Common names: Uva Ursi, Bearberry, Arbutus, Bears Grape, Mountain Cranberry, Upland Cranberry, Green Manzanita, Arbutus uva ursi, Brusserole, Raisin d’ours, Uva Ursina, Uva d’orso, Rockberry.

Botanical name: Arcostaphylos officinalis

Nutritional Support at a Glance: Used as nutritional support by persons with Urinary Tract Infections, Kidney Disorders including infections, Candida Infections, Water Retention (it is a mild diuretic), Non-gonoccal Urethritis, Lithuria, Cystitis, Prostatitis, Pyelitis, Chronic Diarrhea, Incontinence, Acute Catarrhal Cystitis, and Dysuria.

Notice to Consumers: No information is provided as an enticement to purchase and in accordance with section 201(g) of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, is not intended to treat, prevent, cure or mitigate any disease and is for your perusal and to be used in concert with your physician.

View product formulation: Arcostaphylos officinalis (Uva Ursi)

Origin: Arcostaphylos officinalis has been used for thousands of years by a wide variety of cultures from China to the Americas as a urinary tract antiseptic and diuretic. Even Galen, the roman physician, used the leaves as an astringent to stop bleeding and treat wounds. Marco Polo apparently introduced this herb to Europe reporting that the Chinese used it to treat kidney and urinary tract problems. According to the Doctrine of Signature, which associates the plants physical characteristics with its healing properties, the fact that it grew in gravelly and rocky places led to the conclusion that it could be used for treating kidney stones because at that time they were referred to as gravel not kidney stones. When the European colonists came to America they found that the Indians were already using Arbutus as a urinary remedy and also mixing it with tobacco to smoke, but they mainly used it as a tea to treat urinary tract problems, including venereal diseases. Eclectics of the 19^th century used the herb for chronic kidney and urinary tract problems as well as for dysentery, diarrhea, bed-wetting and even gonorrhea. 

Arcostaphylos officinalis entered the U. S. Pharmacopoeia in 1820 as a urinary antiseptic. Herbalist today recommend it for kidney and urinary tract disorders and the Homeopathics also provide very small amounts in their treatment of incontinence, kidney and urinary tract problems, including blood in the urine and infections. The berries have been used as food for humans, birds and bears, hence the name Bearberry.

Parts Used Medicinally: Dried leaves are used in powdered form or as a cold water extraction, for liquid extracts and used internally or externally as infusions, tinctures, extracts, tablets and most commonly encapsulated.

Traditional and/or Historical Use: Arcostaphylos officinalis was highly regarded for its astringent properties and used to treat bladder and kidney diseases, believed to tonify the urinary tract and treat urinary tract inflammation. Eclectic physicians used it to treat blood and mucous in the urine, dysentery, diarrhea, menorrhagia, diabetes, chronic venereal diseases, bladder and urinary tract irritation and/or infections. Traditional medicinal uses include, urinary tract infections, urethritis, lithuria, cystitis, prostatitis, pyelitis, chronic diarrhea, and intestinal inflammation. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia 1983 lists it as a treatment for acute catarrhal cystitis with dysuria and very acidic urine. Arbutin was marketed as a diuretic and urinary antiseptic, but like many other plant extracts where single isolates are used they demonstrate less efficacy than using the entire plant extract. Germany’s Commission E has approved the use of Arcostaphylos officinalis to treat urinary tract infections.

Note from Dr. Morrow: If you are prone to kidney and urinary tract infections, try increasing your mineral intake, specifically calcium and magnesium because they are the body’s primary buffers (along with potassium) and they help prevent intra and extra-cellular acidosis and also try decreasing your sugar and refined carbohydrate intake because pathogenic organisms feed on glucose, as well as increasing your intake of probiotics and fiber. You might also consider becoming a strict vegetarian or at least consume lots of fruits and vegetables for a short time because heavy meat eaters have a much lower pH (acid) than Vegans. If you are a women, try plain white yogurt douches every week to help balance the vaginal pH with the help of the probiotics in yogurt. For your information, carnivores tend to have a urinary pH range of 4.0 to 6.0 whereas vegetarians urine pH is normally greater than 7.0 and most pathogenic organisms prefer and acid environment. The active constituents in Arcostaphylos officinalis require an alkaline environment (pH approaching 8.0) for efficacy. Acidosis is also noted in most inflammatory conditions and degenerative disorders as well.  

Active Biochemical’s or Phytochemical’s and/or Mechanisms of Action: Arbutin, a hydroquinone glycoside, appears to be the most active ingredient in Uva Ursi and the leaves contain 7 to 9 percent with tannins comprising 6-7 percent. There are also flavanoids, quercetin, ellagic and gallic acids and allantoin along with volatile oils and an urvone resin. Arbutin only occurs in trace amounts in the urine even when high doses are given because it is altered as it passes through the body and it is suggested that arbutin is hydrolyzed in the stomach or intestines to free hydroquinone, conjugated by phase II liver enzymes and is found in the urine paired with glucuronate or sulphate with even the free hydroquinone excreted in only trace amounts. Arbutin appears to dependent on an alkaline urine to be effective as an antibiotic, which is aided by the other constituents in the whole plant extract by preventing the bacterial breakdown of Arbutin, this also occurs in the intestinal tract. Research shows that the antibacterial effect of Uva ursi is pH dependent and will only occur when the arbutin excretory products hydroquinone paired with glucuronate and sulphate are available in relatively high concentrations in an alkaline pH greater than 7.0 and preferably 8.0. Dry leaf extract of Uva ursi administered to rats with acute bacterial pyelonephritis caused by E. coli, demonstrated a marked antibacterial effect. Studies also demonstrate if the urine is acidic there is little antibacterial activity, but if the pH is greater than 7.0 and preferably approaching 8.0 than Uva ursi will probably be effective to very effective against the following organisms, which are the type that are capable of urea splitting with the release of ammonia; Proteus spp., Klebsiella app., Citrobacter app., Haemophilus spp., Bilophila wadsworthia, E. Coli, Staph. aureus and the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans as well as other bacteria and fungi. Another study confirms Uva ursi’s antibacterial activity; when seventy-four different strains of bacteria from urine were tested using several synthetic antibiotics as well as arbutin from Arcostaphylos officinalis and with an adjusted pH of 8.0, of all the antibiotics tested only gentamicin, nalidixic acid as well as arbitin. Arcostaphylos officinalis demonstrated antibacterial action against all 73 strains. The aglycone p-hydroxyacetophenone of piceoside found in Uva ursi also demonstrated antibacterial activity against several organisms. Research suggests that arbutin is not mutagenic, but rather hydroquinone is responsible for any mutagenic potential. Arbutin is also synergistic with numerous pharmaceutical anti-inflammatory agents. Experimentally induced cough reflex was suppressed greater by using 50 mg/kg oral doses of arbutin than the non-narcotic antitussive dropropizine and almost equal to that of codeine. Arbutin and Uva ursi extract both have demonstrated inhibitory action on tyrosinase as well as the production of melanin by autoxidation and therefore, this bleaching effect may be useful to control hyperpigmentary disorders including freckles. The tannins in Arcostaphylos officinalis are believed to precipitate algal proteins as demonstrated by the algicidal activity tested in ponds. 

Recommended Dosage: One 200 mg. capsule daily between meals of standardized (10-25% Arbutin) Uva Ursi or as directed by your physician. As much as 10 grams of dried leaves per day can be used or the equivalent of 400-800 mgs of arbutin as an infusion (tea).

Toxicity, Cautions, Contra-Indications: Although hydroquinone is recognized as a toxic coumpound, arbutin and the Uva ursi extracts are considerably less toxic with the toxicity of Uva ursi dependent upon the amount of arbutin that is converted into hydroquinone, which has been shown to become toxic at levels of one gram, which is the equivalence of about ½ ounce of leaves. The symptoms of hydroquinone toxicity include, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath with a sense of suffocation, cyanosis, delirium, convulsions and collapse. There is evidence that these signs may be related also to the high tannin content of Uva ursi since it causes many of the same symptoms when taken internally. The absorption of nutrients can also be problematic with high tannin consumption. Most authorities agree that Arcostaphylos officinalis is not for prolonged use as an herbal remedy. Arcostaphylos officinalis is contra-indicated in pregnancy and lactation because the transfer of hydroquinone or arbutin to breast milk is not advised, especially since it is not recommended by the Commission E. for use by children under the age of 12 years. Contact dermatitis has also been reported. Arcostaphylos officinalis may worsen gastrointestinal ailments by irritating the gastrointestinal tract.

Drug Interactions: George T. Grossberg, M.D. & Barry Fox, Ph.D reports,”Taking Arcostaphylos officinalis with the following drugs may interfere with the action of the drug: azosemide, benazepril, bumetanide, chlorothiazide, ethacrynic acid, etozolin, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, hydrochlorothiazide and trimterene, hydroflumethiazide, methyclothiazide, olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide, polytheazide, torsemide, trichlormethiazide, xipamide. Taking Arcostaphylos officinalis with these drugs may reduce or prevent absorption of the drug: ferric gluconate, ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, ferrous sulfate, ferrous sulfate and ascorbic acid, iron-dextran complex, polysaccharide-iron complex. Taking Arcostaphylos officinalis with these drugs may increase the therapeutic and/or adverse effects of the drug: acemetacin, aspirin, celecoxib, choline magnesium trisalicylate, choline salcylate, diclofenac, diflunisal, dipyrone, etodolac, etoricoxib, fenoprofen, flurbiprofen, ibuprofen, indomethacin, ketoprofen, ketorolac, magnesium salicylate, meclofenamate, mefenamic acid, meloxicam, nabumetone, naproxen, niflumic acid, nimesulide, oxaprozin, piroxicam, rofecoxib, salsalate, sulindac, tenoxicam, tiaprofenic acid, tolmetin, valdecoxib. Taking Arcostaphylos officinalis with these druds may increase the risk of hypokalemia (low levels of potassium in the blood): acetazolamide, azosemide, bumetanide, chlorothiazide, chlorothalidone, ethracrynic acid, etozolin, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, hydroflumethiazide, indapamide, mannitol, mefruside, methazolamide, methyclothiazide, metolazone, olmesartan and hydrochlorothiazide, polythiazide, torsemide, trichlormethiazide, urea, xipamide. Taking Arcostaphylos officinalis with this drug may be harmful and may cause or increase liver damage: etodolac.”

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