Here is a rough scan of the booklet I mentioned in my first post on D-Mannose and Bladder! Scanning the blessed thing was a chore -- you better appreciate my efforts!!!!!! WHAT is UTI?
A UTI is a bacterial infection (caused by the bacteria E. coli over 90% of the time) that affects the inside lining tissue of the urinary system (or tract). This system includes two kidneys, which form urine from liquid waste in the blood; two narrow ureters, tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the muscular bladder, which stores it; and a single urethra, the final common path from the bladder to the outside world (see drawing).
The urinary tract reacts to abacterial infection in much the same way that the upperrespiratory system reacts to a cold virus. The tissues become inflamed, irritated, and swollen. Just as it's hard to breathe through
swollen and inflamed nasal passages, swollen and inflamed urinary ducts can partially obstruct
normal flow, making it painful and difficult to pass urine.
Ordinarily, the urinary system is hostile territory for bacteria, viruses, or any other microorganisms. Bugs that do make their way into a healthy urinary tract are likely to find an inhospitable acidic environment (pH <5.5). They are also subject to attack by the body's immune defenses. (Adult men have the added protection of a specific bacterial growth inhibitor squirted directly into the urinary system by their prostate gland.) Even if microorganisms manage to overcome these considerable obstacles, they would typically beflushed out with the normal flow of urine. So effective are these natural antibacterial defenses that in a study in which bacteria were instilled into the bladders of guinea pigs, simple urination expelled 99.9% of the bugs.
Despite all these built-in safeguards, each year millions of people, overwhelmingly women, still develop UTIs. Most UTIs begin when bacteria originating in the bowels travel to and grow in the urethra. Infections limited to the urethra are known as "urethritis." When bacteria travel upstream to the bladder, the infection is called "cystitis." Infections that reach the kidneys are known as "nephritis" or "pyelonephritis."
The E. coli that cause most UTIs are among the most common "friendly" bacteria in the GI tract, where they aid digestion, produce a few vitamins, and in general, behave themselves without bothering us. If, however, when E. coli and other bugs exit the lower GI tract, they manage to gain entry to the urinary tract via the urethra, then they attach to the internal lining of the bladder, multiply and spread.
Although up to 90% of UTIs are caused by E. coli, the remaining 10% are caused by bacteria known as Chlamydia, Mycoplasma, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and others. Unlike E. coli, these bugs tend to be transmitted via sexual contact and rarely cause the more serious bladder and kidney infections. Chlamydia, Mycoplasma and N. gonorrhoeae infections do not respond to D-mannose treatment and will probably require antibiotic treatment. In addition, a few UTIs are caused by other bacteria, such as Proteus or Staphylococcus ("Staph"). Still, all of these non-E. coli infections combined amount to no more than 10% of all UTIs.
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Who Gets UTI?
Anatomy is UTI destiny. Women are far more likely to develop UTI than men. The reason lies in a difference in anatomy between the two sexes. Normal female anatomy, in which the urethral opening, vagina, and anus are all in close proximity, is tailor-made for UTI, because it makes it relatively easy for bacteria from the bowel to gain a "foothold" in the vagina or the urethra or both. Even small differences in the location of these openings can make a big difference. In one study of women who tended to get UTIs over and over again, the urethral opening was just 0.2 cm closer to the anus than women who never got UTI.6 In males, of course, the urethra exits the body via the penis, making it too far a distance for most E. coli to travel.
The female urethra is also far shorter than the male's. This means that the distance bacteria have to travel to reach the female bladder is much shorter, increasing the chances that a urethral infection will quickly become a bladder infection, or cystitis.
Poor hygiene. Failure to remove bacteria from the region surrounding the urethra is an important cause of UTI. Because the urethra is in front of the anus, mothers teach their small daughters to "always wipe from front to back" to avoid introducing bacteria from the anus into the urethra. In uncircumcised males, the foreskin, if not cleansed properly, can serve as an excellent breeding ground for bacteria, which could then easily gain access to the urethra.
Blocking the flow of urine. Normally, the flow of urine from kidneys to bladder to the urethra washes out most bacteria. However, anything that inhibits the flow of urine can increase the risk of UTI. Thus, people with certain anatomic anomalies, as well as blood clots, stones, tumors, or strictures (narrowings) are more likely to have recurrent UTIs. In men, enlargement of the prostate gland can impede the flow of urine. Bladder weakness due to diabetes, stroke, or other neurologic disorder can sometimes lead to the "pooling" of urine in the bladder after urination. In time, this stagnant, residual urine can serve as a growth medium for bacteria. UTI is also quite common in people who are severely debilitated and require a urinary catheter (a tube inserted into the urethra to drain the bladder), which can easily become contaminated. Although blockages can promote infection in both sexes, they are the primary cause of UTI in males.
Taking the joy out of sex. For many women, the best way to get UTI is to have sexual intercourse. "Honeymoon cystitis" results when bacteria move from the vagina and the perianal area to the urethra during intercourse. (In a similar manner, it is possible to "inoculate" the urethra during masturbation and same-sex sexual activity.)
Some contraceptive methods also increase the chances of UTI. Research has shown that women who use a diaphragm with a spermicidal jelly or foam, or just the spermicide itself, are much more likely to develop a UTI the next day. The same thing is true for condoms with spermicide.?
Not only do spermicides promote the growth of E. coli, they also allow yeasts and other bacteria to thrive in the vagina. It seems that nonoxynol-9, the most commonly used spermicide, kills a lot more than just sperm. It also kills the friendly bacteria, known as Lactobacilli that inhabit the vagina. One of Lactobacilli s main functions is to produce lactic acid, which lowers the pH of the vagina. The relatively acidic normal environment helps keep the population of yeasts and unfriendly bacteria, like E. coli, under control. With Lactobacilli out of the way, the pH rises (less acid), allowing pathogenic organisms to grow unchecked. Nonoxynol-9 may also promote infection by making it easier for E. coli to stick to the epithelial cells that line the vagina, urethra, and bladder.
Antibiotics! Yes, it's true that antibiotics are widely used to treat UTI, but it's also true that antibiotics given for UTI or any other infection can actually increase the risk of UTI. How can that be? Like spermicide, many antibiotics kill vaginal Lactobacilli. Once the antibiotic treatment ceases, the absence of Lactobacilli leaves the vagina vulnerable to E. coli (and yeast) infection.1O Once in the vagina, E. coli can more easily reach the urethra and bladder and begin the infection cycle all over agam.
Getting older. The incidence of UTI increases after women reach menopause. The lack of youthful levels of estrogen leads to a loss of Lactobacilli with a subsequent rise in vaginal pH leading to E. coli (and yeast) colonization. II In very old (and very young) people, urinary and fecal incontinence can also pave the way to UTI.
In the genes. Some people have a genetic predisposition to UTI. In other words, if your mother had recurrent UTI, you have a good chance of having it too. The reasons are not entirely clear, but one possibility is that some UTI-prone women have a protein that makes it easier for E. coli to "stick" to their urinary tract tissue. Other women seem to lack certain antigens that normally inhibit bacterial adhesion ("stickiness"). Still other women have elements in their urine, such as low pH, that actively discourage bacterial growth, making them more resistant to infections. In some fortunate instances, urine may be naturally fatal to many bacteria.12
Immune impairment. Any condition that impairs normal immune function can make the urinary tract a more hospitable place for bacteria. Thus, people with diseases, such as diabetes or AIDS or people taking immunosuppressive drugs (e.g., corticosteroids), should be extra careful.
What Are the Symptoms of UTI?
Some people with UTI have no symptoms and are completely unaware of their infection. However, it is far more common to have at least some symptoms. The most common symptoms of UTI include:
A frequent urge to urinate
Trickling of urine, despite a strong urge to urinate A painful, burning feeling in the area of the bladder or urethra during urination or even when not urinating
An uncomfortable pressure above the pubic bone (in women) or a fullness in the rectum (in men)
Cloudy, milky, or reddish urine
When these symptoms are combined with a fever, one or both kidneys may be infected. Other symptoms of kidney infections are nausea, vomiting, and back or side pain below the ribs.
In children, the symptoms of UTI are not always obvious. This is especially true in very young children, who may not be able to describe how they feel. Parents should be on the look out for UTI if their kids are irritable, have no appetite, have a low-grade fever with nausea and vomiting, and/or if their urine smells "funny." If children are sick for more than a day with a high temperature but have no "cold" symptoms, they may have UTI.
Conventional Antibiotic Treatment
Conventional medical treatment of UTI involves the use of antibiotic drugs, which typically cure most infections within one or two days. Even though the infection may appear to be gone in a couple of days, doctors often recommend taking antibiotics for 10 to 14 days just to make sure no relatively resistant bacteria survive. Longer treatment is especially indicated in cases where symptoms have lasted more than a week, when the infection is recurrent, or when the individual has diabetes (or other diseases in which the immune system may be impaired). When women are subject to recurrent UTI, many doctors prescribe daily low dose antibiotics for as long as two or three years! One problem with such long-term treatment is that it is guaranteed to seriously disrupt the body's normal ecological balance by eradicating friendly bacteria, including E. coli in the GI tract and Lactobacilli in the vagina. The antibiotic drugs most often prescribed for UTI include:
.Trimethoprim (Trimpex)
Trimethoprimlsulfamethoxazole (Bactrim, Septra, Cotrim)
Amoxicillin (Amoxil, Trimox, Wymox)
Nitrofurantoin (Macrodantin, Furadantin; technically termed "urinary tract antiseptics"
Fluoroquinolones (Floxin, Noroxin, Cipro, Trovan)
Ampicillin (Many brands)
Treating UTI Naturally with D-Mannose
When faced with a potentially pathogenic germ like E. coli, conventional, pharmaceutically based medicine typically confronts the problem by throwing the most potent poisons it can find at the bugs. While there's nothing essentially wrong with killing disease-causing bacteria, this approach does have some very serious drawbacks, as we have noted earlier. Happily, "bacteria-cide" is not the only possible avenue of attack. Another, more natural way to eliminate E. coli infections from the urinary tract is to beat them at their own game. If they're going to cause trouble, bacteria usually have to find a way to adhere (stick) to the body tissue they're infecting. In UTI,
E. coli attach to cells lining the bladder and urinary tract using filmy, hair-like projections called fimbria on their cell walls.13 At the tip of each fimbrium is a glycoprotein (a combination carbohydrate and protein) called a lectin that is programmed to bind to the first molecule of the sugar mannose that it encounters. 14
It turns out that molecules of mannose (produced inside urinary tract lining cells) naturally dot the surfaces of these cells. Here they act as "receptors," inviting the fimbria of
E. coli to attach, and allowing them to bind to the tissue in a tight, Velcro-like grip.14 If not for this attachment to the cell's mannose, any E. coli that had successfully ventured up the urethral river would be unable to stick to the slippery surface and would be washed right back out on the next tide of urination.
What happens when we take D-mannose to treat a UTI? Now imagine what would happen to E. coli in the urinary tract if those sweet little mannose molecules they crave were present not just on the surface of the epithelial cells but surrounding them in the urine as well. The E. coli couldn't turn around without bumping into D-mannose "just floating around" in the urine. Unable to resist the tasty bait they suddenly find themselves swimming in, they would latch on to the nearest mannose molecules, and happily sail off into the porcelain sunset. Those few E. coli left clinging to mannose molecules on cells then become easy prey for white blood cells and other agents of the immune system.15-17
How taking D-mannose can treat or prevent UTI. In addition to its natural occurrence in the cells lining the epithelial tract, the sugar D-mannose is also found in relatively large quantities in fruit such as peaches, apples, oranges, and certain berries, like cranberries and blueberries. Extracted in the form of D-mannose: a white crystal sugar similar to glucose, it can be easily dissolved in a liquid and swallowed. (Mannose can also be synthesized from other simple sugars.)
When someone with UTI consumes a dose of D-mannose, the sugar is absorbed in the upper GI tract, but at a much slower rate than most other sugars. (For example, glucose is absorbed
. Not all varieties of E. coli find the mannose molecule such a treat. Those that do are said to be "mannose-specific:' and they are the ones that can potentially cause UTI.I4 , Many molecules have D- (dextra-) and an L- (leva-) (literally, right and left) forms. It is not uncommon for the D- and L- forms of a molecule to have very different activity profiles. In the case of mannose, only the D- form is useful for dislodging E. coli.
more than eight times faster.) Moreover, unlike other sugars, D-mannose is not readily converted to glycogen (and stored) in the liver, but instead passes directly into the bloodstream largely unchanged. IS. 19
As the D-mannose-laden blood passes through the kidneys, a considerable proportion of the sugar is extracted and added to the urine. The D-mannose-sweetened urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder and on to the urethra, literally sugar-coating any free-floating E. coli it might encounter, so they can't stick to cells any more. It also unsticks most of the E. coli already "Velcro-ed" to the inner surface of the bladder and urinary tract, ultimately flushing them all down the drain.
D-MANNOSE: Guidelines for use
Ongoing infections - Children: 1/2 to 1 teaspoonful dissolved in a glass of water or juice every 2-3 hours.
Adults: 1 teaspoon dissolved in water or juice every 2-3 hours.
Preventing infections - Start with quantities noted above, adjust amounts downward if possible
Preventing ``Honeymoon Cystitis'' - 1 teasponful one hour prior to intercourse and l teaspoonful immediately afterwards.
What is the proof that D-mannose really works? First, the "molecular mechanism" of the action of D-mannose on E. coli is scientifically proven. There's no argument at all about this among researchers who've studied it. Second, literally tens of thousands of women working with natural medicine doctors have successfully applied this science to their own UTIs.
Considerable circumstantial evidence, combined with common sense and over 15 years of clinical experience, makes a compelling case for the therapeutic value of D-mannose. In one laboratory study, for example, rats' urinary tracts were inoculated with E. coli. Within one day, those rats also given D-mannose were found to have significantly lower levels of bacteria in their urine.2o In another study, administering a mannose-like substance (methyl a-D-mannopyranoside) to
E. coli-infected mice led to a 90% reduction in bacterial attachment to the urinary tract. Research in humans shows that ingesting D-mannose significantly elevates blood mannose levels, a prerequisite if urinary levels are to rise.21
Perhaps the best available evidence, though, comes from the experience of people who have used it. At the Tahoma Clinic, we have been recommending D-mannose to people with UTI since the mid-1980s with great success. While it would certainly be nice to have the results of a double-blind, placebocontrolled study to prove this, it's hard to doubt the value of D-mannose when we see case after case like that of Amy, described at the beginning of this booklet, or of four-year-old Anne Marie, who had a very serious genetic disease called galactosemia:
Among her other problems, Anne Marie had been suffering from an E. coli-based urinary tract infection for almost two years. Nearly constant antibiotic treatment had been
ineffective in clearing her infection. As part of Anne Marie's overall treatment plan, I advised her parents to take her off the antibiotics and begin giving her D-mannose [1/2 to I teaspoon (approximately 1/2 to I gram)] stirred into some water or juice every three to four hours. Her UTI vanished within two weeks and never returned. When Anne Marie's parents took her back to her urologist for what had previously been monthly or bimonthly visits, they were told to check back again in another two years!
.D-mannose can also be very effective in cases of "honeymoon cystitis." Caroline was a married woman, who was avoiding sex because she would get a bladder infection "every time" she and her husband had intercourse. Not surprisingly, this was causing some discord in her marriage. Since a culture of her urine showed the presence of E. coli, she started taking D-mannose, I teaspoon one hour prior to intercourse and again shortly afterwards. The result? No further infections.
.We have found that women prone to very frequent recurrent UTIs not necessarily related to sexual intercourse can also often benefit from taking D-mannosepreventively at the same dose. To save expense, some women have been able to "taper down" their dosage and dose frequency.
By far the most frequent use of D-mannose has been by thousands of women who have suffered single (nonrecurrent) episodes of bladder infection. In over 90% of such cases, 1 teaspoon of D-mannose every two to three hours clears the infection in one to three days.
It is not just Tahoma Clinic patients who are achieving these remarkable results with D-mannose. We often hear from ot her medical practitioners who give it to their patients. The following is typical:
"During my 38 years of practice, I have tried everything imaginable for kidney and bladder problems with mixed results or at least not reproducible results. To this dav. we have not had a single patient that did not improve with D-mannose. Even some of the ones that were of chronic nature have improved to the point that a single weekly dose of D-mannose is keeping them problem-free. "
Preventing UTI
In addition to taking D-mannose, people can do many things to avoid getting bladder infections and other UTIs. Some are hygienic, while others involve diet. None of them requires taking any drugs:
.Drink a lot of water or other fluids, 48 to 64
ounces daily, if possible. Fluids keep the urine flowing, so invading bacteria are likely to be washed out.
.Drink cranberry juice. For many years, UTI-prone women, who wanted to avoid antibiotics, have tried drinking cranberry juice. It turns out that cranberry juice works, in part, because it contains some D-mannose, as well as a substance called proanthocyanidin that works in a slightly different way to make it difficult for E. coli to "stick around."22,23 However, the amount of D-mannose (even with proanthocyanidin) in a glass of cranberry juice is far less than the therapeutic dose we recommend in this booklet. Plus, most cranberry juice products are loaded with added sugars, the kind of sugars that are known to suppress the activity of the white blood cells that destroy unfriendly bacteria [see below]. Although drinking large volumes of cranberry juice would probably not, by itself, be sufficient to cure an established infection, drinking unsweetened cranberry juice may help prevent future infections.
.Take vitamin C supplements. Use the ascorbic acid form of vitamin C, which can help acidify the urine and thus, discourage bacterial growth.
.Hygiene: For women: "front to back" wiping. (As guys, we apologize for repeating what every woman learned from her mother, but we'd be open to "scientific criticism" if we
didn't.) Men who've been lucky enough to escape circumcision should keep their foreskin area clean. In uncircumcised infants, foreskin infections are up to 20 times more common compared with circumcised infants.' For both: Cleanse the genital and anal areas before sexual intercourse.
Don't "hold it in." It's always best to urinate when we feel the need, if possible. Resisting the urge to urinate too often or for too long can damage the delicate tissue that lines the urinary tract and permit bacteria to thrive.
.For just a few of us: take showers, not baths. Bath water contains millions of bacteria that get washed off our bodies. It is quite possible that E. coli from the anus could float over to the vagina or urethra. If you've had frequent UTIs, but can't resist a long, hot soak in the tub, take a cleansing shower first.
Avoid using feminine hygiene sprays and scented douches. These products may irritate the urethra, which could lead to infection.
UTI, Sugar and Food Allergies
In natural medicine, it's axiomatic that refined sugar and hidden food allergies are "behind" most recurrent infections,
because refined sugar interferes with the ability of white blood cells to engulf and destroy microorganisms.24 Food allergies appear to irritate and inflame "target-organ" tissues, making infection easier and may also interfere with the function of the immune system.
As long ago as 1976, results were reported from a study of 50 children (aged 4 to 18 years) who had chronic recurrent UTI despite urologic examinations that were otherwise completely normal. All the children had an allergic "background," including hay fever, persistent coughing, nasal obstruction, or other breathing difficulty (e.g., asthma, eczema, hives, or recurrent skin rashes). All were asked to follow elimination diets, take "anti-allergic" medication, and to receive specific allergy desensitization. Of the 50 children, 42 (84%) "definitely benefited," while nine had a "rapid and spectacular cure," 19 had cures after six to nine months, and 14 were "noticeably improved." Only eight of the fifty children showed no improvement.25.26
Doctors working with the "natural" approach to health care find that eliminating sugar and food allergies is frequently sufficient to significantly reduce the incidence of any recurrent infection, including UTI, in both children and adults.
UTI and Menopause
Women generally find that their chances of developing a UTI increase as they reach their menopausal years. When estrogen is plentiful, "friendly" bacteria known as Lactobacilli thrive in the vagina, happily spewing lactic acid into their surroundings. This naturally created, normally low pH (relatively high acidity) of the vagina discourages the growth of
. E. coli and other bacteria. As estrogen levels fall during and after menopause, though, the Lactobacillus population begins to dwindle, which allows the pH to rise (become less acidic), making the area more hospitable to E. coli (and yeasts). Replacing missing estrogen can help restore this natural defense. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 93 postmenopausal women with a history of recurrent UTI applied a cream containing the natural estrogen estriol or a placebo to their vaginas. After eight months, the women in the estriol group had had more than 50% fewer UTIs than the women in the placebo group (31% vs 67, respectively. 27.28
In addition to preventing UTI, there are many other good reasons for menopausal women to replace their estrogens and
progesterone as their ovarian function wanes. However, please avoid - at all costs - conventional pharmaceutical HRT ("hormone" replacement therapy) that employs such unnatural or synthetic hormone-like drugs as Premarin, Provera, Estrace (the "estrogen patch") and other patented products. While they may reduce the chances of getting a UTI, they can be very dangerous and may cause many unpleasant side effects.
If a woman decides to use hormone replacement, it's essential for her to opt for the use of natural, identical-tohuman estrogens, including estrone, estradiol, and especially estriol in the proportions in which they occur naturally in healthy young women. The use of natural human estrogens by menopausal women is a vitally important subject that is beyond the scope of this booklet. To learn more, please read Natural Hormone Replacementfor Women Over 45 by Jonathan V. Wright, M.D., and John Morgenthaler, Smart Publications, Petaluma, CA, 1997.
Is D-mannose Safe for People With Diabetes?
People with diabetes usually need to limit their intake of sugar. How does this affect their use of D-mannose? Fortunately, very little. There are anecdotal reports that some people with diabetes experience a transient increase in blood sugar levels, but the effect is not great and never permanent, lasting only for the length of time mannose is used.
Try D-Mannose First!
We strongly urge people with UTI to try D-mannose before resorting to antibiotic drugs. Ninety percent of the time, UTI is
caused by E. coli and will respond to D-mannose treatment with significant symptom reduction within 24 hours. (Even though symptoms are improved within 24 hours, D-mannose should be continued for two to three days after the last symptom is gone, just to "make sure." Unlike with conventional antibiotics, there's no harm in doing this.) Still, many physicians think it's a good idea to collect a urine specimen for bacterial culture, if possible just before starting D-mannose. In the one chance in ten that the infection is not caused by E. coli and D-mannose doesn't work, this allows them to identify the infecting bacteria and select an appropriate conventional antibiotic as quickly as possible.
Obtaining D-Mannose
Despite its value in treating UTI, D-mannose is not yet widely appreciated, even among many of those who favor "natural," nonpharmaceutical solutions to medical problems. If D-mannose is so safe and effective, why is it so hard to find it in our local natural food or health food stores? The reasons are three-fold:
.First, D-mannose simply is not yet well enough known to make it a "mass market" product. It deserves a lot more press than it has gotten, which, before this booklet, consisted largely of word-of-mouth and a small handful of Internet websites. Perhaps, as word gets out about
D-mannose, its use will rise exponentially, as more and more people demand it and more and more outlets make it available and begin actively promoting it.
.Second, the drug regulatory system in the United States is heavily weighted against natural, unpatentable products, no matter how much better and safer they may be compared with their synthetic, patented counterparts. As a naturally occurring, nonpatentable substance, D-mannose can be sold by anyone. Unlike synthetic, patentable chemicals invented in laboratories, D-mannose offers no guarantee of patent exclusivity. This means there is no incentive to a pharmaceutical (patent medicine) company to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars required to run the large, definitive, placebo-controlled studies the FDA requires to "permit" them to claim that it is safe and effective for treating UTI. In the absence of these "official credentials," D-mannose may never have real credibility among those curators of conventional medical wisdom who believe that UTI (not to mention most medical problems) can only be dealt with by swallowing a patented, FDA-approved pill.
.Third, and here's the rub: As a naturally occurring, nonpatentable substance, D-mannose can be sold by anyone. Unlike synthetic, patentable chemicals invented in laboratories, D-mannose offers no guarantee of patent exclusivity. This means there is no incentive to a pharmaceutical company to spend the hundreds of millions of dollars required to run the studies the FDA requires to
"permit" them to claim that it is safe and effective for treating UTI. In the absence of these "official credentials," D-mannose may never have real credibility among those curators of conventional medical wisdom who believe that UTI (not to mention most medical problems) can only be dealt with by swallowing a patented, FDA-approved pill.
At first, D-mannose was available only through the Tahoma Clinic Dispensary (1-888-893-6878, www.tahomaclinic.com) (with which Dr. Wright is, of course, affiliated). It was subsequently made available through natural medicine doctors and natural food stores by Bio- Tech Pharmacal of Fayetteville, Arkansas (1-800-345-1199, www.bio-techpharm.com), and a few years later by Progressive Laboratories of Irving, Texas (1-800-527-9512, www.progressivelabs.com). Biotech has appointed Central USA Distributors, Inc. (1-800-918-9443), of Little Rock, Arkansas, as its exclusive broker/wholesale distributor for Bio-tech Pharmacal brand D-mannose.
Summary
D-mannose is a simple sugar that can be used to treat or prevent the 90% or more of UTIs that are caused the bacteria E. coli. Although D-mannose can eliminate UTIs as quickly as conventional antibiotic drugs, it is far safer because it does not kill E. coli or any "friendly" bacteria. Instead, it makes it impossible for E. coli bacteria to stick to the lining of the urinary tract, which allows the normal flow of urine to wash the bugs down the drain. By using this remarkably safe, effective, inexpensive, natural treatment, women can usually treat their own UTIs without the need for expensive doctor visits, prescription drugs, and insurance company reimbursements.
A word of Caution:
If a UTI treated with D-mannose does not show significant improvement within 24 hours (about 10% of cases), it is likely that the causative organism is not E. coli, and a visit to the doctor for a conventional antibiotic drug is therefore necessary.
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