Natural Remedies for Kidney Infection

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Kidney infections are usually treated with antibiotics but there are other alternative remedies that can be very useful when you need something other than prescribed medication to treat your infection. However, it is always necessary to seek medical advice before using any natural remedies. Kidney infection must be treated promptly; if it not treated it may lead to kidney damage.

Cranberry: cranberry juice has been used for more than a hundred years to cure and prevent urinary tract infections. Cranberry juice does not allow the bacteria to grow on the wall of the cells that form the urinary tract. The major reason for the positive effect of cranberry on infections of the urinary tract is hippuric acid, which is present in cranberry. This compound has antibiotic properties.

Uva Ursi: is a herb that has been used as a natural remedy to treat certain kinds of infections. Its active ingredient, arbutin, seems to have antiseptic properties.

Other natural remedies for treating kidney and urinary tract infections:

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis)
Marshmallow root (Althea officinalis)
Buchu (Barosma betulina)
Corn silk (Zea mays)
Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)
Herbs that work as diuretic can also help to reduce kidney infection symptoms but they have to be used carefully. Some of them are hydrangea, parsley, and dandelion. Parsley seeds help to reduce inflammation. Horsetail herb encourages urine flow and Marshmallow improves inflamed zones. Mullein is another herb known for its anti inflammatory properties. The leaves, flowers, and the seeds of nasturtium contain natural antibiotics that may be helpful in preventing UTI’s.

Some researchers that have investigated natural remedies for kidney infection treatment have discovered that forskolin, an extract from Indian coleus plant, makes bacteria susceptible to antibiotic treatment. Therefore, this alternative medication may actually help conventional antibiotics to be more effective.

Changing your diet may also help to fight against kidney and urinary tract infections:

Drink plenty of water during the day.
Eat some alkaline foods to acidify the urine.
Eat food rich in grains, vegetables, and citric juices.
Avoid high sugar foods.
Drink unsweetened cranberry juice to provide the antimicrobial agent hippuric acid.
Eat at least one clove of garlic daily.
Avoid processed food such as cheese, chocolate, spicy foods, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks as much as you can
Vitamins A and C are also good for preventing kidney and urinary tract infections. Vitamin A makes cells more resistant to bacteria and Vitamin C boosts your immune system.