Alternative Medicine for a Kidney

The kidney is the major organ in the human urinary system and is subject to various diseased conditions such as kidney stones and urinary tract infections as well as damage from toxic substances. Fortunately, there are herbal remedies that have been scientifically proven to help with all of these conditions and they can be used as potent alternative medicine for kidney troubles.

Green Tea

• Protecting your kidney from toxic substances that may cause damage may be as simple as drinking green tea on a daily basis. A study published in the journal Bioscience, biotechnology, and biochemistry in 1997 by Yokozawa T.; Dong E., Chung H. Y., Oura H., Nakagawa H., found that an extract of green tea was able to protect kidney cells from damage caused by free radical oxidation in vitro. Green tea can be purchased online or from tea shops and is generally more antioxidant rich in its loose leaf form than in tea bags.

Hairy Rupturewort

• Hairy rupturewort is an herb that is native to the west coast of the United States as well as Europe and Asia and has been found to have profound effects on kidney stones. A study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in November 2004 by Fouad Atmania, , Yamina Slimania, Mostapha Mimounib, Mohammed Aziza, Brahim Hachtb and Abderrahim Ziyyata found that an extract of hairy rupturewort was able to induce the breakdown and elimination of kidney stones in rats. Hairy rupturewort may be hard to find through health food and online retailers of supplements, as it is not well known, but it is common in nursuries and garden supply stores where it is sold as an ornamental. The authors of the above study note that there is no satisfactory drug to treat kidney stones, making hairy rupturewort a botanical wonder drug, that is still as of yet, undiscovered by the public.

Uva Ursi

• Uva ursi, also known as bearberry, is a relative of manzanita that grows close to the ground and has been used against urinary tract infections in traditional western herbalism for hundreds of years. A study published in The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 2002 by G Schindler, U Patzak, B Brinkhaus, A von Niecieck, J Wittig, N Krahmer, I Glockl, and M Veit found that a single dose of uva ursi extract caused arbutin (a potent antibacterial) levels to rise in the urine of a group of volunteers. By cleansing out your urinary tract with potent herbal antibacterials you can prevent and fight off urinary tract infections that may lead to kidney problems. Uva ursi is commonly found at health food stores as bulk loose leaf that can be used as a tea or in herbal formula capsules designed for urinary complaints.