uva ursi extract also referred to as "bearberry" in honor of the bears so fond of its bright red or pink berries, uva ursi (arctostaphylos uva ursi) is an evergreen shrub that has long been popular for fighting urinary tract infections. its leathery green leaves are formulated into teas, tinctures, capsules, and extracts for this purpose. the plant grows throughout colder northern climates from north america to asia and is particularly popular in europe for treating urinary tract inflammation. official physician handbooks in the united states listed uva ursi as a urinary antiseptic for a century up until the 1920s. the antiseptic compound in uva ursi is arbutin, which the body converts into a substance with proven astringent and bacteria-killing powers called hydroquinone. interestingly, arbutin taken alone is not as effective as the whole uva ursi plant in controlling urinary tract infections. that's because intestinal bacteria can break down arbutin, but they are less likely to do so in the presence of other uva ursi compounds. to effectively fight a urinary tract infection with uva ursi, your urine must be alkaline. you may be able to help maintain an alkaline ph by consuming plenty of dairy products and non-citrus fruits. by the same token, avoid taking uva ursi with substances that have the reverse effect--acidifying the urine--such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, and vitamin c supplements. ms.lily liu sales manager organic herb inc. phone +86 731 4060868 mobile +86 135 1747 5149 fax +86 731 4023669 email: lily@organic-herb.com website: http://www.organic-herb.com