ANTIBIOTICS versus SUPERBUGS

 

Antibiotics have been around for decades, and are beneficial to society in many ways such as wiping out infectious diseases. However, it is a known fact that extended usage can upset the natural balance in our eco-systems. True they are capable of wiping out some of the harmful bacteria but most of the good, life-supporting bacteria are not spared too. Some equate it to weapon of mass destruction. In the ancient West, it is a legal offence for a medical practitioner not to prescribe probiotics after a course of medicated drug.

 

History
    
Alexander Fleming is credited with discovering penicillin, considered the first modern antibiotic drug in 1928. In those days, natural substances derived from molds and fungi were generally free from serious side effects but could work only against certain types of bacteria. In fact, just four years after producing penicillin in 1943, microbes began appearing that could resist it. Its known side effects include a rash, swelling of the tongue and face, and difficulty breathing. In fact, penicillins, cephalosporins and some other antibiotics may undermine the effectiveness of oral contraceptives.

 

In modern times.....

To combat the wide range of bacteria, more and more powerful synthetic drugs have been developed over the years. Given their potencies to eliminate all bacteria in the large intestine, they tend to produce drastic side effects like allergic reactions, nausea, gastro-intestinal upsets, diarrhoea, headaches and yeast infections. It is found that up to 1 in 5 people on antibiotics stop taking their full course of antibiotic therapy due to diarrhoea. In extreme cases, the side effects can be as serious as kidney damage, cancer and liver toxicity.

For the past few decades, only a handful of antibiotics have been developed and new ones have yet to be discovered to treat with emerging, mutating infections as new ‘superbugs’ evolved resistant to existing drugs. The fear is that when one admits to hospital for minor surgery may die due to an ordinary infection that cannot be treated by antibiotics anymore. Cases of totally drug resistant tuberculosis and gonorrhoea are spreading like wildfire round the world in recent years.

Cold treatment?

Most upper respiratory tract infections, such as the common cold and sore throats are generally caused by such viruses. There are more than 200 types of virus, of which the most common one is rhinovirus, known to attack the mucous membranes of our ear, nose and throat to give rise to infection.

Antibiotics has the ability to kill and inhibit the growth of such bacteria. However, to handle the common cold virus, it is not appropriate. Though cold can simply go off after a week duration, people are unable to wait given their work and familial responsibility. Also, it can be mistaken with bacterial sinus infection sharing common symptoms like dark mucous, toothache, one-sided facial pain and headache, which requires drug medication.

As much as the patient fearing to recover fast enough, doctors are scared to lose their patients to other medical practitioners. Hence to avoid losing the business, doctors would succumb to the patients’ demands for antibiotics. Patients may not realise that by consuming too much antibiotics, they can develop antibiotic resistance, meaning the body gets accustomed and the medicine loses its effect. The Evolution theory demonstrates that any organism, bacteria included, is capable of withstanding an antibiotic attack over time.

How antibiotic works?

Although there are a number of different types of antibiotic they all work in one of two ways:

• A bactericidal antibiotic usually either interferes with the formation of the bacterium’s cell wall or its cell contents.

• A bacteriostatic stops bacteria from multiplying.

Side effects

To combat the wide range of bacteria, more and more powerful synthetic drugs have been developed over the years, causing more side effects. Below is a list of the most common ones:

• Diarrhea
• Allergic reactions
• Nausea
• Gastro-intestinal upsets
• Feeling and being sick
• Fungal infections of the mouth, digestive tract and vagina
• Formation of kidney stones (when taking sulphonamides)
• Abnormal blood clotting (when taking some cephalosporins)
• Sensitivity to sun (when taking tetracyclines)
• Blood disorders (when taking trimethoprim)
• Deafness (when taking erythromycin and the aminoglycosides)
• Cancer
• Liver toxicity
• Obesity for babies who are exposed to antibiotics

What to do next?

Medicine should serve the purpose of treating a host of healthy problems. Hence, when prescribed unnecessarily, it can end up doing more harm than good. You may like to consider taking probiotics and prebiotics to compensate for the error made and focus on building a stronger health foundation.

Replenishment of Probiotics cultures of “good” microorganisms similar to those normally found in the gut need to be promoted to restore the microbial balance disrupted by antibiotics and infections. The effects of probiotics doses are short-lived and thus it should be taken throughout a course of antibiotic therapy. To keep yourself healthy at all times, prebiotics and probiotics should be a daily affair.

As antibiotics only “beat up” the bacteria, why not let the body’s natural antibodies do the actual killing? If your immune system is unable to handle the load, consider adding natural antibiotics which are found in foods such as garlic, radish, olive leaf extract, tea tree oil, coconut oil and bee propolis. They are effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria as well as against viruses, yeast, protozoa and other micro-organisms. Like antibiotics, they wipe off both the good and bad bacteria, and therefore re-population of the good ones is necessary too.

Recommendation

If you are taking an antibiotic do not take other medicines or herbal remedies without telling your doctor first. OTC (over the counter, non-prescription) medicines might also clash with your antibiotic.

VIVA corner

+ VIVA Biogarlic with 33 different types of sulfur compounds and other potent nutrients is a natural substitute for antibiotics. In concentrated form, it is anti-bacteria and anti-viral, prevents cold and flu. Scientific experiments show that 100 mg of garlic extract has similar effect as 10 mg of penicillin of anti-bacterial action.

+ Scientists found that antioxidant nutrients – Vitamin A, C, E and selenium, when combined have synergistic effect in combating free radicals, inhibiting or slowing down their attack on cells. Vivashield is the first product in the world to boast this 4-in-1 combination as a fast remedy to a common cold.

+  As the digestive system is lacking in friendly bacteria, make up the difference by introducing a scoop of VIVA Floraguard daily containing 10 billion CPU with both prebiotics and probiotic present to provide full coverage.

Can GARLIC fight cancer?

Since ancient times, garlic has been used for its anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory curative properties before the arrival of antibiotics.

 

Garlic is a vegetable belonging to the Allium class of bulb-shaped plants, including onions, chives, leeks and scallions. It is commonly used for flavoring in cooking and is unique because of its high sulfur content. Other components found include arginine, oligosaccharides, flavonoids and selenium - all of which are beneficial to health.

The characteristic odor and flavor of garlic comes from sulfur compounds formed from allicin, the major precursor of garlic’s bioactive compounds, which are formed when garlic bulbs are chopped, crushed or damaged. Present in it are 33 different type of sulphur compounds (including Ajoene, allicin), 17 types of amino acids (all essential acids), germanium, selenium, calcium, copper, magnesium, iron, potassium, zinc and vitamin A, B1, C.

Many conclusive studies have shown that garlic extracts are effective in resisting bacteria (staphylococcus, salmonella etc), fungus (candida ablicans, aspergilllus, niger), virus and other pathogens. This is very useful against prevention and treatment of cold and flu too. In fact, a 100mg of garlic extract (Allicin) has the same effect as 10 mg penicillin of anti-bacterial action.

Types of garlic preparations

Garlic fried in oil to add flavor to some main dishes loses much of its medicinal properties that can reduce blood pressure, stroke, heart failure, peripheral vascular disease and renal failure.

Garlic supplements come in different forms:

• Garlic essential oil is obtained by passing steam through garlic. Commercially available garlic oil capsules generally contain vegetable oil, but only have a small amount of garlic essential oil because of its strong odor.
• Garlic oil macerate products are made from encapsulated mixtures of whole garlic cloves ground into vegetable oil.
• Garlic powder is produced by slicing or crushing garlic cloves, then drying and grinding them into powder. This is used as a flavoring agent for condiments and food and is thought to retain the same ingredients as raw garlic.
• Garlic extract is made from whole or sliced garlic cloves that are soaked in an alcohol solution for varying amounts of time. Also available in powdered form.

Health benefits

+ For cardiovascular disease, garlic is effective in preventing thrombus (a blood clot formed inside an intact blood vessel) and helps to regulate irregular heartbeat. Its Ajoene content has been clinically tested and proven to be able to inhibit the formation of blood clots and regulate fibrinolytic activity, resulting in lowering of triglyceride and LDL cholesterol.

+ Garlic contains plenty of nutrients which as a detoxifying agent and helps to boost the immune system. The sulfur compounds in it can bind with plumbum, mercury, cadmium, arsenic and other heavy metals, to be expelled from the body.  As most of the processed foods is laced with harmful substances such as additives, coloring, preservative and flavoring, clearing them is crucial before any major damage occurs to the body.

+ Its vital components - Allicin, germanium, selenium, zinc, vitamin A, B1 and C can strengthen T cell and Macrophage, thus enhancing the bioactivity of natural killer cells to boost the immune system quickly.

+  Loaded with antioxidants essential to delay aging, improve rheumatoid arthritis, joint pain and other chronic diseases.

Can garlic prevent cancer?

Several population studies show an association between high intake of garlic and allium vegetables, and reduced risk of certain cancers, especially cancers of the stomach, colon, esophagus, pancreas, intestines and breast.

However, few clinical trials have been done on humans to examine the potential anticancer effects of garlic to-date. 

 

Allicin, selenium and germanium in garlic have been found to be effective anti-cancerous components. Basically, they block the formation of cancer-causing substances, halt the activation of cancer-causing substances, enhance DNA repair, reduce cell proliferation or induce cell death.

Even for patients who have undergone chemotherapy, garlic helps to inhibit the duplication and biosynthesis reaction of DNA in cancer cell. Since allicin works synergistically with chemo drugs, it may reduce the dosage required, thus minimising their side effects.

 

As all garlic preparations are not the same, it is difficult to determine the exact amount of garlic that may be needed to reduce cancer risk. Also, the active compounds present in garlic may lose their effectiveness with time, handling and processing.

In summary, the benefits are:

+  Anti-oxidation properties prevent active oxygen from damaging cells
+  Suppresses the cancer cell signal transmission function
+  Promotes apoptosis (death) of cancer cells
+  Enhances immunity to destroy cancer cells

Daily dosage

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) guidelines for general health promotion for adults is a daily dose of 2 to 5 g of fresh garlic (approximately one clove), 0.4 to 1.2 g of dried garlic powder, 2 to 5 mg of garlic oil, 300 to 1,000 mg of garlic extract, or other formulations that are equal to 2 to 5 mg of allicin.

Safety considerations

Although garlic has been used safely in cooking, excessive consumption can cause some side effects, other than strong breath and body odors.

+ Garlic occasionally causes allergies that can range from mild irritation to potentially life-threatening problems. Consuming fresh garlic bulbs, extracts or oil on an empty stomach may occasionally cause heartburn, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

+ In some animal and human studies, garlic can lower blood sugar levels and increase insulin. Diabetic patients have to be careful with its usage.

 + Garlic has been shown to interfere with several prescription drugs, especially the HIV medication saquinavir (brand names Invirase® and Fortovase®). In some instances, it can lower the serum levels of saquinavir by almost half.

+ Garlic also acts as a natural blood thinner to be avoided by pregnant women, patients undergoing surgery, and those taking blood thinners, such as warfarin.

+ Garlic bulbs are sometimes contaminated with the bacterium Clostridium botulinum which can grow and produce botulinum toxin in garlic-in-oil products that are not refrigerated and do not contain antibacterial agents.

+ Chemical burns, contact dermatitis, and bronchial asthma can occur when garlic is applied to the skin.

+ Garlic should be avoided by people who are prone to stomach conditions like ulcers, as it can worsen the condition or cause new ones.

 

+  As garlic wipes off our intestinal bacteria like antibiotics, replenishing friendly bacteria is much encouraged.

VIVA corner

VIVA Biogarlic is highly concentrated under low temperature to retain the bioactivity of Allicin and Ajoene. It contains capsicum, rutin, phytochemicals and other bioflavonoids, which are added to enhance absorption. The strong combination is beneficial for maintaining the cardiovascular system health and immune system health.

VIVA LIPOGUARD is the first product around that combines the goodness of fish oil and garlic with other proprietary ingredients such as antioxidants, phytochemicals and lecithin. The high concentration of EPA (30%) and DHA (20%) enables its efficacy to better many other fish oil products available in the market. The Garlic juice contained therein is in a concentrated form using high technology processing techniques under a low temperature to maintain the potency of Allicin in the garlic can help to lower triglycerides and cholesterol. An FDA report reviewing clinical studies on the effects of fish oil on LDL cholesterol also showed that VIVA LIPOGUARD was the only study out of 24 comparisons that can work effectively.

Old trick: For fungi infection within the ears, try putting slice of garlic into the eardrum to rid the bacteria.

To cure one fast, just place two drops of warm garlic oil into your aching ear twice daily for five days. This simple treatment can clear up ear infections faster than prescription meds, say experts at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine. To whip up your own garlic oil gently simmer three cloves of crushed garlic in a half a cup of extra virgin olive oil for two minutes, strain, then refrigerate for up to two weeks, suggests Teresa Graedon, Ph.D., co-author of the book, Best Choices From The People's Pharmacy. For an optimal experience, warm this mix slightly before using so the liquid will feel soothing in your ear canal.