Sarena-Rae SantosThe Truth About Antibiotics
Updated: Jan 15
Antibiotics are widely used to treat infections and diseases caused by bacteria. While killing harmful bacteria, antibiotics also kill good bacterial strains that we need. Even a single antibiotic dose can lead to detrimental shifts in the composition and diversity of the gut flora (1).
As per the CDC, doctors prescribe about 47 million antibiotic courses each year for infections that don't need antibiotics (2). The unnecessary prescribing of antibiotics has resulted in about 1 in 3 people suffering from yeast-related symptoms or conditions like yeast and candida overgrowth (3).
Dangers of Antibiotics
Natural Antibiotic Recommendations
Dangers of Antibiotics
In 2015, healthcare providers prescribed 269.4 million antibiotic prescriptions—equivalent to 838 prescriptions per 1000 persons. The most commonly prescribed antibiotic was Azithromycin, and 46.2 million doses were prescribed (4). Like all medications, antibiotics have a long list of side effects, so let's discuss the side effects of the most commonly prescribed antibiotic, Azithromycin (5):
Abdominal or stomach cramps or pain (severe)
Abdominal or stomach tenderness
Agitation
Black, tarry stools
Bleeding gums
Blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
Bloating
Blood in the urine or stools
Bloody or cloudy urine
Blurred vision
Chest pain or discomfort
Chills
Coma
Confusion
Constipation
Convulsions
Cough
Darkened urine
Decreased urine output
Depression
Diarrhea (watery and severe, which may be bloody)
Difficult or labored breathing
Difficulty with swallowing
Dizziness
Dizziness, faintness, or lightheadedness when getting up suddenly from a lying or sitting position
Fainting
Fast, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
Fever with or without chills
General feeling of discomfort or illness
Greatly decreased frequency of urination or amount of urine
Headache
Hives or itching
Hostility
Increased thirst
Indigestion
Irregular heartbeat recurrent
Irregular or slow heart rate
Joint pain
Large, hive-like swelling on the face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, hands, legs, feet, or sex organs
Lethargy
Light-colored stools
Loose stools
Loss of appetite
Muscle pain
Muscle twitching
Nausea or vomiting
Pain
Pains in the stomach, side, or abdomen, possibly radiating to the back
Pinpoint red spots on the skin
Puffiness or swelling of the eyelids or around the eyes, face, lips, or tongue
Rapid weight gain
Red skin lesions, often with a purple center
Red, irritated eyes
Skin rash
Sore throat
Sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips
Stupor
Sweating
Swelling of the face, mouth, neck, hands, and feet
Swelling of the hands, ankles, feet, or lower legs
Tightness in the chest
Unusual bleeding or bruising
Unusual tiredness or weakness
Yellow eyes or skin
Aside from the long list of side effects, anytime antibiotics are used, they can contribute to the pandemic of antibiotic resistance. This is because antibiotics increase antimicrobial resistance and are driven by a combination of germs exposed to antibiotics, the spread of those germs, and their mechanisms of resistance (6).
Although the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) claims antimicrobial doesn't mean our body is antibiotic resistant, the World Health Organization (WHO) admits the misuse (or overprescribing) of antibiotics in humans and animals is accelerating the process (7). Unfortunately, in the U.S., more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur each year, resulting in more than 35,000 deaths (8).
Additionally, antibiotics can also lead to long-term changes in the gut flora. After completing an antibiotic dose, most bacteria return after 1–4 weeks, but their numbers usually don't return to the prior levels (9). Another study discovered that a single dose of antibiotics diminished the diversity of Bacteroides, one of the most dominant bacterial strains, and boosted the number of resistant strains. These consequences remained for up to two years (10)!
So what can we do when we need an antibiotic but aren't comfortable with taking a prescription?
That's where oil of oregano comes in.
Oil of oregano sometimes referred to as oregano oil (not to be confused with oregano essential oil), is made by infusing extra virgin olive oil with dried oregano leaves, creating a robust and ingestible "natural antibiotic" widely used in the natural community.
Natural Antibiotic Recommendations
Before I go over my oil of oregano recipe in the next section, I figured I would share some premade oil of oregano options for those who may not be ready to start creating their own herbal remedies.
Gaia Herbs' Oil of Oregano Capsules are a natural antioxidant source, containing phytochemicals that help support the body's natural resistance to immune challenges. Gaia Herbs' supercritical CO2 extract of oregano volatile oils contains phenols, including carvacrol and thymol. These oils help support the intestines and a healthy immune response.
Garden of Life's Oil of Oregano Drops offers traditional support with modern convenience, delivering 34mg of Organic oregano leaf extract in a base of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil & mixed tocopherols from non-GMO sunflower.
Benefits of D.I.Y. Oil of Oregano
Oregano's medicinal properties stem from compounds like phenols, terpenes, and terpenoids, with powerful antioxidant properties (11):
Carvacrol is the most abundant phenol in oregano and has been shown to stop the growth of several bacteria types (12).
Thymol is a natural antifungal that supports the immune system and protects against toxins (13).
Rosmarinic acid is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect against free radical damage (14).
Additional benefits of oregano include:
Rich in antioxidants (15)
Antibacterial properties (16)
Antimicrobial properties (17)
Antiviral properties (18)
Anti-inflammatory properties (19)
May prevent and kill certain cancers (20)
Learn more about the benefits of oregano here.
D.I.Y. Oil of Oregano
Ingredients & Materials:
1 cup dried oregano leaves (I like Starwest Botanicals' Organic Oregano Leaf Cut)
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
16 oz. mason jar (I like the Ball wide-mouth mason jars)
Canning jar lifter (I have the Norpro Canning Jar Lifter)
Directions:
Gather your ingredients, preferably organic: dried oregano, extra virgin olive oil, a mason jar, and a canning jar lifter.
After you've gathered your ingredients, add the dried oregano and extra virgin olive oil into a mason jar, and close the lid.
After you've closed the lid, prepare to infuse the oil by filling a pot with water and bringing it to a boil.
After the water has come to a boil, place the mason jar in the water, bring it back to a boil, and leave for 10 minutes.
After it has boiled for 10 minutes, remove the jar with a canning jar lifter, shake it, and keep it in a cool, dark cabinet for two weeks. Shake the jar at least once a day.
After it has sat for two weeks, strain the mixture into another airtight container. It will yield roughly 6 ounces (I used an old 8 oz. Earthley tincture bottle).
What's your go-to natural antibiotic?
