New research suggests that an herbal extract sold in health food stores may improve treatment of bladder infections when it is taken with antibiotics.
About 90 percent of urinary tract infections in the bladder are caused by E. coli bacteria. These infections afflict women four times as often as men, and in a large number of cases, the infection returns within weeks of antibiotic treatment.
Researchers at Duke University reported in today’s online edition of Nature Medicine that some bacteria were able to hide in lined small pouches in the bladder. Those pouches allow it to stretch as it fills.
The lead researcher says that in tests in mice, the extract can cause the pouches to kick out the bacteria, allowing antibiotics to kill them.
The next step for the researchers is to experiment in larger animals to see if they can completely eliminate a bladder infection.
The herbal extract is available in health food stores and some people take it by mouth as a supplement. It is promoted as a treatment for allergies, breathing problems and even fat loss.
However, researchers warn that people should not take forskolin and attempt to treat themselves for bladder infections. Urinary tract infections must be treated with antibiotics because they can quickly spread to the kidneys, so infected people needed to see their doctor. But the fact that forskolin is being used by some people does help indicate it is safe.
The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Via: USA TODAY
