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Essay on the Overuse of
Antibiotics
About 10 days ago I came down with a
really bad cold that turned into walking pneumonia. No one else in
our family even had the sniffles and to my knowledge I had not come
in contact with anyone that was sick. It got me to wondering why I
got sick. So, I did some research and what I found was big wake up
call.
First, you need to know that somehow
the big toe on my left foot got infected about a month ago. I
thought it was an ingrown toenail (runs in the family)
so I went to the doctor. He said that it was just infected, that it
was not an ingrown nail. He then prescribed two antibiotics because
he wasn't sure which one would do the trick. Well, I took the
antibiotics and after about a week, the infection went away. As
instructed, I continued to take the antibiotics until there were no
more pills.
This is the "wake up call." It is not
meant to unnecessarily frighten, but to alert you that you might
want to make some fundamental changes in the way you choose to
heal. Antibiotics can be a powerful therapy to many of us and can
continue to be powerful in times of great need.
Unfortunately, we're finding we've
relied on that therapy more often than is healthy. Now, instead of
healing, instead of boosting our immunity, it's been shown that
regular use of antibiotics is more likely to result in our getting
sick again, sooner. Indeed, because antibiotics have been prescribed
so indiscriminately, they are fast becoming powerless, even
dangerous, as the first line of defense against illness.
So, what's the problem with using
antibiotics?
When you use them to fight a "bug," a
small number of the bacteria resist the antibiotic—a natural fact of
survival. Trouble is, the resistant bacteria then start to reproduce
at a staggering rate of up to 17 million in 24 hours!
Result: The new bugs are now of the
"new type" that are resistant to the antibiotic you took. Next time
you're ill, you'll have to try a new antibiotic. And that one, too,
triggers the growth of resistant bacteria. You get the picture.
Before long, when you really need an antibiotic for a
life-threatening illness, none may be effective for you.
Fact: In a national survey, 7 out of
10 people said they occasionally took antibiotics prescribed by
their doctor for a cold or flu illness, which these drugs have
absolutely no effect on.
Making
matters worse, antibiotics are found in many of our foods! Animals
grown in the US for human consumption are fed 30 times the total
number of antibiotics humans take. Thirty times! Can you imagine?
These poor cattle, pigs and chickens
need such heavy dosing because of their nutritionally poor diets and
because antibiotics help accelerate the "fattening" process. In the
end, we suffer too. Moreover, processed products from animal sources
are just as saturated. Over 80 antibiotics are found in commercial
milk. And that's considered an officially "safe" level. Yet such
levels have accelerated the emergence of resistant bacteria by
nearly 3,000%!
Result: You could be consuming milk,
cheese, yogurt and butter tainted with antibiotics and
drug-resistant "bugs." That of course is a good reason to buy
organically-produced milk at your local health food store.
So what can you do to protect yourself
when you must take antibiotics for illness?
At the very least, re-infuse yourself
with life-supporting bacteria using a supplement that contains
multiple strains of friendly bacteria. I have added Vollara's
product called Re:Balance (formerly: Total Flora Support)
to my daily mix of nutrients (US69607 or US60084 - family size). A
healthy immune system needs to be populated with 'friendly'
bacteria.
Strengthen your body's defenses and
support your overall health with Vollara's Re:Balance. At the heart
of Re:Balance is CAeDS, an exclusive nutrient delivery system that
guarantees maximum effectiveness.
To your health,
James
Clendenin
Melbourne,
FL
References:
Although this
article does not get into discussing probiotics (friendly
bacteria),
it is a good primer and it will actually "read itself to you" in
English or Spanish.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/h1n1_center/h1n1_center_treatment/antibiotic_overuse.html
This one covers
the topic of antibiotics in livestock.
http://www.keepantibioticsworking.com/new/resources_library.cfm?refID=36366
This one covers
the topic of antibiotics in livestock.
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