10 Powerful Natural Antibiotics

Each year in America 270 million prescriptions for antibiotics are written for 315 million total residents, of which conservative estimates are that 47 million of those prescriptions are unnecessary and even counterproductive.  When Alexander Fleming received his Nobel prize in 1945 for his work with penicillin as an antibiotic, it was hoped that antibiotics would become the new super drug, curing many ailments.

Turned out, after the Human Microbiome Project was launched in 2007 that bacteria in the gut are an essential part of human health.  Taking unnecessary antibiotics creates havoc on the gut microbiome.  Hence the need to look for natural antibiotic alternatives that boost the immune system to thwart infections while not harming the delicate balance of the 100 trillion commensal microbes that live peacefully within our gut.

Make foods with antibiotic properties your first line of defense to fight common infections. Besides being safe and effective in fighting off infections using nature’s medicine can boost your immune system without causing any resistance in the bacteria. Here are my top choices for powerful natural remedies.

Garlic

Garlic is well documented as one of nature’s medicines and is frequently used in holistic health. This food is a very safe antibacterial and antiviral natural remedy. The powerful compound “Allicin” in garlic is capable of fighting microbial, fungal, parasitic and viral infections. It is even effective in treating multi-drug pathogens and drug-resistant microbial diseases.

Additionally, another of the significant health benefits of garlic is that it boosts immunity by helping in detoxification and supporting growth of new cells in your body. It also works as a natural antiseptic to heal skin infections. Garlic has many properties that make it very popular in holistic health because it acts like a natural antibiotic because of its allicin compound.

Garlic has impressed scientists with its ability to inhibit Helicobacter Pylori, a bacteria in the stomach that commonly causes ulcers and other trouble.

For maximum antibiotic benefits crush few garlic pods and expose them to air for 30 minutes to fully activate ‘allicin’ before consuming. Garlic extract capsules (at least 1.3% allicin) are recommended at a dose of 600 – 1200 mg per day through the course of infection.

Garlic has a tremendous number of health benefits

Turmeric

Turmeric is the yellow colored herb found in curry and mustard.  Turmeric has been used for centuries in India as folk medicine.  Turns out that turmeric has abundant scientific backing as an anti-cancer, antibiotic, immune boosting herb with enormous natural antibiotic properties.

Turmeric is a one of nature’s more potent medicines, used for treating common infections (cold, flu and allergies). Active compound “curcumin” in turmeric is responsible for its color, taste and therapeutic properties. It also works as a natural antiseptic with analgesic effects. Essential oil of turmeric is used topically to prevent infections, reduce pain and swelling, and promote healing of the damaged skin. Read more about the benefits of turmeric in cancer treatment.

Add 1-2 teaspoon of turmeric in your various dishes or take a 500 grams supplement. To heal skin infection, make turmeric paste with water or honey and apply it on the skin. A powerful natural remedy for every kitchen.

 Lemon juice

“Flavonoids” compounds in lemon have well-known natural antibiotic benefits. Besides having antibacterial and antiviral properties lemon juice is also high in vitamin C, which helps in boosting body’s immunity and aids in fighting infections. It is also an excellent detoxifying agent as it creates alkaline environment and helps in flushing out any external pathogens from your body. These foods can help you detox.

Add lemon to your daily diet to fight off colds, flu, and recurrent ear infections naturally. You can take up to 120 ml of lemon juice daily in diluted form. Another one of the powerful medicines of nature.

Honey

Honey is gathered when bees extract pollen from flowers, then return to the hive and deposit their partially digested pollen in the hive.  Honey can last for centuries and has been used in holistic health as a powerful natural antibiotic for wounds.

Raw honey has a unique group of 13 lactic acid bacteria, which produce innumerable active antimicrobial compounds. It is commonly used to cure digestive problems (diarrhea and upset stomach), cough, cold, flu, sore throat and respiratory infections. Honey is also an effective cough suppressant. Drink tea or warm lemon water mixed with honey to soothe a sore throat and take 2 teaspoons of honey at bedtime to reduce night time coughing and improve your sleep.   Don’t miss the video at the end!

It can be applied topically on cuts, burns, insect bites, fungal infections, yeast infections and skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis; as it makes a protective barrier that prevent infection and supplies nutrients for tissue regeneration and promote healing. A popular natural remedy.

Ginger

Ginger is known for its antibacterial effects on respiratory and periodontal infections. The active components “Gingerols” and “Zingerone” in ginger are linked to its anti-bacterial effects. Ginger has also found effective in treating even drug-resistant forms of fungal infections. Additionally it is a potent anti-inflammatory agent and used as a natural remedy for pain.

You can use ginger in either extract form or as tea. However, alcohol based ginger extracts are better for therapeutic uses. You can make ginger tea by grating a cubic inch of ginger and boiling it in about 1½ cups of water for about 10 minutes.

Coconut Oil

Coconut is a wonder food that improves digestion, boosts immunity and helps in healing skin disorders. The medium chain triglycerides (MCTs) and high anti-oxidant content of coconut help in protecting against almost all (bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic) infections. A well-known natural remedy that has been found effective to be effective in treating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Make nutritionally rich coconut oil a part of your daily diet to support your immune system and keep bacteria at bay.

Essential Oregano Oil

The essential oil extracted from oregano leaves is another of nature’s medicines. Oil of oregano contains a powerful compound “Carvacrol”, which is effective in fighting off bacterial, fungal, parasitic, viral and yeast infections. It is very strong in its pure form, so it is advisable to dilute it with other oils or purchase a diluted blend of oils from the market.

Add 2-3 drops of oregano oil to your vaporizer and inhale for a few minutes to get relief from respiratory congestion. You can either take 4-6 drops of oil of oregano diluted in water or 1 capsule (100 – 150 mg) per day for maximum seven to ten days to cure infections. The therapeutic use of oregano oil is not suitable for infants, children, pregnant or nursing women.

Olive Leaf Extract

Olive leaves have a natural ability to resist infections and is frequently used for holistic health. An active constituent called “Oleuropein” is responsible for its antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal effects. The best thing about olive leaf extract is that it destroys harmful bacteria, fungi and yeasts but it allows beneficial bacteria to multiply. Besides being antimicrobial, olive leaves extract have analgesic effects too.

To maintain optimum health the recommended dosage for an adult is 25 mg per day, it can be taken as a supplement in capsule or liquid form without any risk of toxicity.

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Grapefruit seed extract (GSE) is a natural antibiotic, capable of killing a variety of pathogens i.e. parasites, protozoa, bacteria, yeast and some viruses. It is nontoxic and can be administered for up to several months to eliminate stubborn infections.

GSE can be used externally as a disinfectant to prevent infection in wounds. Internally you can use a total of 1500 mg GSE, 3 times per day to treat chronic infections.

Probiotics & Fermented foods

Probiotics are the healthy bacteria found inside your body that helps in stimulating your immune system to fight off infection causing microorganisms. To boost amount of these friendly bacteria in your body eat more prebiotics; complex carbohydrates that act as food for these bacteria i.e. whole grains, oats, soybean, banana, onion, garlic and honey.

Fermented foods like sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar, raw pickles and probiotic yogurt also boost the antibiotic effect of probiotics.

Essentially, no one with an infection is suffering from a deficiency of penicillin.  Our 20 trillion cells that comprise the complex human immune system can protect us against infections and cancer…if the immune system is provided with the raw ingredients from our diet to do its job.

Including a diet rich in nature’s medicines will provide your body with the benefits of powerful natural antibiotics.