Alternatives to Antibiotics: Natural Solutions?

I saw a documentary the other day about superbugs and their relationship to antibiotics. Having needed an antibiotic treatment a few months ago, I was very interested in what I saw.

On a personal note, I was prescribed, among other medications, about a 4-month supply of antibiotic, only to develop a very bothersome side effect after less than a month of treatment. I did some research on the medications that had been prescribed for me and found that this particular side effect was quite common. Naturally, I stopped taking it immediately and the unpleasant symptoms disappeared. I tried the drug again after about another month, once the side effects had worn off. Unfortunately, they reappeared immediately, so my decision was, in my opinion, a no-brainer.

After watching this documentary, I started researching (naturally, being me), ways to achieve beneficial results without using antibiotics. Or, what’s more appealing to me, finding foods that anyone can get that actually work in our systems to help us avoid the need for antibiotics, a way that will actually keep me and my gut healthy on a daily basis.

During my research I came across several companies and institutions investigating similar options. One of the most recent ones I read was a great report from “Medical News Today 2018” that lists foods, from garlic to oregano, that have been shown to have very beneficial effects.

Organizations as prestigious as Medical News Today and the National Academy of Medicine, to name just two, speculate that our overuse of antibiotics is opening the door to more and more so-called “superbugs” and that this could easily result in antibiotics. losing its ability to heal.

Research on this topic by large medical organizations around the world is ongoing, but it takes time and money and we don’t know how much of that we have.

One thing that stands out clearly from all of this is that the use of antibiotics ONLY when expressly necessary, and ONLY using the most appropriate dose for the disease being treated is of the utmost importance. This is difficult, but not impossible to achieve. But it is VITAL if we want to reduce the incidence of “superbugs” that today are denying our antibiotics.

Another thing that could help in this effort is to make sure that the conditions being treated actually NEED antibiotics, as researchers have found that “antibiotics do not treat viral infections because they cannot kill viruses.” And yet, antibiotics are still sometimes prescribed.

Is this in the hope that they can be successful?

The use of effective antibiotic alternatives, which will promote good health and give our bodies the armor to resist disease, could be an important way to decrease the NEED for antibiotics and therefore reduce the risk of the appearance of superbugs still stronger.

As many medical researchers say, solutions to the problem of antibiotic resistance are multifaceted and include reducing the use of antibiotics through the use of alternative products. Although no alternative will replace all uses of antibiotics (Allen, 2017).

So it could mean that we should include ingredients like garlic, known as a healing herb for centuries, honey, which has been used in some parts of the world since Roman times, ginger, turmeric, which has been found to be useful as a healing agent for at least 5,000 years, to name just a few, all of which can be found in most kitchens, in our food. So we can at least begin to protect ourselves from the NEED for antibiotics and therefore the RISK of contracting these “superbugs” to attack our bodies when they are weakened by disease.

We can also build endurance by exercising more, but that’s a topic for another day.

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