Bladder infections infect women 400% more often than men. E. coli bacteria causes virtually all urinary tract infections in the bladder. It's a pesky infection to get rid of. More often than not, the infection returns after antibiotic treatment. Repeated antibiotic use is expensive, can cause liver and kidney damage, and could lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, so a successful treatment would be welcomed.

Researchers* at Duke University found that some bacteria hide in tiny niches in the baldder lining, where the antibiotics can't get at them. They come out again and multipy a few weeks after antibiotic treatment. But forskolin, an extract of the coleus plant, flushes out the imbedeed E-Coli colonies from their hiding places and into the urine, where the antibiotic kills them. Forskolin has been used for centuries to treat a wide variety of symptoms including urination pain. Forskolin, a common herbal treatment, is available in health food stores.

* Soman Abraham, Ph.D. a microbiologist at Duke University published the results April 8, 2007, in the Journal Nature Medicine.