UT Synergy

UT Synergy is designed to help maintain optimal urinary tract function. A blend of nutrients, botanicals, and nutraceuticals have been combined in order to limit inflammation and tissue irritation. This synergistic formula can provide a natural alternative or complimentary therapy for mild acute and chronic urinary tract infections.

Uva Ursi and Nettles
Uva ursi has been approved by the German commission E for the treatment of urethritis. Uva ursi contains arbutin and methyl-arbutin, which act as natural antimicrobials. Uva ursi and nettles have a mild diuretic effect, which helps to flush out the kidney’s and reduces potential for infection.

Coleus Forskohli (Forslean)
Coleus forskohli has been shown in recent research by Duke University microbiologist Soman Abraham, Ph.D. to reduce urinary tract infections by increasing intracellular cAMP, inducing exocytosis of fusiform vesicles, and reducing the number of intracellular E. coli. The coleus can essentially flush the E. coli from their hiding places in the bladder wall. This flushing-out of the bacteria allows other antimicrobial therapeutic agents to act on the organism such as the Allicillin garlic and the aloe vera in UT Synergy or antibiotics prescribed with it.

Horsetail and Parsley
Horsetail and parsley have well established antibiotic properties against common UTI-related bacterial strains. They reduce mucosal inflammation and they have been approved by the German Commission E for the treatment of edema and kidney stones.

Aloe Vera
Aloe acts as a mucilaginous herb, providing a soothing and healing effect on the genitourinary mucosal lining. Aloe has also been demonstrated to cover receptor sites on common pathogens causally related to UTI, reducing their ability to bind to local tissues and initiate infection.

D-Mannose
The carbohydrate D-Mannose enhances the removal of bacteria from the urinary tract and bladder by binding to bacterial receptor sites, blocking their adhesion to the mucosal walls. This allows for more efficient removal of the bacteria and a reduction in the pathogen's ability to establish an active infection. This sugar is the active component in cranberry, which UT Synergy is often used in the treatment of urinary tract infections. As a result of consultation with leading urologists, cranberry and vitamin C, often used in urinary tract infections, were specifically not used in UT Synergy due to the strong acidifying action of these substances. This acidifying action often has negative effects, including blocking the action of the uva ursi in the formula and causing pain and irritation of the bladder lining in patients with interstitial cystitis and urethral syndrome. While cranberry and vitamin C may be appropriate in younger women with uncomplicated UTI, peri-menopausal and menopausal women with chronic infection can often be exacerbated and irritated by the acidifying effect of cranberry extract and vitamin C. Please add these substances separately into your therapeutic protocol in younger women if you wish. However, UT Synergy does contain the active main ingredient in cranberry for UTI, D-Mannose.

Allicin from Garlic
Allicin has strong antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. Garlic has a long historic use in infections, particularly urinary tract and bladder infections.

Vitamin B6
B6 (pyridoxyl-5-phosphate) provides a mild diuretic effect and has been shown to help prevent the formation of kidney stones.

CURRENT RESEARCH RELATED TO UT SYNERGY

Effect of D-mannose and D-glucose on Escherichia coli bacteriuria in rats.
Urol Res. 1983;11(2):97-102. MICHAELS EK, CHMIEL JS, PLOTKIN BJ, SCHAEFFER AJ. The effect of D-mannose and D-glucose on bacteriuria due to Escherichia coli with mannose-sensitive adhesions was investigated in adult male Sprague-Dawley rats undergoing diuresis. Inocula of 10(5), 10(7), or 10(8) bacteria in 0.1 ml of normal saline or 2.5% or 10% Dmannose or D-glucose were injected intravesically and urine was cultured 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 days later. The levels of bacteriuria on days 1 and 5 were significantly lower in rats inoculated with 10(5) E coli and 10% D-mannose than in controls (p less than 0.05 and 0.01 respectively) and the percentages of rats with less than 100 bacteria/ml were higher on days 1 and 3 (p = 0.05 and 0.02 respectively). Bacteriuria was significantly lower in rats inoculated with 10(7) bacteria and 10% D-mannose than in controls on days 5 and 7 (p less than 0.01 for each day) and the percentage of rats with less than 100 bacteria/ml was higher on day 7 (p = 0.01). D-glucose reduced bacteriuria significantly only with a concentration of 10% after instillation of 10(5) E. coli (p less than 0.05, day 1). The results indicate that D-mannose and D-glucose can significantly reduce bacteriuria within 1 day and that their efficacy is dependent upon the concentration of both saccharide and bacteria.

Mannose-sensitive adherence of Escherichia coli to epithelial cells from women with recurrent urinary tract infections.
J Urol. 1984 May;131(5):906-10. SCHAEFFER AJ, CHMIEL JS, DUNCAN JL, FALKOWSKI WS.
The effect of D-mannose on adherence of 73 Escherichia coli strains to vaginal and buccal epithelial cells from women with recurrent urinary tract infections, and on agglutination of human and guinea pig erythrocytes was tested. Urinary, vaginal or anal isolates from women with such infections were used. Of the strains 66 (90 per cent) demonstrated adherence to epithelial cells. D-mannose inhibited completely the adherence of 25 strains (42 per cent) that adhered to vaginal cells and inhibited an additional 11 strains (18 per cent) by at least 50 per cent. Similar results were obtained with buccal cells. The inhibitory effect of D-mannose was similar regardless of the origin of the strains. Hemagglutination frequently was inhibited by D-mannose but no consistent association between hemagglutination, and epithelial cell adherence and the effect of D-mannose was observed. The results suggest that mannose-sensitive as well as mannose-resistant adhesins frequently mediate Escherichia coli adherence to vaginal epithelial cells, and may contribute to vaginal colonization and cystitis.

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