Essential Oils are a Solutions for Superbugs

These infect at least two million Americans each year and kill 23,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

 

A recent Texas Tech study found evidence that antibiotic-resistant bacteria from feedlots can be dispersed through the air. It has been known for a while that resistant bacteria can spread through manure and water, but this study is the first study to indicate that superbugs can become airborne and infect humans that come into contact with them.

According to Karl Rotthier, the chief executive of a Dutch-based pharmaceutical firm, antibiotics are making their way into rivers and waterways due to lax safety measures. Some of the drugs are flushed directly down the toilet, while others pass through the patients first—and it all ends up in the water supply.

Fortunately,  there are alternatives to using pharmaceutical antibiotics:

a recent article in The Atlantic magazine highlighted the antimicrobial qualities of plant extracts and essential oils. The article notes that “various oils have also been shown to effectively treat a wide range of common health issues such as nausea and migraines, and a rapidly growing body of research is finding that they are powerful enough to kill human cancer cells of the breast, colon, mouth, skin, and more.”

 

The article indicates that the most immediate, practical application of this knowledge is on farms to reduce antibiotics used on livestock, one of the largest drivers of antibiotic resistance. But preliminary results have been encouraging for human use as well:

• An Italian study found that thyme and clove essential oils were effective in treating bacterial vaginosis.


• A US study found tea-tree oil was a more effective treatment for staph-infected wounds than conventional treatments.


• Additional research found that lemongrass oil could reduce MRSA.

It is becoming increasingly clear that conventional medicine cannot continue on its present course—otherwise, superbugs will certainly infect (and potentially kill) large percentages of the population. Integrative approaches offer a number of alternatives. Conventional medicine and the Big Pharma-financed media may scoff, but the science is firmly on our side.

Essential Oils are a Solutions for Superbugs