Chapter 4.16.2

4.16.2 Bearberry

Theresa Heuthorst, University of Guelph, Canada

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Heuthorst,T. (2022) Fleshy Fruits. In The Student Encyclopedia of Canadian Indigenous Foods. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.firstnationsfoods.org/

Background

(Tremblay) .

Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi L. Spreng.) or kinnikinnick is a creeping evergreen perennial plant, meaning that they can live beyond two years (United States Department of Agriculture, 2002). Arctostaphylos is derived from the Greek word arctos, which means “bear”, and staphylos, which translates to “bunch of grapes” (Hallworth, 2015). The Latin word uva means “bunch of grapes”, and ursus means “bear” (Hallworth, 2015). Bearberries were given their name because it is a favoured snack for bears (United States Department of Agriculture, 2002). Other common names for a bearberry are kinnikinnick, mealberry and sandberry (Alberta Plant Watch, 2021). The growth pattern of this plant is an extremely dense shrub at heights at about 6-8 inches and 2 meters in length from a single root. (United States Department of Agriculture, 2002). The bark on the long stems is dark brown to red and slightly shredded (Wright, n.d.). Bearberry leaves are smooth, spatula shaped and bright green (Government of Manitoba, 2021). Their leaves measure at about 1 to 1 ½ inches in length and ½ an inch in width (Wright, n.d.). Their flowers are pinkish white with red marking and urn-shaped, while their fruit is a bright red colour and round (Government of Manitoba, 2021). Their fruit is about the size of a pea at ½ an inch in diameter and the flowers form a drooping cluster (Wright, n.d.). Their flowers bloom from may to June and their fruit is produced in mid-august (Alberta Plant Watch, 2021). The shrubs are often used as an appealing ground cover for gardens (Government of Manitoba, 2021).

History and Geographical Origins

Bearberries are native to and are found growing in North America, Europe, and Northern Asia and also found in Greenland in Iceland (Cornelia, 2019). Bearberry is found in coniferous forests in Oregon, New Mexico, California to Colorado and Washington (Wright, n.d.). Coniferous forests are defined as cone-bearing trees that inhabit a forest such as evergreen, spruce, pine, etc (ref). They are also found at higher altitudes in southern New Jersey, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nebraska, and artic America to Alaska (Wright, n.d.). In Europe, bearberries are found in Yorkshire, Northwestern Ireland, and Central Russia (Wright, n.d.). In Asia, they are found in lower Siberia and Kamchatka (Wright, n.d.). The shrub was commonly used by First Nation’s for medicinal purposes. Such as the Thompson Tribe of British Columbia used bearberry to help with kidney diseases (Hallworth, 2015). The Thompson Tribe also used the leaves and stems to make a wash for sore eyes (Wright, n.d.). Other tribes such as the Blackfoot, who lived in the Rocky Mountains of the United States of America and western Canada, soaked the berries to make an infusion for sore gums and a salve for skin diseases (Hallworth, 2015). The Menominee Tribe of northern America used the leaves to season remedies and help treat uterine hemorrhages (Wright, n.d.). The Chippewa Tribe mixed the dried leaves with red willow and smoked it to remedy headaches and used cooked berries to help season broth and meals (Wright, n.d.). Bearberry prefer growing in the woodlands, sandy hills, riverbanks, gravel terrains, and any other hardy coarse areas (Government of Manitoba, 2021). The soil preference of this plant is acidic, sandy, and dry and this shrub does great in colder climates and under partial shade (The Morton Arboretum, 2021). Overall, it is a very hardy plant which loves rough conditions and needs very low maintenance to thrive

(Sage).

Consumption

Bearberries are not commercially cultivated in Canada. But they are wildly harvested for commercial use in the United States of America, Spain, Italy, the Balkans, and the Commonwealth of Independent States where the leaves are dried and sold in tea mixtures (Government of Manitoba, 2021). There are other uses for this plant besides medicinal purposes. Kinnikinnick, the most common name for bearberry, is the Algonquian word for “that which is mixed” (Hallworth, 2015). Dry bearberry leaves are also smoked as a substitute or mixed with tobacco for recreational purposes (Government of Manitoba, 2021). Smoking the leaves creates a similar effect on the body as alcohol would (Wright, n.d.). Dried leaves have been exported from Spain for the use of smoking in northern United States, California, and Canada (Wright, n.d.). Bearberry berries can be eaten raw or cooked. Raw berries are dry, mealy and have little to no taste (Cornelia, 2019). Cooking the berries can makes the berries sweeter and taste like a cranberry (Cornelia, 2019). Because the berry itself is too dry to eat alone, it was commonly mixed with fats, boiled in soups, sauces, drinks and jams (Alberta Plant Watch, 2021).

Health benefits

The bearberry has numerous medicinal values that were used in many First Nation’s medicines. Every part of the plant can be used for different purposes. The berries have a high content of tannic and gallic acids which is good for the urinary tract and indigestion (Hallworth, 2015). Often a berry tonic is given to children to help treat diarrhea (Government of Manitoba, 2021). Another First Nation’s use for the bearberry is to soak the roots to make a drink for a cough or to help women with heavy menstrual bleeding and cramps (Government of Manitoba, 2021). A stem concentrate can be used as a preventative of miscarriage and help with the recovery after childbirth (Government of Manitoba, 2021). The leaves are mainly used as a diuretic, which increases urination and a decrease in blood flow (Government of Manitoba, 2021). The leaves contain tannic, gallic and ellagic acids, ericolin, calcium oxalate and ursolic acid (Wright, n.d.). The leaves also have arbutin in them, which is an antibacterial against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, and Staphylococcus aureus (Low Dog, 2009). Escherichia coli is often an issue that comes from a contaminated water supply and makes many people sick (ref). According to Todd and Baker from The Canadian Encyclopedia about 470 Canadians are infected by E. coli per year (Todd & Baker, 2018). All these bacteria cause infections in the digestion and urinary tract (ref). In Low Dog’s journal article of using botanicals, it mentions a 12-month urinary tract infection study done with 57 women who had at least 3 UTIs in a year and found that uva ursi had reduced the risk of recurrent UTIs (Low Dog, 2009). 30-40% of menopausal women experience at least one UTI episode when using antibiotic treatment (Mainini et al. 2020). In a study done by Mainini and others, they selected women who had recurrent UTIs using menopausal antibiotics and they concluded that the combination of D-mannose, insulin, cranberry, bearberry, Olea europaea, Orthosiphon, and Lactobacillus acidophilus was an effective therapy for recurrent UTIs (Mainini et al. 2020). Many other trials on bearberries have been discovered to benefit women with recurrent UTIs (ref these other trials).

Limitations

Even though the consumption of the different parts of the plant can have beneficial purposes, we still need to be aware of the possible side effects of the plant. For example, the leaves act as a diuretic (ref). This can cause issues as a diuretic’s purpose is to cause the kidneys to promote an increase of urination. Pregnant women should take this into consideration as bearberries can cause uterine vasoconstriction, which will increase blood pressure as the blood vessels narrow (Moore, 1995). This can be dangerous as the blood carries oxygen to the rest of the mother’s body and to her fetus (ref). So, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are strongly advised to avoid bearberries (ref). Both the German Commission E and the American Herbal Products Association found the potential for hydroquinone toxicity in the fetus, when human lymphocytes and cell lines were exposed to hydroquinone there was damage to the genetics of the cells (Low Dog, 2009). Lymphocytes are immune cells that fight against pathogens that threaten the human body and cell lines are a group of cells with the same genetic makeup (ref). Hydroquinone toxicity symptoms include tinnitus, vomiting, delirium, convulsions, and fainting (Wright, n.d.). Hydroquinone toxicity is due to the overuse of arbutin in the leaves (Wright, n.d.). As there are contradictions against using bearberry leaves due to the arbutin, it is commonly concluded due to the lack of knowledge of how to apply this shrub to benefit others in a safe way. With further research, there is possible medicinal usage for this shrub.