No prescription needed

It has become fairly common practice that at the first signs of illness a prescription for antibiotics is handed out, like M&Ms with little thought to the consequences of what they may be doing to other, healthy parts of the body (consider destroying all bacteria in the digestive system as one side effect). Although we are lucky to have penicillin readily available, (compared to our ancestors who only lived until 40) nature has done a good job of providing some powerful medicines of its own. Let’s not forget that more often than not, the safest ingredients are usually those we stock in our kitchen cupboards.

garlic One of the more popular and well known natural cures for all sorts of health issues is garlic. Garlic possesses potent antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties and is able to help protect and facilitate removal of unfriendly bacteria. It is also very high in natural antioxidants that support the immune system.

oregano

If eating garlic does not sound too appealing, try a few drops of oil of oregano. It may sound weird, but a few drops of this little remedy have been known to help relieve blocked sinuses, pains caused by colds and flu. Oil of oregano takes care of bad bacteria without disrupting the good bacteria in one’s digestive tract. It is also antiviral and antifungal which makes it a powerful three-in-one combination. The main ingredient in this magic oil is carvacrol, which also happens to be a natural insect repellent.

To learn more about this clever oil, have a look at this illuminating infographic: https://www.positivehealthwellness.com/infographics/benefits-oregano-oil-infographic/

Echinacea, otherwise known as cone flowers which are part of the daisy family also has healing properties that relieve the symptoms of colds and flu. The root extract of this plant is where the goodness lies, and traditionally, it was ground up and used to treat open wounds, diphtheria, blood poisoning, and other bacterial related illnesses. This ground root/herb is not as tasty as garlic or oil of oregano and it is not advised to infuse it as a tea, but it has been bottled and can be taken in capsule form.

And finally, the most palatable natural antibiotic comes in the form of mānuka honey. Honey is generally well known for its health benefits, but manuka honey is especially powerful. Mānuka honey is a monofloral honey produced in New Zealand and Australia from the nectar of the mānuka tree. Applied topically it can kill a wide pills range of pathogens including flesh eating bacteria (in case one was to ever have that problem). It has also been used in the treatment of skin problems such as acne.