A-Z urinary health Articles

Cranberries are the fruit of a bush (Vaccinium macrocarpon) that have a tart flavour and are commonly used in cooking, baking, juice, or eaten plain. Cranberry sauce is frequently paired with turkey during Thanksgiving celebrations in North America. Traditionally, cranberry has been used for hundreds of years to prevent and and treat urinary tract infections and today, the cranberry supplement are available in concentrated forms to support urinary tract health.

In the current medical model, a large amount of scientific research has been performed to confirm this traditional usage, and has also shown it to decrease the severity of established Urinary Tract Infections as well. It is now widely used by naturopathic and medical healthcare practitioners around the world.

Understanding How a Cranberry Supplement Can Help

Cranberry contains compounds called lectins that prevent bacteria from sticking to the walls of the urinary tract. When they cannot stay stuck to the bladder wall, they are easily flushed out with the urine and do not lead to infection. This is particularly true of the most common urinary tract pathogen, the bacteria commonly called E. coli.

The increased activity against E. coli may also be due to the mannose content of cranberry. Supplementation with cranberry also acidifies the urine, which makes it an uncomfortable environment for many bacteria to live and reproduce.

The Powerful Nutritional Benefits Found in Cranberries

In addition to the antibacterial sugar mannose, cranberries also contain significant amounts of vitamin C, which is important for the healing of the lining of the urinary tract. The chemical compounds called proanthocyanidins found in cranberry have been shown to have positive effects on healthy cell growth in preliminary laboratory testing. More studies are needed to determine if cranberry will be clinically useful such purposes.

The Great Debate: Concentrated Cranberry Supplement vs Cranberry Cocktails

It is important to avoid drinking sweetened cranberry cocktails, because they often contain little actual cranberry juice and lots of sugar. Sugar actually feeds the bacteria that cause urinary tract infections, and can allow them to reproduce more quickly.

Shopping For Quality, Highly Concentrated Cranberry Supplements

Cranberry can be purchased as raw or dried berries, encapsulated dried berries, encapsulated extract, pure, concentrated juice or in powder form. The concentrated unsweetened, pure juice is the best way to consume cranberry for its medicinal qualities. The juice is very tart but be sure to only dilute the juice with water, not other fruit juices to avoid adding extra sugar.

Encapsulated cranberry ranges in strength and quality. Purchase a product that gives an equivalent value of raw cranberries or concentrated cranberry juice. Combination products for urinary tract infections may contain cranberry. The dose of unsweetened juice recommended is generally 300ml daily (diluted as desired with water), and the dose for tablets is 400mg three times a day for at least a month. In children, the dose of concentrated juice is 15ml per kg of body weight (diluted as desired with water).

Juniper shrubs produce berries that are the principal flavouring agent in gin. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough of the medicinally active oils in gin to make it a form of supplementation. The most well-known use of this herb is as a treatment for bladder infection. Let's explore how this herb can help your health. 

Key Health Benefits of Juniper

Juniper is a diuretic and antiseptic in the urinary tract. These properties are due to the volatile oils found in the berries. Furthermore, it is also used to relieve chronic arthritis and gout.

This herb contains bitter substances that cause the release of saliva and digestive juices when it is tasted. This makes it useful for indigestion and lack of appetite. Juniper may also be recommended by natural health practitioners for prostate disorders or swelling in the lower legs.

Taking Juniper & Finding Quality Supplements

These berries can be used as raw berries, dried berries, encapsulated berries, tincture or tea. Fresh berries must be harvested in the second year to get high amounts of medicinal activity. Much of the essential oil content of the berries is lost during drying so fresh berries or liquid preparations are usually the most potent forms of this herb. It can be found as a component of formulas for urinary infections, arthritis and prostate disorders. If it is used as a digestive aid then forms other than encapsulated berries should be used so that the herb is tasted.

Potential Side Effects Or Contraindications

There are possible interactions between juniper and diuretics or hypoglycemic medication. Juniper inhibits the absorption of minerals like iron and supplementation is advisable if you use juniper for long periods. Pregnant women and people with kidney disease should not use this herb.

The prostate is the organ responsible for producing the fluid part of seminal emissions, helping to control the flow of urine, and for the contractions that cause ejaculation during orgasm. It’s no wonder that when a man has a concern with his prostate health, it can be troublesome.

Understanding Prostate Health

Prostate problems occur when the gland becomes infected or swollen. Infection can occur directly in the prostate or it can be a complication of a urinary tract infection. The most common prostate condition is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). It occurs in men over the age of fifty (but can occur earlier) due to hormonal imbalances, heredity, poor diet, nutrient deficiencies or high cholesterol. The growth of malignant or benign tumours can also cause prostate swelling. It is important to have your prostate monitored by your doctor. Your PSA level (prostate-specific antigen) can indicate the degree of enlargement; it can also indicate whether or not you are at risk for unhealthy cell growth in the prostate. Make at least yearly appointments past age forty for this test.

Key Symptoms of Prostate Issues

Symptoms of prostate inflammation can be mild if it develops slowly or intense if it develops quickly. Prostate infections cause fever, chills, lower back pain, rectal pain, urgency for stool and urination and painful urination. The urine can be blood or pus filled. Chronic infections may cause mild, local discomfort and may result in painful ejaculation or erection. Conventionally, prostate infections are treated with antimicrobial medications. They must be fairly powerful because it is difficult to get enough medication to the prostate due to its poor blood supply. Make sure to replace the helpful bacteria in your system with a probiotic supplement after antimicrobial therapy.

Chronic prostatitis is not often related to bacteria or the development of mutated prostate cells. Treatment is also more difficult because the exact cause is poorly understood. Treatment may include antibiotics, although more commonly chronic prostatitis is treated with alpha blockers, as in BPH. Tamsulosin and alfuzosin are two common alpha blockers. They serve to help relax the muscles of the prostate and bladder neck, thereby improving symptoms such as urinary retention. These medications have no effect on the size or inflammation of the prostate.

BPH affects one in three men over age 50. Symptoms appear when the prostate becomes large enough to interfere with urination. Dribbling, frequent and urgent urination occur and often cause men to wake at night to urinate. Starting and stopping urination can be difficult. When bladder emptying is impaired, there is an increased risk for the development of urinary stones and infections. Drug therapy for BPH uses finasteride, which blocks the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). DHT stimulates the growth of prostate cells. Side effects of drug therapy include impotence, decreased libido and difficulty detecting mutated prostate cells.

Prostate Health Support & Supplements

Conventional Support

Unhealthy prostate cells develop slowly and have similar symptoms to BPH. All men over fifty should have yearly prostate examinations because this is a very common type of cancer. Various drugs and surgical techniques are used to treat it, depending on the location and whether it has spread. Not all prostate tumours need to be removed because most are self-contained and slow-growing. Surgeons will only remove a faster-growing tumour because the surgery itself often causes impotence. There are a number of clinically proven nutritional supplements and herbs that can provide support for your prostate to boost its health. 

Supplements That Boost Prostate Health

Curcumin & Bee Pollen

New research is focusing on the healthy cell growth support that curcumin may have on the prostate, now being used both for prevention and treatment of slow unhealthy prostate cell development. Curcumin has been shown to have both chemo-preventative and growth inhibitory activity against multiple tumour cell lines, including tumours of the prostate. Bee pollen has also been used to inhibit the progression of unhealthy prostate cell growth once they have been diagnosed.

Balancing Hormones

DHT (dehydrotestosterone) is a very active form of the hormone that can cause the prostate to become enlarged. The herb saw palmetto and the essential fat supplement pumpkin seed oil both help to reduce the formation of DHT and its subsequent bonding to the gland.

Most men notice a dramatic improvement in flow, and a reduction in both pain and frequency of night time trips to the bathroom. In addition, pollutants from the environment can act like hormones in the body.

In particular, residues from plastics and petrochemicals can pose serious problems because they act like the hormone estrogen, causing a number of imbalances in the body that can lead to prostate enlargement and potentially mutated cell growth. The supplement D-glucarate helps the liver make an enzyme that helps clear out these synthetic estrogens. The herb milk thistle can help to detoxify the liver, so that it is better able to break down excess hormones and toxic hormone analogs from the environment.

Nutrients Needed For Prostate Health

Nutrients for prostate health include zinc (a deficiency has been linked to prostate conditions), lycopene (an antioxidant that helps to protect the prostate from free radical damage), Essential Fats (needed for normal hormone production and controlling inflammation) and also B vitamins and the amino acids Glycine, Alanine, and glutamic acid. See the table below for specific doses.

Improving The Immune System

Immune system activity is important for most health concerns; in the case of prostate concerns, this is no exception. In cases of prostate infection, the herbs Echinacea and goldenseal can help the body fight the infection. Vitamin C boosts the activity of specific immune cells, which are then able to kill invading bacteria or viruses more easily. The essential fat – like nutrients sterols and sterolins can help to optimize your immune response as well, in addition to helping balance hormones. In the case of a fungal infection of the prostate, it is important that you use probiotics / acidophilus with an antifungal supplement like grapefruit seed extract.

Reducing Symptoms Associated With Prostate Concerns

Supplement Support

Reducing prostate enlargement or irritation can be achieved with the above-mentioned saw palmetto, but also with cleansing herbs like horsetail grass and marshmallow, which will usually have a soothing effect on the urinary tract.

Studies have shown that extracts of pygeum africanum can significantly lower urine residual volume and decrease the incidence of nocturia while increasing urine peak flow volume. There are now a number of combination products on the market that use primarily saw palmetto and pygeum to effectively reduce symptoms of BPH, chronic prostatitis, and slow-growing, unhealthy prostate cells.

Detoxification For Prostate Health

Detoxifying treatments of the gastrointestinal tract may prove beneficial for the treatment of any prostate-related issue. Constipation is thought to contribute to prostate dysfunction, which then increases the risk of further constipation, as bowel movements become more painful to pass. Making sure to include 25-30 g of fibre into your diet on a daily basis, along with significantly increasing water intake, can help to relieve this associated symptom. For this same reason, as well as the frequent use of antibiotics for the treatment of various prostate pathologies, probiotics are a beneficial addition to any prostate-specific treatment regimen.

Lifestyle & Dietary Prostate Support

Ejaculating on a regular basis can prevent prostate problems. Applying hot and cold packs to the groin area increases circulation and can help to speed healing for prostate conditions. Regular exercise also increases circulation. Use deep breathing or other relaxation techniques to assist bladder emptying.

Dietary approaches to support prostate health begin with adding nuts and seeds, and their oils, to the diet. They are good sources of essential fatty acids and zinc. Try flaxseed, pumpkin seed, sesame seed and walnuts. Consume fish and fish oils, which also contain protective fatty acids. Add nutritional yeast to the diet as a source of B vitamins. Soy products contain phytoestrogens and are thought to be protective against prostate disorders. Other foods that are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants also support the prostate, for example, fresh fruits and vegetables, cumin, garlic and maitake mushroom. Avoid the following foods because they exacerbate prostate conditions: hydrogenated fats, saturated fat, sugar, white flour products, dairy products, caffeine and alcohol.

The bladder is the hollow organ located in the lower front of the pelvis that is responsible for holding urine produced by the kidneys until we can find an appropriate time to urinate. In order to accommodate more urine as time passes, the bladder actually expands and stretches a little like a balloon. Unfortunately, as we age, our bladder can become overactive. 

The average person’s bladder can hold anywhere from 350 to 550ml of urine at any time, although the urge to urinate tends to occur at around 200ml of fluid. Normal urination occurs at around every 3-4 hours in people with an average fluid intake.

Overactive Bladder - Urge Incontinence

There are two major muscles involved in urination; the sphincter at the external end of the urethra must relax to allow the urine to pass, and an internal muscle is then responsible for squeezing the bladder to force out the urine. When these muscles contract or relax at the wrong times, it can result in frequent strong urges to urinate and even cause urine to leak out at unintended times. This is a condition known as urge incontinence, or more commonly known as overactive bladder. It is important to distinguish the urgency of overactive bladder from Urinary Incontinence, where urine leakage occurs due to activities that increase abdominal pressure like sneezing or laughing.

What Causes An Overactive Bladder?

There are many potential causes of overactive bladder, some more serious and some that are very simple to treat. Common causes are: bladder inflammation, bladder stones, and bladder infection. Anything that blocks proper draining of the bladder can also cause an overactive bladder, such as an enlarged prostate or urethral obstruction. More serious conditions are bladder cancer and nervous system diseases (like Multiple Sclerosis) or nerve injuries (like a stroke). Unfortunately, many cases of urge incontinence are of unknown cause, making this a difficult condition to treat.

Conventional Treatment Options

Medical doctors will most commonly treat an overactive bladder with medications to help relax the bladder muscles to prevent the spasms that trigger urgency and leakage. Side effects of these medications include dry mouth, constipation, and glaucoma. Some doctors may instead prescribe tricyclic antidepressants to prevent stimulation of the bladder walls. Side effects of these medications include: blurred vision, dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, insomnia, and nausea. In severe cases, surgery may also be presented as an option.

Natural Treatment Options For Overactive Bladder

Diet 

Monitoring and managing your consumption of liquids can help reduce some symptoms. If your bladder is infected or irritated, drinking more water can help ease your bladder. Even if your bladder isn’t infected, drinking more water can help reduce urine odour in the case of leaking. Ensure that your water consumption is steady rather than all at once. Drinks that contain caffeine, like coffee, tea, and energy drinks, will only further irritate your bladder. Some foods, namely acidic foods like citrus, as well as spicy foods, would be beneficial to avoid. By maintaining a healthy weight and diet, urination frequency should be reduced.

Lifestyle

A healthcare practitioner should diagnose bladder symptoms and rule out infections or bladder stones. A simple urinalysis can identify underlying issues and guide treatment. Staying active helps maintain a healthy weight and supports pelvic floor strength. Avoid urethral irritation from harsh soaps, bubble baths, and tight clothing. Choose breathable cotton underwear and sanitary pads to reduce bacterial growth. Urinate after sex to help flush bacteria from the urethra. Sit fully on the toilet to empty the bladder completely. Avoid squatting, which may prevent complete bladder emptying. Review medications for diruetic effects and discuss alternatives with your doctor. Acupuncture may also help reduce symptoms of an overactive bladder.

Kegel Exercises

Kegel exercises and other means of strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor can significantly improve the symptoms of an overactive bladder. These exercises simply involve squeezing and lifting the vaginal and rectal muscles as though you are holding in urgent urine and/or stool. Hold this squeeze for 5-10 seconds each time without clenching your buttocks; Repeat 5 or more times daily. You can do them anywhere, and no one will have to know! Other options include vaginal weight training, where a small weight is held in the vagina for 15 minutes a few times a day to help tighten the pelvic floor. When these muscles become stronger, they help to prevent bladder leakage.

Sanitary Products

Often, the use of sanitary pads or adult diapers is our biggest fear of aging, and people will avoid them at all costs. There’s a feeling of loss of dignity with loss of continence. This doesn’t have to be the case. Interestingly, we can use these devices as stop-gap measures while we deal with the underlying problem to get life back on track. One example of these measures is bladder retraining.

Bladder Retraining

We are born without control over bladder function. Infants release urine automatically when the bladder fills. This explains why toddlers require potty training. Similar techniques can retrain bladder control later in life. Bladder muscles can gradually learn to hold urine longer. Start by tracking your urination habits in a journal for one week. Use this information to create a realistic bathroom schedule. Begin with manageable intervals, such as 1-1.5 hours. Practice holding urine between scheduled bathroom visits. Sanitary products can help manage urgency or leakage during training. Over time, bladder control improves. Gradually increase the time between bathroom trips by 30 minutes. The goal is to urinate every 3-4 hours.

Supplements

The proper treatment of an overactive bladder will always rely on an understanding of the underlying cause of the problem. There are a number of things that can help to reduce the symptoms, but the ultimate goal is always to fix the root of the problem, so the symptoms resolve naturally. There are a number of anti-spasmodic herbs that can help to reduce the smooth muscle spasms associated with an overactive bladder. Butterbur, in particular, can help to reduce spasms in the urinary tract, and thus reduce the urgency and leaking associated with this condition. Supplementing Magnesium can also help to relax the smooth muscles of the bladder and prevent spasms. There are a number of herbs that can soothe bladder irritation, such as marshmallow, and in men, Saw Palmetto can help prevent BPH associated problems.