By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

February 23, 2015

• Can we stop the Antibiotic Apocalypse?
• The drug-resistant crisis hasn’t been cancelled just yet
• 3 natural antibiotics for your medicine chest

Recently we’ve made an amazing discovery. It’s the most promising development against superbugs since the 1980s. Are you ready for it?

A group of researchers have discovered a way to culture a new antibiotic. It’s called teixobactin. And even though the research on this compound is in its infancy, the results are promising.

To date, we know that teixobactin treats drug-resistant strains of MRSA and tuberculosis in mice. It works by breaking down the cell walls of gram-positive bacteria. This makes it difficult for bacteria to develop resistance to teixobactin. What’s more, it’s estimated that it could take more than 30 years for bacteria to develop resistance against it.

This is very exciting news. But teixobactin still has years of research and testing before it can be turned into a safe and effective drug. Plus, I haven’t seen anything showing it works on gram-negative bacteria, like E. coli, which have stronger cell walls.

So we’re still not off the hook as far as superbugs are concerned. In fact, we could reach a crisis point in a matter of years.

You see, antibiotic-resistant bacteria kill about 700,000 people each year. And it’s as important as ever that we gain an upper hand. Otherwise, these types of infections could result in ten million more deaths by 2050.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at how we got into this mess, and what you can do to better protect yourself.

The fact is, the number of antibiotic doctors prescribe each year is astounding. It amounts to about 258 million prescriptions annually. That’s enough to treat four people out of every five.

Even worse is the abuse of antibiotics in farm animals. In fact, 70% of all antibiotics in the U.S. are used in farm animals. But I’m not talking about giving a pig or cow an injection because they’re sick. The animals regularly get these drugs in their food or water.

Now, all of this abuse isn’t simply creating resistant bacteria. Let me explain what else happens:

When antibiotics enter your system, they don’t just kill off bad bacteria. They also kill off the good bacteria. And the place where it affects you the most is your digestive tract. Without enough good bacteria to challenge the bad, it leaves your gut without defense.

For example, people who take antibiotics often get a nasty infection called clostridium difficile. These drug-resistant bacteria attack the lining of your intestines. Symptoms include diarrhea, inflammation and abdominal pain. Unfortunately, this type of bacteria is incredibly difficult to get rid of. Worse, some people die from it.

This makes it especially important to…

• Take antibiotics only when necessary. Keep in mind that these drugs don’t work against colds, flu, most sore throats, bronchitis, and many sinus and ear infections. So please, don’t demand one if you’re told it’s not necessary.

 

• Avoid commercial meat and fish products that may be pumped full of antibiotics. Opt for grass-fed beef, organic pasture-raised poultry and wild-caught fish. Also, limit consumption of meat to about 13% of your diet. Eating too much of it negatively impacts the balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut.

 

• Go organic. This reduces your risk of ingesting foods that may have been sprayed with glyphosate. This is the chemical found in Round-Up. It’s known to suppress the growth of friendly flora in your gut, allowing the bad bacteria to race out of control.

Additionally, there are several natural antibiotics you can place in your arsenal to defeat bacterial infections without drugs.

Manuka honey has strong antibacterial activity. It’s been used as a healing agent since ancient times. And today, modern research backs its power. This honey works where antibiotics and antiseptics don’t. It can be effective against MRSA, E. coli and h. pylori. It also accelerates wound healing, so it’s good for treating cuts, burns, skin infections and bed sores.

To get the best results, make sure to purchase medical grade manuka honey. Look for labels with a high UMF rating. This indicates the concentration of the product. A rating of 10 should be the minimum.

Tea tree oil is great for wound healing. It’s also good for fungal infections and acne. And like manuka honey, it can help treat MRSA infections. It’s a very effective antibacterial, antiseptic and antifungal agent. However, it should never be ingested or used near the eyes.

It comes in different concentrations, so you’ll need to choose one that’s right for your condition. For example, acne treatment requires only a 5% concentration. But you’ll probably need a 100% concentration for stubborn fungal infections.

Colloidal silver is a wonder antibiotic. It has the ability to destroy over 650 microorganisms (including MRSA) at very low concentrations. It’s potent enough that burn units use it to prevent skin infections in patients. Be sure to stick with products designated as “true colloidal silver”. These are the safest and most pure preparations. I recommend Natural-immunogenics “argentyn 23”.

Sources:

Ling LL, et al. “A new antibiotic kills pathogens without detectable resistance.” Nature. 2015 Jan 7.

“The Review on Antimicrobial Resistance.” Chaired by Jim O’Neill. December 2014

Hicks LA, et al. “U.S. outpatient antibiotic prescribing, 2010.” N Engl J Med. 2013 Apr 11;368(15):1461-2.

Shehata AA, et al. “The effect of glyphosate on potential pathogens and beneficial members of poultry microbiota in vitro.” Curr Microbiol. 2013 Apr;66(4):350-8.

Mandal MD, et al. “Honey: its medicinal property and antibacterial activity.” Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. Apr 2011; 1(2): 154–160.

Halcón L, et al. “Staphylococcus aureus and wounds: a review of tea tree oil as a promising antimicrobial.” Am J Infect Control. 2004 Nov;32(7):402-8.

Iroha, et al. “Antibacterial efficacy of colloidal silver alone and in combination with other antibiotics on isolates from wound Infections.” Scientific Research and Essays. 2007. 2.8: 338-341.