Guest Author - Carolyn Chambers Clark, ARNP, EdD

How can blueberries help your bladder?

According to research conducted at Rutgers University in New Jersey, blueberries can help you fight bladder infections (cystitis).

This type of infection can wreak havoc with your urination, by causing bladder pain, blood in your urine (in cases of severe infection), and giving you tremendous urges to urinate, only to find a tiny amount of urine comes out.

The researchers found that blueberries can effectively prevent urinary tract infections (UTIs) such as bladder and kidney infections.

This berry, like the cranberry, contains compounds called proanthocyanidins that keep E. coli (the bacteria responsible for most UTIs) from attaching to the cells in the walls of the urinary tract.

How much of the berries should you take?

According to the study's lead investigator, Amy B. Howell, Ph.D., to help prevent bladder infections and maintain urinary tract health, you need to either...

*eat a generous handful of blueberries a day

*or drink a 10-ounce glass of cranberry juice drink (the less sugar the better)


Either one could also help with bladder spasms due to bladder infection.

What else can you do?

Other things to consider trying are...

* drink a cup or two of dandelion, hydrangea or cornsilk tea a day to help cleanse your bladder and kidneys and relieve bladder pain

* avoid apples, pineapple, tomatoes, and citrus; they all contain acids that can irritate your bladder

* eat more parsley, red peppers, fish, green leafy and yellow vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, asparagus, raw spinach, papaya, celery, carrots and watercress; they provide the vitamins and minerals to strengthen your urinary tract

* avoid other substances known to irritate the bladder including: peanuts, chocolate, caffine (in drugs, coffee, sodas, teas)

* sprinkle oregano on your food; it has antibacterial qualities

* avoid alcoholic beverages and sugar; bacteria thrive on them

* while you have a bladder infection, stop taking any supplements that contain iron (bacteria need iron to grow) or high doses of zinc (suppresses your immune system.)

* drink at least 10 glasses a day of water, preferably distilled to make sure you aren't ingesting cadmium or other chemicals that can mimic bladder infections; you can find distilled water in your grocery store in the bottled water section

This article is for information purposes only. For treatment, consult your health care practitioner.

Sources:

Blueberries Fight Bladder Infections, Katherine Gallia, Susanne Althoff, and Melissa Nachatelo. Natural Health, April, 1999.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, James and Phyllis Balch.

Smart Medicine for Healthier Living, Janet Zand, Allan Spreen, and James LaValle.

For more information on menopause, click on...