Experts believe that in 2017, common bacterial infections may become a deadly threat. Growing resistance to antibiotics across the globe could mean that a simple urinary tract infection will become an untreatable condition. Untreatable by any pharmaceutical method, that is. Read on to learn about the all-natural solution that can help get us through this impending health crisis.
Why Antibiotic Resistance is On the Rise
One factor underlying the frightening rise of antibiotic resistance is the widespread use of antibiotics by the livestock industry. “We are about to reach the point where more antibiotics will be consumed by farm animals worldwide than by humans,” said Mark Woolhouse, a researcher at the University of Edinburgh. Although the livestock industry has denied the idea that antibiotic use in farming could pose a threat to human health, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has stated that there is no longer any question that it does.
As scientists began to identify and track resistance to different strains of antibiotics, polymyxins emerged as the antibiotics of last resort. The most common polymyxtin, colistin, became the only treatment option for infectious bacteria like E. coli and Klebsiella that do not respond to any other pharmaceutical antibiotics. In 2012, the World Health Organization determined that because colistin was a critically important treatment option for humans, its use in animals should be limited to prevent bacteria from developing a resistance to it. A year later, however, the European Medicines Agency found that livestock were still being frequently dosed with polymyxins.
The livestock industry’s choice to ignore warnings about the potential health consequences of continued antibiotic use are now plain to see. A research team at the South China Agricultural University in Guangzhou headed by Yi Yun Liu discovered a gene in some bacteria that made them unresponsive to colistin! The gene, called mcr-1, can be readily passed between bacteria. Researchers predict that it could soon become a worldwide problem.
A Powerful Tool to Fight Infections
It may be too late to reverse the trend of resistance to pharmaceutical antibiotics. Fortunately, a powerful tool to treat bacterial infections already exists: natural antibiotics.
Oil of oregano, Manuka honey, and goldenseal are three especially potent natural antibiotics. Here’s what you should know about each one…
- Oil of oregano: One of theworld’s greatest sources of a powerful phenol called thymol that eradicates bacterial microbes. A recent study found oil of oregano to be a significantly more effective treatment for MRSA staph infection than all of the 18 pharmaceutical antibiotics currently used.
- Manuka honey: Most honey has been shown to have antibacterial activity, but Manuka honey is especially formidable thanks to a compound called Studies show Manuka honey can combat multi-drug resistant bacterial pathogens.
- Goldenseal: This powerhouse herbal remedy has proved to be particularly effective in treating sore throats and digestive infection. Scientists found that it contains an compound called berberine, which prevents bacteria from adhering to cell walls.
Alternative health practitioners and authorities on folk medicine have known about the remarkable properties of natural antibiotics for centuries. Now, clinical research shows that—even leaving aside the threat of drug-resistant bacteria—these treatments may just be a superior option.
If you’ve taken pharmaceutical antibiotics, you likely know firsthand that they can wreak havoc on your digestive tract and make you more susceptible to viral infections. That’s because they kill all the bacteria in your body without discriminating between the bad, disease-causing kinds and the good, health-promoting kinds—like the microflora in your gut. All in all, natural antibiotics truly seem to be the best remedy!
