Pharmacist – Formulator Phytotherapy expert
#Arctostaphylos uva-ursi
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Bearberry
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Who’s this?
Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) is a small plant, about 2-8 inches high, of the Ericaceae family. She is characterized by red berries with a sour and unpleasant taste, and by leaves with important active ingredients, ready to rapidly rescue dogs and cats.
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Superpowers
The word is on the street, Bearberry is in town! From today, the urinary tract will be much safer and dogs and cats won’t be afraid to face them in the future.
Bearberry finds her ideal environment in kidneys where she manifests her powers, by working along other Phyto Superheroes with diuretic action such as: dandelion, lespedeza and hawkweed. Her active principles significantly increase diuresis, especially in cases of kidney stones and kidney failure, working as a disinfectant and antiseptic, calming continuous stimulation of urination and pain during inflammation and infection of the urinary tract.
Cats and dogs need to be helped by Bearberry in cases of acute or recurrent cystitis, inflammation of the urethra and colibacillosis, disease caused by Escherichia coli. Her superpowers also allow urine to alkalize, thus changing the pH as well as having bacteriostatic activity — the ability to stop bacterial replication.
Bearberry is a gracious superhero though: she doesn’t just come to the aid of dogs and cats in their prime, but always remembers the elders, and also makes herself useful in cases of geriatric prostatic hypertrophy.
Her powers’ source comes from her abundance in phenolic glycosides, and the presence of tannins, flavonoids, triterpenes and monotropitoside.
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Where to find her
The strength with which Bearberry defends dogs and cats is concentrated into FORZA10 Renal Active and its homologous on the Actiwet line, ready to attack the enemies of our furry friends, because their enemies are our enemies too.
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Feats
Bearberry has left frequent and important memories both in history and folklore. The etymology of the bearberry name brings us back to the Latin civilization, who called her uva ursi because of bears, that seem to be very fond of her. Along with their love of honey, then, we can add their lesser known passion for bearberry berries.
According to medieval lore, a hermit monk – being chased by a hungry and ferocious bear – sought refuge in a cave, in a desperate attempt to save his own skin. He was apparently trapped, but the bear’s eye was drawn to a bush full of bearberry berries. The bear sated himself with gusto, preferring them to the poor hermit monk and, the legend says, becoming very docile in the process, so much so that he never attacked anyone ever again. Though we suspect that it could be Walt Disney’s hand in this last part of the tale.
However, Bearberry has left memories even in French literature, thanks to Rebelais, who wrote how Pantagruel healed because of it, expelling his troubles through urine.
Bearberry is also used in cosmetics to lighten skin blemishes; its leaves are utilized to dye leather and textiles and her berries are used to make jam.