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Auntie’s Apothecary: Natural Antibiotics

Today we’ll open the apothecary to see what it holds in the Natural Antibiotic section. Antibiotics are important and essential for healing.

So, what exactly are antibiotics?

Antibiotics are antimicrobial substances that fight and kill the growth of certain bacteria (many of these substances can be found in plants). They are used to treat various infections, as well as certain parasites. Let’s get down to it!

Raw Honey: Honey is an amazing gift from bees. Manuka honey is especially prized for its antibiotic properties, among many other healing benefits. It has been used for thousands of years for all sorts of things, from preserving food to treating various illnesses. Honey is useful for treating over 200 strains of bacteria! You can ingest it and even use it topically to treat wounds.

Oregano Oil: Oregano oil is strong medicine. There are several different species that can be used as antibiotic medicine, but the word amongst practitioners is that Origanum vulgare, or wild oregano, is one of the best species to use. I used oregano oil to clear up a case of strep throat, and it worked amazingly well. Oregano oil is great for parasites, foot fungus, nail fungus, and a plethora of other infections. It can be used as an effective steam treatment for sinus infections too!

Raw Garlic: I haven’t met a lot of people that like consuming raw garlic. This is exactly why so many choose to use garlic supplements. The thing about garlic is that when it’s cooked, it kills the allicin, the compound needed for healing. Garlic is another medicine that’s been used for centuries.

One of the things I love about garlic is that it can kill viruses that are prone to becoming immune to pharmaceutical medications. It’s great for treating bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. To make raw garlic more palatable you can mince it and put it in a jar with raw honey. Something else I do is, cut the raw garlic into small, pill-sized pieces and down the hatch it goes.

Ginger: Fresh ginger is effective against foodborne pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria, and Campylobacter. You can kick a cold or the flu right out by making some ginger tea with honey and lemon. Ginger is also a fantastic anti-inflammatory.

Goldenseal: Goldenseal creates an alkaloid called Berberine. Berberine is used to fight infections and gram-positive bacteria such as MRSA. It’s also great for treating staph infections. The list of healing properties found in goldenseal has only increased since the days of old.

Echinacea: Beauty and abundance come from this incredible plant. This is another gift from nature that contains what I call the “triple A’s”:  Antibiotic, Antiviral, and Antibacterial. Echinacea goes well as a tea.

Usnea: Usnea barbata and Usnea hirta, also known as Old Man’s Beard, is an incredibly strong antibiotic that falls from the sky. OK, technically it grows on old hardwood trees and falls from them. I collect it and use it when any sign of infection is about. It has a lookalike called “Wolf Lichen,”  but they are not the same (Wolf Lichen is actually poisonous). Usnea is great for treating all sorts of infections including abscess gums, UTI, staph, strep, and many others. It’s another multi-purpose plant because it has antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral properties.

Natural antibiotics are extremely beneficial. However, I’m not a doctor, so if you are sick, please seek professional help to get the proper diagnosis and recommended treatment. Treating yourself without full knowledge can be more harmful than helpful. Speak to a trained holistic doctor if you wish to take the natural route.

Helpful Takeaways

-Garlic is popular as a supplement, but you’ll get more bang for your health buck by consuming it raw. There are ways to make it more palatable (see above).

-Echinacea isn’t just a pretty garden plant, it hits all three points: antibiotic, antiviral, antiviral. Try it as a tea.

-Antibiotics are important for many health issues, but they will not treat serious viral conditions. For that, you need something containing antiviral properties.

-Elaina Garcia

Echinacea: Photo by Mabel Amber from Pexels

 

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