Finally, A Natural Solution for Chronic UTIs

Good News for Chronic UTI Sufferers (and Doctors): A Natural Solution for Biofilms

If you’ve had 3+ urinary tract infections within the past year, then you are officially known as a chronic UTI sufferer to the US medical and scientific community.

You are also the most perplexing and frustrating patient that urologists and gynecologists are dealing with. Their “tried and true” method of treating UTIs with a prescription for antibiotics is no longer working for 30%-40% of their patients.

But don’t blame your doctor: the E Coli bacteria, which are responsible for over 80% of bladder infections, have learned to outsmart the medical and scientific community, causing what the CDC calls “the antibiotics resistance crisis”.

There may be several reasons that your UTI symptoms are re-appearing after trying one course of antibiotics after another, but the most likely culprit is what is known as biofilms.

“Floaters” versus “Nesters”

The E Coli bacteria that cause your UTI start out as “floaters” swimming around in your bladder; the medical community calls these “planktonic” bacteria.  These are the bacteria that antibiotics can identify and kill.  But that’s all they do.  They are not able to detect or deal with some of the bacteria which sneak into your bladder, or other parts of the urinary tract, and begin to “nest” there.

As part of the “nesting” process, these bacteria surround themselves with a slimy protective sac (the biofilm) in order to evade the impact of the antibiotics.  And once you have stopped taking the antibiotics, they will begin to emerge again causing a relapse, which starts the same bacterial infection all over again.  What’s worse, you may have several of these biofilms in your urinary tract.

In short, the individual “floater” bacteria are susceptible to antibiotics, but once they clump together, the bacteria morph into complex 3D structures which are not able to be penetrated by antibiotics or chemicals.

Below is an illustration of the three stages of biofilm formation: the attachment to the bladder lining;  growth within the protected environment of the biofilm coating; and the repeated dispersal of bacteria into the bladder to create active infections.

Source: Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana State University

Biofilms Are Very Difficult to Diagnose

Scientists have been working for years to figure out how to detect biofilms in the urinary tract using everything from DNA urine testing, ultrasound and CT scans. And while promising methods for identification are being worked on, there is no accurate way to find them today.

1) They are not visible so they may be missed in an examination of the bladder: they are microscopic, and present themselves as a shiny film.

2) Urine tests are incomplete: current urine testing methods can identify “floaters”, but not biofilms

3) Sophisticated new tests are inconclusive: attempts have been made to identify biofilms using a variety of stains and laser microscopy, but are still to new to yield consistent results.

4) The bacteria have developed so many ways to evade detection: according to an article in StatNews, the bacteria in the biofilms “self-organize and divide up tasks, some growing and secreting slime, some dispersing to colonize new areas, and some hibernating until they are needed.” They even communicate with bacteria in other biofilms; this is known as “quorum sensing”.

Biofilms Are Even More Difficult to Destroy… But New Scientific Findings Give Us A Solution

Since there is no real way to identify if biofilms have invaded your bladder, the only alternative is to find out whether there is something you could be taking to eradicate them if they are actually there.

The short answer is yes. And, believe it or not, it’s a natural product that anyone can take.

The CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have funded hundreds of studies to identify effective antimicrobials and other treatments for biofilms. Two such studies have identified acetic acid, also known as apple cider vinegar, as an effective agent against biofilms.

One study, documented by the NIH and dated January 2018, entitled “Antimicrobial Activity of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) Against E Coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida Albicans” says “The results demonstrate ACV has multiple antimicrobial potential with clinical therapeutic implications.”

The other study, also published by the NIH in 2015 entitled “Antibiofilm Properties of Acetic Acid” concludes: “We have discovered that not only does acetic acid kill planktonic bacteria but it also eradicates bacteria growing in biofilms.”

Whaaaat?  Simple Apple Cider Vinegar Can Clear Up Biofilms?

Apple Cider Vinegar is made from the liquid of crushed apples that is combined with bacteria and yeast and allowed to ferment to the point where the sugars are turned into alcohol.

The alcohol that results is then converted into vinegar through acetic acid-forming bacteria, creating a unique liquid that serves a number of invaluable medicinal purposes.

Apple cider vinegar is a commonly used remedy for UTIs, as the potassium in the liquid hinders the growth of the UTI-causing bacteria, while its acetic acid content kills bad bacteria and supports the growth of good bacteria.

The Biofilm Miracle That Nobody Is Talking About

With reference to the articles cited above on biofilms, there are two key statements about apple cider vinegar to pay attention to:

1) “We describe complete eradication of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative biofilms using acetic acid”; and

2) “Acetic acid is considered harmless (to the human body) below concentrations of 5%, as in vinegar”.

So, while the doctors have been throwing their collective hands in the air saying that they don’t know how to help you with chronic UTI’s, a simple and safe natural solution has been available all along.

The One-Two-Three Punch

Now there is a set of products to help you fight UTIs on your own.

Punch #1: D-Mannose powder flushes the “floaters” out of your bladder and, for many people, this may be all you need to manage your UTI.

Punch #2: UTI Checkup Test Strips help you quickly measure your urine pH level and alert you to the presence of bacteria in your bladder (read more about pH testing here) ; and

Punch #3: Extra Strength D-Mannose liquid consists of apple cider vinegar infused with D-Mannose, cranberry and other botanicals to break down biofilms. *

* A note of caution: apple cider vinegar could exacerbate an already-irritated bladder if your urine is acidic. Check your pH level to see if your urine is acidic (below 6); it’s okay to use it if your pH is 7 or higher.

Click on any of the three images below to learn more.

For clearing bacterial “floaters” and protecting the bladder lining from “nesters”.

For monitoring pH levels and detecting UTIs early.

For dealing with stubborn “nesters” and other antibiotic resistance issues.