You can prevent or treat bacterial infections not only by taking medication. There are several natural antibiotics that you can also use to eradicate and inhibit the growth of disease-causing bacteria. Come on, know the kinds of natural antibiotics.
Antibiotics are used to treat and prevent bacterial infections. Bacterial infections that are classified as mild can recover on their own. However, if the infection does not improve, the doctor will often prescribe antibiotics.
In addition to antibiotics in the form of drugs, recently many studies have succeeded in finding the efficacy of antibiotics in natural ingredients. Natural antibiotics are even believed to have an effectiveness that is not inferior to antibiotic drugs.
Type-MNatural Antibiotics
The following are some natural ingredients that are believed to be effective in treating and preventing bacteria:
1. Manuka Honey
Manuka honey contains hydrogen peroxide and methylglyoxal which have antibacterial effects. Manuka honey can also help the body recover from wounds and inflammation.
To use it, you just need to apply manuka honey directly to the injured or infected area of the skin. However, if the infection occurs in internal organs, you can consume honey directly.
Apart from being antibacterial, manuka honey or other types of honey are also believed to be able to help maintain overall body health and reduce the risk of a number of diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, and high cholesterol. Honey is also one of the most effective natural cough remedies.
However, further research is still needed to prove the effectiveness and safety of honey as an antibacterial. Moreover, honey should not be consumed by children under 1 year of age because it can cause botulism poisoning.
2. Garlic Extract
Garlic extract has been used since ancient times as a natural antibacterial. This is also supported by a number of studies that have proven the content in garlic is quite effective against bacterial infections.
How to make garlic extract is quite simple, you just need to grind or pound a few cloves of garlic. If you don't like the aroma, you can mix olive oil in the garlic extract to reduce the garlic aroma which is quite sharp.
You can apply the mixed garlic extract directly to the injured or infected area of the skin. Meanwhile, to prevent or treat infections in internal organs, you can consume them directly or consume a few raw garlic cloves directly.
3. Ginger
One of these spices and cooking spices also has properties as a natural antibiotic. Several studies have shown that ginger contains substances that can reduce inflammation in the body and eradicate germs that cause infection.
Some types of germs that are known to be killed by ginger are germs E.coli, Staphylococcus, and Streptococcus. These germs can cause skin infections, diarrhea and pneumonia.
Unfortunately, so far, further research is needed to ensure the effectiveness of ginger as an antibiotic drug in general. This is because there is no research that can confirm that ginger has the same effect as antibiotics in the treatment of infectious diseases.
4. Cloves
Cloves either in the form of spices or which have been processed into clove oil also have natural antibiotic properties. This herb is widely used as an antibiotic to treat infections of the teeth and gums. In addition to having antibacterial properties, cloves also have anti-inflammatory and anti-pain effects.
5. Cinnamon
Cinnamon has an aroma and taste similar to cloves. But behind that, it turns out that this spice also has natural antibacterial properties. In fact, several studies have also shown that not only is it good for eradicating bacteria, cinnamon can also overcome fungal growth.
6. Mthyme leaf essential oil
A study found that thyme leaf essential oil was more effective at killing bacteria than lavender leaf. However, this thyme leaf essential oil can only be used for external wounds.
To use it, first mix thyme leaf oil with coconut oil or olive oil, then apply it on the affected area. This is done because thyme leaf oil that is not dissolved or mixed can cause inflammation and irritation that can cause pain in the wound.
7. Oregano essential oil
Not only antibacterial, the content carvacrol in oregano essential oil also functions as an antiviral and antifungal. In addition, oregano essential oil is also often used to relieve inflammation and heal gastric ulcers.
Just like thyme essential oil, oregano essential oil needs to be mixed with coconut oil or olive oil first, before applying it to the injured or infected skin area.
Unfortunately, despite having natural antibiotic properties, some of the ingredients above cannot replace antibiotic drugs to treat severe infections. So far, it is not known how many doses of natural antibiotics are safe and effective.
Therefore, if you want to use some of the ingredients above as a treatment, you should first consult with your doctor, especially if you suffer from a disease or are using certain drugs.