Uva Ursi 0 TM. Other Ingredients: Ethyl Alcohol.
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In 2004, Canada began regulating natural medicines as a category of products separate from foods or drugs. These products are officially recognized as "Natural Health Products." These products include vitamins, minerals, herbal preparations, homeopathic products, probiotics, fatty acids, amino acids, and other naturally derived supplements.
In order to be marketed in Canada, natural health products must be licensed. In order to be licensed in Canada, manufacturers must submit applications to Health Canada including information about uses, formulation, dosing, safety, and efficacy.
Products can be licensed based on several criteria. Some products are licensed based on historical or traditional uses. For example, if an herbal product has a history of traditional use, then that product may be acceptable for licensure. In this case, no reliable scientific evidence is required for approval.
For products with non-traditional uses, some level of scientific evidence may be required to support claimed uses. However, a high level of evidence is not necessarily required. Acceptable sources of evidence include at least one well-designed, randomized, controlled trial; well-designed, non-randomized trials; cohort and case control studies; or expert opinion reports.
Finished products licensed by Health Canada must be manufactured according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) as outlined by Health Canada.
This is a homeopathic preparation. Homeopathy is a system of medicine established in the 19th century by a German physician named Samuel Hahnemann. Its basic principles are that "like treats like" and "potentiation through dilution." For example, in homeopathy, diarrhea would be treated with an extreme dilution of a substance that normally causes diarrhea when taken in high doses.
Practitioners of homeopathy believe that more dilute preparations are more potent. Many homeopathic preparations are so diluted that they contain little or no active ingredient. Therefore, most homeopathic products are not expected to have any pharmacological effects, drug interactions, or other harmful effects. Any beneficial effects are controversial and cannot be explained by current scientific methods.
Dilutions of 1 to 10 are designated by an "X." So a 1X dilution = 1:10, 3X=1:1000; 6X=1:1,000,000. Dilutions of 1 to 100 are designated by a "C." So a 1C dilution = 1:100; 3C = 1:1,000,000. Dilutions of 24X or 12C or more contain zero molecules of the original active ingredient.
Homeopathic products are permitted for sale in the US due to legislation passed in 1938 sponsored by a homeopathic physician who was also a Senator. The law still requires that the FDA allow the sale of products listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia of the United States. However, homeopathic preparations are not held to the same safety and effectiveness standards as conventional medicines. For more information, see the Homeopathy monograph.
Below is general information about the effectiveness of the known ingredients contained in the product Uva Ursi (Liquid). Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
INSUFFICIENT RELIABLE EVIDENCE to RATE
Below is general information about the safety of the known ingredients contained in the product Uva Ursi (Liquid). Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
POSSIBLY SAFE ...when used orally and appropriately, short-term. Uva ursi has been used with apparent safety in doses of up to 3600 mg daily for 3-5 days (101815).
POSSIBLY UNSAFE ...when used orally long-term or in high doses. There is concern about the safety of long-term or high-dose use because of the hydroquinone content of uva ursi. Hydroquinone is thought to have mutagenic and carcinogenic effects (7). At high doses (around 20 grams of dried herb) it can cause convulsions, cyanosis, delirium, shortness of breath, and collapse. At very high doses (30 grams of dried herb or more) it can be fatal (4).
CHILDREN: POSSIBLY UNSAFE
when used orally by children.
Uva ursi contains hydroquinone and high tannin levels, which can cause severe liver problems in children (4,18); avoid using.
PREGNANCY: LIKELY UNSAFE
when used orally.
Uva ursi can have oxytocic effects, increasing the speed of labor (4,7,19); avoid using.
LACTATION:
Insufficient reliable information available; avoid using.
Below is general information about the interactions of the known ingredients contained in the product Uva Ursi (Liquid). Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
Theoretically, uva ursi may decrease the metabolism of CYP2C19 substrates.
Details
In vitro, uva ursi appears to inhibit cytochrome CYP2C19 (98550). This effect has not been reported in humans.
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Theoretically, uva ursi may decrease the metabolism of CYP3A4 substrates.
Details
In vitro, uva ursi appears to inhibit CYP3A4 (98550). This effect has not been reported in humans.
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Theoretically, uva ursi may increase levels of drugs metabolized by glucuronidation.
Details
In vitro, uva ursi extract appears to strongly inhibit UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1 (UGT1A1). However, uva ursi extract does not appear to inhibit UGT1A1 in animal models (98549). This effect has not been reported in humans.
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Theoretically, uva ursi may increase lithium levels, necessitating a decrease in dose.
Details
Uva ursi may have diuretic properties (81637). Diuretics may increase lithium reabsorption with sodium in the proximal tubule of the kidney. Theoretically, uva ursi might reduce excretion and increase levels of lithium.
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Theoretically, uva ursi may alter the levels of drugs transported by P-glycoprotein.
Details
In vitro, uva ursi appears to inhibit the multi-drug transporter protein, P-glycoprotein (98550). This effect has not been reported in humans.
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Effects of uva ursi in the urinary tract may be reduced by urinary acidifying agents.
Details
Uva ursi seems to work best in alkaline urine. Theoretically, taking uva ursi with medications known to acidify the urine may decrease any effects of uva ursi on the urinary tract (19).
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Below is general information about the adverse effects of the known ingredients contained in the product Uva Ursi (Liquid). Some ingredients may not be listed. This information does NOT represent a recommendation for or a test of this specific product as a whole.
General
...Uva ursi is generally well tolerated in low doses, short-term.
Most Common Adverse Effects:
Orally: Diarrhea, nausea, stomach upset, and vomiting.
Serious Adverse Effects (Rare):
Orally: At high doses (20 grams of dried herb), uva ursi has been reported to cause collapse, convulsions, cyanosis, delirium, shortness of breath, and tinnitus. Very high doses of 30 grams or more may be fatal.
Gastrointestinal ...Orally, uva ursi may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach upset (92148). It can also irritate the gastrointestinal tract (19).
Genitourinary ...Orally, uva ursi may cause the urine to be greenish-brown. It may also cause irritation and inflammation of the urinary tract mucous membranes (18).
Hepatic ...Uva ursi may be hepatotoxic. Theoretically, chronic use, especially in children, can cause liver impairment due its hydroquinone and high tannin content (4,18).
Neurologic/CNS ...Orally, around 20 grams of uva ursi is reported to supply up to one gram of hydroquinone, which can theoretically cause convulsions and delirium (4).
Ocular/Otic
...Orally, uva ursi may potentially cause retinal toxicity due to its hydroquinone content, which reduces melanin synthesis.
A 56-year-old female developed bilateral bull's-eye maculopathy, paracentral scotomas, and retinal thinning after 3 years of uva ursi tea ingestion (16900).
Taking around 20 grams of uva ursi orally is reported to supply up to one gram of hydroquinone, which can theoretically cause tinnitus (4).
Pulmonary/Respiratory ...Orally, around 20 grams of uva ursi is reported to supply up to one gram of hydroquinone, which can theoretically cause shortness of breath and cyanosis (4).