10 reméhome remedies for urinary infectionçãourinária (and how to do it)

Home remedies for urinary tract infection such as dandelion tea or parsley infusion, for example, have antibacterial, diuretic and anti-inflammatory action, helping to eliminate bacteria from the urinary tract, relieving symptoms such as pain or burning when urinating and speed recovery.

Urinary infection is usually caused by changes in the balance of the microbiota of the genital region, by holding urine for too long or drinking too little water during the day, leading to an inflammation of the urethra, bladder or kidneys, causing the symptoms of pain, frequent urge to urinate or a feeling of heaviness in the bladder, for example. See other urinary tract infection symptoms.

Although they are not intended to replace medical treatment, home remedies are a good option to help relieve the pain and discomfort caused by urinary tract infection, and can be used to complement the treatment indicated by the doctor. These home remedies are made with natural ingredients found in pharmacies or he alth food stores.

1. Horsetail tea

Horsetail tea has a strong diuretic action as it contains flavonoids, such as quercetin and apigenin, and phenolic compounds, such as caffeic and cinnamic acids, which act by increasing the elimination of urine, which helps to eliminate urinary tract bacteria, fighting urinary infection.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of dried horsetail stalk;
• 1 cup of boiling water.

Preparation mode

Add the dried horsetail stalk to the cup of boiling water and let it rest for about 5 to 10 minutes. Strain and drink up to 2 cups a day, preferably after the main meals of the day.

Mackerel tea should not be used for more than 1 week in a row, to avoid dehydration and elimination of some essential minerals for the body, and cause side effects such as diarrhea, severe headache, weight loss, pancreatitis, heart rate change and muscle weakness.

This tea should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women or by people with heart failure, low blood pressure and kidney disease, for example, due to its ability to lower blood pressure and have a strong diuretic effect.

2. Garlic and Ginger Tea

Garlic and ginger tea has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties due to allicin, present in garlic, and phenolic compounds such as gingerol, chogaol and zingerone, from ginger, which help fight the symptoms of urinary tract infection such as pain or burning when urinating.

In addition, this tea helps to strengthen the immune system and shorten the duration of urinary tract infection.

Ingredients

• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved;
• 1 cm of ginger root or ½ teaspoon of powdered ginger;
• 3 cups of water;
• Honey to sweeten (optional).

Preparation mode

Boil the water with the garlic. Remove from the heat and add the ginger and honey. Strain and serve next.

Ginger should not be consumed by people who use anticoagulants, and therefore it should be removed from the tea in these cases.

3. Dandelion tea

Dandelion tea is rich in substances such as nitriles, phenylacetic acid and dehydrovomifoliol, with diuretic and antibacterial action, which help to increase the elimination of urine and decrease the amount of bacteria in the urinary tract, helping to fight urinary tract infection.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of dandelion root;
• 1 cup of boiling water.

Preparation mode

Add the dandelion root to the cup of boiling water and let it rest for 10 minutes. Strain, let cool and drink up to 3 times a day.

This tea should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women.

4. Pomegranate juice

Pomegranate juice is rich in antibacterial substances such as triterpenes, steroids, glycosides, tannins, and vitamin C, which increase urine acidity and prevent the growth of bacteria that cause urinary tract infection such as Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 ripe pomegranates;
• 1 glass of water.

Preparation mode

Cut the pomegranates in half and remove the seeds. Blend the pomegranate seeds together with the water in a blender. Strain and then drink.

5. Parsley infusion

Parsley infusion, in addition to being a strong natural diuretic, also helps with kidney he alth, allowing you to eliminate urine more quickly, which helps to eliminate bacteria from the urinary tract, fighting urinary infection.

Ingredients

• 1 handful of parsley;
• 1 cup of boiling water.

Preparation mode

Cut the parsley into small pieces and add to the cup of boiling water. Let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes. Strain the parsley leaves, let them cool and drink up to 3 times a day.

Parsley infusion should not be used by pregnant women or people with kidney or heart failure.

6. Cranberry juice

Cranberry juice, also known as cranberry or wild cranberry, has a high concentration of proanthocyanidins, flavonoids, terpenoids, catechins, citric and malic acids, which are substances that act by making it difficult for bacteria to adhere to the urinary tract, especially Escherichia coli.

Thus, this juice helps to treat and prevent infections in the kidneys, urethra and bladder, being a good home remedy option for urinary tract infection and can be used in pregnancy. See other tips for treating urinary tract infection in pregnancy.

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 tablespoons of dried cranberry;
• 1 glass of water.

Preparation mode

Punch the cranberry together with the water in a blender. Strain and then drink 1 to 3 times a day.

Another option to use cranberry for urinary tract infection is to take it in the form of capsules, using 1 capsule of 300 to 400 mg, 1 to 2 times a day. The use of the capsules is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women due to the components of the formula.

7. Bearberry tea

Uva-ursi tea has antiseptic, diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties as it contains substances such as arbutin, hydroquinone and hydroxyacetophenone in its composition, which increase the elimination of urine, clean and reduce the swelling of the urinary tract.

In addition, some studies show that uva-ursi has antimicrobial activity, reducing the proliferation of microorganisms, especially the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) that causes infection in the bladder, urethra and kidneys and, therefore, is a great home remedy option for urinary tract infection.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of dried uva-ursi leaves;
• 1 liter of water.

Preparation mode

Boil the water together with the uva-ursi leaves for approximately 15 minutes. Strain and drink 2-3 cups a day for a maximum of 5 days.

This tea should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women, children under 12 and people with stomach problems such as gastritis or ulcers, for example.

Uva-ursi tea can cause side effects when used in larger amounts than recommended, causing symptoms such as ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, feeling short of breath, or seizures.

8. Nasturtium tincture

The nasturtium tincture has antibiotic, antiseptic and diuretic properties, which reduce bacterial proliferation in the urinary tract and stimulate urine production.

Ingredients

• 20 to 50 drops of nasturtium tincture;
• ½ cup of warm water.

Preparation mode

Mix all the ingredients very well and then drink. This remedy should be taken 3 to 5 times a day. Nasturtium tincture can be purchased in he alth food stores and in some homeopathy pharmacies.

9. Goldenrod tea

Golden rod tea is also an excellent home remedy for urinary tract infection because this herb has a diuretic and anti-inflammatory action that increases urine production, thus decreasing the time that urine stays in the bladder and the development of bacteria.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of dried goldenrod leaves;
• 1 cup of boiling water.

Preparation mode

Add the goldenrod leaves in the boiling water and let it rest for 10 minutes. Strain and drink 1 cup of this tea several times a day.

10. Horseradish tea

Horseradish tea has antiseptic, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties that relieve symptoms of pain or burning when urinating and decrease the amount of bacteria in the urinary tract, helping to fight urinary infection.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dried horseradish leaves;
• 1 cup of water.

Preparation mode

Boil the water and then add the dried horseradish leaves. Let stand for 5 minutes, strain and drink 2 to 3 cups a day.