You might not know this and you probably don’t want to hear it, but wars often are being waged inside our bodies. Some of the biggest battles involve medical treatments aimed at “superbug” invaders carrying sicknesses and diseases. These microscopic antagonists are relentless and they are super-tough. They continue to grow stronger as they become more resistant to pharmaceutical antibacterial agents whose mission is to kill bad bugs.
Okay, so maybe that introduction is a bit melodramatic, but the point is made. Medical science has its hands full when harmful microbials are involved, proceeding with caution against overuse of pharmaceutical antibacterials when treating a disease or other health condition that begs such antibacterial/antimicrobial drugs.
Perhaps the most renowned of antibacterial/antimicrobial drugs is penicillin, which was discovered by Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming in 1928. Penicillin, which acts as an antibacterial by thwarting cell wall synthesis, became widely used in the 1940s as a go-to drug. It was used primarily for treating bacterial infections such as strep throat, syphilis, and pneumonia, although side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, and rashes often accompanied those treatments.
Since then the ongoing challenge among scientists has been to research and develop new and improved antibacterials able to more effectively medicate potentially harmful, even deadly, diseases and conditions while minimizing the severity of otherwise toxic or harmful side effects.
Along those lines, there has been an aggressive and innovative push to seek out and then exploit natural compounds that can provide antibacterial properties and help annihilate those super bugs. Among these natural remedies are an assortment of plant extracts and essential oils – even some foods – that can provide antibiotic treatments that can bolster our ability to inhibit and even extinguish bad bacterial growth.
Herbal materials have shown an amazing capacity to act not only as antibacterials and antimicrobials but also as anti-inflammatories, antivirals, and antioxidants. That has allowed them to play major roles in biological applications such as cardiovascular and neural disease treatment, as well as skin regeneration.
5 Natural Remedies with Potent Antibacterial Possibilities
With our focus in this blog zeroed in on natural antibiotics, here are five key compounds, in alphabetical order, readily available that can serve that purpose. They can easily be found over the counter as main ingredients or constituents in nutritional supplements:
Chamomile. This herb has demonstrated a robust antimicrobial quality that has shown success inhibiting bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella thyphimurium, S. aureus, and Bacillus. Credit for chamomile’s capacity for battling back against bad bacteria goes to its abundance of bacteria-fighting phenolic compounds.
Echinacea. This herb, also known for its role in helping to stave off colds and reduce their duration, has shown a knack for inhibiting respiratory bacteria. It could therefore help medicate respiratory tract infections in both children and adults.
Honey. Honey is sweet and has also been used as an antibiotic for thousands of years, often utilized by ancient Egyptians as a natural antibiotic as well as for its skin-protectant qualities. Much of its antibiotic value is attributed to honey’s provision of hydrogen peroxide, which is associated with antibacterial activity. Also, honey’s relatively low pH level helps pull moisture away from bacteria, dehydrating them as they die off.
Primrose. Like other herbs and supplemental constituents mentioned in discussions about natural antibacterials, primrose has multiple “anti” properties, to include antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory characteristics. It has traditionally been used for specific skin treatments.
Tribulus. Studies have revealed that many types of tribulus extracts have exhibited robust antimicrobial activity against an assortment of microorganisms.
Because more and more pharmaceuticals are being used less and less in medical treatments calling for antibacterial remedies, natural remedies such as those mentioned above can at least help tame bacterial infections such as strep throat. As always, be sure to discuss any of these remedies with your physician or other healthcare professional before using these for specific medicinal purposes.