Antibiotics, as you might know, help to get rid of bacteria in your body that are causing infections. These antibiotics are given for many types of infections, from oral infections and skin infections, to food poisoning and vaginal infections.
While you can go to your doctor and get a prescription, many people are looking for natural remedies.
The substances described below provide a good natural alternative to consider along with traditional medicine – and, especially when those prescribed antibiotics do not give you the relief you need.
Many of these natural antibiotics will help to boost your immune system and improve immune health, which is also going to help you fight off bacteria and infections in your body.
They can help with things like:
- Common cold
- Flu
- Strep throat
- UTIs and vaginal infections
- Mouth infections
- Skin infections
- Cellulitis
- Pneumonia
- Gastrointestinal Upset
- And many others
Take a look at these different natural antibiotics, ranging from herbs and spices to supplements.
1 – Garlic
One of the top natural remedies for boosting your immune system is garlic. Garlic is a type of herb that is used in nearly every country of the world. It not only helps to season your food, but provides a long list of health benefits. Not only does garlic help with the immune system, but it is also frequently used to help reduce cardiovascular risks like heart attack and stroke, helps to lower your blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and help with various types of cancers, including colon cancer, prostate cancer, and stomach cancer.
Other conditions garlic can be used for include:
- Headaches
- Stomach aches
- Cystic fibrosis
- Osteoarthritis
- Tick bites
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
- Stomach inflammation
But you probably want to know more about how it helps with natural antibiotics. It is at the top of the list for natural remedies for the cold and flu, but is also highly beneficial in vaginal infections like yeast infections. It is both used in prevention of these infections, as well as helping to treat current infections.
2 – Honey
You should also consider using honey to help with boosting your immune system and helping with immune health overall. While there are different types of honey that can be used alone or with natural remedies like cinnamon or apple cider vinegar, manuka honey is typically better to use it as a natural type of antibiotic.
This type of honey comes from Australia and New Zealand, where the nectar comes from the manuka tree that exists in these regions. This honey is frequently used for holistic and natural health purposes, as opposed to being sold for consumption like other types of honey. It is known for killing various viruses and infections, particularly
any type of flesh-eating bacteria. You can usually find manuka honey in your natural health food store or a holistic or herbal store.
3 – Echinacea
Third up on the list of natural antibiotics is Echinacea. You have most likely heard of Echinacea before, as it is a powerful and natural herb often used as a natural remedy. There are many different forms of Echinacea, from supplements to dried herbs or even tea. Echinacea is a powerful herb that can help treat the cold and flu in a more natural way, along with helping to destroy MRSA and staph infections.
In addition to being an antibiotic, Echinacea can also help with blood poisoning and open wounds, which is what it was originally used for. Taking Echinacea on a regular basis over time can also increase your immunity by giving your immune system a nice long-lasting boost. (However, some say not to take it for more than two weeks at a time with breaks in between. I personally do not take this herb as there are so many other remedies that work just as well or better – such as colloidal silver and oil of oregano.)
You can take a supplement each day, add the dried herbs to your tea, or buy Echinacea tea bags to make it easier. There are also liquid extracts of the herb if that is easier for you.
4 – Turmeric
If you have been looking for natural remedies, you have probably come across turmeric. This is quickly becoming the most popular holistic remedy for everything from stomach upset to helping with infections, and just about everything in between. While often called an herb, turmeric is actually a spice. It is in the same category as curry, frequently used in spicy Indian dishes. Aside from being used for cooking, it also has a lot of amazing health benefits.
As an antibiotic, turmeric helps in a number of different ways. First of all, it can be helpful with infections that lead to ulcers in your stomach. Turmeric can actually help with gastric distress that would otherwise be caused by different types of infections. It also helps with other illnesses, including allergic rhinitis, hay fever, and other forms of allergies. If you want to use turmeric as a natural antibiotic, aim for extracts between 400 and 600 mg.
5 – Oil of Oregano
There are multiple herbs that can provide health benefits like working as an antibiotic, including oregano. Like turmeric, oregano is traditionally used as a way to flavor food and cook with it, but this is definitely not its only use. However, when using as an antibiotic, you aren’t using the actual leaves of the herb, but an extract of the oregano
oil.
One thing to note is that for a natural antibiotic, you need to choose the species of oregano carefully. You typically want to use oil from wild oregano, which can be found at most health or holistic shops. There are some really high-quality strains of oregano oil from this type of oregano, which may be anything from a golden yellow to much darker
yellow in color.
Some types of infections that oregano oil is useful for are:
- Infections from parasites
- Sinus infections
- Foot or nail fungus
- Lung infections
You can either use the oil in a neti pot for a sinus infection, or soak in a tub with some of the oil if you are using it for a skin or foot infection.
6. – Colloidal Silver
The next natural remedy that is often used as a holistic type of antibiotic is colloidal silver. This is one of the less common ones, but definitely something you should know more about. Colloidal silver has actually been used for hundreds of years, first discovered in the early 1900s. This is actually a type of mineral, often used as a
supplement, but has other forms as well. It is easy to find not only in natural health stores, but regular drug stores as well.
As an antibiotic, colloidal silver helps with SARS, bird flu, MRSA, HIV and many other types of infections. The best way to use it is if you have a resistance to regular antibiotics, then you can use this as an alternative. It can also be usedfor other illnesses and infections, including:
- Lyme disease
- Pneumonia
- Vaginal infections
- Herpes and warts
- Stomach ulcers
- Cholera
- Sinus infections
- Tonsilitis
You can get this from your local drug store and simply follow the directions on the bottle for proper dosage, or speak to your doctor about how much you should take as a natural antibiotic.
7 – Ginger
Another natural remedy for illnesses and infections is ginger, which also happens to be at the top of the list for many different ailments and health problems. Ginger is a type of plant that has a plethora of health benefits. While it is often used to flavor various dishes and often served on the side of sushi and other seafood, it can also be used as a
natural antibiotic.
In terms of antibiotics, ginger helps the most with food-borne pathogens. This includes listeria, salmonella, and any other related conditions. This makes sense since ginger is often used to ease stomach aches and abdominal discomfort, helping with indigestion, and increasing stomach acid production.
If you have just eaten something that immediately makes you feel ill, having fresh ginger can help settle your stomach and help to prevent or reduce food poisoning. You can also make a tonic with ginger, garlic, and cayenne pepper, two more ingredients that are good for battling illnesses and infections in a more natural way.
With ginger, you can use it in a variety of different ways, but the best include making
ginger tea or using the actual ginger root.
8 – Apple Cider Vinegar
If you are accustomed to looking up natural health remedies, then you are probably no stranger to apple cider vinegar. This is something many people turn to on a daily basis for many different health benefits, along with coconut oil, ginger, and garlic. Apple cider vinegar can help with everything from whitening your teeth to helping with indigestion.
As a natural antibiotic, apple cider vinegar helps by providing probiotics, enzymes, acetic acid, and potassium. These all help with fighting off bad bacteria in your body, while also encouraging the growth of good bacteria. You can quickly get rid of the bad bacteria that would have otherwise caused infections or various other illnesses.
Here are some other ways to use apple cider vinegar for natural health:
- Treats diabetes
- Lowers your blood pressure
- Lowers your bad cholesterol
- Helps you lose weight
- Gets rid of acid reflux
- Improves your skin and hair
- Reduces indigestion
You can get apple cider vinegar in a bottle just about everywhere, including the grocery store and drug store. You can drink it straight or dilute it by adding it to water or making a tonic with other ingredients.
9 – Coconut Oil
It should come as no surprise that coconut oil is on this list. Coconut oil has been used for many different natural health remedies, from helping with beauty and hair health, to whitening your teeth. It also happens to have both antioxidants and anti-microbial properties, making it an excellent natural antibiotic.
The great thing about coconut oil is that it is easy to find anywhere, and super easy to use. You can rub it on your skin or in your hair, apply it topically to wounds and burns, swish it around in your mouth for oral infections, and of course drink it or add it to different foods and beverages. Not only does it help fight off infections in a natural way,
but it can treat many types of infections as well.
If you want to use it on a daily basis, here are some ideas:
- Add coconut oil to your morning coffee
- Start making muffins with a little coconut oil
- Use it on your skin if you get chronic skin infections
- Try coconut oil pulling to help with oral infections
10 – Goldenseal
The last natural remedy we want to talk about is goldenseal. This is a type of herb that is extremely popular in the United States, but can easily be found in many other countries as well. Goldenseal can be beneficial on its own, but it is not uncommon to find it along with Echinacea as an herbal remedy or cough suppressant. Many natural products labeled as working for the cold or flu with have both goldenseal and Echinacea in them.
Goldenseal is good for various types of infections, including eye infections, oral infections like canker sores, urinary tract infections, and vaginal infections. Consider picking some up to use as a natural remedy for your infections.
