which can be lost when you lose fluid. Be sure to eat foods high in potassium, or take a potassium supplement.

For all its good, uva ursi can slightly irritate the kidneys and upset your stomach if used for more than a week or so. However, this should give you plenty of time to knock out even the most stubborn bladder infection. One way to mellow out uva ursi's harshness is by adding marshmallow to your formula. Marshmallow soothes the urinary tract and also fights urinary tract infection in a way similar to uva ursi, although it is not quite as powerful. Your best bet is to take these herbs as indicated below, then, when the symptoms have subsided, switch to cranberry, blueberry or uma-boshi.

Uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva ursi) Medicinal Use: Urinary tract infections. Parts Used: Leaves. Form Used: Tincture, capsule. Potential Side Effects: None in normal doses, but higher doses may cause cramping, nausea, or vomiting. Comments: It's one of the best herbs for urinary tract infections.

Uva ursi is indicated for atonic, chronic conditions and infectious conditions of the urinary tract. Use: (a) Urinary tract antiseptic, (b) Diuretic, (c) Increases renal circulation, (d) Stimulates tubular function. Research claims uva ursi works best in an alkaline pH for treatment of urinary tract infections. The leaves contain arbutin, an antiseptic that is hydrolyzed in gastric fluid to hydroquinone. In alkaline urine, hydroquinone is an effective antimicrobial agent and uva ursi itself tends to alkalinize the urine.

Native Americans sometimes combined uva ursi with tobacco and smoked it. It was also used as a beverage tea in some places in Russia. The berries were considered beneficial as a weight-loss aid. It was found in wide use for infections of all parts of the body because of its astringent, or "drying," action.

Another recently discovered property of uva ursi is the inhibition of tyrosinase by a 50% alcoholic extract. This effect impairs melanin synthesis, which leads the authors to suggest it could be used as a whitening agent for the skin. However, no clinical trials have been reported. CLINICAL APPLICATIONS: Crude extracts are widely used in Europe as components in certain diuretic and laxative products, but the major use of uva ursi is as a urinary disinfectant in cases of urinary tract infection. Uva ursi is reported to be especially active against E. coli.

Uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva ursi), also known as bearberry, is one of the best herbs for treatment of urinary tract infections. The leaves, long used by practitioners of herbal medicine, have antiseptic effects. The leaf extract is also a diuretic, helping to remove excess liquids from the body. As a popular home remedy, uva ursi was traditionally used for treatment of bladder and kidney infections, and kidney stones. It was also recommended for treatment of bronchitis.

Kidney Stones: A number of physicians and researchers have reported that uva ursi can be helpful for the prevention of kidney stones. Urinary Tract Infections: I recommend uva ursi for any infection of the urinary tract. I usually combine it in formulas with herbs such as echinacea, goldenseal, buchu, marshmallow, and usnea. A number of companies produce variations on this formula for people who have urinary tract infections.

Uva ursi contains arbutin, a chemical known to have antimicrobial activity against E. coli. Take 250 mg of uva ursi in capsule form or 5 ml of the tincture form four times a day. Horsetail is another herb traditionally used to treat urinary tract infections. Take 500 mg or 2 ml of the tincture four times a day. Juniper berry helps increase urination to rid the bladder of bacteria.

Drinking aloe vera juice may also reduce urinary crystals. Uva ursi is traditionally used for urinary tract infections, and relieves pain and cleanses the urinary tract. Take 250-500 mg three times a day, but do not use this herb for more than two weeks. Drink 2-4 cups of juniper berry tea, a strong diuretic kidney cleanser, every day until the stones pass. Horsetail also has diuretic qualities. You can take 2 g a day of the capsule form or drink 2-3 cups of the tea a day.

As fall allergy season heads into winter cold season, many of us are prone to suffer from sinus infections. Symptoms of sinus infections, or sinusitis, are similar to a common cold, but last longer. If symptoms last longer than two weeks, you probably have sinusitis. Sinus infections can last from three weeks up to three years if left untreated. Fortunately there are several natural remedies which may relieve and conquer sinus infections.

Here are some of the best:

• Colloidal Silver can be used to irrigate the sinus cavities as well as taken internally to help fight off the infection. To irrigate the sinus cavities thoroughly, use a pump spray or squirt bottle and use a good amount of silver to get in all the sinus passages.
• Grapefruit seed extract is a wonderful supplement for sinus infection which can make a sinus infection disappear after only couple of days. Do not take the drops on an empty stomach, especially early in the morning.
• Using a neti pot helps keep your nasal passages healthy with all the pollution, pollen, dust and other irritants in the air. All you need to use in it is non-iodized salt, preferably sea salt.
• Potassium supplements help dry up mucous.
• Drink apple cider vinegar throughout the day in large glasses of water. ACV thins mucus.
• Cayenne pepper tincture will help clear the sinuses and it is also a great overall cold remedy.
• Let a hot shower run onto your forehead and nose and then clear all the mucus from your sinuses. Do this several times a day.
• Oil Pulling, a wonderful remedy from India, often alleviates sinus congestion within about 10-15 minutes.
• Licorice root helps reduce inflammation and stimulates the immune system to fight sinus infections. There are two types of licorice products.
• Eucalyptus soothes sore throats. It also has antiseptic properties and can help shrink swollen tissues such as swollen sinus passages.
• Peppermint can help calm mucous membranes. You may drink peppermint tea or steep the peppermint and breathe in the steam. You can also use peppermint in aromatherapy. The scent of peppermint when inhaled helps to ease your breathing.
• Drink eight to ten glasses of water every day.
• Drink warm tea to help dilute mucus.
• Ginger has long been known to relieve and prevent headaches. It is also an anti-inflammatory and can help relieve pain. Take in tincture or capsule form according to directions.
• Lemon balm is helpful in fighting off viruses and bacteria. Steep the dried leaves for 10 minutes in hot water. Strain and drink the tea warm. Alternatively, lemon balm tea can be used as a gargle.
• Echinacea often will knock out a cold in only a matter of days when taken in quantity. It helps boost the immune system and makes it function better. Take in tincture or capsule form with increased dosages at the onset of illness and decrease after three or four days. Do not take if you have an allergy to ragweed.
• Vitamin C and zinc can help shorten the duration of colds as well as reduce cold symptoms. Sinus infections often come as a result of lingering colds. If you fight a cold early, you can help stave off a sinus infection. Take capsule or lozenges during cold season, especially with the onset of any symptoms.
• Foods high in antioxidants help to build the immune system and prevent infections in the first place. Some of these foods include blueberries, cherries, artichokes, cranberries and pomegranates.

Sources included:

www.earthclinic.com/CURES/sinus_inf...
www.herbalremediesinfo.com/herbal-r...
www.learningherbs.com/natural_remed...
www.tbyil.com/remedies.htm

(Natural News)

Most of the population wakes up with bad breath, or what's known as morning breath. However, it's not widely known that bad breath, including morning breath, is a sign of a toxic colon and a toxic body. It's a direct path from your mouth to your colon, and the reverse path is also true. So, when you have bad breath, you're often actually smelling filth from your colon.

Morning breath is common because our bodies generally detoxify themselves in the evenings when we are asleep. They take this time to do so because they aren't digesting food, which gives our bodies the extra energy to divert to detoxification. Morning breath is essentially a detoxification symptom, which is a symptom that occurs when your body is working on detoxifying something that needs to be removed. Actually, the greater the toxicity situation in your body, the worse your morning breath will be.

A thoroughly detoxified body, and even a partially detoxified body, will no longer have bad breath or even morning breath. Honestly, a thoroughly detoxified body can go for days without brushing the teeth without a sign of bad breath. Yet, most of the population has bad breath every morning, and often throughout the day. It makes breath mints, chewing gum, and mouthwash popular, but such filth in the body is a disaster for our health.

Body odor also commonly disappears with deep cleansing because a cleansed body no longer has the internal filth inside that is causing a daily odor. Body odor is often also the smell of a toxic colon, an odor that leaks out through the porous skin. Similarly, a cleansed person will no longer have the need for deodorant and can go days without showering without a sign of body odor.

When you understand this, you might look at the age that children begin to have body odor. It's generally around 12 or 13 years old, and this provides a clue as to the age that people today generally become really toxic.

While it's not recommended, our bodies can handle some degree of mistreatment. Mistreatment includes eating processed foods, white sugar, fried foods and large amounts of cooked foods. Mistreatment also includes taking chemical drugs - prescription or otherwise - and having chemicals in our foods, personal care products and environment. However, when these are regular occurrences for years on end, our bodies don't stand a chance against toxic build up.

Body odor and bad breath are often the first signs people will see when their bodies are toxic. It might be many more years before additional signs, like various health problems, will be seen. But no body will escape health, emotional or other problems with loads of filth inside. It's simply against the laws of nature.

More:
Cleanse and Purify Thyself (book 1), Dr. Richard Anderson, N.D., M.N.D.
Juice Fasting & Detoxification, Steve Meyerowitz

http://www.colonhealth.net/colon_hy...