I have been reading a lot recently about the problems that occur when antibiotics are used too frequently or not correctly. Now, don’t get me wrong: we really do need antibiotics for some infections, and when the natural defenses are weakened. However, for most “healthy” people, we will recover from an infection because of the amazing powers of the human body, not because we took an antibiotic. Antibiotics do cause a couple of problems for our health that may not always show up immediately.

The first problem is when not all bacteria are killed by an antibiotic, even if it is taken as prescribed. Some bacteria will develop a way of beating the antibiotic and survive. This is called antibacterial resistance. The resistant organisms will grow, and multiply. This makes it harder for the antibiotic to do its job. The dose of the antibiotic will then have to be increased to wipe out the bad bacteria. Bacteria can also “hide” from the antibiotic, making it impossible for the antibiotic to do what it is supposed to do.

The second reason that antibiotics are bad for me is that in our normal healthy digestive systems there are millions of bacteria that are actually very good for us. They help digest the food we eat. They break down substances that would otherwise make us very sick or kill us. The “sickness” caused by too few of the good bacteria is sometimes called an “allergy” or a “sensitivity” to a certain food, like the gluten in wheat and other grains. I know about this one, because I have a sensitivity/allergy to gluten. If I take antibiotics, the good bacteria are killed off along with some of the bad bacteria, and those food “allergies” may get worse. Or at least not get better.

The third reason antibiotics are bad for me is that they cause genetic changes in my digestive systems, that increase the ability of the bacteria to fight the effects of the antibiotic. This means that the bacteria can develop more ways to resist the antibiotic. So for an antibiotic to work against that bacteria, it has to be stronger than anything used before. That may kill off even more of the good bacteria that I really need.

The so-called “good” bacteria are an important part of my immune system, helping to trigger the responses that my own body uses to deal with the bad bacteria. When I get an infection, I get a fever. This is a normal part of the healing process. The immune system becomes stronger when the core temperature goes up.

How can I help my body resist the antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and increase the chances that I will be able to overcome the infection?

  1. Talk to your doctor before trying any alternative treatment methods – it may be that your particular infection needs an antibacterial.
  2. Take a good probiotic, although I recognize that the difficulty is knowing which one (or ones) to take as some may be specific for particular infections. A “side effect” may be that the probiotics help reduce obesity, according to some studies.
  3. Take vitamin C. At least some bacteria may not be able to become resistant to vitamin C, which may give hope for the future.
  4. Take vitamin B3 (niacin)
  5. Eat a healthy, balanced diet including fruit and vegetables, and organic meat (avoiding processed meat as much as possible)
  6. Wash your hands frequently, using soap and water

Of course, in the future, some or all of these “alternatives” to antibacterials may be the normal treatment for infections, but until such time as they are proven to work, we need to consult with our doctors before trying them.

Sources:

  1. Why bacteria are becoming more resistant
  2. CDC says that drug-resistant infections are a major problem
  3. Restriction of antibiotics could help fight “superbugs”
  4. Probiotics help the immune system
  5. Probiotic bacteria may remove some of the bad bacteria
  6. Probiotics may reduce obesity?
  7. Vitamin C for reducing bacterial resistance
  8. Vitamin B3 has antibacterial properties

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Filed under: Antibiotics • Probiotics

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