It’s so easy in cold and flu season to get ground down by minor infections isn’t it?
That cold or cough we didn’t get on top of – because of our crazy busy lives – goes before we know it from a minor sore throat to a full on chest or sinus infection and has us reaching for the antibiotics. And it’s the same with everything from tummy bugs and UTIs to toothache.
But thereby we have a problem.
A seriously enormous – according to the World Health Organization – global problem because over use of antibiotics is causing antibiotic resistance.
Antibiotic Resistance
In a nut shell: life saving antibiotics, we all depend on, are losing their power because we take them for too many minor infections.
And crazily, over use is actually undermining our immune system because they kill off all the good bacteria our bodies depend on to fight infection as well as the big baddies we’ve got a problem with. So it is totally in our own interests to use a gentler alternative whenever we can.
Luckily recent scientific research shows common herbs and spices are chock full of natural antibiotics that can kill specific bacteria and these natural antibiotics are not hard to use.
You totally don’t need to become a Hogwarts worthy herbologist whipping up complex potions in your cauldron. (And you definitely don’t need to sign up for some dodgy pyramid scheme selling “essential oils”!)
There are in fact really simple ways to include natural antibiotics in food and add them on the fly to DIY natural remedies.
And it is super easy to grow many of these natural antibiotics in a basic herb garden in containers without any fancy gardening skills.
So do check out these tips for using natural antibiotics – save the list for quick reference later – and give them a go next time you feel a cold coming.
How To Use Natural Antibiotics
Herbs are surprisingly easy to grow but if you’re not remotely green fingered you can easily freeze them or buy good quality dried ones.
It’s then super easy to add them to everyday meals or if you have a cold or a mild infection to add them to:
- Natural tea with honey
- Healing chicken bone broth
- DIY hot lemon drinks
- Simple green soup
- Antiseptic wash
- Coconut oil as a balm
- Natural yoghurt as a cream
Honey, lemon, coconut oil and yoghurt all actually have natural antibacterial powers themselves so you’re getting a double whammy.
The key to the power of natural antibiotics – as with so many things – is to use them preventatively and early. At the first sign of a cold or toothache or a sore throat or UTI or the dreaded worms in kids reach for these easy natural antibiotics so they can help your immune system do its work.
20 Natural Antibiotics
- Oregano : tummy bugs and for UTI. You can easily grow oregano from cuttings.
- Thyme : sore throats, bronchitis, tummy bugs, intestinal worms
- Sage : sore throats and chesty colds and coughs, may help prevent cold getting onto the chest
- Basil : lingering infections, worms
- Rosemary : skin infections, nasal infections
- Garlic : garlic is great for tummy bugs and yeast infections and you can grow garlic easily in the garden to heal plants!
- Fennel seeds : sinus infections, coughs, bronchitis, diarrhea
- Coriander : tummy bugs and UTI
- Chamomile : colds, cuts & tummy bugs
- Onions : chesty coughs
- Cloves : try clove tea for toothache
- Cinnamon : sore throats and colds
- Cumin : chest infections, tummy bugs
- Ginger : all colds and sinus infections
- Turmeric : sinus infections
- Black pepper : sinus, chest and stomach infections
- Lemon
- Honey
- Coconut oil
- Yoghurt
I do hope these tips on using natural antibiotics help you keep on top of colds and infections before they get nasty. Please do share with friends if they were useful.
And do let me know how you get on.
For more simple natural health tips try these:
- Natural Headache Remedies
- Natural Stomach Ache Remedies
- Natural Non Toxic Disinfectants
- 15 Simple Immunity Boosters
- Restore Gut Health Naturally
- Natural Cough Mixture
Original image sources: leaves, rosemary, herb garden
Gail lloyd says
Hi all love reading your column we love natural herbs we have most growing in the gatden
Essential Veda says
Oh, I love this, and need to read it again! you have the basics laid out so clearly! Great job,