Information How Nature Can Help With UTI

Have you ever suffered UTI?

If you have never had a urinary tract infection, then call yourself lucky, as by my experience I can tell you it is not funny. There are many ways you can get it and it is not always easy to know how you contracted this ailment.

I suffered twice and am using the word suffer as it can get really painful. One time I know exactly what caused it and the other time, I have no clue. All this happened a long time ago.

Quite some years ago I was playing a golf tournament, and it started raining on hole number 8. It was a real downpour, and I had no umbrella with me because the national weather forecast predicted no rain. I have long hair and it did not take long for me to be soaked from head to toe.

On top of that, one of my shoes opened on the side between the leather and the sole, so water came rushing in with every step I took. At hole number 9, I gave up and went home.

I took a warm shower, dried my hair, and drove back to the clubhouse to be at the prize-giving, tapas included. That night I woke up and felt the trouble starting. An infection of this type makes you get up every 5 minutes because you need to pee. The result is a mere drop that burns a lot. After some trips to the bathroom, I gave up and put a plastic with a towel on top in my bed as I refused to get up once more.

As the symptoms continued, I went to the pharmacy and got some antibiotic pills, which made me feel a bit better but the infection continued for an entire week. I was wearing diapers in the meantime.

Being sick in bed image FotoRieth

Western Medicine versus natural methods

It seems that some 60% of women will suffer this rather unpleasant condition at least once in their lives. That is rather a big percentage I think. I remember clearly when I was young and mini skirts came into fashion. My Mother warned me to not catch a cold down there. I did not at that time, but when I got so wet during the golf tournament, my immune system could not cope anymore.

Nowadays, people take chemical pills for everything and that has caused antibiotic resistance. I now know that the fewer pills you take, the better. I am happy that I now live pill-free and have for many years.

Do not take this infection lightly

Two types of bacteria cause 80% of all UTI infections. One is the E.Coli, and the other is S.saphrophyticus.

One should also know that they generally place urinary tract infections into 2 categories, the lower and the upper. If you suffer the lower type (affecting the bladder or the urethra) you are lucky, as it will probably clear up by itself. But do not take it for granted. If left untreated for too long and it has not cleared up, it could move upward.

That would most likely involve the kidneys and uterus, which can develop into life-threatening sepsis. Sepsis is to be taken very seriously, and it kills more people in the United States than the combination of breast cancer, prostate cancer, and Aids. Sepsis is the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S.

Cranberry Plant image Mr Gajoiwy 3

Mother Nature comes to our aid

Cranberries are one of only three fruits native to North America. They have a pretty red color and are slightly bitter. These fruits grow in the wild and before the German and Dutch settlers arrived, were appreciated by the native Indians. They used the juice as a natural dye for clothing and in a mixture to draw the poison from arrow wounds. In those times, this berry was already famous for the many ways they could utilize it.

In old times, this berry had to be picked by hand, which was a rather laborious process. Therefore, there was no really large-scale farming of cranberry until the 1800s. The American troops who were overseas during World War II consumed one million pounds of dehydrated cranberries a year. One can call this a very popular fruit. Even nowadays, Americans continue eating them at a rate of 400 million pounds a year.

Have a look at this amazing YouTube video where you can see how the cranberry fruits grow and how it is harvested.

.

.

Have you heard that drinking cranberry juice can help prevent getting UTI? When you review the subject on Wikipedia, the evidence does not seem too strong that drinking the juice of these fruits is helpful. I think one should investigate in all directions so one can make an informed opinion on this.

There are other sources that do claim drinking cranberry juice is good for you. This little fruit is rich in disease-fighting anthocyanins, which have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities. Drinking organic cranberry juice is a good habit and keeps you away from soda pops.

There are many cranberry drinks on the market but I think, if you have the time, it is best to make it yourself. Store-bought can be really unhealthy as it is loaded with extra sugar. Make the juice yourself, because only then will you know what goes into your drink.

Check your vitamin C levels

You know that when being low on vitamin C, you can contract all kinds of maladies. This vitamin keeps your immune system strong. In the case of UTIs, vitamin C acidifies the urine which helps the process of converting bacterial nitrites into bacteria-killing nitric oxide.

Some people say too much vitamin C causes an upset bowel, but you can avoid that by taking liposomal vitamin C. It delivers a lot more vitamin C to the cells without any side effects. Do check with your doctor as each person is different.

Sauerkraut image edwina

Probiotic foods

Probiotic is a word one often hears nowadays, and for a good reason. It helps the beneficial bacteria in your body to function well and survive. The University of Washington is conducting a study trying to document if bacteria in the Lactobacillus family can help in combating UTI. In the meantime, you can eat probiotic foods like kombucha, miso, sauerkraut, and yogurt with live cultures.

Hibiscus

You will find 2 more natural allies to combat UTI. The first includes the use of the hibiscus flower and its leaves. The extract of this plant holds antibacterial, anti-fungal, and antioxidant compounds. As it has a diuretic effect, it flushes out the bad bacteria and cleans the urinary tract.

In one study it was found that it can help up to 77% in reducing the UTI from coming back. If you wish you can try hibiscus tea and you will also find it available in tablet or capsule form.

Double Hibiscus image DEZALB

Pumpkin seeds

The second natural ally is equally pleasant. Eating pumpkin seeds is very healthy. My personal experience is that in 2 years of eating this seed, nearly every day, I improved my bone density by 2%. You might think that is not much but at my age to improve instead of diminishing is a pleasant surprise.

Now I hear pumpkin can probably also help with avoiding getting UTI. It supports healthy bladder function and the seeds contain disease-fighting antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. You can also buy pumpkin seed oil and natural healers recommend 500 mg a day.

.

.

Conclusion

By adding some natural things to your diet, your overall health will improve. If you have suffered UTI even once, you know what I am talking about when I say one would be better off to avoid it. It is painful and if not taken care of, can develop into a more serious condition.

Drink a glass of hibiscus tea, eat a handful of pumpkin seeds, get some probiotic foods, and add some extra vitamin C. Do not forget your cranberries and I hope you will stay healthy and happy.

I have made a special page for my visitor. Have a look at Recommendations, you might find something of your interest there.

Source: NaturalHealth365, Article by Lori Alton, staff writer, January 16, 2020

Photo Source: Pixabay

It is a fact we eat too many pills. Normally these pills have side effects which then make us have an added ailment or two. Big Pharma is happy as you will be a patient and consumer for the rest of your life. Nowadays one talks about the opioid epidemic and it is as sad as it is true. You might like to also read the following post.

Warning, The Threat Of The Opioid Epidemic