Category:Urological herbs

A urological herb is a plant medicine used to treat conditions of the urinary tract and the male reproductive system: lower-urinary-tract symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia, recurrent urinary-tract infection (uncomplicated, often female-predominant), interstitial cystitis, kidney stones, and selected male sexual-function indications.

The foundational urological herb is saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), the dwarf palm of the southeastern United States whose fruit-extract has been the standard herbal treatment for symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia for several decades. The lipidosterolic extract (the standardised commercial Permixon and Prostaserene preparations) acts through 5α-reductase inhibition, alpha-1-adrenergic-receptor antagonism, and anti-inflammatory effects on prostatic tissue, with substantial early-trial evidence for symptom improvement. The 2006 CAMUS trial and the 2011 STEP trial, however, found no benefit over placebo for moderate-to-severe BPH symptoms in head-to-head comparisons with finasteride and tamsulosin, and the contemporary evidence base is mixed. The other principal BPH herbs are pygeum (Prunus africana, an African medicine with controlled-trial evidence and significant conservation concern), pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo), nettle root (Urtica dioica root, distinct from nettle leaf), and the Ayurvedic gokshura (Tribulus terrestris).

The urinary-tract-infection herbs are dominated by cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), whose proanthocyanidin fraction inhibits E. coli P-fimbrial adhesion to urothelial cells and is supported by Cochrane review for recurrent UTI prophylaxis in healthy women. Uva-ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi) contains arbutin, hydrolysed to hydroquinone in alkaline urine for short-course antiseptic action; longer-than-two-week use is restricted because of hydroquinone toxicity concerns. D-mannose, technically a sugar rather than a plant medicine, has substantial controlled-trial evidence in recurrent UTI and is conventionally listed alongside the urological herbs. The TCM and Ayurvedic urinary-tract traditions include gokshura (Tribulus terrestris), varuna (Crataeva nurvala), and the bitter-cooling Long Dan Cao (Gentiana scabra).

The kidney-stone herbal tradition centres on chanca piedra (Phyllanthus niruri, the Amazonian "stone breaker") for calcium-oxalate-stone reduction (controlled-trial evidence mixed), varuna for the Ayurvedic stone-passage indication, and the diuretic dandelion and corn silk (Zea mays silk) for general lithiasis support.

Saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), pygeum (Prunus africana), pumpkin seed (Cucurbita pepo), nettle root (Urtica dioica), gokshura (Tribulus terrestris), cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), uva-ursi (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi), buchu (Agathosma betulina), chanca piedra (Phyllanthus niruri), varuna (Crataeva nurvala), corn silk (Zea mays), couch grass (Elymus repens), gravel root (Eupatorium purpureum), goldenrod (Solidago virgaurea), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), parsley root (Petroselinum crispum), juniper berry (Juniperus communis; the principal cautious-use diuretic; renal-irritant in extended use).

The boundary of this category is "herb whose principal or important indication is in the urinary tract or in the male reproductive system." The pharmaceutical urological medicines (the alpha-1 blockers, the 5α-reductase inhibitors, the OAB medicines, the pharmaceutical PDE5 inhibitors used in BPH) are listed under their primary umbrellas. The Ayurvedic and TCM kidney-tonic traditions overlap with the urological category but their "kidney" concept covers a broader endocrine-and-reproductive scope than the Western urological one; herbs in those traditions are listed here when their indication is specifically urinary-tract.

This category page is an encyclopedia article about its subject. The actual index of herbs belonging to the category is generated automatically by the wiki engine, from category-membership declarations on the individual herb pages, and appears at the foot of the page below the references.