#nutribabble of the week this week was sent in to me by a nurse who was very disturbed to find it was shared on social media by nursing colleague of hers. (They didn’t put it in the comments, Karen, but your peers who sent this to my inbox are very, very worried about you right now.)
So, let’s break this down.
Firstly, what is an antibiotic? An antibiotic is not something that “boosts your immune system”. Antibiotics are drugs that target mechanism of growth of certain types of bacteria, and are used by docs to treat specific diseases caused by specific bacteria. Which is only one reason of the many good reasons why docs hate being pressured into giving them out blindly for viral illnesses.
Onwards to fact-checking that “natural antibiotics”….
Honestly, I cannot add anything more to why apple cider vinegar only has any use in marinades or salad dressings. It was our #nutribabble winner last week. If you missed it, catch up here: http://bit.ly/32aKTI9
Garlic: The small studies on garlic that showed that it had any health benefits were focusing on cholesterol and blood pressure (and they couldn’t show that it worked at all!) It has never been shown to have any effect on infections of any sort. Downside: can interfere with blood thinning medication.
Ginger: Studies have found that it is useful for nausea. That’s about it.
Note, however, that ginger and garlic, when combined with a little chilli, are great in a stir-fry. Likewise, horseradish and onion have never been shown to have any health benefit, but I recommend both for steak sandwiches.
Habanero peppers is probably included here because it is a peppers that contains a high amount of a chemical called capsaicin, which has been trialed for inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia. No study has shown that capsaicin has any antibiotic or “immune boosting” effect in humans.
Oregano oil, tumeric, and echinacea are currently very trendy, and largely marketed by alternative/natural supplement companies as panaceas . While there are ongoing studies looking into the potential uses of compounds in these plants, to date, none of these have shown any real effect for any health condition, and certainly none of these studies have suggested antimicrobial properties.
Raw Honey: Honey is known to have antimicrobial properties when used in wound care, not when eaten. However, medicinal grade honey is recommended for use in wounds, not raw honey. Other recognised medical uses for honey: A spoon of any honey at all (local, raw, etc. not necessary) is one of the best cough syrups for anyone over the age of 1 year. The effect is soothing, however. Honey has not antimicrobial effect on an infection nor can it reduce or treat allergies. (When you read about amazing claims about the healing power of honey – ask yourself: does this person sell honey?)
Colloidal Silver is the last line and where, if you weren’t already questioning the above, this is where you know you really, really should! Colloidal silver can cause serious side effects. International regulatory bodies have been warning since at least 1999 that colloidal silver isn’t safe or effective for treating any disease or condition. In the US, the FDA has taken action against a number of companies for making misleading claims about colloidal silver products
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