Antibiotics – Should We or Shouldn’t We? Antibiotics were an amazing discovery. They saved millions of lives. One might think that it took years of research to create this cure-all drug that could heal a multitude of infections. Would you believe that it was found by accident?
In 1928, Alexander Fleming, a British scientist working with Staph bacteria, found that the penicillium mold growing in the petri dish that held the bacteria was breaking down, or killing off, the diseased Staph bacteria. He named the mold “Penicillin”. Fleming spent the next 20 years proving that this mold form could kill off an enormous variety of infectious bacteria.
During World War II, it was used to heal wound infections, saving the lives of soldiers in combat, and was called a “miracle drug” by many Newspapers. The drug companies ran with it and began creating different varieties of antibiotics. These life-saving drugs healed bacterial infections, from blood poisoning due to an infected cut or scratch to Rheumatic Fever, Pneumonia, and STD’s, making surgeries and even transplants possible. Life expectancy soared from under age 50 to the ripe old age of around 78.
So, what happened and why are we avoiding antibiotics today? These life-saving drugs were overprescribed, overused, and misused. We began taking them for coughs, colds, flus, and even for viruses. This led to antibiotic resistance. The bugs began to win the war. The bacteria that were not killed off during antibiotic use morphed and changed and became resistant to these drugs.
At the same time, we created dysbiosis, an imbalance in our gut bacteria. The antibiotics not only killed off the bad bacteria but the good bacteria as well. We need our good microbes that help with digestion, break down toxins, and train our immune system to distinguish between the healthy and the unhealthy. The result was autoimmune disorders, strep throat, C Difficile, heart disease, cancers, mood disorders and more. This could have been ameliorated with the use of multi strain probiotics.
In April, 2022, the Nurse’s Health Study, following 14,000 females, found that people taking antibiotics for two months or more over a period of two years, had lower scores in cognition, memory, psychomotor speed, and attention on a cognitive test, even seven years later. The longer the antibiotic use, the greater the changes. It actually aged their brains.
Does this mean that you never take an antibiotic? Not necessarily, but only when required. There are many plants, herbs, essential oils, supplements, and remedies that are anti-viral and anti-bacterial and do not damage your microbiome. Probiotics kill off the bad bacteria and replace the good bacteria that we lose, even with our daily bowel movements, and keep our colony of bacteria balanced and doing its job.
A plant-based diet with lots of fibre and fermented foods are great for the microbiome. Also, forest bathing, open air, sunlight, walking outside, being in nature, gardening and putting your hands in soil, and lying on the grass are healing and make an enormous difference to the health of your microbiome.
This is just a small fragment of what you will learn as a Student at Edison Institute of Nutrition, you will work at your own pace, online, in the comfort of your own home. We combine the latest scientific research with ageless truths practiced by traditional societies. Our Mission is to teach you to evaluate and understand the root cause of ill health while providing you with the knowledge, direction, tools, and the critical thinking skills which will enable you to guide your clients (and yourself and your family) to optimum health.
