The Benefits Of Bearberry

In Montana we are blessed with a wild abundance of a wonderful healing plant that locally we call Kinnikinnick. Used by Native Americans for decades, this prolific plant has a vast array of medicinal benefits. Historically bearberry has been used to treat arthritis, back pain, bladder infrections, diabetes and indigestion. When the leaves are dried and smoked like tobacco, bearberries have been used to treat headaches, long congestion and coughs. Many tribes used it mixed with tobacco and other herbs in religious ceremonies; used as a smudge or smoked in a sacred pipe, it carried the smoker’s prayers to the Great Spirit.

When mixed with tobacco, it was referred to as Kinnikinnick. Some Native American tribes powdered the leaves and applied them to sores. Other tribes drank it to treat venereal diseases.

The berries were also made into a tea that was used to ward off obesity. That sounds good to me as I am always trying to drop a few pounds.

Kinnikinnick can be found thickly covering the forest floor. This summer I plan to harvest both berries and leaves for their healing qualities. Bearberry is relatively safe, although large doses may cause nausea or other unpleasant reactions, so I will use with caution. 

Commonly known as Bearberry, this amazing plant is also known my many other names: Arberry, Bear’s Grape, Crowberry, Foxberry, Hog Cranberry, Kinnikinnick, Mealberry, Mountain Box, Mountain Cranberry, Mountain Tobacco, Sandberry, Upland Cranberry, Uva-ursi. Bearberry Information and Identification

Have you gathered Bearberries? How do you use them? Please leave your suggestions and comments.

Bear Berry For The Skin – as posted by Cheryl at Daily Skin Care

Historically, Bearberry has been one of the most successful treatments of urinary tract infections, kidney stones, and a host of other illnesses. Bearberry is a powerful tonic for the body, and its antiseptic properties are excellent for the skin as well. Bearberry is one of the many ingredients that are becoming more prominent in skin care products today. Cosmetic companies are seeing the need to create skin care products with natural ingredients to fight skin conditions and offer safer alternatives, especially for those with sensitive skin and allergies.

Common antiseptics like witch hazel are still widely used today to treat wounds, acne, and other skin conditions. Natural resources like herbs and berries were the only form of medicinal or cosmetic treatment available. Now, these natural enhancements are making way to today’s mainstream cosmetics. These cosmetics happen to be the most successful product lines available to combat a variety of skin conditions.

One of the little known secrets to bearberry is the hypopigmenting component. This component has a whitening effect on the skin, making bearberry perfect for those want to treat freckles, age spots, or vitiligo. Used alone, bearberry can dramatically change the tone and color of the skin. Because of the powerful whitening effects, bearberry is combined with other ingredients in cosmetics to have a subtle effect on the skin. This way, the bearberry will be mild enough to lighten problem areas without overbleaching. Used regularly, bearberry can remove the most stubborn pigmented areas of the skin.

Another benefit to the potent properties of Bearberry is the bacteriostatic action that works against Staphylococci, the staph responsible for the MRSA superbug. Any skin care product with Bearberry may also help the fight against the superbug, in addition to the other benefits for the skin.

Bearberry also increases the cell turnover rate and it is an excellent antioxidant. It works to fight free radicals, preventing additional skin conditions, and works as a natural sunscreen.

Too much sun exposure can cause skin cancer, and the first sign of skin cancer is the presence of melanoma, usually in the form of freckles, age spots, and moles. Bearberry can reverse the damage from the sun, and may very well play a role in the prevention of skin cancer.

Various studies have concluded the benefits and the risks of using sunscreen. Dermatologists only look at the skin, so they are going to recommend using a sunscreen. While sunscreen may block out the sun’s rays, it will also block out the needed Vitamin D component, the same component responsible for the prevention of breast and other cancers. It may seem like a catch 22, but keep in mind that natural ingredients like bearberry will let you have your cake and eat it too. With Bearberry, you can enjoy the sun, reverse the signs of sun damage, and protect against further damage of the sun.

Bearberry, like any other herb or medicinal remedy, is not allergy-free for everyone.

Courtesy: Daily Skin Care