Keep Your Urinary Tract Healthy At Any Age

Whether the concern was with your kidneys, your bladder, or your prostate, chances are good that, at some point in your life, your urinary tract has been dealt an unexpected hand. Ultimately, your body’s urinary system remains one of the most vulnerable when it comes to common health challenges, especially as you age—and needless to say, the consequences run the gamut from embarrassing and inconvenient to downright unpleasant.

But despite this unfortunate fact of life, you’ll be happy to hear that healthy “pipes” are possible at any age—and that the right combo of nutrients can help to keep your urinary tract flowing freely for years to come.

Take your kidneys, for example: As one of your body’s primary filters, this pair of organs is exposed to a vast array of blood-bound substances that are ultimately excreted in the urine, including mineral salts like calcium oxalate. Suboptimal kidney function, however, can lead to improper mineral salt excretion through the urinary tract—an all-too-common concern that’s anything but comfortable.

Luckily, several key nutraceuticals have been shown to support your urinary tract by actively promoting calcium oxalate excretion for clear, healthy kidneys. Magnesium, potassium citrate and vitamin B6 all encourage oxalate conversion into more easily excreted substances, while the botanical Crataeva nurvala and vitamin K2 deliver similar benefits by keeping oxalates in a more soluble form.^1-6 Likewise, Astragalus root, Red Sage, and Rehmannia are time-tested botanicals with research-supported kidney-protective activity, which can help to keep your urinary system in tip top shape.^7-10

Bladder function is another key concern for many older adults—whether the focus is on maintaining urinary tract flora, or on occasional urinary frequency and embarrassing leakage. To keep the former in check, look no further than the unique natural sugar mannose. Research shows that mannose can promote balance of urinary tract flora.^11-16

To address occasional frequency and leakage, on the other hand, research indicates that Crataeva nurvala, horsetail herb, magnesium and silica may be possibly safe and effective options. This combination may deliver significant positive effects on bladder health and tone—for both men and women.^17-21

Finally, no discussion of urinary health would be complete without mention of the prostate—a gland that can have an especially large impact on a man’s urinary system as he ages. Fortunately, research continues to support natural compounds like beta-sitosterol as effective nutrients to help maintain peak urinary flow and healthy bladder emptying rates, whether day or night.²² Combinations of saw palmetto and the botanical stinging nettle have also been shown to support healthy prostate and urinary function, as has the herb pygeum.^23-28

The bottom line: Whatever the needs of your urinary tract, Complementary Prescriptions® has you covered. You’ll find all of the ingredients above featured in four daily supplements—D-Mannose Plus, Renal Support Formula, Vesitrol™ and Prostate Support Formula®—available from CP.

References:

1. Nath R, Thind SK, Murthy MS, Farooqui S, Gupta R, Koul HK. Role of pyridoxine in oxalate metabolism. Ann NY Acad Sci. 1990;585:274-84.

2. Prien EL, Gershoff SF. Magnesium oxide-pyridoxine therapy for recurrent calcium oxalate calculi. J Urol. 1974;112:509-12.

3. Ettinger B, Pak CY, Citron JT, et al. Potassium-magnesium citrate is an effective prophylaxis against recurrent calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis. J Urol. 1997;158:2069-73.

4. Pak CY. Medical prevention of renal stone disease. Nephron. 1999;81(Suppl 1):60-5.

5. Patankar S, Dobhada S, Bhansali M, Khaladkar S, Modi J. A prospective, randomized, controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of Ayurvedic formulation “varuna and banana stem” in the management of urinary stones. J Altern Complement Med. 2008;14(10):1287-90.

6. Geleijnse JM, Vermeer C, Grobbee DE, et al. Dietary intake of menaquinone is associated with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: The Rotterdam Study. J Nutr. 2004;134:3100-5.

7. Zhao J, Shang M, Meng L, Rong S, Ma C, Qu L, Cai S, Li X. [Screening effective parts of combination of Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix (A&A) for its renoprotective effects]. Zhongguo Zhong Yao Za Zhi. 2010;35(21):2893-8.

8. Li M, Wang W, Xue J, Gu Y, Lin S. Meta-analysis of the clinical value of Astragalus membranaceus in diabetic nephropathy. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011;133(2):412-9.

9. Pu C, Yang YB, Sun QL. [Effects of Salvia miltiorrhiza on oxidative stress and microinflammatory state in patients undergoing continuous hemodialysis]. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 2006;26(9):791-4.

10. Su ZZ, He YY, Chen G. [Clinical and experimental study on effects of man-shen-ling oral liquid in the treatment of 100 cases of chronic nephritis]. Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi. 1993;13(5):269-72,259-60.

11. Toyota S, Fukushi Y, Katoh S, Orikasa S, Suzuki Y. [Anti-bacterial defense mechanism of the urinary bladder. Role of mannose in urine]. Nippon Hinyokika Gakkai Zasshi. 1989;80(12):1816-23.

12. Schaeffer AJ, Chmiel JS, Duncan JL, Falkowski WS. Mannose-sensitive adherence of Escherichia coli to epithelial cells from women with recurrent urinary tract infections. J Urol. 1984 May;131(5):906-10.

13. Wright J. D-mannose for bladder and kidney infections. Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients 1999;July:96-98.

14. Ofek I, Crouch E, Keisari Y. The role of C-type lectins in the innate immunity against pulmonary pathogens. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2000;479:27-36.

15. Ofek I, Beachey EH. Mannose binding and epithelial cell adherence of Escherichia coli. Infect Immun. 1978;22:247-254.

16. Bar-Shavit Z, Goldman R, Ofek I, Sharon N, Mirelman D. Mannose-binding activity of Escherichia coli: a determinant of attachment and ingestion of the bacteria by macrophages. Infect Immun. 1980;29:417-424.

17. The Complete German Commission E Monographs. 1998, Blumenthal, M., ed., Austin, TX: American Botanical Council.

18. Deshpande PJ, Sahu M, Pradeep Kumar. Crateva nurvala Hook and Forst (Varuna) – the Ayurvedic drug of choice in urinary disorders. Indian J Med Res, 1982; 76(Suppl):46-53.

19. Gordon D, Groutz A, Ascher-Landsberg J, et al. Double-blind, placebo-controlled study of magnesium hydroxide for treatment of sensory urgency and detrusor instability: preliminary results. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1998;105:667-9.

20. Steels E. Ryan J., Seipel T., Rao A. Crateva and Equisetum reduce Urinary Incontinence Symptoms. Australian Continence Journal. Vol.⁸ Number 3, 2002.

21. Schauss AG, Spiller G, Chaves S, Gawlicka A. Reducing the symptoms of overactive bladder and urinary incontinence: results of a two-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, 2006 (unpublished research).

22. Klippel KF, Hiltl DM, Schipp B. A multicentric, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial of beta-sitosterol (phytosterol) for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. German BPH-Phyto Study group. Br J Urol. 1997;80(3):427-32.

23. Delos S, Carsol JL, Ghazarossian E, et al. Testosterone metabolism in primary cultures of human prostate epithelial cells and fibroblasts. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 1995;55(3-4):375-83.

24. Bach D, Schmitt M, Ebeling L. Phytopharmaceutical and synthetic agents in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Phytomedicine. 1997;3:309,313.

25. Lopatkin N, Sivkov A, Walther C, et al. Long-term efficacy and safety of a combination of sabal and urtica extract for lower urinary tract symptoms—a placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial. World J Urol. 2005;23:139-46.

26. Sokeland J. Combined sabal and urtica extract compared with finasteride in men with benign prostatic hyperplasia: analysis of prostate volume and therapeutic outcome. BJU Int. 2000;86:439-42.

27. Mathe G, Hallard M, Bourut CH, Chenu E. A Pygeum africanum extract with so-called phyto-estrogenic action markedly reduces the volume of true and large prostatic hypertrophy. Biomed Pharmacother. 1995;49(7-8):341-3.

28. Casella G, Barbaro A. [The role of mepartricin in the medical treatment of benign prostatic adenoma]. Arch Sci Med. 1978;135(1):95-8.