The World is Facing an Antibiotic Apocalypse ( How To Use Herbal Antibiotics Successfully)

Antibiotic-resistant diseases kill 700,000 people per year, but a new report shows all hope is not lost

What is the Antibiotic Apocalypse

World Health Organisation warned that antibiotics are “running out” as a report found a “serious lack” of new drugs in the development pipeline.

Medical officer has warned of a “post-antibiotic apocalypse” as she issued a call to action urging global leaders to address the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

Professor Dame Sally Davies said that if antibiotics lose their effectiveness it will spell “the end of modern medicine”.

Without the drugs used to fight infections, common medical interventions such as caesarean sections, cancer treatments and hip replacements would become incredibly “risky”, she said.

And transplant medicine would be a “thing of the past”, she added.

“We really are facing, if we don’t take action now, a dreadful post-antibiotic apocalypse,” she told the Press Association.

“I don’t want to say to my children that I didn’t do my best to protect them and their children.”

That risk isn’t limited to gross-looking, nasty smelling open wounds.

Jonathan Pearce, head of infections and immunity at the UK Medical Research Council, told The Guardian even standard procedures could become deadly.

“Routine surgery, joint replacements, caesarean sections, and chemotherapy also depend on antibiotics, and will also be at risk.

“Common infections could kill again.”

According to the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, more than 1000 cases of almost-untreatable superbugs were reported in Australia in the 12 months leading up to March this year.

The biggest increase was in gonorrhoea, a sexually-transmitted infection.

The government is doing several things to try and combat resistance.

First and foremost, they’re encouraging doctors to cut prescriptions by 25 per cent by telling patients to use a “wait and see” approach for 48 hours to see if the body’s natural immune system can fight the infection.

They’re also conducting a public education campaign so people become aware antibiotics cannot cure everything, and investing in research.

Health experts have previously warned that resistance to antimicrobial drugs could cause a bigger threat to mankind than cancer.

In recent years, the UK has led a drive to raise global awareness of the threat posed to modern medicine by antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Around 700,000 people around the world die annually due to drug-resistant infections including tuberculosis (TB), HIV and malaria.

If no action is taken, it has been estimated that drug-resistant infections will kill 10 million people a year by 2050.

Reduce the Use of Antibiotics in Livestock

Around the world, almost two thirds of antibiotics are used in agriculture, mainly to fatten up cattle and chickens, and the report names this use as one of the main contributors to the rise of resistant superbugs. The scientists urge pairing down the use of antibiotics over the course of a 10-year program. Beginning in 2018, agricultural companies are expected to reduce antibiotic use in animals, restrict the use of “last-line” antibiotics (drugs like colistin, which is used when all others fail), and increase product labeling to let consumers know whether the drugs were used to produce their meat.

Even without such data, some remedial steps are already obvious. In the U.S. alone, 70 percent of antibiotics that are medically useful to humans are given to animals instead, and not just for treating disease but for promoting growth or compensating for poor farming practices. So O’Neill’s report recommends that from 2018, countries should set ten-year reduction targets to reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics in agriculture. It also argues for restrictions or bans on the agricultural use of any drug that’s a last-line defense for humans. And it suggests that meat should be transparently labeled so consumers can make informed choices.

 

Why antibiotics should be avoided

Here are a few reasons you might want to avoid conventional antibiotics in favor of natural herbal antibiotics:

# Antibiotics kill bacteria. Duh. That’s why we use them. But- our bodies are filled with both good and bad bacteria, and antibiotics aren’t picky.

Antibiotics take an unbiased sweep through the body, killing off every type of bacteria they encounter, including the good stuff your body actually needs.

Where do antibiotics hit first? The stomach, where they damage healthy gut flora. Once that good bacteria gets diminished, the bad guys have an opportunity to get stronger and take over.

# Antibiotics cause disease. Because the majority of your immune system is found in your gut, your gut bacteria controls how healthy you are and how well your body can fight off invaders.

When antibiotics change the gut terrain for the worse, opportunistic bacteria becomes strong enough to wreak havoc throughout the body, causing everything from autoimmune diseases to bowel disorders.

Antibiotic use has even been linked to autism (read Gordon’s story of healing from autism here, and learn about how several rounds of antibiotics preceded his diagnosis of autism).

#. Antibiotics create superbugs. This is becoming more and more apparent all the time, as drug-resistant infections become more common.

We have let our profligate use of antibiotics reshape the evolution of the microbial world and wrest any hope of safe management from us…

Resistance to antibiotics has spread to so many different, and unanticipated types of bacteria, that the only fair appraisal is that we have succeeded in upsetting the balance of nature. -Marc Lappé, When Antibiotics Fail

The evolution of life-saving medicines has had unintended consequences, as the frequent and overuse of antibiotics has left us with persistent and recurring infections that are harder and harder to treat.

How To Use Herbal Antibiotics Successfully

When you’re sick and you want to use herbs to support your body, you don’t want to waste your time. You want your efforts to be effective so your body overcomes whatever it’s dealing with. Right?

The first step is finding the right herb for your situation; however, there are several other things you need to keep in mind as well.

Use them early. (The earlier you get started using herbs, the better the chance that they will help you before you get worse.)
Use the correct preparation. (Wounds often use powders, washes, or salves. Internal infections often use infusions, syrups, or tinctures.)
Use the correct dose. (Herbs are often dosed according to body weight and taken frequently for days or weeks for acute situations.)
Be consistent. (Herbs work slow and steadily to bring about changes in the body. Consistent use is a must for effective results.)
And there you have it. This is how you can make your own herbal antibiotics at home and use them to successfully support your body during an illness. Again, let me just stress the importance of seeking help if you feel that you need it. It never hurts to get a second opinion!

There are a lot of herbs that fall under the action of “antibacterial.” Below, you’ll find a brief list of antibacterial herbs. Keep in mind, this is not a complete list!

Goldenseal
Echinacea
Usnea
Hyssop
Garlic
Spilanthes
Yarrow
Rosemary
Red Root
Eucalyptus
This is just a list of 10 herbs known to have antibacterial properties. How do you know which one is the right one for you?

First, it’s wise to research your condition in order to understand what’s going on in your body. The more you know what’s happening and how your body responds, the better. This will not only help you to find the right herbs for your situation, but you’ll be able to get faster, more effective results as well.

Yesterday, I told you how to research herbs. If you follow those steps, you can figure out which herbs have antibacterial properties and are best for your particular situation.

Oregano- A long-time, go-to remedy for our family, oregano has been a powerful ally in our house for battling everything from strep throat to PANDAS and oppositional defiant disorder.

Oregano is high in vitamin A, which has been found to help in recovery from measles. (source) The high level of vitamin A may be part of oregano’s immune-bolstering magic, along with vitamin C, manganese, vitamin K, and iron.

Oregano is also antibacterial and contains antioxidants. The essential oil is especially powerful against particularly nasty infections, which is why I use Oregano Spirits (the only time I’ll use essential oils internally) sparingly for serious infections like strep throat or when an illness isn’t responding well to other herbal treatments.

Get Oregano Spirits here and organic loose leaf oregano here.

Thyme- like oregano, thyme is one of my favorite herbs for cooking, but it’s also powerful for fighting infection

Thyme is anti-fungal and may help to battle candida infections and restore balance in the gut and body.

It is also has powerful antiseptic and disinfectant components and has been used to break up mucus, fight colds, coughs, fevers, headaches and sore throats.

Get organic loose leaf thyme here.

Rosemary- Perhaps my favorite culinary herb, rosemary graces everything from sweet potatoes to chicken in my kitchen, frequently.

Rosemary also helps stimulate the immune system and promote healthy digestion.

It’s been used as a remedy for coughs and colds, as well as a wash for mouth, gums, and sore throat.

Get organic loose rosemary leaves here.

Ginger- a synergistic herb that helps to strengthen the benefits of other herbs it’s used with, ginger is one I use almost every day.

I use it in this herbal pain killer for headaches, as well as to help drain the lymph system anytime I’m fighting a cold.

Ginger is high in vitamin C, B6, potassium, magnesium, and manganese. It’s helpful for pain, nausea, and has anti-bacterial properties, which make it a good choice for including in your recovery routine regardless of the illness.

Everything Extract: The How-To
If you’ve read about how to make an herbal extract, you know it’s really simple to do.

 

To make this herbal antibiotic “Everything Extract,”

Combine the herbs in equal parts in a large jar, filling the jar halfway. (For my Everything Extract, I used 1/2 cup each oregano, thyme, rosemary, and ginger, to equal two cups total.)
Fill the jar the rest of the way with vodka (I use a gluten-free vodka in a glass bottle).
Tighten the lid and label the jar with date and contents.
Place the jar in a cool, dark cabinet.
Shake the jars once or twice a day for 6 weeks before straining into a clean dropper bottle.
I use a dropperful in a small amount of water 1-3 times a day during illness.

This natural antibiotic is safe for children and pregnant or nursing mothers, though oregano can dry up breastmilk, so should be used carefully.

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