What Are the Most Effective Natural Antibiotics?

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And how are they best used?

HEALTH SCIENCE

BY ROBERT HARRINGTON

POSTED ON MAY 25, 2015

Nature has provided thousands of natural medicines and natural antibiotics over millennia. Most people are unaware,
but virtually all pharmaceutical medications originally came from the plants of the Earth. After they were proven
effective in treating various ailments, the pharmaceutical industry then created synthetic variants which they could
patent. In this way, they retained the exclusive rights to earn revenues from their patents over a specific period of time.

The point is that every medicine under the sun originated as an herb or a spice, a tree leaf or shrub root, a berry or a
fruit. Fortunately, some of these same medicinals function as very efficacious natural antibiotics. Especially when they
are prepared properly, these potent medicines can produce the desired effects without many of the adverse side-effects
associated with pharmaceutical-grade antibiotics.

High-powered pharmaceutical antibiotics certainly have their place in today’s society. But the proliferation of so
many antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria (as well as other infections) has warranted a new class of similar yet even
more potent medications. There is a downside to many of these in that they can leave residues within the human body
which sometimes require a deliberate process to remove or detoxify.

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The overuse of antibiotics has become a modern-day epidemic. These drugs have depleted our natural immunity by
killing the good bacteria in our guts and also creating super-bugs that have become resistant to almost any form of
prescribed drug around. Instead of making yourself weaker and depleting your body’s natural ability to cure itself from
any number of ailments, try utilizing natural foods and herbs to ditch the Big Pharma meds for good.

Here are 8+ foods which harness natural antibiotic properties.

1. Astragalus – An adaptogen, meaning it is an overall tonic for the body, astragalus has been used for thousands of
years in Chinese medicinal practices to boost the immune system and counteract physical, mental, and emotional stress.
Research has shown that it can be very effective at treating colds, protecting the liver, and keeping viruses at bay.

2. Onions – This great tasting food is both antibacterial and antiseptic. If a person were to suck on a raw onion, it is
thought that the healing components of the food could suck the disease right out of them. You can even place some cut
up onions in your kitchen to protect against unwanted bacteria to keep your whole house healthy. When mixed with
lime juice and a few other natural constituents, onions were even shown to eradicate antibiotic resistant Escherichia
coli. Check out some other health benefits of onions here.

3. Cabbage – One of the cruciferous vegetables, cabbage has anti-microbial properties which can kill all kinds of diseases
naturally. The antibiotic properties of cabbage are increased once it has been fermented as well. So eat your sauerkraut,
or better yet, make your own.

4. Honey – Although honey has always been used to fight off infection, scientists have just recently identified one secret
ingredient in honey that makes it a natural antibiotic because it kills unwanted bacteria. It’s a protein called defensin-1
which bees add to honey when they make it. It does what it sounds like too – makes your immune system a full defense
against disease.

5. Fermented Vegetables – Reseeding your gut with good microbes, which can be found in just about all fermented
vegetables, can keep your immune system on full-tilt. If you haven’t already heard, your gut health accounts for about
80% of your overall immunity to disease, so putting the good bacteria back in is essential.

6. Cinnamon – Sometimes called a ‘lethal’ natural antibiotic, cinnamon has been used medicinally for ages. Pure, real
Ceylon cinnamon can even stop E.Coli in its tracks, a stubborn bacteria that causes many diseases. Experts at Kansas City
State University found that not only does cinnamon act as a natural antibiotic, it is so full of antioxidants that it helps to
boost the immune system in numerous ways.

7. Sage – This herb is a wonderful natural solution for upper respiratory system issues. It can also help with stomach
ailments, reduce fever naturally, and help with the common cold and flu.

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8. Thyme – Both thyme leaf and thyme oil are very effective natural antibiotics. A compound in thyme oil called thymol
is also anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-protozoal properties.

With such a large offering from Mother Nature to treat ailments naturally, with all of their vitamins, minerals and
phytonutrients to boot, why would we ever choose pharmaceuticals? These natural remedies also cost pennies per day
to either grow or purchase and take as preventative medicine.

A Natural Antibiotic Approach can also Bring About a Real Solution

There are many illnesses and diseases which do respond favorably to natural antibiotics. Though the key is to know
which antibiotics best address which ailments, as well as which types of formulations are the most effective. Of course,
the sooner one takes a natural antibiotic protocol, the greater the likelihood that they will successfully address the
infection or inflammation.

There are several candidates that qualify as fairly broad-spectrum natural antibiotics. Some of these ought to be part of
one’s diet as well since they provide a preventative measure with each meal they are ingested with. Those that fit in this
category are:

 Garlic (check out in-depth health benefits of garlic here)

 Onion

 Oregano oil

 Rosemary

 Coriander

 Dill, mustard seed

 Anise

 Pau D’ Arco

 Cayenne pepper

 Colloidal silver

 Grapefruit seed extract

 Basil

 Lemon balm

 Wild Indigo

 Echinacea

 Olive leaf

 Turmeric

 Curry powder

 Ginger

 Cinnamon

 Cardamon
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The oils of oregano, thyme, and basil have also proven to have strong anti-microbial properties. So have the oils
of basil and lavender.

Oregano oil is especially effective at addressing infections within the GI tract, and is regarded as a particularly powerful
broad-spectrum natural antibiotic. Because it is so potent, it should be taken with the understanding that it can produce
a healing crisis from the bacteria die-off that it is known to cause on occasion.

More info: Nature’s Antibiotics that Could Replace Pharmaceuticals

Honey has been used for millennia to speed the process of healing of the skin as well as the mucous membranes of the
GI tract. Manuka honey, in particular, appears to have very strong antibacterial qualities. Here is an in-depth post
outlining the many other health benefits of honey.

“…clinical trials have found that Manuka honey is effective against more than 250 strains of bacteria, including:

• MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus)

• MSSA (methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus)
• VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci)
• Helicobacter Pylori (which can cause stomach ulcers)” [1]

An experienced cook knows how to introduce both garlic and turmeric into at least one meal a day. Likewise, ginger and
honey can easily find their way into the diet on a regular basis once their benefits are fully understood.

It should be noted that honey should never be cooked or heated as doing so can create toxins. Also, too much ginger can
be drying for some, so one should use it appropriately. Nevertheless, many within the culinary realm of the East use
ginger every day for its powerful abilities to ward off sickness.

What are some other natural antibiotics?

Pau d’Arco tea is another broad spectrum natural antibiotic which possesses particularly strong anti-fungal properties.
It can be quite effective in treating candida albicans overgrowth in the gastrointestinal tract. Pau d’arco comes from a
tree bark in the South America rainforest and high Andes which was observed to be unusually resistant to many of the
diseases that often occur in those climates.

Olive leaf extract is another potent broad spectrum antibiotic alternative. As follows:

“Early in the last century, oleuropein was isolated from olive leaf extract as this phytochemical was thought to give the
olive tree its resistance to disease. Researchers from the Netherlands then learned that elenolic acid, a component of
oleuropein, acted as a broad spectrum natural antibiotic, which safely and strongly inhibits the growth of not only
bacteria, but also viruses and fungi.” [1]

Grapefruit Seed Extract is another very popular anti-microbial that has been used frequently to treat candida
overgrowth, as well as a variety of bacterial infections. Many folks even use it as a safe yet effective way to clean and
disinfect their produce and other foods.

Further, many individuals have used the well-known echinacea and goldenseal herbal formulation for decades in
treating colds and flus, sore throats and other upper respiratory ailments. Preparing their medicinal herbal teas with
raw, organic, unfiltered honey is another way of receiving one of nature’s best medicinal superfoods.

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Colloidal Silver Occupies a Unique Place in Nature’s Apothecary

“In the 1970′s, Dr. Robert O. Becker at Syracuse Medical University began to intensively research colloidal silver. He
discovered that silver not only kills bacteria, but it actually killed bacteria that were resistant to all known antibiotics
with no undesirable side effects.” [1]

Colloidal silver can be applied topically as well as taken internally. However, long term internal use is not encouraged
“because ingestion of colloidal silver does damage the delicate gut microbiome by killing beneficial bacteria though not
as extensively as drug based antibiotics.” [1]

Overview List of 15 Natural Antibiotics

 Garlic

 Onion

 Turmeric

 Curry powder

 Ginger

 Cinnamon

 Cardamon

 Various oils such as oregano, thyme, basil, lavender, and more.

 Honey

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  Pau d’Arco

 Olive leaf extract

 Grapefruit seed extract

 Echinacea

 Goldenseal

 Colloidal silver

Conclusion

There are several excellent natural antibiotics which can be used by those who have proven to be allergic to
pharmaceutical-grade antibiotics. These can also be used as the first line of defense against those seasonal ailments
which require a fortified immune system.

There are many different sources of infection, including bacterial, viral, parasitical, fungal, and more. Therefore, it is
always advisable to receive an informed opinion from a healthcare professional about the likely source and seriousness
of any infection. Consulting an herbalist, naturopath, or oesteopath about which choices are best to use from nature’s
pharmacopeia is recommended in any case.

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