When your doctor gives you antibiotics ask yourself this question: will I die if I don’t take these? If the answer if not an emphatic “yes”, throw them in the garbage. Just kidding. I said that for dramatic effect. Hold onto them and try one of these alternative remedies first and then you can throw them in the garbage. I’m confident the end result will be the same (they’re in the garbage) but at least you’ll have peace of mind (if you’re new to this) that if the natural remedy doesn’t work, you’ve got a backup.

Antibiotics have saved millions of lives. They changed the way medicine was practiced. So, since I demonize them quite a bit, I’d like a chance to explain myself. Medicine and science are always evolving. Science is a way of answering a question you’re currently asking. Science in its self is not the answer. Anything manufactured involves science. Is a twinkie the answer to all of our problems because it took science to produce? Those who don’t understand the scientific process use it as a weapon. This weapon is deployed as uncharitable skepticism. They may hear conflicting evidence but it’s automatically rejected. The rejection comes without actual scientific rigor – driven by their ego and the inability to entertain that they may be wrong. Science is about innovation, trying new things, and questioning existing belief. Unfortunately, scientific dogma (extreme viewpoints that are more focused on denying opposing theories than they are on honoring the scientific process)is so prevalent today that the advancement of medicine has stagnated in the conventional realm. The science supporting natural remedies is often subject to automatic denial. It takes on average 17 years for sound science to make its way into clinical practice. If the new understanding doesn’t generate cash flow for both doctors and pharma, it may not make into conventional practice at all. This is largely due to the influence the pharmaceutical industry yields. If you can understand this, it may be possible to step outside the cult of scientism and help fuel a more humble and advantageous advancement in human health. Antibiotics should not be discarded altogether but it serves as a reminder that worshiping at the altar of science without humility or understanding, is a huge threat to public health.

Scientific advancement is favoring alternative medicine for prevention and treatment of more chronic ailments while the conventional realm continues to excel in emergency care and some acute illness situations. When it comes to chronic diseases, conventional medicine supports weak theories and, most common, a simple “we don’t know but it’s likely genetic” explanation. Side rant: genetics is the perfect scape-goat. Patients love to hear it and doctors love to say it. Why? Because it releases each party from liability. Patients can blame their diagnosis on something out of their control and continue living the destructive lifestyle they always have led while taking a pill and settling for a lower quality of life and likely shortened lifespan. The doctors can get away with not having any real answers but selling prescription drugs to the patient for life. This response to chronic disease is generalized but it does serve as a good example as to just how long science takes to make its way into conventional practice. Blaming things on genetics alone is no longer all that viable.  Genetic expression is controlled by the environment. Which, we know through the profound advancements made in the field of Epigenetics over the last two decades. Natural methods do not sell drugs because they cannot be patented. Nature and lifestyle cannot be patented. For this reason, there are large amounts of resources deployed in order to keep the status quo. The status quo is creating chronic disease and even worse, upcoming trainwrecks that will claim the lives of millions. One such example is antibiotic-resistant bacteria that came about due to overprescribing and inappropriate use.(1) I hope this has helped illuminate the role scientific dogma is playing in our current standard of care model.

Some inappropriate antibiotic use examples include ear infections, yeast infections, sinus infections, cold or flu-like symptoms, prevention from getting sick (seriously!?), acne, and skin rashes. Many of these are actually symptoms of a weak microbiome. The answer to successful, lasting treatment lies in promoting gut health, not destroying it.

The discovery of the microbiome is and will continue to change everything about how we practice medicine. Don’t wait until your conventional doctor understands the importance of gut health. Help is available now. Our microbiome is absolutely critical to our optimal wellbeing. That’s why it’s so important that we protect it and keep it flourishing. Different species of bacteria are responsible for different things. For example, we know that bifidobacteria helps produce a large amount of our main neurotransmitter, GABA and the short-chain fatty acid, butyrate which is essential for healing and maintaining the gut lining. The gut lining is a single cell barrier (fragile) that stands between your food and your bloodstream. When the gut lining is weak, macroparticles (food, bacterial, lipopolysaccharides, etc.) are allowed passage into the bloodstream where the immune system attacks. This is known as leaky gut and can lead to a whole host of problems such as allergies, autoimmunity, heart disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, etc.(3) Disturbances in the gut microbiome have been linked to diabetes, obesity, inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), atopic diseases, and many other conditions.(2) In addition, the microbiome hosts 65-75% of our immune system, (4) it’s responsible for thyroid hormone conversion, it’s critical to nutrient absorption, it plays a role in DNA sequencing, detoxification, and much more.

I feel like I’ve droned on but still haven’t done the importance of the gut microbiome justice. Hopefully, the importance of maintaining and building strong diversity among your gut bacteria has made an impression. Now, here’s some bad news. You’re being exposed to antibiotics whether you take them or not. Nothing is quite as destructive as an acute exposure that you get from a prescription. However, if you don’t address the antibiotics in your food, your gut health will suffer over time. Eating organic is very important. Especially, when it comes to animal products (milk, meat, etc.). The majority of the world’s antibiotic consumption is actually in livestock. There are also other things that perturb your gut microbiome and/or tear the gut lining such as some prescription drug medication (like PPIs), NSAIDs (like Ibuprofen), gluten, C-section (the seeding of the microbiome begins when baby journeys through the vaginal canal), and stress.(5) I can’t say enough about protecting your gut microbiome and living an empowered, health-promoting lifestyle. Health is your responsibility, not your doctors.

Antibiotics are like an atomic bomb to your microbiome. The big bummer is that it will never be the same as before antibiotics and it takes 6 months or more to heal the microbiome after a round of antibiotics. Some studies indicate it’s 2 to 4 years before your microbiome recovers to a level commensurate with pre-antibiotic treatment.(6) It depends on the specific antibiotic and how many treatments were used. For example, Clindamycin disturbs the microbiome for 18 to 24 months. Antibiotics also increase your likelihood of future infections because they hinder the performance of the immune system. This can lead quickly into a downward spiral of drug reliance if you’re not paying attention.

Consider the following alternatives before detonating that bomb in your gut. Because these treatments are effective, there is still some destruction of the healthy microbes in your gut but it is minimal. They are much better at targeting the bad stuff, breaking down the biofilm that these bad guys produce as protection, and helping aid the healthy stuff in kicking out the invaders once it’s made them vulnerable. Even better, they’ve been shown to be more effective at inhibiting antibiotic-resistant “superbugs” than even the most powerful pharmaceutical antibiotics. This is due to their effect on the biofilm I mentioned earlier.

The number of natural remedies with antimicrobial properties is vast. The following were picked based on ease of use, accessibility, and available research. These are likely items you already have in your home.

#1 – Garlic

I can’t say enough good things about garlic. It’s an antimicrobial which means it acts as an antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic. Since we oftentimes can’t tell without a culture whether an infection is bacterial or viral, I always reach for garlic first. Garlic is also known for anticancer(7), antihypertension(8), and many other positive attributes. It’s also easy to grow and/or easy to find.

What makes garlic so powerful? “Allicin is the compound that gives garlic its antimicrobial properties because it has the ability to inhibit RNA synthesis and DNA polymerases. Basically, it disrupts the bacterium’s entire enzyme system responsible for cell replication. Since bacteria can’t overcome the complicated barrier produced by allicin, they can’t develop resistance to it” (The Garlic Report). For a more in-depth review of garlic and its many healing properties, download a free copy of The Grow Networks ebook The Garlic Report.

Dosing: take one fresh garlic clove 3x per day as a preventative measure or 2-3 cloves 3x per day as a healing measure. Continue for a couple of days past the time symptoms abate. Make sure the clove is raw and fresh for maximum potency. Supplements can be great but they’re more expensive and less effective than garlic prepared fresh in its natural form.

How to take it:

1. Mince or crush the garlic finely and let it sit for a couple of minutes to oxidize (at least one minute, no more than 10). This allows the alliinase enzyme to convert alliin into allicin. As mentioned above, allicin is a sulfur compound that is responsible for many of garlic’s healing properties. So, don’t skip this step!
2. Put it in a shallow glass and put in enough water just to cover the garlic.
3. Swirl and down it like a shot to avoid having garlic breath. Don’t let it sit in the water too long or the water will become very spicey and your breath will stink. Your breath should be relatively safe but your burps (if you have any) are another story. You’ve been warned.

A note on Ear Infections: while I have not had the displeasure of dealing with an ear infection in my child, many holistic pediatricians, such as Dr. Elisa Song, swear by topical garlic oil drops for inside the ear canal. You can either infuse your own (let fresh garlic steep in warm olive oil) or buy these. Since ear infections are more commonly viral in nature, systemic antibiotic use is of little benefit. The majority of ear infections clear up on their own within 3-5 days. Knowing this, can you believe antibiotics are prescribed for 98% of reported ear infection in the US even though they’ve been proven to be of little benefit?(9) Yikes!

A note on Thrush. Allicin has been shown to be effective and safe in preventing thrush among newborns.(10) Remember, allicin is the compound in garlic. Other successful and safe options to try include lemon juice, coconut oil, sodium bicarbonate, and tea tree oil (dilute in coconut oil). Like your gut, your mouth has its own microbial ecosystem. The mouth is thought to be an extension of the gut microbiome. Recurring thrush is a good indicator that the microbiome needs attention. Look into limiting sugar (sugar feeds bad bacteria and yeast) and supplementing with probiotics as a way to address the root cause.

#2 – Honey

Honey is a versatile powerhouse that’s often enjoyed by many. Our toughest crowd, children, will often consume honey. Honey’s healing powers can be increased by mixing it with ginger. Ginger is another powerful antimicrobial. Some sources of honey are more powerful than others with Manuka Honey packing the most punch. The primary active ingredient in manuka honey is methylglyoxal (MG), a compound found in most types of honey, but usually only in small quantities. The higher the UMF, the better. This study found that honey and ginger combined were more powerful than three of the leading pharmaceutical antibiotics: methicillin, amoxicillin, and penicillin. The study used Ethiopian honey and ginger powder both separately and together. Separately they were both more powerful than the antibiotics tested but together they had even greater antibiotic capacities. 

“It is becoming evident that honeys are more than just bactericidal, as they impact on biofilm formation, quorum sensing and the expression of virulence factors.”(11)

Manuka honey is especially effective at treating digestive problems like stomach ulcers, gastritis, acid reflux, and heartburn. It’s an antibiotic, anti-fungal, and anti-viral so it’s great for sore throats, acne, sinusitis, colds, and dermatitis.  

Honey can be used both topically for wound disinfection or internally. Raw, unfiltered honey is best*. My favorite methods include making a fresh ginger/honey tea, using honey to mix dried medicinal herbs (could be dried ginger) and eating by the spoonful, putting manuka honey directly on cuts, or simply sucking on one of these honey packets. You can also get creative and make lozenges. The possibilities are vast. The packets are easy to travel with as well.

*Remember that honey is not for use in infants under 12 months due to botulism concerns.

 

Sources:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378521/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22179207
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2898551/
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2515351/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15253677/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20705661
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30949665
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25837272
9. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14973951
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1320966
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24199801