Alternatives to antibiotics from naturopathy

Alternatives to antibiotics

Antibiotics are medicines that are used against pathogenic bacteria, either killing them or inhibiting their growth. After the penicillin in the post-war period, the risk of wound infections, childbed fever, to reduce the death from throat and pneumonia pleasingly reduced, today due to increasing resistance and negative health consequences of antibiotics, the call for alternatives is becoming louder. Which alternatives in the field of naturopathy exist and how can these be used wisely?

Antibiotics: development and development of resistance

When the Scottish bacteriologist Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered the growth-inhibiting effect of the fungus Penicillum on pathogenic bacteria in his laboratory experiments in 1929, a new era of medicine began, which was initially regarded as a blessing everywhere. Penicillin mainly affected staphylococci and streptococci, both types of bacteria that produced purulent diseases such as throat infections, pneumonia or wound infections. Soon, new, effective against other bacteria antibiotics were developed, which were initially made of fungi and bacteria, but later increasingly synthetic. Today, at least 8,000 antibiotics should be known worldwide. As impressively fast as the Penicillinum's effect began, so did the first resistances, in particular the Staphylococcus aureus on, which are said to have expanded to about 80% of the bacterial strain. The multi-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is claimed by media reports from the past year in Germany alone 40,000 deaths a year, which is a serious threat especially in hospitals.

Unnecessary use and improper use

Reasons for this development of resistance are on the one hand to be found in the almost wasteful and often unnecessary prescribing practice of human and veterinary physicians in the past decades. Thus, the - effective only for bacterial infections - drugs are often prescribed for a common cold with sore throat, cough and runny nose, which are usually caused virally. Likewise, patients with antibiotic prescriptions go out of the doctor's office, even though a fungal infection has been detected, often on the grounds that they prevent possible bacterial inflammation. The widespread use of antibiotics in livestock farming, however, indirectly promotes the resistance through drinking water.

On the other hand, the improper use by the patient can certainly be partly responsible for the dwindling efficacy of the antibiotics. In particular, a premature discontinuation of therapy with decreasing symptoms can lead to some bacteria survive, multiply again and thereby also develop resistance to the drug. Also not considered, but important for the effect, is the adherence to the prescribed intake intervals and nutritional requirements. With regard to antibiotics, the population as a whole has serious gaps in its knowledge, which a European study already pointed out in the spring of this year.

Long-term consequences for the health

The most common side effects of antibiotics include digestive tract disorders such as nausea and vomiting, but especially diarrhea. Antibiotics, with their anti-bacterial properties, also do not stop at the constantly resident germs of our intestinal flora, which ensure a healthy balance. Already the one-time therapy often leads to a disturbance of the sensitive system, which, however, is able to reorganize after a while. With repeated antibiotic therapy, the balance can often not be restored without external intervention. Thus, it comes from the point of view of naturopathy not only to ongoing indigestion. Rather, the resulting intestinal dysbiosis can also bring about dysfunction of the immune system, which lead to susceptibility to infections or allergies, such as a food allergy. Also, the colonization and spread of yeasts, e.g. Candida albicans or unwanted bacterial strains, which in turn can lead to health problems, is paving the way. Recently, a study by David Relman and colleagues at the Stanford University School of Medicine has confirmed a persistent effect of repeated ciprofloxacin administration on natural colonization of the gut flora.

Herbal antibiotics

For many bacterially caused complaints first medicinal plants can be used. Herbal antibiotics are medicinal plants whose ingredients are either bactericidal, ie bactericidal or bacteriostatic, i. growth inhibiting act on the germs. In a variety of plants, these are e.g. as essential oils, flavonoids, tannin compounds, saponins or mustard oils. Depending on the other ingredients and effects, the medicinal plants are selected to alleviate specific ailments.

For example, sage helps with inflammation of the mouth and throat and thyme against cough, while the antibacterial effect of cranberry and white sandalwood is more likely to be used in urinary tract infections. Turmeric (turmeric) is known as a natural antibiotic that is also said to boost digestion and intestinal flora. Tea tree oil has been proven to prevent and treat skin infections, while aloe vera is considered to be particularly effective in wound healing. As early as 1994 Dr. Kathleen Shupe at the University of Dallas in a series of in vitro experiments on the killing effect of Aloe agents on Streptococcus pyogenes and the pus-producing Staphylococcus aurobserved.

If treatment with conventional antibiotics is unavoidable, patients in the doctor's office should be (again) increasingly informed about the consequences of inadequate intake or their contribution to the prevention of antibiotic resistance. A more thorough assessment of the need for and accurate microbial analysis of the targeted use of an antibiotic can also help ensure that the medication continues to act as a "sharp weapon" in appropriate cases. After the treatment, the physiological bacterial flora can again be supported by the administration of so-called probiotics during the development of the normal flora. (Dipl.Päd. Jeanette Viñals Stein, non-medical practitioner, 17.09.2010)

Also read:
Doctors often prescribe unnecessary antibiotics
Individual dosage of antibiotics required
Resistant bacteria spread

Sources: David Relman, Stanford University School of Medicine, et al .: PNAS, Online Publication, doi / 10.1073 / pnas.1000087107)