Common bearberry is a fruit that belongs to the genus Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. The word uva-ursi means ‘grape of the bear’ because bears are fond of this fruit. It is a low-growing shrub, which can be found in Asia, Europe, and Central and North America.

Bearberry is extremely rich in a wide variety of phytochemicals like gallic acid, ursolic acid, tannic acid, resin, flavonoids and hydroquinones among other substances. Hydroquinone is an extremely powerful antibacterial compound believed to be highly efficient in treating urinary tract infections.