Natural Options to Try Before Taking Antibiotics
Antibiotics fight bacterial infections. They have no effect on infections caused by viruses, such as the common cold, seasonal influenza,
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- Antibiotics fight bacterial infections. They have no effect on infections caused by viruses, such as the common cold, seasonal influenza, SARS-CoV-2 and some ear infections
- Antibiotic drugs are routinely overused, both in human medicine and agriculture, resulting in the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant infections
- There are many natural plant-based remedies that will help kill bacteria without the risk of building resistance
- Natural antimicrobials include medicinal honey, garlic, ginger, echinacea, goldenseal, myrrh oil, thyme essential oil, oregano oil, clove extract and cranberry juice
- Remember that upper respiratory infections (URIs) are typically caused by viruses, not bacteria, so antibiotics won’t work for these infections. For URI’s, nebulized hydrogen peroxide is one of the most effective remedies. In most URI cases, improvement is seen within a few hours
Taking an antibiotic unnecessarily will also kill off your beneficial gut bacteria, which could make it more difficult for you to recover from your illness. The good news is there are many natural plant-based remedies that will help kill bacteria without the risk of building resistance. Here’s a review of 10 natural antimicrobials you can reach for as a first line of defense, before resorting to a pharmaceutical antibiotic.
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Medicinal Honey
As long as you use the right kind of honey, science backs its use for a variety of bacterial infections, especially when used topically. As explained in the 2011 paper, “Honey: Its Medicinal Property and Antibacterial Activity”:1“[The] medicinal importance of honey has been documented in the world’s oldest medical literatures, and since the ancient times, it has been known to possess antimicrobial property as well as wound-healing activity.
The healing property of honey is due to the fact that it offers antibacterial activity, maintains a moist wound condition, and its high viscosity helps to provide a protective barrier to prevent infection. Its immunomodulatory property is relevant to wound repair too.
The antimicrobial activity in most honeys is due to the enzymatic production of hydrogen peroxide. However, another kind of honey, called non-peroxide honey (viz., manuka honey), displays significant antibacterial effects even when the hydrogen peroxide activity is blocked …
In 2018, the U.K. Department of Health proposed guidelines recommending the use of honey as a first line of treatment for coughs, as part of its goal to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use. As reported by BBC News:2The medical grade honeys have potent in vitro bactericidal activity against antibiotic-resistant bacteria causing several life-threatening infections to humans.”
The nectar from the manuka flower contains dihydroxyacetone, a precursor to methylglyoxal (MGO), an antimicrobial compound not found in most other honey. Australian manuka honey is perhaps the most well-known and well-studied medicinal honey, with clinical studies demonstrating its effectiveness in the treatment of:3“A hot drink with honey — and often with lemon and ginger as well — is a well-known home remedy for coughs and a sore throat … [P]roposed guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and Public Health England (PHE) say there is some limited evidence that it can help improve cough symptoms.”
- Bacterial infections — Manuka honey has been shown to effectively eradicate a long list of bacteria,4 including helicobacter pylori responsible for peptic ulcer diseases and gastritis, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Manuka honey also effectively removes stubborn biofilm produced by Staphylococcus aureus5
- Skin diseases, ulcers, burns and necrosis
- Dental caries and plaque, periodontal infections and gingivitis
- Ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Wounds, including post-surgical wounds
Do not use conventional store-bought honey for wound care. It lacks the medicinal qualities of medicinal honeys like Manuka, and could potentially feed rather than inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria. For more information, see this September 21, 2022, article on Manuka honey. Used internally, your best bet is raw, locally sourced, unprocessed honey. There’s a lot of fake honey out there, so use caution.
Garlic
Garlic has been used to fight bacterial and parasitical infections for centuries. According to a 2014 review, garlic has been proven effective against “a plethora of gram-positive, gram-negative, and acid-fast bacteria,” including but not limited to:7- Salmonella
- Escherichia coli
- Pseudomonas
- Proteus
- Staphylococcus aureus
- Klebsiella
- Micrococcus
- Bacillus subtIlis
- Clostridium
- Mycobacterium
- Helicobacter
- Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus
Garlic also has antiprotozoal and antifungal properties, and according to the 2014 review9 above, garlic can be an effective treatment for conditions such as Candida albicans, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and giardiasis.
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In the case of giardiasis — an intestinal infection marked by stomach cramps, bloating, nausea and watery diarrhea — researchers found commercially available garlic capsules eliminated the symptoms in all patients within 24 hours.
Research also supports the use of garlic and garlic derivatives for chronic external- and middle-ear infections. According to one such study,10 two components of garlic, allicin and s-allyl cysteine (SAC), were effective against the microorganisms involved in most ear infections, even at low concentrations. Garlic-infused oils are commercially available, but you can also make your own. Here’s a recipe previously published by Verywell Health:11
“You will need one garlic clove, olive oil, a pan, a strainer, a glass jar with a lid, a dropper, and a piece of cotton. You can make your own garlic oil in a few easy steps:
- Peel and crush up the garlic.
- Warm the oil and garlic slowly on low heat until the garlic and oil are fragrant.
- Remove it from heat so that the mixture can cool down.
- Strain the garlic from the oil while pouring it into a jar.
Once the oil is ready, you can use it as you would any other type of eardrop.”
Ginger
Ginger, available in extract, tincture, oil and oral capsule form, also has potent antimicrobial activity. A 2020 study12 demonstrated that ginger essential oil was effective against E. coli and S. aureus, two bacteria involved in periodontal infections.According to the authors, the bactericidal effects of ginger essential oil appears to be due to its ability to disrupt the bacterial cell membrane. As such, it may also be useful in food preservation.
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Another study13 found a 10% ginger extract effectively killed Streptococcus mutans, Candida albicans and Enterococcus faecalis, which are also implicated in the causation of oral infections. More than a dozen other bacteria are also vulnerable to its effects,14 as are a number of biofilms.15
Ginger is not suitable for children under age 2, and adults should not take more than 4 grams of ginger per day. Pregnant women are advised to cap their intake at 1 gram per day.16
Echinacea
Echinacea extract has antibacterial properties and is known to have been used by Native Americans for more than 400 years to treat wounds and infections. According to Mount Sinai Hospital,17 echinacea may be used to treat “urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast (candida) infections, ear infections (also known as otitis media), athlete’s foot, sinusitis, hay fever (also called allergic rhinitis), as well as slow-healing wounds.”It’s also a popular remedy for upper respiratory infections, such as the common cold and flu. According to a 2021 study,18 a nanosized echinacea extract was found to have up to 16-fold higher antibacterial activity against multidrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, compared to regular extract.
Echinacea is available in many forms, including extracts, tinctures, tablets and capsules. As a general recommendation for infection, take it three times a day for a maximum of 10 days.19
Goldenseal
Like echinacea, goldenseal is often used for the prevention and alleviation of cold symptoms, and a number of products combining the two can be found. One of the main constituents of goldenseal is berberine, known for its potent antibacterial properties.Berberine primarily kills gram-positive bacteria, including MRSA. Berberine is not the sole component responsible for goldenseal’s antimicrobial effects, however. Extract from the aerial portions of the plant also has potent antibacterial effects that cannot be attributed to berberine alone, which is primarily found in the roots. As explained in a 2011 paper:20
“We hypothesize that [aerial goldenseal] extracts contain efflux pump inhibitors that synergistically enhance the antimicrobial activity of berberine. Bacterial efflux pumps are membrane bound proteins that pump toxins out of bacterial cells.
According to Mount Sinai,21 goldenseal is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women, and those with high blood pressure, liver disease or heart disease should discuss its use with their medical provider, as it can interfere with medications prescribed for these conditions. Potential adverse effects include irritation of the skin, mouth, throat and vagina, and increased sensitivity to sunlight.Overexpression of efflux pumps contributes to the development of resistance in bacteria, including S. aureus. Inhibition of efflux pumps may enhance the effectiveness of antimicrobial agents that are substrates for these pumps, and decrease the minimum inhibitory concentration for the antimicrobials.”