Garlic - The First Antibiotic
Many plant extracts, herbs and spices have been used to fight infections successfully for thousands of years. Some of the most potent natural antibiotics include essential oils, certain honeys, specially prepared silver solutions and many different types of herbs. Although there are many herbs with strong antimicrobial activity, no herb can match the strength of garlic when it comes to the treatment of MRSA infections.
Garlic was used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans and Chinese to treat all types of infections, its use dating back over 5,000 years. As recently as World War II, garlic saved thousands of lives by protecting open wounds from getting infected. Even Louis Pasteur, one of the founding fathers of Microbiology, studied the strong antibacterial properties of garlic in 1858.
More Than ‘Just Another Herb’
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Garlic is much more than a popular cooking ingredient. Garlic has been scientifically proven to be a powerful natural antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal agent. Garlic has also been shown to kill highly resistant MRSA infections in human clinical studies. In addition to its potent infection fighting abilities, garlic also helps lower blood pressure, promotes balanced intestinal health and is a powerful immune system booster.
In the Western world, garlic and other herbal remedies have not been embraced by mainstream medicine for the treatment of MRSA and other infections. In France, herbal medicine is considered normal and routine, with treatments using herbs and other natural products being fully covered by health insurance. Pharmacies in France provide herbal treatments specifically made under a doctor's prescription and these herbal methods are taught in French Medical schools.
Garlic produces the compound allicin when crushed or bruised, and allicin is also responsible for garlic’s distinctive odor. Allicin and several other compounds in garlic have strong antibiotic activity. Unfortunately, allicin is rapidly oxidized, meaning it rapidly breaks down after it is created.
Garlic supplement products are available from fresh garlic, dried garlic, freeze-dried garlic, garlic oil, and aged garlic. But not all garlic and garlic products contain the same amount of allicin. Garlic oil, aged garlic (like Kyolic) and most powders contain limited or no active allicin. Garlic must be used fresh or processed specially to retain the allicin in a stable form.
Bacteria Can’t Resist Garlic
Many bacteria, including Staph and MRSA, adapt to synthetic pharmaceutical antibiotics and learn to become resistant to treatment with drugs over time. Bacteria learn to resist these drugs rather easily because antibiotics are fairly simple, chemically-speaking, and are easy for bacteria like MRSA to ‘figure out’ how to become resistant.
Unlike antibiotic drugs, garlic is very complex, containing 27 known active ingredients and at least 35 other ingredients that work in unknown ways. Many of these ingredients can work together synergistically in the body in intricate ways to fight infections. Garlic is highly effective against resistant MRSA infections because the herb is too complex chemically for the bacteria to become resistant to. In contrast, the antibiotic drug Zyvox, which is used with many MRSA infections, has only one active ingredient: Linzolid.
A Proven MRSA Treatment
Properly prepared antimicrobial garlic products in powder and liquid form have been scientifically proven to kill MRSA in human clinical studies. And unlike antibiotic drugs that weaken your immune system, garlic actually boosts your immune system, providing powerful added benefits over the antibiotic drugs.
In 2008, Dr. Ron Cutler and the University of East London (UEL) released the results from a human clinical study performed on 52 patients with hospital acquired MRSA (or HA-MRSA). All 52 patients were treated with a form of stabilized allicin and recovered fully from their MRSA infections. Many of the wounds healed in just 4 to 12 weeks and many of the patients had previously been treated with multiple antibiotics with no improvement.
Another recent study performed by Chungshan Medical University Hospital showed that other compounds in garlic, not just allicin, have powerful natural antibiotic effects. In the study, mice were infected with the bacteria from actual human MRSA patients. The study found that garlic extract, diallyl sulphide and diallyl disulphide provided strong protective functions against MRSA by boosting the immune system.
Using Garlic for MRSA Infections
Garlic can be eaten raw or juiced, taken internally as supplements and used externally on skin infections. Garlic has also been used successfully as a douche for troublesome yeast infections, a common secondary infection with MRSA patients. The best garlic preparations are much more convenient as you can ingest much more garlic, and you won't get garlic breath as you would when eating raw garlic.
PRECAUTIONS: Garlic is very safe with a long and successful track record as a food and natural medicinal herb. However, just like any other herb or food, the possibility exists for side effects, garlic food allergies or interactions with other herbs, foods or drugs.
Excess garlic can hinder blood clotting and thin the blood and must be used carefully if you are taking anticoagulants, scheduled for surgery, delivering a baby or if you are taking certain anti-HIV drugs. Consult with a health care professional if you have questions about garlic use, safety and possible contraindications.
Garlic Alone is Not Enough
Despite garlic’s impressive track record of fighting infections and boosting the immune system, garlic alone is usually not enough to ensure long-term freedom from Staph and MRSA infections. No single remedy by itself will likely provide long-term success against these superbug or MRSA infections. Staph and especially MRSA are very tenacious, resourceful and opportunistic bacteria that have a strong ability to cause recurring, problematic and difficult to treat infections.
The secret to long-term freedom from MRSA infections is to uncover and treat the underlying cause of the infection in addition to stopping the current infection. Even if garlic, antibiotic drugs or some other treatment method successfully stops your current infection, having a recurrence of the infection or getting secondary infections is likely unless the underlying cause of the infection is addressed.
Yours in Health,
Michelle Moore
Microbiologist, Staph Researcher and Total Health Advocate
www.Staph-Infection-Resources.com
