Q. Dear Terry, “How do you stop recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs)?”– H.S., Lake Charles, LA

A. Dear H.S., Urinary tract infections (UTIs) can be very serious if left untreated. I highly encourage you to keep your healthcare practitioner in the loop regarding any supplementation. With that being said, I think there are some beneficial, natural ingredients that can help strengthen the immune system and decrease urinary tract issues.

Andrographis has been used as an immune supporting herb because of its ability to stop bacteria and viruses. Many UTIs are caused by bacteria, such as E. coli. Research has shown that compounds within andrographis, such as andrographolide, can prevent E. coli from adhering to the cells in the bladder. Andrographis may also help prevent the formation of biofilms, which can cause recurrent UTIs. I believe that taking 400 mg of andrographis daily would be an excellent choice for urinary health. Look for an andrographis standardized to andrographolide content.

The majority of UTIs are caused by bacteria, but viral and fungal UTIs are possible, too. Because propolis has been shown in scientific studies to be effective against all of these, I think it would be great to add to your daily preventive regimen as well. Make sure you use propolis that comes from a controlled and managed bee population, so the material provides consistent levels of bacteria, virus, and fungi fighting compounds. Look for a propolis that uses a patented method to filter out inactive resins and beeswax. For daily support, I would take 200 mg of propolis once per day for prevention and twice per day during active infections.

Healthy Regards!

Terry . . . Naturally