I don’t know about you, but personally, I find horror stories and thrillers about disease epidemics to be some of the most terrifying of all. The only book I’ve ever abandoned halfway through because of excessive fright was one by Richard Preston, who specializes in chilling tales surrounding infectious disease and bioterrorism.
Perhaps these stories are so frightening because there’s just too close to reality. Monsters, supernatural forces, and super-villains are easy to rationalize away as unrealistic, but diseases and mutating superbugs…well, all you need to do is read newspaper headlines to know that they’re the stuff of reality.
Though we humans have always had to deal with the infectious bugs with which we share this planet, the battle is beginning to escalate precipitously because of one monumental, manmade problem: antibiotic resistance.
Many bacteria that used to be minor concerns are mutating into worryingly resilient superbugs capable of causing life-threatening illnesses—even in those with perfectly healthy immune systems.
And this time, we won’t have any miracle drugs to save us, because these bugs are all learning how to outsmart even our most powerful and sophisticated antibiotics.
Our society-wide preoccupation with the allopathic elimination of illness has backfired, triggering astounding adaptations across the entire spectrum of bacteria. In the words of bacterial researcher Stuart Levy, “it has stimulated evolutionary changes that are unparalleled in recorded biological history.”[1]
All of the world’s bacterial researchers admit that we could face a post-antibiotic world within our lifetime, and pharmaceutical companies have already nearly ceased their design and production of new antibiotics. And when profit-hungry Big Pharma throws in the towel, you know we’re in trouble.
Even the World Health Organization claims that “a post-antibiotic era—in which common infections and minor injuries can kill—far from being an apocalyptic fantasy, is instead a very real possibility for the 21st Century.”[2]
And if you think protecting yourself is as easy as saying no thank you to antibiotics next time you have a cold, think again.
Antibiotics are everywhere: in household products like antibacterial soaps and cleaning solutions, in our water supply, and in our food. The meat industry feeds so many antibiotics to its animals that superbugs bred in stockyards have now become airborne and are making their way into surrounding urban areas.
And even if you abstain from taking antibiotics for medical purposes, what about all of them that are being taken by other people or used for industrial purposes? All of these non-biodegradable drugs are excreted and dumped into our surrounding environment—millions of tons each and every year—where they continue to accelerate the mutation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.[3]
How can we possibly cope?
Luckily, there is hope—it just doesn’t lie in the realm of miracle drugs. It is naïve to assume that an approaching medical breakthrough will save us; waiting for this unlikely intervention will only leave us more vulnerable.
It’s up to each one of us to take responsibility for our own health, and to understand exactly what actions are necessary to protect ourselves. Here’s where to start…
Don’t take antibiotics unless it’s absolutely necessary. Antibiotics are still incredibly important in extreme cases, such as invasive surgeries and severe illness in children and the elderly. In all other situations, though, their use should be extremely limited. Next time you contract a cold, give your immune system a chance to fight it by itself before rushing to the doctor for antibiotics. And never use antibiotics to treat the flu or other viral infections—they’re useless against viruses, and all you’re doing is destroying your microbiome and letting antibiotic-resistant bacteria run amok.
Use natural alternatives to antibiotics. Mother Nature has plenty of tricks up her sleeve when it comes to curing illness. Natural antibiotics and treatments like oregano, black cumin seed oil, vitamin C, vitamin D, grapefruit seed extract, and garlic target infection in a balanced, holistic way. At the end of this article, I’ll mention a resource that will teach you exactly which remedies to use for which illness.
Avoid antibacterial household products. Let’s face it: we’ve become germophobes. But despite assurances that wiping every surface and constantly washing our hands with antimicrobial substances, studies have shown that these practices don’t actually prevent further illness. And worst of all, they drastically accelerate the spread of drug-resistant bacteria.
Be wary of food and water contaminants. Never assume that your food and water is safe from antibiotic contamination. Drink purified water from a filter that specifically advertises its ability to filter antibiotics, and steer clear of conventional meat and GM foods (both of which either contain antibiotics or cause antibiotic resistance within the human body).
Most importantly, continue to educate yourself about antibiotic resistance and what you can do about it.
Knowledge is power
In order to learn more about how to protect yourself from antibiotic resistance, we highly recommend that you read The Antibiotic Epidemic: How To Fight Back Superbugs And Emerging Bacteria With Miracles From Mother Earth
This concise but comprehensive book offers a full survey of the antibiotic issue, as well as a wealth of easily applied solutions that you can use to keep you and your loved ones safe.
All of the information presented above, plus much more, is laid out in systematic fashion in this excellent work. You’ll learn about the history of antibiotics (and where things went wrong), the particular diseases that you should be most worried about, tons of natural alternatives to antibiotics that leverage the inherent power of your immune system to fight superbugs, and lots more.
Bacteria have shown their incredible ability to adapt to adverse situations…now it’s our turn to adapt. There’s no need to fear, provided that we learn how to take care of ourselves.
References
[1] Stuart Levy, The Antibiotic Paradox, p. 75.
[2] Natural Alerts, The Antibiotic Epidemic: How To Fight Back Superbugs And Emerging Bacteria With Miracles From Mother Earth, p. 4.
[3] Stephen Harrod Buhner, Plant Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm, p. 96.
