Antibiotics have transformed modern medicine and if used properly can save lives! However, there are some serious side effects to taking antibiotics and it’s commonly over-prescribed. In fact, In one year the Center for Disease Control reported that out of the 154 million prescribed antibiotics, 30% were unnecessary. People may feel better off taking antibiotics “in case”, but are we causing our bodies more harm than good?
Now I am definitely no doctor, so please do your own research and consult with your primary physician or other qualified health care professional before making any decisions. However, before rushing to the doctor for antibiotics consider these facts.
Antibiotics Only Treat Bacterial Illnesses Not Viruses!
This is a common misconception and can be confusing because both bacterial and viral infections often have the same symptoms, such as sneezing, coughing, fever, diarrhea and vomiting. However, there are huge differences between bacteria and viral infections!
According to Lauri Hicks, DO, medical director for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work campaign. She says ““Most upper respiratory infections are caused by viruses. A very small percentage of upper respiratory infections are caused by bacteria, and antibiotics are completely ineffective for treatment of viral infections.”
Some of the most common viral infections that shouldn’t be treated with antibiotics are the common cold, Flu (influenza), cough, bronchitis, some ear infections, and some sinus infections. Most of these viral infections get better on their own without antibiotics.
Serious side effects of Antibiotics!
Since the discovery of antibiotics and the over-prescribing of them, antibiotic resistance has grown. Taking antibiotics when they are not needed or misusing them, increases the risk that an infection you get later will resist antibiotic treatment. According to the World Health Organization “The rise of antibiotic resistance is a global health crisis, more and more governments recognize (it is) one of the greatest threats to health today.”
Among other things, antibiotics kill disease-causing bacteria and our friendly gut bacteria! In fact only one week of antibiotics can change the makeup of your gut microbiota for up to a year! Recent studies have also shown that mothers given antibiotics during child-birth, can delay the growth of healthy bacteria in the infant for up to the first 12 weeks of life!
If you choose to take antibiotics
Take a probiotic during and after antibiotic use! A number of studies have shown that taking a probiotic can reduce the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. However, because probiotics are also bacteria, they can be killed along with the harmful bacteria when you take antibiotics, so it’s important to take the antibiotics and probiotics a few hours apart.
In addition, Probiotics can help restore the microbiota to its original state after taking antibiotics. Choosing a probiotic can get a little tricky, so make sure to choose one that contains a mixture of different beneficial bacteria, rather than just one. Check out “Everything you ever wanted to know about choosing a good probiotic,” to get detailed information about how to choose a good one!
Personally I use The Garden of Life Raw Probiotic, because It contains 34 probiotic strains with 100 billion CFU, plus it’s only one pill a day which makes it easy for me to remember.
Instead of antibiotics
Hippocrates couldn’t have said it better, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Instead of using an antibiotic, why not opt for a much easier and cheaper way that nature provides! The following is a list of the most powerful antibiotics that nature provides.
- Garlic and Onions can be used to treat an earache, pneumonia, the flu, common colds, and MRSA.
- Echinacea can strengthen your immune system to fight the flu, colds, and bacterial infections.
- Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) can be used topically or internally to treat bacterial infections.
- Oil of Oregano has anti-viral and anti-fungal properties making it great for sinus infections.
- Manuka Honey kills bacteria, removes toxins, boosts the immune system, and soothes the digestive tract. Learn more about this amazing honey here!
- Grapefruit Extract is high in antioxidants that boost immunity and strengthen the beneficial gut bacteria.
- Colloidal Silver has been used for centuries as a natural antibiotic, it destroys bacteria, viruses, and fungi. However, be careful not to use it over long periods, because it can be harmful to your body.
Try these natural antibiotics instead of relying on what your doctor prescribes for you, they wont harm your body and they taste great! As well as natural antibiotics, what we eat is extremely important to our immunity also! Check out Why You Should Eat a Plant Based Diet!
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