Natural Antibiotics

While there's no doubt in anyone's mind that the discovery of penicillin in 1928 was ground-breaking.  Antibiotics are truly a marvel of modern medicine. These wonder drugs caused a rapid decrease in the number or bacterial infections leading many to believe that the threat from bacterial infections was now over.

By 1940's the use of antibiotics was so widespread that people soon forgot about the natural remedies of the past.  This change in thinking lead to the abuse and overuse of antibiotics creating antibiotic resistant super bacteria like TDR tuberculosis and MRSA.
While antibiotics are great for killing harmful bacteria they are unfortunately also great at killing healthy bacteria as well.  The overuse of antibiotics has caused an epidemic of people steadily developing a compromised digestive system and a variety of autoimmune diseases often due to an imbalance in the intestines even leading up to leaky gut syndrome.
According to the journal Microbiology "Even a short course of antibiotics can lead to resistant bacterial populations taking up residence in the gut that can persist up to 4 years - maybe even longer." You should think twice before taking that course of antibiotics.  You should think about how it will affect your body, if your body really needs this help or if it can fight the infection on it's own.
There is a great wide variety of natural antibiotics you can try before going the prescription route.  Below is a chart of the natural antibiotic and what it works for.

Name	Use	How
Oregano Oil (Origanum vulgare or Thymus capitatus)	Foot or Nail Fungus	Put a few tsps.. of oregano in a small tub of water and soak feet.  The oil can also be diluted (1:1 with Olive oil) and directly applied.
	Parasites & Infection	Dilute 1:1 with olive oil and place under tongue. Hold it for a few minutes then rinse out.  Repeat 4x per day.
	Sinus Infections	Put a few drops in a pot of steaming water or neti pot and inhale the steam.
Cayenne Pepper (Capsicum)	Vulvovaginitis, anti-fungal, antibiotic, strep throat	Dilute throroughly
Colloidal Silver	Antibiotic, swimmer’s ear, skin infections	Gargling, topical, do not consume
Grapefruit Seed Extract (GSE)	Antibacterial,warts	Do not consume commercial GSE
Garlic	Kills pathogens, bacteria, fungus, and viruses. Chelations, Promotes growth of healthy gut microflora (prebiotic), prevents fat oxidization, antioxidant, protects against radiation and sunlight, fights worms & parasites, and contains many nutrients.	1 clove:1-2 Tbsp cold pressed olive oil. Made into ear drops Eaten
Ginger	Antibiotic effect against food borne pathogens like salmonella, listeria, and campylocacter. Increases stomach acid production and calm indigestion.	Eat raw and/or pickled ginger after any questionable meals or when you have indigestion.
Olive leaf Extract	Elenolic acid – broad spectrum antibiotic and inhibits the growth of bacteria, viruses, and fungi	2 500mg capsules (20% oleurpoein) 3-4 times per day. With meals.
Turmeric	Anti-inflamatory, effective against Helicobacter pylori in gastroduodenal ulcers.  Heals and resolves damage.	400-600mg 3 times per day
Echinacea	Antiviral, antibacterial	300mg 3 times per day (900mg/day)
Manuka Honey	Antibacterial, MRSA, MSSA, VRE, Helicobacter pylori	Wound dressing
Pau d’ Arco	Candida, antibacterial, antifungal	Herbal tea

 This is just a modest list of natural ways to prevent the use of prescription antibiotics.  I'm allergic to penicillin so I favor any natural remedies that work. I've listed some other foods/supplements that are good for fighting illness.

 

• Yogurt
• Honey
• Cinnamon
• Onions
• Bone Broth
• Cranberry Juice or extract
• Zinc lozenges

 

Sources:

• http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/how-to-use-best-natural-antibiotics/