Natural products for the treatment of urinary incontinence

Abstract

This review summarises the material covered during a workshop entitled “Natural Products as Treatments for Urinary Incontinence” that was presented at the online ICS (Melbourne) annual conference held in 2021. The clinical and scientific evidence of the effectiveness of naturally sourced treatments such as traditional Chinese medicines, phytoestrogens and saw palmetto for lower urinary tract symptoms are discussed, and also the use of cranberry and D-mannose for the treatment of bacterial infections of the urinary tract. The workshop and this review finish with a look towards the future and a discussion of potential treatments to repair the barrier function of the urothelium, an action that may be useful in conditions such as interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.

Keywords

• Phytoestrogens
• Saw palmetto
• Traditional Chinese medicines
• Cranberry
• D-mannose
• Lubricin