If not Antibiotics, then what?

Part 1 of 3

Warnings about the overuse of antibiotics are in the news more and more.  Antibiotics are powerful lifesavers, if used appropriately.  They can help turn around very serious bacterial infections and prevent damage or even save lives.  

Lately, however, we see more and more antibiotic-resistant infections.  This means that the bacteria are learning how to side-step the antibiotics.  The antibiotics do not work for these infections anymore. The reason this is happening is that antibiotics are being used for too many minor infections.  Colds and flus for instance are mostly not an indication for antibiotic use and in spite of this, antibiotics are used to treat colds and flus very frequently.  We need antibiotics to still be effective against serious infections and the only way ensure that is to stop the use of antibiotics for minor infections.  If we use antibiotics for minor infections it is used too often.  As a result, the bacteria gets familiar with the antibiotics and it does not work anymore when truly needed.

This is where the problem comes in:  If not antibiotics, then what?

The answer is unfortunately not a simple one.  You cannot just swap the antibiotic for a single herbal supplement and expect the same results.  There are some very powerful natural antimicrobials (antibiotics) out there, but they are mostly more gentle and at least partially work by boosting your own immune system  – your own fighting capacity – instead of only clearing out all germs.  This has a lot of advantages if you understand that getting rid of cold and flu symptoms in the shortest possible time is not your only ultimate health goal. Antibiotics, for instance, do not boost your immune system, they actually harm your immune system.  This is a proven fact, but can be accepted as being necessary in an emergency situation.

Living without antibiotics, in other words saving antibiotics for true emergencies, requires:
1.    Looking after your immune system all the time
2.    Learning what to do when minor infections do occur

Your immune system is your best friend if you look after it.  If you neglect or damage your immune system, it will also let you down or even fight back against you.  If you look after your immune system it will help you prevent infections, fight off infections faster when they do happen and it is also a powerful part of your protection against cancer.  In the same way that it is not sufficient for dental health to brush your teeth only the 2 weeks before a dental visit, you cannot look after your immune system health only a few weeks a year when times are tough.

Don`t miss Part 2 in the next newsletter where you will learn more about looking after your immune system.  Part 3 will follow after that and be all about fighting minor infections.