Uva ursi (Arctostaphylos uva ursi) is an evergreen also called bearberry and manzanita. It produces orange berries that bears like, hence the name bearberry. The plant grows in several places, from coastal California to the Himalayas. The leaves are used in herbal medicines. Drugs.com notes the berries can be cooked but are not used medicinally. Despite its documented use as an herbal medicine, uva ursi can be toxic. Pregnant and lactating women, and people with kidney problems should avoid using uva ursi. Other conditions and foods may interfere or interact with uva ursi--always speak with your doctor first if you are considering using it.
Bladder Health
Uva ursi has a long history as a bladder-infection fighter. The University of Maryland Medical Center says the first known use of uva ursi was in the 2nd century by Native Americans, and it was used for centuries to treat bladder infections and other urinary tract problems before antibiotics came into use. It continues to be an herbal option for bladder treatments, although clinical research into its efficacy is lacking. New York University's Langone Medical Center notes that a German study in 1970, published in "Planta Medica," and a 1975 Polish study published in "Medycyna Doswiadczalna i Mikrobiologia" both reported antibacterial activity in people taking uva ursi; however, the center says that there are no double-blind trials using placebos and control groups.
Tannins
Uva ursi contains tannins, which may have anti-inflammatory effects in humans. Tannins aren't exotic and unknown; they also exist in tea and chocolate. However, uva ursi has a high concentration of tannins--so high that Drugs.com says the leaves have to be soaked in cold water when making uva ursi tea, so that the tannin level doesn't become too high. A 1998 review in "Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition" notes that tannins may have anti-microbial effects, at least in foods, and a 2001 laboratory study, published in the "Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy," found that tannic acid may have an effect on Staphylococcus aureus. Results were positive but needed further investigation.
Immuno-Inflammatory Effects
Drugs.com reports that uva ursi, in combination with the corticosteroids prednisolone and dexamethasone, may have increased anti-inflammatory effects on allergies, arthritis and dermatitis. Four studies from 1990, 1991 and 1992, all led by Hideaki Matsuda and published in "Yakugaku Zasshi: The Journal of the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan," looked at the effect of uva ursi on allergies and inflammation due to the immune system in combination with prednisolone, dexamethazone and the NSAID indomethacin. The 1992 study found uva ursi increased dexamethasone's anti-allergy and anti-inflammatory effects, and the 1990 study combining uva ursi extract and prednisolone showed a possible increase in anti-inflammatory action. However, the 1990 study on prednisolone and dexamethasone, and the 1991 study with indomethacin, both found positive but inconclusive effects.
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