Best Natural Antibiotics

Natural Antibiotics: Prescription antibiotics, such as penicillin, have helped people to recover from otherwise fatal diseases and conditions since the 1940s. However, people are also turning to natural antibiotics for treatment. According to the NHS, 1 in 10 people experience side effects that harm the digestive system after taking antibiotics. Around 1 in 15 people are allergic to this type of medication. In this article, we look at the evidence behind seven of the best natural antibiotics. We also discuss which to avoid, and when to see a doctor.

he scientific jury is still out concerning natural antibiotics. While people have used remedies like these for hundreds of years, most treatments have not been thoroughly tested. However, some show promising results under medical review, and further studies are underway. With an ongoing increase in drug-resistant bacteria, scientists are looking to nature when developing new medications.

Natural Antibiotics For Dogs

Antibiotics are used to kill or inhibit bacteria growth. Although you might think of antibiotics as modern medicine, they’ve actually been around for centuries. The original antibiotics, like a lot of today’s antibiotics, are derived from natural sources.

Certain plant extracts, essential oils, and even foods have antibiotic properties. For example, some food and vegetable extracts can prevent the growth of bacteria in food.

Sometimes, these properties extend beyond the food and can aid in your personal hygiene. Cranberry extract contains both antibacterial and antioxidant compounds, making it a home remedy for urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Herbs can be antibiotics, too. A small sampling study of 58 Chinese plants found that 23 had antibacterial properties and 15 had antifungal properties.

A 2014 study trusted Source found that an herbal therapy was just as effective as a chemical antibiotic in treating a small intestine bacterial overgrowth disorder. Keep reading to learn about five popular antibiotics that you can try at home.

Honey is one of the oldest known antibiotics, tracing back to ancient times. Egyptians frequently used honey as a natural antibiotic and skin protectant.

Honey contains hydrogen peroxideTrusted Source, which may account for some of its antibacterial properties. It also has a high sugar content, which can help stop the growth of certain bacteria.

Additionally, honey has a low pH level. This works to pull moisture away from bacteria, causing the bacteria to get dehydrated and die off.

To use honey as an antibiotic, apply it directly to the wound or infected area. The honey can help kill off the bacteria and aid in the healing process. If possible, opt for raw Manuka honey. This form of honey offers the most health benefits. You can purchase raw Manuka honey here.

You can also ingest honey to aid in the treatment of internal infections. Simply swallow a whole tablespoon or stir it into a warm cup of herbal tea for a soothing treat.

Honey is generally safe to use on the skin or in the body, though you should never give honey to an infant under 1 year old. Instead, consult your healthcare provider for an appropriate alternative.

Natural Antibiotics For Cats

Ever since Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, antibiotics have been used for the treatment of any and all sorts of infections around the world. The overuse of antibiotics has a lot of side effects that are easily ignored by many these days. The use of antibiotics has shot up since the medical revolution reached the developing nations. The need for faster relief is one of the main factors that push doctors as well as patients to focus more on this kind of medications.

The long term effect that antibiotics have on your body cannot be ignored forever, therefore, it is essential that you realize that working your way around diseases with the help of antibiotics can prove to be fatal for your overall health. The long-term use of antibiotics can also lead to a condition called antibiotic resistance which will make it difficult for you to treat yourself with antibiotics after a period of time. In this article, we will be discussing the various type of natural medicines that are known for their antibiotic properties without affecting your essential organs in a negative manner.

Natural Antibiotics For Humans

Infections are caused due to unwanted microbial activities. There are different microbial organisms such as bacteria and fungi which can cause serious damage to your body if culminated in large amounts. Especially, when the ability of your immune system is on the lower side, these microbial organisms can infect and flourish inside your body or on your skin and cause severe discomfort and serious risks to your health.

Not all microbes are harmful to you, there are certain bacterias such as Escherichia Coli that are present in your intestine that aids in proper digestion. However, a different strain of the same bacteria can also cause health issues such as diarrhea and vomiting. There are also certain antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria that cannot be treated with just antibiotics.

Many common conditions that can happen to you on a daily basis is caused due to infections, for example, the common cold is also a sort of infection caused due to viral infection. Similarly, dandruff is yet another condition that can be made severe by the presence of yeast infections. This kind of common condition should ideally not be treated with the use of antibiotics, and therefore it is essential that you understand and implement the use of natural antibiotics for treating such conditions.

Natural Antibiotics For Uti

It’s almost instinctual for us to head to the doctor’s office to get a prescription when faced with an infection or other illness. But the antibiotics often prescribed usually wind up doing much more harm than good, killing off healthy bacteria with the bad ones.

While antibiotics do have their place in medicine, why not think about reaching for a natural solution when you can? Here are 10 natural antibiotics that you’ve probably already got lying around your kitchen.

By eating a few cloves of garlic each day, you can effectively fight off all sorts of bacteria, viruses, and infections. Studies have even found that garlic can assist in areas as severe as AIDS symptoms, diabetes, and high blood pressure. (source).

It’s also a great help in relieving the effects of colds, flu, and toothaches. It doesn’t hurt that organic garlic is also quite affordable.

Cooking it into a meal is not good enough, however; to maximize its full antibiotic properties, you’ll need to crush the garlic and eat it raw. A great way to try this is in a salad, soup or even drink. Onions are closely related to garlic and have similar health benefits, reducing pain and inflammation as well as illnesses like colds and flu.

Similar to garlic, you’ll get the best results by eating onions raw. Cooking onions releases many of their healthiest nutrients, robbing your body of their help. Grapefruit seed extract, referred to as GSE, is conventionally used as an anti-microbial compound. It has shown great promise in preventing the growth of various fungi and bacteria, even being recommended for use in bathroom cleaning.

You’ll need to dilute the extract when using it. The site I’ve linked to above lists a few helpful pointers for determining how much extract you need for specific applications. Horseradish gives your body energy; this stuff is potent. Horseradish helps your body defend itself against potential illnesses. It also promotes healthy blood circulation and has antibiotic properties when broken down in the stomach.

Horseradish can treat everything from urinary tract infections to kidney stones and bronchitis.  Consume it raw (blended or juiced) or diced up with a light amount of vinegar for best effects. Vitamin C can be found in a wide variety of fruits including oranges and pineapples. It’s known for its ability to strengthen the immune system—that’s why orange juice is so relieving when you’ve got a cold.

Vitamin C works wonders in areas of skin repair and prenatal health. Getting your hands on a 100 percent natural organic orange juice is one way to consume vitamin C—also consider eating an orange or two a few days each week.

Natural Antibiotics For Infection

Natural antibiotics are nothing but spices and herbs that are directly available from the nature that has properties that can reduce the function and spread of unwanted microbes. In some cases, certain natural antibiotics also have the ability to completely wipe out the presence of unwanted microbes completely. The importance of natural antibiotics lies in the fact that they can perform without causing any side-effects to your body compared to normal antibiotic medications.

Garlic is an easily available spice in the market. The use of garlic in treating infections is a long-standing tradition in many cultures. However, it was not until recent years the exact reason why garlic has so much antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties were studied.

Allicin is the most prominent compound found in garlic and has excellent antimicrobial functions. It is the most active compound in garlic which gives it these properties. Allicin is highly effective against MRS (Multidrug Resistance Strains)  bacterias which makes it highly valuable for the medical community. Another component found in garlic called as Ajoene is also capable of treating fungal infections such as athlete’s foot which many people suffer from worldwide. Garlic extract can also be used for the treatment of influenza and herpes viruses and can deliver positive results.

This compound can easily eradicate bacteria by resisting the production or blocking the enzymes that are directly responsible for several vital functions of the bacteria such as energy production and cell structure formation. Without the necessary energy, the bacterias will die off in no time. Allicin can also actively inhibit the formation of biofilms which is one of the major defense mechanisms employed by bacterias and fungus. The formation of biofilms makes the treatment of these infections very difficult and garlic can be used to prevent the formation of biofilms.

Echinacea is a kind of daisy flower which is mostly found in the eastern and central parts of North America. These flower extracts and pastes are been used for the treatment of various infections since the early cultures. Echinacea extracts are now widely available across the globe and its antimicrobial functions are being utilized by people around the globe in a very positive manner. The immunoprotective aspect of this drug also makes it highly beneficial and recommended to be included in the treatment of various medical conditions.

Echinacea has many benefits that come due to its basic components of carbohydrates, glycoproteins, and caffeic acid. These compounds have excellent antibacterial and fungal properties and are particularly helpful in reducing the spread and growth of these harmful microbes. This herb is also effective in reducing the problems caused due to the symptoms of bacterial infections by reducing the production cytokines that act as inflammatory markers during an event of infection.

The herb also has excellent antifungal properties and can actively prevent the growth of multiple strains of fungi that can cause lethal fungal infections on the skin like candidiasis. The antiviral properties of Echinacea are also quite impressive, they have active defensive capability against strong strains of viruses such as rotavirus, herpes and influenza.

All-Natural Antibiotics

Chances are, you’ve taken antibiotics at some point in your life. They are some of the most commonly prescribed medications—in fact, antibiotics are often overprescribed for conditions such as sore throats or bronchitis, which are usually viral and cannot be treated with antibiotics.

Concerns over the use of antibiotics include the following:

• Side effects. Some of the more common side effects include allergies and gastrointestinal distress. In rare cases, reactions to antibiotics can lead to kidney toxicity and death.

• Gut imbalance. Studies have shown that antibiotics affect the healthy bacteria in your gut, which can greatly impact your overall health.

• Multi-drug resistant bacteria. Bacteria are smart. The more antibiotics are prescribed on a global scale, the more bacteria figure out how to resist the effects of antibiotics. Multi-drug resistant bacteria—such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)—are becoming increasingly more common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year, 2 million people in the United States become infected with drug-resistant bacteria and at least 23,000 people die because of these infections.

Herbal antibiotics, which have been used for thousands of years, are garnering attention for their strong antibacterial properties and fewer side effects. The pharmaceutical industry is recognizing the power of herbs by combining them synergistically with synthetic antibiotics, creating phytopharmaceuticals that are more powerful than synthetic antibiotics alone.

The following herbs and food have shown efficacy for treating infections. They are available over-the-counter as capsules, teas, or tinctures—but do not use them without consulting with your doctor first. Herbs are very potent and can also cause side effects and potentially harmful interactions with other supplements or medications that you may be taking.

Natural Antibiotics Tooth Infection

When you think ‘antibiotics’, you immediately think of popping pills. Isn’t it? For the most part that is true. Antibiotics are medicines prescribed to cure a range of bacterial infections. These work either by killing the bacteria or stopping the bacteria from multiplying. But, did you know that the use of anti-bacterial has been going on since ancient times and much before the chance discovery of Penicillin by Alexander Fleming in 1928 to cure and control bacterial infections?

That’s right, a host of common food items possess the quality to not just provide relief when an infection strikes, but also help prevent future episodes by boosting the immune system. These are ‘natural’ antibiotics, not made in a laboratory, and easily available around us.

It is important to remember that antibiotics (when prescribed by Doctors) do not help with viral infections. Common ailments like flu, cold and upper-respiratory-tract infections are mostly caused by viruses.

Sometimes though, the body might need outside help if the infection is too severe. This is when antibiotics are used to help. But synthetic antibiotics can come with many side effects like gastric irritation, vomiting, diarrhea, allergies, or headaches. These side effects may vary from mild to severe and are different for all of us. Natural antibiotics have no adverse effects. So, if you are not generally allergic to this type of food, you can reap its anti-bacterial benefits.

Antibiotic Resistance

As modern science develops and we break new ground with revolutionary discoveries, we also risk misusing antibiotics. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ‘Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today’. At the heart of this drug resistance are misuse and overuse. This is also why using natural antibiotics, when possible, may help.

Antibiotics and Children 

Children falling sick makes us worry more than when adults fall ill. We want to provide quick relief and make sure the kids get back to being healthy soon. However, this must not prompt us to quickly self-prescribe a round of antibiotics. Dr. Rajeev Chabra, HoD, Pediatrics at the Artemis Hospital in Gurgaon, strongly advises against self-medicating. “In most cases with children, it’s a viral infection and so antibiotics will not help. I would strongly discourage against self-medicating and getting the medicines directly from a pharmacist without a prescription.” He further adds, ‘It is also equally important to complete the course, if it says 7 days then please have it for the full duration.” Here is a list of natural antibiotics easily available in every Indian kitchen.