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Uva ursi

Supplement botanical women's health
Aka: Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, bearberry
Brands seen in Singapore: Nature's Way, Solaray, Nutricost, Nature's Answer, Eclectic Herb
Not medical advice. Check with your doctor or pharmacist before you start, stop or change the timing of anything you take.
How to use
What it’s for
Studied against an antibiotic for urinary symptoms
Studied for
The 2021 german primary-care trial dosed it for 5 days
Pros & cons
Pros
  • Gagyor 2021: 63.6% fewer antibiotic courses
  • Arbutin, its main compound, is anti-adhesive in vitro
  • German women report it most for urinary complaints
Cons
  • Gagyor 2021: higher symptom burden than fosfomycin
  • Gagyor 2021: more safety concerns than the antibiotic
  • Urinary infections can worsen when treatment is delayed
Sources
  1. Herbal treatment with uva ursi extract versus fosfomycin in women with uncomplicated urinary tract infection in primary care: a randomized controlled trial (Gagyor et al., Clin Microbiol Infect 2021) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “receiving either UU 105 mg 3 × 2 tablets for 5 days (intervention) or fosfomycin a 3-g single dose … The number of antibiotic courses was 63.6% lower … initial treatment with UU reduced antibiotic use but led to a higher symptom burden and more safety concerns than fosfomycin.”
  2. Plant Extracts and Natural Compounds for the Treatment of Urinary Tract Infections in Women (Curr Issues Mol Biol 2025) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “A-type proanthocyanidins in cranberry and arbutin in bearberry are key bioactive compounds that exhibit potent anti-adhesive and biofilm-disrupting properties, offering promising adjunctive strategies for preventing recurrent urinary tract infections.”
  3. Trends and Patterns for the Use of Herbal Medicinal Products for Gynaecological Ailments (Drebka et al., Phytother Res 2026; PhytoVIS real-world data, n=1658) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Various herbal drugs were applied for uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs), but mainly Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. Regarding the pharmaceutical form, herbal teas were preferred for the treatment of uUTIs”
  4. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for treating symptomatic uncomplicated urinary tract infections in non-pregnant adult women (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2024) — background · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Although usually self-remitting, 74% of women contacting a health professional are prescribed an antibiotic, and in rare instances, they may progress to more severe infections.”
  5. Effect of the Type of Herbal Preparations on the Bioaccessibility of Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) Phytochemicals (Molecules 2024) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The content of the main compounds, i.e., arbutin, hydroquinone, hyperoside, pentagalloylglucose, and picein … The bioaccessibility of arbutin, i.e., the main compound in bearberry, was high, in most cases exceeding 95%”
  6. HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, Version 1 (Oct 2025), Annex A (72 rows) and Annex B (4 rows: caffeine, green tea extract, St John's wort, L-tryptophan) — read from the cached PDF text on disk · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list.”
  7. HSA — Health Supplements Guidelines, Rev. No. 020 (January 2026), Table 6: diseases/conditions not allowed for health supplements · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “HS must not be labelled, advertised or promoted for any specific medicinal purpose, i.e. treatment or prevention, implied or otherwise, of any disease or disorder, including its related conditions.”
  8. iHerb Singapore — Uva Ursi category (default order, 1 - 8 of 8 results) · read 2026-08-27
    what it says
    “Nature's Way, Uva-Ursi Leaves (370 mg per Capsule) … Solaray, True Herbs, Uva Ursi, 460 mg … Nutricost, Women, Cranberry Extract … Nature's Answer, Uva Ursi Extract, Low Alcohol, 1,000 mg … Nutricost, Uva Ursi (450 mg per Capsule) … Eclectic Herb, Uva Ursi, 350 mg”
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Updated 2026-08-29. Every line above traces to a numbered source. Kozen-X is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. It lists what published sources have written down — nothing more. A pair not listed is unrecorded, not cleared. Before you start, stop or re-time anything, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.