Papaya - a world class meat tenderizer, natural digestive aid, prevents ulcers, and also a soft contact lense cleaner.Uva Ursi The Safety Factor
Uva ursi often turns urine a dark green. Do not become alarmed.
Herbal weight-loss formulas typically contain diuretics.
Uva ursi is the diuretic most often used. Because they boost urine production, diuretics temporarily eliminate some water weight. Weight lost using diuretics almost invariably returns, however. Weight-control experts do not recommend diuretics. The keys to permanent weight control include a low-fat, high-fiber diet, and regular aerobic exercise.
Some herb conservatives warn against using uva ursi because they say it causes vomiting, ringing in the ears, and convulsions. The source of this warning is one study reported in 1949, which did not use bulk uva ursi but rather very large amounts of its isolated antiseptic chemical, hydroquinone. Recommended doses of the whole herb are considered safe, if nausea or ringing in the ears develops, use less or stop using the herb.
High in Tannins
Uva ursi has such high levels of tannins that it has been used to tan leather. Large doses of tannins may cause stomach upset.
Tannins also have both pro- and anti-cancer action. Some authorities warn against their use, but tannins’ role in human cancers, if any, remains unclear. However, those with a history of cancer should either add milk, which appears to neutralize tannins, or not use large amounts.
Other Cautions
The Food and Drug Administration lists uva ursi as an herb of “undefined safety.” For otherwise healthy non-pregnant, non-nursing adults, uva ursi is considered relatively safe in amounts typically recommended.
Uva ursi should be used in medicinal amounts only in consultation with your doctor. If uva ursi causes minor discomforts, such as nausea, use less or stop using it. Let your doctor know if you experience unpleasant effects or if the symptoms for which the herb is being used do not improve significantly in two weeks.
Better to Buy Bearberry
Ancient Mediterranean bears must have loved the bright red, mealy, currant-size berries of this delicate, branching, perennial groundcover, because both its generic name, Arctostaphylos, from the Greek, and its Latin-rooted specific name, uva ursi, mean bear’s berry. The plant is often called bearberry in English. Not the berries but the leaves are used in herbal Healing, however.
Uva ursi grows throughout the temperate world. It has a long, fibrous root, woody stems and branches, inch-long, leathery, evergreen, paddle-shaped leaves and tiny white flowers tinged with red. The plant rarely grows taller than a few inches and prefers a dry, rocky, or sandy habitat.
Uva ursi is typically propagated from cuttings. Be patient.
This plant takes an unusually long time to root. It’s more convenient simply to buy small plants from a specialty herb nursery.
Uva ursi does poorly in rich soil. It prefers poor, gravelly, acidic soil. under full sun or partial shade. Keep your uva ursi patch well weeded until the plants have become established. It does not transplant well. Once established, uva ursi spreads to become a hearty, attractive groundcover, which can survive temperatures of -50°F.
Harvest leaves in autumn before the first frost. Because of their leathery texture, they are difficult to air dry. Spread them in a single layer and dry them in your oven.