尿道炎天然療法 Natural Support for UTIs

女性比男性更容易感染尿道炎，原因有多種。腎臟過濾血液，廢物隨尿液被帶走。尿液經膀胱暫時儲存後經尿道輸尿管排出體外。由於女性的生理結構，肛門周圍的細菌容易接觸尿道口，引發尿道和膀胱感染。另一原因是女性尿路長度比男性短而容易受感染。由於缺乏雌激素保護作用，更年期婦女患尿路感染風險也相對增加。

尿道炎癥狀包括：小便頻繁且有燒灼感，排尿渾濁，尿味濃烈或尿液中有少量血點。

西醫治療尿路感染主要使用抗生素，而小紅莓則是具研究證實能有效維持泌尿系統健康的天然化合物。早期研究確定其所含馬尿酸(hippuric acid)能幫助保持尿液酸度，近期研究更顯示小紅莓的有效成分能防止大腸桿菌粘上膀胱壁。研究人員認為，小紅莓所含天然原花青素有效抑制大腸桿菌感染。研究人員得出結論，“小紅莓提供了最具成本效益的天然預防泌尿道感染良方。”

研究還指出，益生菌(例如嗜乳酸桿菌和羅伊氏乳桿菌)對預防尿路感染最有效。一項綜合研究結果表明，“補充益生菌可有效減少女性尿路感染的復發風險。”

                                                                                其他有用補充劑:

熊果葉：每日3次，每次服250-500毫克，連續服用至少5天。

維他命、大蒜、蒲公英根、N-乙酰半胱氨酸和藥蜀葵根也能有效控制尿道炎。

Natural Support for UTIs

UTIs affect drastically more women than men.  The kidneys make urine by filtering waste products in the blood. They send the wastes down the ureter to the bladder to be emptied via the urethra. Thanks to female anatomy, bacteria normally present around the anus may come into contact with the urethral opening and then travel upwards to the bladder, causing infection. Another reason more women than men contract UTIs is that the female’s urethra is shorter than the male’s. Women who are menopausal also have increased risk of a UTI, without estrogen’s protective effects. 

Symptoms of UTIs include: more frequent urges to urinate a burning sensation during urination cloudy, strong-smelling urine or a little blood in the urine some passage of small amounts of urine. 

Natural Support 

Besides antibiotics, which are typically prescribed in UTIs, cranberry  is the premier natural compound researched for its role in urinary tract health. Early studies on the cranberry determined its content of hippuricacid helped maintain the acidity level in urine, while more recent research shows its ability to prevent Escherichia coli from sticking to the bladder walls. Researchers believe that the naturally occurring proanthocyanidins in cranberries are responsible for inhibiting the adherence of E. coli.  The researchers concluded, “Cranberry tablets provided the most cost-effective prevention for UTI.” 

Research also points to probiotics. Probiotic bacteria strains Lactobacillus rhamnosus and L. reuteri have been found most effective in preventing UTIs. Results from a meta-analysis suggest that “supplementation with particular probiotic strains may be effective in helping reduce the likelihood of recurrence of UTIs in women.” 

                                                                                   Other Helpful Supplements  

Uva ursi(bearberry): Take 250 to 500 mg three times a day for at least five days.

Garlic, vitamin C,dandelion,N-acetylcysteine and marshmallow root may also help.

礦物質鎂是避免肌肉痙攣的關鍵營養素 Magnesium is the key to avoiding muscle cramps

美國著名脊醫和營養專家大衛·帕斯卡爾，曾經為很多優秀運動員和奧運選手提供專業意見，他指出肌肉痙攣（抽筋）的主要成因是缺乏了礦物質鎂這種重要營養物質。他說： “許多優秀運動員第一次來我這裏，都發現有礦物質和電解質失衡等情況。”帕斯卡爾服務的一些運動員曾經在2008年奧運會贏了20枚獎牌。他指出： “他們往往經歷肌肉痙攣和肌肉拉傷等情況。當我建議他們服用鎂和液體多種維他命、微量礦物質等補充劑後，肌肉痙攣得到舒緩，肌肉拉傷情況明顯減少。“

鎂與鈣常搭配一起服用。鈣有助肌肉收縮，鎂可以幫助肌肉放鬆。補充鎂也可以保持鈉和鉀等礦物質平衡，以及參與約350種其他身體作用。

“如果你是一個專業運動員，相信你必須充分的礦物鎂、液體多種維他命、微量元素、氨基酸、必需脂肪酸和少量鈉和鉀“帕斯卡爾說。

你知道嗎？
補充足夠水分有助舒緩肌肉痙攣。



David Pascal, DC, a chiropractor and nutrition expert who advises Olympians and other athletes, attributes muscle cramps to a deficiency of important nutrients. “Many of the elite athletes I work with first come to me with mineral and electrolyte imbalances.” says Dr. Pascal, whose clients won 20 medals at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. “They tend to have a history of muscle cramps and pulled muscles. When I put them on a supplement program of magnesium and a multivitamin with trace minerals, the gramps go away and muscle pulls decrease.”

Magnesium is often paired with calcium in supplements. Calcium causes muscles to contract, and magnesium helps them relax. Magnesium also works to maintain a balance of sodium and potassium, along with about 350 other bodily processes.

“If you are an athlete who takes your sport seriously . . . I believe you must supplement your diet with magnesium, a liquid multivitamin, trace minerals, amino acids, essential fatty acids, and a dash of sodium and potassium,” says Dr. Pascal.

Did You Know?
Proper hydration helps ward off muscle cramps.