No Prescription Required: 5 Powerful Natural Antibiotics

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In the years since antibiotics were first introduced in the 1930s, their overuse and misuse has reached an all-time high. As a result, drugs that used to be standard treatments for bacterial infections—everything from simple cuts to serious infections—are losing their effectiveness. The misuse of prescription drugs has led to the breeding of “superbugs” resistant to all but the most powerful antibiotics, causing people to be sick for longer and increasing the risk of death. However, long before there were pharmaceutical antibiotics, Nature provided us with many herbs and foods that helped guard against infection and disease. Many of these “natural antibiotics” are still in use around the world for their antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties. To protect your health naturally, consider these antibiotic alternatives.

Garlic

Garlic possesses potent antibiotic, anti-viral and anti-fungal properties. This pungent superfood, which contains the sulfuric compounds allicin and allion, treats health conditions including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, even the flu. To use garlic as a natural medicine, it’s best to eat it raw. However if the pungent flavor is too much for you, mince a clove, let it stand for 10 or 15 minutes (which activates the allicin), then mix it with honey, applesauce or yogurt. If you want to cook garlic, let chopped or crushed garlic stand for 10 minutes before heating it on low or medium heat for up to 15 minutes. This helps retain about 70 percent of garlic’s health-promoting compounds. The next time you cook something with garlic, crush it first and add it to the dish toward the end of its cooking time.

Manuka Honey

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Native to New Zealand, Manuka honey is not your average honey. Collected by honeybees that forage at the manuka (or tea tree) shrub, Manuka has shown to be more potent than other varieties of honey at treating skin infections, bites, cuts and pressure ulcers. A 2012 study by researchers at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales showed that when Manuka is applied topically, it destroyed the skin bacteria frequently linked to wounds that won't heal. There are numerous anecdotal claims for Manuka’s other health powers—from lowering cholesterol to improving digestive health—but major studies haven’t confirmed this. Still, if you want to try this honey, check the jar for its UMF rating (20+).The higher the number, the more potent—and usually more expensive—it is.

Olive Leaf Extract

The health benefits of olive oil are widely known, but do you know why it’s so good for you? It contains a unique molecule called oleuropein, which has strong antioxidant, anti-viral and anti-inflammatory properties. The olive tree produces abundant amounts of oleuropein in its leaves and fruit and special processing techniques allow for the nutrient’s extraction. Although olive leaf extract is known for its blood pressure-lowering effects, several studies have shown that it provides additional health benefits. “Supplemental olive leaf may be beneficial for conditions caused by, or associated with, a virus, retrovirus, bacterium or protozoan,” says Ronald Hoffman, M.D, founder and director of New York’s Hoffman Center. “Many people who live stressful lives or who may be particularly susceptible to colds and viruses may benefit from long-term use of olive leaf as a preventive agent.”

Ginger

Nothing says “Happy Holidays” like a plate of gingerbread cookies or a delightfully decorated gingerbread house. But ginger is far more than a pleasing flavoring. It contains very potent phytochemicals called gingerols, shogaols and zingerones. These substances help treat nausea brought on by stomach upsets, chemotherapy, motion sickness and pregnancy. “Ginger works the same way that powerful anti-nausea drugs do,” said integrative gastroenterologist Gerard Mullin, M.D., in a Johns Hopkins Medicine article. Ginger is also effective in relieving heartburn and acid reflux. Eating raw ginger may be too strong for you, but as registered dietician David Grotto says in “The Best Things You Can Eat,” (Da Capo Life Long, 2013), “you may find that ginger products such as ginger ale, candied ginger, powdered ginger, and ginger tea are just as effective.”

Oil of Oregano

Most of us use oregano as a flavoring in Italian dishes without even knowing that it contains a number of health benefits. But it’s been used for years as a spice and as a medicine. An oil that’s found in oregano, Carvacrol, is a powerful antioxidant and antibacterial that’s used to give the immune system a boost in fighting bacteria, viruses and parasites. In numerous studies, it has shown promise in treating respiratory tract infections and digestive problems. The oil has also been shown to inhibit the growth of bad bacteria, including salmonella and e.coli.. In addition, oregano oil is a strong anti-fungal and can help those suffering from yeast infections, especially candida.