Some suggestions for the woman who suffers from frequent UTIs (urinary tract infections). Try a teaspoon of marshmallow extract in half-a-pint of water at the start of any discomfort, one reader suggests, while another uses two spoonfuls of the herb Salie in one litre of hot water for seven days. Before you start any treatment rule out STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) and congenital problems, urges another. Hygiene is important, avoid scented toiletries, and sugar, sweeteners and dried fruits in your diet, eat poached fish and lots of vegetables, and drink plenty of plain water and green tea. One effective treatment is a concoction made up of buchu, uva ursi and either juniper berries or pipsissewa. Another suggests the simple sugar mannose, which has cleared some UTIs. Another, who had recurrent UTIs for three years, found the best solution was Biocare’s Cranberry Concentrate, which was effective within a couple of days. She noticed that coffee and sugary foods could trigger a bout of cystitis.