Natural Supplements for UTI Prevention

Updated on February 26, 2012
C.S. asks from Crescent City, CA
10 answers

Are there natural supplements for a 7 year old prone to UTIs? My daughter always seems to have issues in that area. I do also and take a cranberry supplement, but not sure if that is ok for a 7 year old.

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N.I.

answers from Portland on

Shaklee makes a probiotic that people say if they take it really helps stop the UTIs. It comes in a little pearl and can be shallowed very easily. It is called Optiflora Probiotic Complex.

Drinking cranberry juice should also be okay. You can always dilute it. Make sure it is the natural one and not the one with corn syrup in it because that may contribute to UTIs.

Go to www.nutritionandhealthnow.com if you are interested in checking this out.

N.

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A.C.

answers from Madison on

I use 100% pure organic cranberry juice, fresh, not from concentrate. Yes, it's very tart. But you only need to drink like a 1/4 cup at a time. It always works for me.

Drinking plenty of water to flush the body/system is also wise.

There is a homepathic remedy that is helpful for some. It's by Solaray and is called Solaray Kidney Blend SP-6. My daughter has taken that for a couple years (she's 11), and my husband takes it to prevent kidney stones. It has worked well for both of them.

Watch how much sugar your daughter is eating--to include fruit juice, which has a lot of fructose in it, a form of surgar.

Taking a good probiotic will help balance out the stomach/urinary/bowl. My daughter has been taking Florajen 2 for four years now, and it has done wonders for her overactive bladder.

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B.Z.

answers from Portland on

I had a history of 3-4 UTI's a year until I did the following:
1. Drink plenty of water, research shows that cranberry juice may help a little but it doesn't seem to be any better than water.
2. Wear all cotton underwear. Synthetic underwear traps moisture which is a breeding ground for bacteria.
3. Don't hold it- go when you need to. Kids are esily distracted and often don't want to stop playing, but this has been the one thing that I know helps. Talk with her teacher about the necessity of letting her go when she needs to. And make sure she recognizes the urge to go and doesn't ignore it.
4. Wipe from back to front. This is a huge contributor to UTI's. Everybody has E.Coli in their gut- it is supposed to be there. The uthrea is about 2 inches from the anus and it is so easy, especially for little kids to get feces in the uthrea. E.Coli is the bacteria that causes a UTI. Teach her to always wipe after going poop, from the front to the back.
These recommendations are the standard recommendations that are given to women with recurrent UTI's and they work. For the last few years I have gotten 1 UTI/year and it was always because I held my urine for too long. Even adults can get distracted!
Hope this helps,
B.

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K.L.

answers from Chicago on

I would go to the health food store and get some chewable Cranactin. It's an excellent supplement for the prevention of UTIs--I use the capsule version. I would not hesitate to give it to a 7 y/o--there is a suggested dosage on the bottle for children.
I had chronic UTIs from childhood and this always knocks it out when I feel one coming on. Just a tip: I always feel one coming on after I have been indulging in sweets too much. Sugar just creates the perfect environment for UTIs.
http://www.amazon.com/Solaray-CranActin-Chewable-60/dp/B0...

P.S. I'd like to advise you regarding Juice Plus. My midwife sold it to me while pregnant and I do not doubt that it is very good for you but something that needs to be understood is that it is complementary to a multivitamin--NOT a replacement. Should you pursue this supplement for your child, do not discontinue the use of her multi. Blessings!

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2.T.

answers from Austin on

Probiotics does wonders to the body. My son likes the chewable Nature's Bounty Acidophilus with Bifidum-strawberry-I bought at CVS. He gets tired to yogurt everyday so I would give it a try. It's a great UTI prevention. Look it up.. it's great! Here's one link... http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update0905c.shtml

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N.D.

answers from Portland on

i have suffered through many, many UTIs, starting from middle school and i can't imagine suffering it any earlier. poor baby :(

if you haven't already, get some 'Azo'. this will take the pain away (but turn her pee bright orange) while you get the infection under control.

until recently, when i got the inkling that i'm getting one, i drank a lot of cranberry juice and water. my acupuncturist informed me that cranberry juice can cause kidney stones, so i've backed off on that. i did find a supplement that helps (and my acupuncturist ok'd) called 'uva ursi' in drop form. i have also found vitanica brand 'cranstat' and D-mannose to be helpful.

based on my family history of UTIs and after being treated by an acupuncturist, i would not hesitate in taking my daughter to an acupuncturist (for a needle-free treatment to treat the underlying cause for having UTIs so frequently.

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S.S.

answers from Denver on

Our pediatric urologist actually said to NOT use the cranberry chews or juice ..... Contrary to popular belief, it is actually bad for a UTI. I believe he said it raises the acidity and what you should really do is flush your system with water to dilute the urine as much as possible. Even our pediatrician said to use the cranberry chews but I trust our pediatric urologist more on this particular issue.

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J.S.

answers from Seattle on

Yes, there are quite a few. I have long-standing UTI issues, and don't want it affecting my kidneys, so I try to stay on top of it with staying hydrated (with water - sugar is inflammatory) and taking herbal remedies. Until antibiotics replaced everything in the 40's doctors always prescribed UvaUrsi to treat UTIs.
Not sure what you have for retail stores, but you can also go online to The Herbalist which sells a line called Bladder Be Well, consisting of a tea and a tincture that are safe to use everyday for upkeep: https://www.theherbalist.com/body-systems/bladder-kidneys...
Also, a place like SuperSupplements will have UriActive, or you can get it online at Vitacost: http://www.vitacost.com/Lifetime-Uri-Active.
These things might not be "approved" for children, but no herbal supplements are, and there are plenty of things the FDA approves that are junk, in my opinion, so I don't stake much claim in that label. If you talk with an ND or a pharmacist at a natural remedy pharmacy they'll tell you that it's much safer to take herbal supplements that help rather than wait until you've got and infection and then take an antibiotic that kills off all the good bacteria in your gut, thereby making the bad takeover and the cycle starts all over again.

You can give her these herbs if she's bothered with UTI symptoms, but the best thing to do each day is keep sugar and processed white flours out of her diet and keep a water bottle with her name on it around that she can always grab and drink from. Probiotics are good for her to have everyday (Jarrow makes good ones), either in capsule form or sprinkled on her food. I do this for my girls.

Finally, it shouldn't be common for a girl her age to be getting a lot of UTIs, so make sure she's always wiping well, and from front to back. Explain how the bad bacteria from her rectum will get into her urethra if she doesn't stay clean. Moist wipes might help until she's a little older. Also, make sure she's keeping her underwear dry. One of my daughters did the playing-too-long thing, and would have damp panties during the day which led to a near-infection (but we caught it, and treated her with the herbs, and in a day she was feeling better).

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T.S.

answers from Washington DC on

I had the same issues as a little girl :( No fun.

You should be able to give her a cranberry supplement... I mean, it's cranberry. Check to see if there is a children's dosage. If not, get some 100% cranberry juice and see if she'll drink that (not the tastiest, but I like it) until you find a supplement that is okay for kids or verify that yours is (it should be).

Also (though I'm sure you've done this) make sure she's in cotton undies, and isn't using soap to wash herself down there... water is plenty. Also make sure she knows to wipe front to back, and keep her well hydrated and urinating frequently (part of my problem was an unwillingness to use the bathroom at school... so any little infection took hold because I was not drinking enough or peeing enough to keep things flushed out).

HTH
T.

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H.R.

answers from Anchorage on

READ:
http://herbscientist.com/category/urinary-tract-infection...

Best combination to take:
200 mg. rosella concentrate from leaves and calyx (flower leaves) and 500 mg. cranberry fruit extract.

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