Long before antibiotics were discovered, certain food items were used to fight bacterial infections. This is because they have antibiotic and antibacterial properties which help in preventing and treating medical conditions naturally. Some of these food items are vegetables like the cabbage and carrot, fruits like lemons and limes, spices and herbs like clove, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, onion and turmeric, and honey and yoghurt.
Vegetables That Fight Bacteria
Some vegetables are more potent than others in fighting bacteria. Cabbages have antibacterial properties and act as antibiotics to control stomach ulcers, jaundice and bladder infections. They are rich in vitamins, minerals and alkaline salts, which help to cleanse the body and build muscles.
Carrots are also powerful cleansers and alkalinize the blood, thus maintaining the acid-alkaline balance of the body. They are rich sources of the antioxidant beta carotene, which purifies the blood and revitalizes the body. The antibacterial property fights infections; carrot juice in particular is useful in treating ulcers, cancer and respiratory infections, and eliminates threadworm in children.
Fighting Bacteria With Spices and Herbs
Spices and herbs afford natural protection against bacterial infections. The clove has germicidal and antiseptic properties due to the presence of volatile oils. It is effective in reducing pain (like a toothache and arthritic pain), and fighting infections like flu, colds, bronchitis and athlete’s foot. Cinnamon is another spice with similar functions. Cumin seeds have been used since Biblical times for their potent antibacterial properties. They are rich in thymol, which helps to eliminate hookworm and other infections.
Ginger too has been used as a medicine from ancient times. It acts as an antibiotic and fights infectious diseases like diarrhea and chest infections. Garlic has therapeutic value because of its medicinal and antiseptic properties. The sulfur compounds in garlic destroy the germs in the lungs and bronchial tract. It kills the harmful bacteria during conditions like dysentery, diarrhea and tuberculosis, while the good bacteria remain untouched. In contrast, antibiotic drugs kill the good bacteria too. The antibiotic and antiseptic action of onions prevents infections, including cholera.
Turmeric has been used for medicinal purposes in Ayurveda (the traditional system of Indian medicine), for centuries. It acts as a potent antiseptic to cure colds, throat and skin infections and ulcers.
Other Foods With Antibacterial Properties
Some fruits and miscellaneous food items help to fight bacterial infections. The antibiotic and antibacterial properties of lemons enable them to fight infections and control cholesterol. Limes too fight infections like colds, tonsillitis and bladder infections.
Yoghurt, rich in lactic acid, also has antibacterial qualities which fight infection and inflammation. Finally, honey acts as an antibiotic to ward off infections and ulcers. It is commonly used in cough syrups, as it alleviates the irritation arising from infection. The antibiotic property of honey, which is called the “inhibition effect,” fights bacteria and fungus.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, spices and herbs and some common food items are often the most potent natural antibiotics to fight disease-causing bacteria. Cabbages, carrots, lemons, cloves, cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, onion, turmeric, honey and yoghurt are just some of the foods that make up nature’s medicine chest.
Sources:
Bakhru, H.K, Healing Through Natural Foods: Orient Paperbacks,1990.
Segelken, Roger. "Antibacterial Spices Explain Why Some Like it Hot," Cornell.edu (accessed August 6, 2010).
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