But there’s more…

Research is revealing that one of our favorite types of drinks can counteract the effects of certain antibiotics, particularly against a specific bacterium responsible for some common and already difficult-to-treat infections.

And you know what happens when you take an antibiotic and it doesn’t fully kill the germ; it can supercharge the germ’s resistance even more.

Here’s what you need to know about which drink you should avoid when taking antibiotics. (Hint: it’s not alcohol).

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Re-think what you drink on antibiotics

After the examination of 94 different substances, researchers at the Universities of Tübingen and Würzburg were able to prove that everyday substances can influence how bacteria, such as E. coli, respond to antibiotics.

One of the worst offenders the researchers discovered when it comes to compromising the work of antibiotics is caffeine.

E. coli infections most often occur in your GI system or urinary tract, but can also migrate to cause infections in the bloodstream, prostate and gallbladder.

That means caffeinated drinks, like the coffee, tea and sodas (if you’re still drinking those) we rely on for a little extra energy, could decrease the power of antibiotics to help fight infections.

According to the scientists, that’s because caffeine triggers genetic regulators that control bacterial transport proteins. These transport proteins act as pores for the bacteria, determining what can and can’t get inside the cell.

Basically, caffeine closes down these pores to antibiotics like ciproflaxin, weakening their effectiveness.

“Caffeine triggers a cascade of events starting with the gene regulator Rob and culminating in the change of several transport proteins in E. coli, which in turn leads to a reduced uptake of antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin,” explains researcher Ana Rita Brochado.

The scientists say that this contributes to what’s called ‘low-level’ antibiotic resistance, which is not due to classic resistance genes, but to regulation and environmental factors.

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How not to make antibiotics useless

Clearly, if you’re taking antibiotics, avoiding caffeine is a must to help ensure they’re as effective as you need them to be. So, at least until you’re done with the medication, lay off the caffeinated drinks.

Additionally, there are a few ways to help antibiotics work as they should when you do have to take them:

• Taking omega-3s – Researchers at Flinders University discovered that omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, can make germs’ membranes more permeable to antibiotics. This makes the bacteria less resistant to the medicine.
• Adding in cranberry – A Canadian study found that cranberry extract made it easier for antibiotics to enter the bacteria that cause UTIs, pneumonia, and gastroenteritis. It also disrupted the mechanism that bacteria use to eliminate the antibiotic.
• Drinking green tea – Research has shown that a compound in green tea — epigallocatechin (EGCG) – is capable of making an antibiotic called aztreonam work against a dangerous, resistant bacterium again. In fact, the two compounds together were far more effective at killing the bacteria than either was alone.
• Eating more fiber – Research has shown that dietary fiber plays a crucial role in preventing the overgrowth of harmful gut bacteria, including E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Also, remember to support your gut microbiome when taking antibiotics. Probiotics help repopulate the gut microbiome after a round of antibiotics, but taking them regularly yields even better benefits…

Previous research shows that probiotics reduce the likelihood of getting common infections like respiratory infections and stomach bugs. They also reduce the duration and severity of these infections.

Sources:

E. coli infection – Cleveland Clinic

Your morning coffee could secretly be weakening antibiotics – ScienceDaily

The post The drink that makes antibiotics useless (and it’s not alcohol) appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, in the U.S. alone, more than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur every year, with new forms of resistance emerging at an accelerated pace.

You probably already know that the antibiotics used to fight bacterial infections can actually contribute to this resistance over time, especially when taken too frequently, when not finished as directed by a doctor, or when taken for conditions where antibiotics have no effect — viruses, for example.

But what you may not know is that other common medications are fueling the problem.

Two of the worst are likely in your medicine cabinet right now…

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The perfect conditions for resistant bacteria to thrive

Researchers from the University of South Australia have demonstrated that ibuprofen and acetaminophen not only drive antibiotic resistance when used individually, but also amplify it when used in combination.

In fact, their research showed that when taking these medications, along with the broad-spectrum antibiotic ciprofloxacin for E. coli (a common bacterium that causes gut and urinary tract infections), the drugs made the bacteria highly resistant to the antibiotic.

“When bacteria were exposed to ciprofloxacin alongside ibuprofen and acetaminophen, they developed more genetic mutations than with the antibiotic alone, helping them grow faster and become highly resistant. Worryingly, the bacteria were not only resistant to the antibiotic ciprofloxacin, but increased resistance was also observed to multiple other antibiotics from different classes,” observed lead researcher and associate professor, Rietie Venter.

According to scientists, taking Tylenol or ibuprofen actually activates the bacteria’s defenses, allowing them to expel the antibiotic and creating conditions that enable the bacteria to thrive.

Combat antibiotic resistance through wellness

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As the researchers point out, “Antibiotic resistance isn’t just about antibiotics anymore.”

And considering this is just one more antibiotic resistance threat in what seems to be an ever-growing list, it’s also one more reason why it’s vital to support your body’s natural immune response.

The key is to make sure that the response is balanced.

I say that because an immune response can be a double-edged sword. While an underactive response leaves the body open to illness, an overactive immune system cannot distinguish between the body’s own systems and invaders.

There are a few ways to help support your immune system so it’s up to the task…

Vitamin D3: A study published in the Frontiers of Immunology confirmed significant differences between the two types of vitamin D, with vitamin D2 having a questionable impact on human health. However, the study found that vitamin D3 could balance people’s immune systems by tamping down inflammatory response, and help strengthen defenses, even against viral infections.

Black seed or black seed oil: The black seeds of the Nigella sativa plant contain a compound called thymoquinone, considered to be an “immune system modulator,” meaning it promotes a balanced response.

Exercise: A 2005 study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise revealed that walking briskly for 30 minutes increased the number of natural killer cells, white blood cells and other important immune cells circulating in the body.

Thymus gland support: This gland is a key part of our immune system. Unfortunately, the thymus tends to shrink with age, and by the time we reach the age of 65, it’s largely unable to produce new T cells. But you can find ways to support it here.

When you do get a sickness that requires antibiotics, consider taking fish oil supplements with them. Research led by Flinders University discovered that omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, can break down the ability of superbugs to become resistant to antibiotics.

Sources:

Common painkillers like Advil and Tylenol supercharge antibiotic resistance – ScienceDaily

Antimicrobial Resistance Facts and Stats – CDC

The post Over-the-counter drugs that supercharge antibiotic resistance appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Then I’d venture to guess chicken is one of your go-to protein sources.

One of the healthiest diets around — the Mediterranean diet — encourages people to get most of their protein from lean sources like chicken and fish. So, chicken finds its way onto the plates of health-conscious people.

The problem is, chicken isn’t just a healthy source of lean protein. It’s a breeding ground for bacteria.

You probably know that you have to be extra careful when handling raw chicken — even more cautious than when you handle other types of meat.

Part of the reason is that dangerous bacteria like Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli are present in chicken while they’re alive, and stick around even after the bird is processed for sale in a supermarket.

If chicken is cooked at a high enough temperature, that should be enough to ensure your chicken is safe to eat.

However, it appears that even if you think you’re cooking your chicken thoroughly and don’t end up with food poisoning, these dangerous bacteria can still find their way into your body and cause an extremely uncomfortable, and often resistant, health problem…

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E.coli: The cause of resistant and recurrent urinary tract infections

A few years ago, researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had a nagging suspicion about the poultry on our plates.

They thought it could be bringing dangerous bacteria into our bodies that eventually end up in the urinary tract and potentially the bladder, too.

They first began piecing together the connection between chicken and urinary tract infections (UTIs) after noticing that, in previous research, antibiotic-resistant UTIs were typically caused by a particular strain of E. coli related to the E. coli found in chicken.

“When we compared the fingerprints of the E. coli from the poultry and the human UTI cases, we found there’s an overlap of some genotypes,” said study author Dr. Lee Riley, a professor of infectious disease at Berkeley’s School of Public Health.

Since those findings in 2017, the treatment of UTIs has become complicated. Today, many of the E. coli strains behind UTIs have become resistant to multiple drugs, including fluoroquinolones like ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin.

A 2024 study found that patients with recurrent UTIs had higher rates of resistance and noted that resistance increases with subsequent infections.

It’s an uncomfortable and dangerous situation… one that could put your life in jeopardy. An untreated UTI, after all, can spread to your kidneys and even your bloodstream.

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How E. coli infects the urinary tract, and how to avoid it

It’s not an uncomfortable conversation, but we need to talk about how E. coli from chicken can make it into someone’s urinary tract.

They suspect that people who end up with these infections are either eating chicken that hasn’t been handled correctly in the kitchen or cooked thoroughly enough to kill the bacteria.

Of course, washing hands is paramount before cooking or handling food, but washing them after handling raw meat is just as important. When cooking chicken, ensure the meat has no pink tint (use a food thermometer to verify the chicken’s internal temperature is at least 165°F).

Still, how does the E. coli make it to the urinary tract?

Anatomy is the reason women are more prone to UTIs — though men have plenty of ways to end up with painful UTIs, too. But in women, the urethra, which carries urine from the bladder to exit the body, is typically shorter — and it’s in very close proximity to the anus.

This is the reason women grow up hearing the mantra “wipe front to back.” If you don’t wipe front to back, and you’ve ingested E. coli, it’s possible to bring the bacteria up from the anus to the urethra, where they can invade the urinary tract.

Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to antibiotic-resistant infections. Cranberry juice, already popular as a remedy, recently had its credibility backed by science. That’s why it’s included in this three-part system my friend Dr. Adria Schmedhorst shared, that could help you keep the threat of recurrent UTIs at bay.

The post The food that may give you an antibiotic-resistant UTI appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

While antibiotics are invaluable for fighting bacterial infections, they can also present serious risks if overused or misused, and it appears that physicians are finally getting that message.

For instance, antibiotic overuse has been linked to gut problems because it destroys much of the friendly bacteria that make up the gut microbiota. One study found that it takes the gut microbiota as long as six months following antibiotic use to recover. Still some species of bacteria may never return.

When this happens, the effects extend far beyond the gut, potentially interfering with healthy aging and metabolic health, for starters.

As if that weren’t bad enough, researchers have discovered another lasting way antibiotics harm the gut — even if you haven’t taken them recently…

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Antibiotics’ effect on the gut lining

While previous research has shown the impact of short-term antibiotic treatment on the intestinal environment, it is less clear how repeated antibiotic use over time affects the gut.

So, researchers at Umeå University in Sweden teamed up with those at Tartu University in Estonia, who had built a deep cohort of individuals who provided stool samples and health records, to learn more.

The research team selected individuals who had taken at least five courses of antibiotics in the past, but not within six months of the stool collection. They then compared the microbiomes of these individuals with those of individuals who had not used any antibiotics within the last ten years.

As expected, analysis revealed changes to gut bacteria composition, indicating that repeated antibiotic use can have a lasting effect on the microbiome that can persist at least months after the most recent treatment, according to Kertu-Liis Krigul, a Ph.D. student at Tartu.

But that wasn’t all…

The researchers transplanted the human microbiota into mice and used specialized methods to analyze the function of the gut’s protective mucus layer. This continuously expanding layer lines the intestines and prevents bacteria from crossing it. However, if the gut microbiome is disrupted, the barrier can lose its ability to function properly.

They observed that bacteria from humans with a history of repeated antibiotic use contained higher amounts of bacteria that damaged the mucus layer, resulting in increased permeability.

That means dangerous bacteria could penetrate the intestinal lining, a symptom of a condition known as leaky gut syndrome, which can trigger inflammation and potentially contribute to the development of diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

“Looking at the bacteria present in the gut in more detail, we could see that bacteria known to feed on the mucus layer were present at higher levels in these mice,” says Rachel Feeney, a Ph.D. student at Umeå. “This further supports a role for the gut bacteria in determining how well the mucus barrier can function.”

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Antibiotics themselves can do damage

In a separate study conducted as part of another international collaboration, researchers administered the antibiotic vancomycin to normal and bacteria-free mice.

By doing so, they discovered that the antibiotics themselves can directly disrupt the mucus lining in a manner independent from gut bacteria. The antibiotic was found to disrupt mucus expansion within a few minutes of application.

“Together, these two studies suggest that antibiotics can damage the mucus layer through at least two independent mechanisms, and that they may have long-lasting effects through an altered gut bacteria,” says Björn Schröder, docent in infection biology in the Department of Molecular Biology at Umeå. “This further supports the notion that antibiotics should be administered in a responsible manner.”

There may be times when you can’t avoid using antibiotics to fight off an infection. When you do have to take them, it’s essential that you pair them with probiotics to help shore up your gut health.

There are plenty of foods that contain probiotics, including yogurt, kefir and fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut and miso.

You can also get probiotics from supplements — but if you do, make sure the supplement you take contains live cultures. And be sure to take it two hours apart from your antibiotics.

Sources:

Antibiotic usage can damage the protective mucus layer in the gut — ScienceDaily

Antibiotics damage the colonic mucus barrier in a microbiota-independent manner — Science Advances

Antibiotic Use and Stewardship in the United States, 2023 Update: Progress and Opportunities — U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The post How antibiotics wreak lasting damage in your gut appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

With the number of antimicrobial-resistant infections surpassing 2.8 million annually in the U.S. alone, the situation is not just alarming but also on a steady rise.

Recent findings from an international research team have shed light on a new factor contributing to the persistence of antibiotic resistance, adding to our understanding of the issue.

And it makes the best-known reasons for antibiotic resistance (overuse/misuse of antibiotics) pale in comparison…

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Nanoplastics overload and sabotage

As the troubling news has come out, we’ve shared that microplastics and nanoplastics are building up in the human body — found in blood clots, artery-clogging plaques, and human brains.

These plastic particles, smaller than 0.001 millimeters, are considered particularly harmful to humans thanks to their small size.

Because they are so tiny, you never see them, but you consume them in the fish and seafood you eat; they slide into your body when you drink bottled water, leach into your food from take-out containers, and hitchhike into your body on the air in your home.

In fact, the researchers say nanoplastics are a vastly underestimated danger indoors…

“The micro- and nanoplastic load is around five times higher there than outdoors. Nylon is one of the reasons for this: it is released from textiles and enters the body via respiration, for example,” says study author Lukas Kenner.

He and fellow researchers have discovered a new way they bring our health down — by binding to the medication we take and disrupting how it should function…

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Destroying antibiotic effectiveness

Using complex computer models, the researchers proved that nanoplastics can bind the broad-spectrum antibiotic tetracycline, which treats many bacterial infections, such as those of the respiratory tract, skin or intestines.

This binding can not only impair the effect of the drugs, but it could also cause the antibiotic to be transported to areas of the body it wasn’t meant for, so it either loses its intended effects or even causes undesirable effects.

Even worse, it could promote the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

 “Our finding, that the local concentration of antibiotics on the surface of the nanoplastic particles can increase, is particularly worrying,” said Kenner.

This is especially true considering they saw that certain plastics, such as nylon, can bind more strongly to tetracycline, which could worsen the antibiotic-resistance epidemic.

“At a time when antibiotic resistance is becoming an ever greater threat worldwide, such interactions must be taken into account,” Kenner continued.

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Reducing nanoplastic exposure

With that in mind, how can you limit the amount of nanoplastics your body is exposed to daily?

1. Don’t use nonstick pans – Nonstick cookware gradually loses its coating, releasing tiny plastic particles into the food cooked in them. In fact, a single crack in a Teflon-coated pan can discharge a whopping 9,100 plastic particles.
2. Filter your water – Skip the bottled water and instead use a reverse osmosis filter in your home.
3. Say goodbye to plastic – Toss out plastic food storage containers, dishware, cups, and plastic wrap for food storage. Instead, use glass, stoneware or porcelain.
4. Exercise regularly – Endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA have been found in sweat, so getting in your exercise may help your body release these dangerous plastics.
5. Eat your veggies – Some cruciferous vegetables can act as chelators by binding to chemicals from plastic so that your body can sweep them from your body. Eat at least two servings of foods like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, arugula, or dark leafy greens like kale daily.

Also, to help your body deal with antibiotic issues, add a probiotic supplement to your daily regimen. Research has shown that people who take probiotics are less likely to require antibiotic treatment.

Sources:

Antimicrobial Resistance Facts and Stats — CDC

Nanoplastics impair antibiotic effectiveness and promote resistance — News Medical Life Sciences

The post The threat increasing your body’s resistance to antibiotics appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Men get them, too. But a whopping 60% of women will experience the discomfort and pain of a UTI at some point in their life.

And if you’re one of the really unfortunate women out there, UTIs can become a chronic problem. You go from one infection to the next, and if things get bad enough, your doctor will put you on long-term antibiotics just to head off the next one.

But antibiotic resistance is fueled by just such constant use of these drugs.

In fact, the World Health Organization found that one of the antibiotics most widely used to treat UTIs already has a 50% resistance rate— which means this antibiotic is now ineffective for half of all people who try it.

Fortunately, there are natural alternatives to antibiotics (more about that in a minute).

And now, a discovery about where the bacteria that cause UTIs actually live promises to reduce the need to overuse the antibiotics that treat these infections.

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Treat the bladder AND the vagina to end the loop

Until lately, it’s been widely assumed that these infection-causing bacteria live only in a woman’s bladder — in fact, UTIs are also associated with bladder infections. But a recent study has proven otherwise…

A team led by Dr. Takanori Sekito of Okayama University’s Graduate School of Medicine analyzed samples taken from both the bladder and the vagina of infected women. They found that the bacteria in both places were genetically identical.

And, as the bacteria get passed back and forth between the vagina and the bladder, they create infections that are almost impossible to treat.

As Dr. Sekito explains, “The vagina can serve as a reservoir of enteric bacteria, including E. coli, and cystitis can become intractable.” In other words, with the bacteria causing infection in both places, it becomes a recurring loop of agony for many women.

This discovery opens the door to more effective treatment and prevention that doesn’t involve antibiotics.

I’ll let Dr. Sekito explain:

“We are developing Lactobacillus vaginal suppositories, as a means of prevention and treatment of recurrent cystitis. This new ‘non-antimicrobial’ prevention will reduce the unnecessary administration of antimicrobials and the consequent emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. The Lactobacillus suppositories will effectively regulate the vaginal environment and reduce the virulence of E. coli.”

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Cutting down on UTIs

A vaginal suppository that could short-circuit the cycle of recurring UTIs would be a game-changer for women.

But until those suppositories are on the market, there’s no need to suffer. There is a lot of science behind other natural ways to attack these nasty infections, including traditional sources or probiotics…

Probiotics. Strains of lactobacillus, the bacterial family found in probiotic foods such as sauerkraut, pickles, yogurt, and probiotic supplements, have been found to cling to the vaginal walls and to be active against the main pathogens responsible for UTIs. Probiotics specifically branded for women to support urinary health are already on the market and feature Lactobacillus strains.

But you must also feed those good bacteria prebiotics to sustain the balance of good bacteria. That’s easy enough — prebiotics are found in bananas, oats, asparagus, flax seeds, apples and of course supplements.

Cranberries. It’s been anecdotal for decades, but research has finally shown that cranberries can keep UTIs away.The proanthocyanidins (a type of polyphenol) they contain keep E. coli from sticking to the urinary tract lining.

Manuka honey. Produced by bees that pollinate the Manuka tree, native to New Zealand, Manuka honey can stop the growth of urinary tract-causing bacteria and prevent them from forming biofilms (a thin layer of bacteria that adhere to your bladder and cause chronic or recurring bladder infections). Antibiotics typically can’t touch these biofilms because the bacteria in them are notoriously antibiotic-resistant.

In addition, wearing loose-fitting clothing, drinking plenty of water, fully emptying your bladder when you urinate and taking vitamin C can help.

Sources:

A tale of two “niches”: The microbial connection between urinary bladder and vagina — Eureka Alert

Are probiotics good for vaginal health? — Cleveland Clinic

Homology of Escherichia coli isolated from urine and vagina and their antimicrobial susceptibility in postmenopausal women with recurrent cystitis — Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy

The post Stopping ‘recurring loop of infection’ can end chronic UTI appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

With a growing number of germs becoming harder to treat with antibiotics, like those that cause drug-resistant pneumococcal pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus (or “staph”) or even Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), it can be hard to know how to protect yourself.

But now, scientists say they may have an answer to reduce antibiotic resistance.

Here’s why they say that the next time your doctor prescribes antibiotics, you should also take one other pill — fish oil!

Stopping the resistance of ‘superbugs’

Australian scientists found a chink in the armor of so-called ‘superbugs.’

Led by Flinders University, the researchers discovered that omega-3 fatty acids, like those found in fish oil, can break down the ability of superbugs to become resistant to antibiotics.

In fact, they say that adding fish oil to your antibiotic regimen could be the secret to taking your fight against these microbes to the next level.

Amazingly enough, the team was researching the antibiotic resistance of one of the toughest superbugs of all — Acinetobacter baumannii. It’s one of the leading hospital-acquired germs and one of the most resistant to multiple drugs.

This fact makes it incredibly dangerous since doctors don’t have many effective antibiotic choices left to fight it.

Yet, the researchers found that the fatty acids in fish oil make the germ’s membrane more permeable to antibiotics. This means a broader choice of medicines may now be able to get through its defenses

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“In the experiments, and complementary supercomputer modeling, we found that these fatty acids in fish oil render the bacteria more susceptible to various common antibiotics,” said microbiologist Dr. Bart Eijkelkamp, who leads the Bacterial Host Adaptation Research Lab at Flinders University.

The researchers said that the greedy superbugs just can’t distinguish between ‘good and bad’ host fatty acids. So they gobble them all up. And in the process, they leave themselves open and susceptible to antibiotic treatment.

Many benefits to supplementing omega-3s

“These studies provide new insights into the potential benefits of omega-3 supplements for bacterial infection, in particular during antibiotic treatment,” says Professor Anton Peleg, director of the Department of Infectious Diseases at The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne.

Of course, there are already so many benefits to supplementing omega-3s that this news is just icing on the cake — even if we can’t consider omega-3s a full-blown cure for antibiotic resistance.

Both EPA and DHA, the two types of fatty acids most abundant in fish and shellfish (like krill oil from tiny shrimp-like shellfish), have numerous studies supporting benefits for brain and heart health, may help regulate cholesterol, ease joint pain and even shrink fat.

Though this study was performed using fish oil, it has been reported that the omega-3 fatty acids from krill are more bioavailable — meaning they are more easily absorbed into the body. Krill is also considered a “cleaner” source of omega-3s, especially when it comes to mercury contaminants.

Sources:

Antibiotic / Antimicrobial Resistance (AR / AMR) — CDC

Antibiotic resistance — WHO

New defense against superbugs: Taking fish oil may reduce antibiotic resistance — PHYS.ORG

The post Why you should take fish oil with your antibiotic appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s what Dr. Gabrielle Williams had to say about recent findings regarding the effectiveness of cranberry juice to avoid urinary tract infections (UTIs) in people who are susceptible to them, and who suffer from repeated episodes of these painful infections.

Centuries ago, Native Americans valued cranberries for bladder problems. And like me, you probably grew up with a mom who suggested drinking cranberry juice to avoid this painful condition.

But science has often scoffed at this anecdotal evidence, chalking it up to an old wives’ tale. That is, until now…

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Proof cranberry products prevent UTIs

Dr. Gabrielle Williams, a clinical researcher and epidemiologist at the University of Sydney, led a research review that looked for evidence to back up the apparent effectiveness of cranberry juice in preventing UTIs.

Even though cranberry juice and supplements with cranberry have long been promoted as good prevention against UTIs — and even though lots of women swear by that — the most recent review of 24 clinical trials in 2012 said otherwise.

Thankfully, scientists from Flinders University and The Children’s Hospital at Westmead sought to update these findings…

After adding 26 new studies to the 2012 review, bringing the total number of studies to 50 with 8,857 participants — they analyzed results from trials of cranberry products compared with placebos, with antibiotics or probiotics and with no treatment at all.

Results showed that consuming cranberry products (in juice, tablet, or capsule form) was strongly associated with reduced risk of UTIs in women with recurrent infections.

There was a significant protective benefit noted among children, and among people at risk of UTIs due to interventions such as bladder radiotherapy. No significant benefit was noted for elderly subjects in particular.

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Why does it work?

It’s estimated that about 90 percent of UTIs are caused by the bacterium E. coli.

Earlier research has shown that it could be the proanthocyanidins (a type of polyphenol) in cranberries that do the job, by keeping E. coli bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract lining. Cranberries, along with blueberries and chokeberries (Aronia berries) are among the few sources of this powerful polyphenol compound.

Preventing UTIs means less reliance on antibiotics

Antibiotics have their place. If a UTI goes untreated it can move to the kidneys and cause complications, including sepsis in very severe cases. But for women with recurrent infections, antibiotics can pose other problems…

E. coli is becoming resistant to our best antibiotic treatments. That’s one very important reason why prevention is so important.

There are a few other tips to help cut down on UTI risk…

First, get in the habit of urinating when you have the urge, rather than holding it in (yes, even at night). Studies have found that holding your urine in for a long time allows bacteria to multiply in your urinary tract, resulting in a urinary tract infection.

Next, wear loose-fitting, dry clothing. Loose-fitting clothes and underwear allow airflow that can help keep unnecessary moisture away to keep the urethra dry.

Sources:

A myth no more: Cranberry products can prevent urinary tract infections for women — Eureka Alert

It’s Official: Cranberries Can Reduce Risk of UTI by 50% in Certain People — Science Alert

Is cranberry juice really effective against urinary tract infections? — Medical News Today

Cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections — Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Cranberry products can prevent urinary tract infections — Flinders University

Cranberry Products Inhibit Adherence of P-Fimbriated Escherichia Coli to Primary Cultured Bladder and Vaginal Epithelial Cells — The Journal of Urology

The post It’s official: Cranberries keep urinary tract infections away appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

One, what do you think is the dirtiest place in your house?

And two, how often do you launder your sheets and pillowcases?

If you’re like most of us, your answer to the first question was “the bathroom, of course!”

After all, it’s where we go to clean off the day’s dirt and “relieve” ourselves. Not to mention that flushing the toilet is the most effective way to disperse bathroom germs far and wide!

It’s a good guess, but you’d be wrong…

Turns out that those comfy sheets and pillowcases you’re sleeping on every night are home to more harmful bacteria than you’ll find in any bathroom.

Here’s what you need to know, and how to keep your bed from making you sick.

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The four types of bacteria living in your bed

According to a recent report, there are four main strains of bacteria that thrive on your unwashed pillowcases and sheets:

• Gram-negative rods are the most common. They cause pneumonia and other infections. And, the CDC tells us that most gram-negative rods can lead to antibiotic resistance.
• Bacilli cause a range of infections from food poisoning to meningitis and endocarditis.
• Gram-positive cocci, the most well-known being staphylococcus and streptococcus. These bacteria are also behind a range of infections that includes strep throat, sepsis, urinary tract and blood infections.
• Gram-positive rods, which are not typically harmful to humans.

A dirty pillowcase has more bacteria than a toilet seat

A recent study looked at just how infectious your sheets and pillowcases get during a period of just four weeks.

To see just how many tiny critters collect on sheets and pillowcases, volunteers swabbed their sheets for four weeks without washing them.

After one week, both pillowcases and sheets contained between three and five million CFUs (colony-forming units) of bacteria per square inch.

By week four, they both had almost twelve million CFUs.

Pillowcases that were washed just one week ago had over 17 thousand times the number of bacteria found on a typical toilet seat!

In particular, pillowcases harbored more bacilli and gram-positive cocci.

In other words, after just one week, your pillowcase could be a breeding ground for some nasty infections.

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How often should you wash your bedding?

The American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing your sheets at least once a week.

But pillowcases should be swapped out at least 2-3 times per week!

“When you get into bed, you contaminate your bed linens with dead skin cells (about 50 million per day), sweat, makeup, lotions, hair, and anything else you’ve picked up during the day, from pollen and pet dander to fungal mold and dirt particles to bacteria and viral particles as well,” says Dr. Hadley King, a board-certified dermatologist in New York.

Dead skin cells and sweat provide food for dust mites, adds Dr. King, attracting them to your bed and helping them multiply.

A few more tips to avoid a germ-filled slumber

The following tips can help you keep your sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and even your mattress relatively germ-free.

Use heat. Wash your bedding in hot water. But if washing instructions on your sheets say to wash in cold water, the Mayo Clinic recommends putting them in the dryer for at least 15 minutes first, at a temperature above 130 degrees. Then wash and dry.

Wipe down your bed rails or headboard. The CDC recommends doing this to lower your exposure to pathogens.

Make your bed. Dr. Alok Vij, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic, says that making your bed “will reduce the moisture that dust mites and bacteria need to proliferate.”

Sources:

Unwashed pillowcases contain more bacteria than toilet seats: report — New York Post

Bacteria in your Bed — Amerisleep

Why a Derm Says You Should Be Changing Your Pillowcases Every Couple of Days — Well + Good

How Often Should You Change Your Sheets—Really? — Well + Good

The post Toilet seat or pillowcase: Which holds more infectious germs? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I’m not talking about your average chest cold or even a stuffy nose or sinus infection.

I’m talking about a genetic disease known as cystic fibrosis.

While CF “only” affects about 100,000 people in the world, it is a terrifying disease.

People with CF are prone to lung infections caused by a bacterium that is resistant to antibiotic treatment.

Fortunately, there’s good news from the British research community: a natural substance that, when combined with an antibiotic, is working wonders to treat CF and improve survival odds and quality of life for people with the disease.

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Manuka honey: anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory wonder

In the world of natural remedies, manuka honey is already a wunderkind of healing. It’s known to heal bladder infections and skin wounds and promote healthy bacterial growth in the gut.

Not your ordinary honey, manuka honey contains anti-bacterial compounds that come from the pollen of the manuka flowers of Australia and New Zealand.

There have been reports of manuka honey acting synergistically with certain antibiotics to prevent the growth of certain antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

And now, British researchers have combined Manuka honey with the antibiotic used against CF lung infections, with some amazing results.

Antibiotics + Manuka honey spells relief with fewer side effects

Scientists at Aston University in Birmingham, England, have combined an antibiotic with manuka honey in a treatment that not only kills a highly drug-resistant form of bacteria, but improves the quality of life and life expectancy for people with cystic fibrosis.

Mycobacterium abscessus is a bacterium from the same family of bacteria that causes tuberculosis. But this bacterium causes serious lung infections in people with CF.

Right now, the only treatment is a year of chemotherapy that doesn’t often succeed in curing the infection.

By combining manuka honey with amikacin (the antibiotic of choice for these infections), scientists found that the dosage could be reduced from 16 mcg/ml to just 2 mcg/ml.

This reduction in dosage will potentially save CF patients the ravages of the side effects of amikacin.

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Dr. Jonathan Cox, senior lecturer in microbiology at Aston University and study author, had this to say:

“By combining a totally natural ingredient such as manuka honey with amikacin, one of the most important yet toxic drugs used for treating Mycobacterium abscessus, we have found a way to potentially kill off these bacteria with eight times less drug than before. This has the potential to significantly reduce amikacin-associated hearing loss and greatly improve the quality of life of so many patients — particularly those with cystic fibrosis.”

Other healing uses for Manuka honey

Of course, you don’t have to be living with cystic fibrosis to enjoy the health benefits of Manuka honey.

Next time you cut yourself, try slathering some Manuka honey on the wound instead of antibiotic ointment and watch the rapid healing that takes place.

Or if you suffer from chronic bladder infections (or just want to improve your bladder health), try this combination of Manuka honey, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and hot water.

Manuka honey also works on gingivitis (gum disease) and strep throat.

It really is the unsung hero of natural remedies!

Sources:

Manuka honey could help clear deadly drug-resistant lung infection, research finds —Science Daily

In vitro synergy between manuka honey and amikacin against Mycobacterium abscessus complex shows potential for nebulisation therapy — Microbiology Society

The post A ‘sweet’ solution to antibiotic-resistant lung infections appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Yet, when that balance tips out of whack, dangerous pathogens can slip past these weakened defenses, causing infection.

And perhaps one of the worst and most dangerous of the lot is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius or MRSP. A bacteria that is common in domesticated animals but can cross the species barrier, MRSP has become antibiotic resistant, making it extremely difficult to treat clinically.

Luckily, research out of the University of California San Diego School of Medicine may have solved that problem and finally found the answer to overcoming this antibiotic resistance in a very unlikely way — with your cat.

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Using bacteria to fight bacteria

The researchers used a cutting-edge approach to fighting MRSP known as “bacteriotherapy.”

Basically, this is when you use bacteria or their products to treat illnesses.

In this case, the team turned to bacteria found on healthy cats to successfully treat an MRSP skin infection on mice.

The team first screened a library of bacteria that normally live on dogs and cats and grew them in the presence of MRSP. From these, they were then able to identify a strain of cat bacteria called Staphylococcus felis (S. felis) that was especially good at inhibiting MRSP growth.

How?

This “lucky” bacteria actually produces multiple antibiotics that kill MRSP by disrupting its cell wall and increasing the production of cell-destroying free radicals!

“The potency of this species is extreme,” said Richard L. Gallo, MD, PhD, the study’s lead author. “It is strongly capable of killing pathogens, in part because it attacks them from many sides — a strategy known as ‘polypharmacy.’ This makes it particularly attractive as a therapeutic.”

You see, according to the researchers, bacteria, like MRSP, can easily develop resistance to a single antibiotic.

But S. felis gets around this issue since it possesses four genes that code for four distinct antimicrobial peptides. Each of these antibiotics is capable of killing MRSP on its own, but by working together, they make it more difficult for the bacteria to fight back.

It’s bacterial warfare at its best!

In fact, the results were so promising that the researchers plan to take the next steps in a clinical trial that pits MRSP against S. felis head-to-head, possibly via a topical spray, cream or gel that contains the live bacteria.

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Give your cat a treat

However, while these options aren’t available to all of the rest of us yet — the researchers say that “It may even be possible that living with a healthy cat provides humans with some protection against MRSP.”

This means that it might just be time to say thanks to your furry companion for protecting your skin against antibiotic-resistant bacteria, like MRSP.

As an added bonus, in addition to the bacterial protection cats may offer, studies have found that spending time with your feline may offer six other health benefits, including stronger bones.

Sources:

Cat bacteria treats mouse skin infection, may help you and your pets as well — EurekAlert!

The post Having a cat could protect you against a staph infection appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In the following decades, more than 100 antibiotics have become widely available.

However, their ease of access led to overuse. Even though antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections, doctors have often used them to treat viral infections as well.

This has led to antibiotic resistance. And though it’s been a serious problem for decades, the medical community didn’t respond in earnest to this threat until the past decade or so.

Doctors doubled down on their efforts to scale back antibiotic use — and it seemed to be working…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that from 2012 to 2017, antimicrobial-resistant infections in U.S. hospitals fell by 27 percent. So, there was definite progress being made.

Then, the pandemic happened…

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COVID-19’s new wave of antibiotic resistance

According to the CDC, in 2020 antimicrobial-resistant infections and deaths increased by an overall 15 percent among seven specific pathogens that can cause pneumonia and infections of the blood and other parts of the body.

For instance, there was a 78 percent increase in infections caused by Acinetobacter which is resistant to carbapenem, the main antibiotic used to treat it. This bacteria can cause lung, blood, wound and urinary tract (UTI) infections, among others.

There was also a 32 percent spike in multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections, which can include UTIs, upper respiratory, skin, bone and joint infections, as well as gastro and systemic infections.

A 14 percent rise was seen in vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), and a 13 percent increase in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.

Fungal infections caused by resistant pathogens also rose in 2020. Candida auris infection rose 60 percent overall, and hospital-based infections caused by all other Candida species increased 26 percent.

Infection control took a hit

So, what caused these increases? According to the CDC, it was a combination of too many antibiotics and not enough infection control.

From March 2020 to October 2020, almost 80 percent of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 received an antibiotic. Sicker patients required more frequent and longer use of medical devices like catheters and ventilators, both of which raise the risk of infection.

Even though some may have been appropriate to control the risk for related bacterial or fungal infections, this high level of use can allow resistance to develop and spread.

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 29,400 people died from antimicrobial-resistant infections commonly associated with healthcare. And nearly 40 percent of these developed the infection while they were in the hospital.

The pandemic also reversed the progress being made in cautious antibiotic prescribing. In the first year of the pandemic, patients with pneumonia-like symptoms of fever and shortness of breath were often given antibiotics as a first treatment option, even though these symptoms indicated COVID-19 was a virus for which antibiotics are not effective.

“This setback can and must be temporary,” says Michael Craig, director of CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Coordination & Strategy Unit. “The COVID-19 pandemic has unmistakably shown us that antimicrobial resistance will not stop if we let down our guard; there is no time to waste. “The best way to avert a pandemic caused by an antimicrobial-resistant pathogen is to identify gaps and invest in prevention to keep our nation safe.”

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How can you protect yourself

The CDC says it remains committed to the U.S. National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (CARB) and will move forward by addressing gaps in the public health system and exploring investments in U.S. healthcare infrastructure.

In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to protect yourself from antibiotic resistance…

The first is to ask questions if you are prescribed an antibiotic. For instance, sinus infections are extremely common, and doctors and patients often take the antibiotic treatment route. But investigators have found that antibiotics aren’t necessary for a basic sinus infection — most people get better on their own.

Secondly, try to stay out of the hospital, since that’s the place you’re most likely to contract a resistant infection. But accidents and medical emergencies do happen.

That makes it important that you do things to shore up your immune system so it’s ready for battle, with or without antibiotics…

• Eat a well-balanced diet with plenty of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables—and few if any processed foods and red meat. In fact, consider the foods that decreased frontline workers’ risk of COVID-19 infection by 73 percent.

• Eat more garlic. Garlic contains a powerful compound known as allicin that has demonstrated antiviral, antifungal and antibiotic effects. It’s even been reported to kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

• Get plenty of vitamins A, C and D as well as zinc, whether through diet or supplements to help boost your immune system.

• Take probiotics. Studies show that certain microbes that are part of a healthy gut microbiome can extend to your lungs and help protect them from pneumonia-causing microbes. Probiotics can also protect your gut microbiome against dysbiosis if you have to take antibiotics. But take them daily — not just when you get sick.

• Supplement omega-3 fatty acids when you have to take antibiotics. Fish oil was found to boost the effectiveness of antibiotics against Acinetobacter, mentioned above as one of the most troubling. “Fatty acids in fish oil render the bacteria more susceptible to various common antibiotics,” said microbiologist Dr. Bart Eijkelkamp, who leads the Bacterial Host Adaptation Research Lab at Flinders University.

Sources:

COVID-19 Reverses Progress in Fight Against Antimicrobial Resistance in U.S. — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

9 Antibiotic Alternatives You Need To Have On Hand — Easy Health Options

Discovery and Development of Penicillin — ACS

Antibiotics — eMedicineHealth

The evolving response to antibiotic resistance (1945–2018) — Humanities & Social Sciences Communications

The post COVID’s surprising legacy: Making other infections more dangerous appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But overuse and misuse of antibiotics have led to an epidemic of resistant bugs and infections. That means some diseases have grown increasingly difficult to treat because the pathogens that cause them have grown immune to the antibiotics designed to treat them.

That’s not all, though. They also disrupt the gut microbiome in ways that are linked to rising cases of colon cancer, diabetes and even rheumatoid arthritis.

Not surprisingly, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is one of these diseases on the rise — and it’s targeting a vulnerable population.

If you’re over 60, you’ll want to read on. I’m going to tell you about recent research that shows how antibiotic use increases your risk for IBD, and how you can control that risk.

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The dangers of antibiotics for older people

Inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis usually strike in the young adult years. At that age, it’s usually more connected to genetics than to any environmental factors.

Now, however, antibiotic use may be linked to an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease in people over 60.

Researchers at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine reviewed prescribing records of people over 60 who were first diagnosed with IBD between 2000 and 2018.

Specifically, they looked at three variables:

• The number of antibiotics prescribed.
• How recently they had been prescribed in relation to the diagnosis.
• Specific types of antibiotics used.

The results:

• People who had one prescription were 27 percent more likely to be diagnosed with IBD. That number jumped to 67 percent with three prescriptions and 96 percent with four prescriptions.
• New IBD diagnoses were highest among people who were prescribed antibiotics within one to two years before their diagnosis.
• Antibiotics for gastrointestinal infections were more likely to be associated with IBD.

IBD is painful, difficult and debilitating. First, there’s the chronic inflammation of your digestive tract. You never know when you may experience a painful flare that makes you feel awful and prevents your body from getting the nutrition it needs. There’s also weight loss and diarrhea.

And if you’re a senior, the risks are even higher…

A Swedish study showed that being diagnosed with IBD in your 60s makes you 50 percent more likely to die early than people your age who don’t have IBD.

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Protecting your gut

When it comes to antibiotic use, proceed with caution.

And that’s just what Adam S. Faye, MD, MS, lead researcher on the study and assistant professor of medicine and population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, advises: “Antibiotic stewardship is important; but avoiding antibiotics at all costs is not the right answer either,”

In addition to good stewardship, it’s generally a good idea to eat yogurt regularly so your gut is well-populated with beneficial bacteria. But at the very least, eat yogurt daily during a round of antibiotics.

It’s also important to avoid other factors that increase your risk for IBD:

• Smoking cigarettes is the most controllable risk factor for developing Crohn’s disease.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, and others), naproxen sodium (Aleve) and diclofenac sodium and others, increase the risk of developing and worsening IBD.
• Low vitamin D levels can not only increase the risk for IBD but can also worsen symptoms if you have the disease. That’s because vitamin D plays a significant role in the maintenance of gastrointestinal barrier integrity (see Leaky Gut), supporting the microbiota and promoting a healthy inflammatory immune response. To raise and maintain levels, consider supplementing 2000 to 5000 IU daily of the vitamin form D3.

And of course, vitamin D does great things for your immune system as well. When sunlight hits the skin, a process begins that naturally produces vitamin D in your body. But what you may not know is that vitamin D3, like the sun produces, activates gene expression of antimicrobial peptides known as cathelicidins.

These peptides are what give vitamin D3 its “germ-killing” properties. Studies show that cathelicidins stimulate the body’s immune cells and help it fight off infection.

Sources:

Antibiotic use associated with inflammatory bowel disease in older adults —  Eureka Alert

Older Adults Who Frequently Use Antibiotics May Have Higher Risk of Inflammatory Bowel Disease —  Healthline

Antibiotics linked to inflammatory bowel disease in older adults — Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP)

Colloidal silver: a novel treatment for Staphylococcus aureus biofilms? —  International Forum of Allergy and Rhinology

The Role of Vitamin D in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Mechanism to Management — Nutrients

The post The medication increasing inflammatory bowel disease in people over 60 appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

While recent studies have examined what sort of modifications might be made in the gut microbiome of infants to prevent antibiotic-resistant bacteria from growing, little has been done to explore this question as it relates to the adult diet.

A recent study has changed that and has revealed a surprisingly simple dietary “fix” that could be at least one way to address this issue.

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Dietary changes that stand up to resistant bacteria

What sorts of food should we eat more of, and which should we eliminate or reduce, to stop the development of antibiotic-resistant microbes?

Researchers at the Western Human Nutrition Research Center in California hypothesized that more fiber and less animal protein would do the trick.

They examined data from 290 healthy adults, looking for associations between the levels of antibiotic resistance genes in gut microbes and both fiber and animal protein in the adults’ diets.

Some of their findings were expected, while others were somewhat surprising.

A diet that included high levels of soluble fiber and low levels of protein, especially from beef and pork, was highly correlated with lower levels of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARG) in the microbes of the gut.

This was certainly not a surprise. Recent research has already shown that our gut needs soluble fiber and that not getting enough seems to increase the risk of developing dementia later in life.

The surprise was that the amount of meat in the diet was not a top predictor of having high levels of ARG in the gut.

The best predictor was the amount of soluble fiber and, beyond that, the variety of sources from which this fiber was derived.

“Surprisingly, the most important predictor of low levels of ARG, even more than fiber, was the diversity of the diet. This suggests that we may want to eat from diverse sources of foods that tend to be higher in soluble fiber for maximum benefit,” says Danielle Lemay, research molecular biologist at the Western Human Nutrition Research Center and leader of the study.

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Fiber and other ways to fight antibiotic-resistant infections

Soluble fiber, as its name suggests, dissolves in water and is the main type of fiber found in grains like barley and oats, legumes like beans, lentils and peas, seeds (like chia seeds) and nuts, and some fruits and vegetables like carrots, berries, artichokes, broccoli and winter squash.

There is plenty of evidence that most Americans aren’t getting enough fiber in their diets to maintain good health, so making sure to include these foods in your diet is the first and easiest step to preventing the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in your gut.

Of course, there are other ways to keep your gut in balance:

Use antibiotics properly. Remember that antibiotics do not treat viral infections. Many doctors will prescribe them anyway, partly because many people expect them and on the off-chance that your viral infection sparks a bacterial infection. In some cases, especially sinus infections, it’s often best to wait and see if they will be necessary.

Make bacteria-fighting food part of your routine. Manuka honey is well-known for treating bladder infections and strep throat and promoting gut health in general. Pomegranate seed extract inhibits the growth of staph bacteria and E. Coli, as well as C. difficile, one of the most difficult-to-treat antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

Sources:

Diets high in fiber associated with less antibiotic resistance in gut bacteria — Science Daily

Association of Diet and Antimicrobial Resistance in Healthy U.S. Adults — American Society for Microbiology

Most Americans are not getting enough fiber in our diets — American Society for Nutrition

The post A fiber fix for antibiotic-resistant infections appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Each time you run to the bathroom, you burn and ache. And almost the second you’re done, the urge to go starts again.

So you head off to your doctor, who gives you a prescription for an antibiotic and lectures you about proper hygiene.

After all, most UTIs are caused by E. coli bacteria that get into the urinary tract. And far too many male doctors are not sympathetic to the frustrations women experience with a UTI.

Even worse, while the antibiotic may provide relief, it’s often only temporary. In fact, a quarter of women go on to develop a second UTI within just six months. And for some of us, the UTIs come back over and over, pushing us into a vicious cycle of taking antibiotics every few months.

Luckily, a study by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine, Harvard and MIT may have found the answer to finally stopping the UTI cycle — and it starts in your gut…

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Your microbiome and your bladder

The bacteria behind most of these repeat infections is E. coli. While it’s in the gut, the body can keep it from causing too much trouble — a gut with a healthy microbial balance, that is.

However, when a woman visits the doctor, she’s often given round after round of antibiotics. But here’s the thing…

Scott J. Hultgren, PhD, is the Helen L. Stoever Professor of Molecular Microbiology at Washington University. “It’s not necessarily poor hygiene that’s causing this. The problem lies in the disease itself, in this connection between the gut and the bladder and levels of inflammation. Basically, physicians don’t know what to do with recurrent UTI. All they have is antibiotics, so they throw more antibiotics at the problem, which probably just makes things worse.”

That’s an understatement — and it’s absolutely true.

His research team studied 15 women with histories of recurrent UTIs and 16 without. Both groups carried E. coli strains in their guts capable of causing UTIs, and such strains occasionally spread to their bladders.

So what was the difference between the two groups of women? The women who experienced repeat UTIs (and took antibiotics to treat the infection each time) had less diversity among the microbes inhabiting their guts — in other words, an imbalance. And that’s an open door for disease-causing bacteria to grow their numbers and wreak havoc. They were particularly low on bacteria that produce butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid with anti-inflammatory effects.

Probiotic + prebiotic power

None of this is surprising if you’re a woman. And no matter what sex you are, by now, all of us know that antibiotic overuse only makes things worse.

And we know how to combat the problem. If the secret to stopping recurrent UTIs is keeping your microbiome healthy, it could be time to add more probiotics to your life.

You can find these beneficial bacteria in fermented foods, such as yogurt. However, many people don’t realize that getting probiotics into your gut is only half of the equation. The other half is feeding them prebiotics to help them thrive.

Sometimes antibiotics are necessary to take. As long as your microbiome is armed and ready, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.

Sources:

Urinary Tract Infection – Mayo Clinic

Recurrent UTIs linked to gut microbiome, chronic inflammation – ScienceDaily

The post Recurrent UTIs start in your gut — not your bladder appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

However, research published by the American Society for Microbiology is proving that modern food practices may be turning that much loved saying on its head.

In fact, apples and other fruits you pick up each time you go to the grocery store might send you running to the doctor or even the nearest emergency room — all because of a pathogenic yeast that can cause invasive infections, including bloodstream and wound infections.

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The double-edged sword of freshness preservation

You see, decades ago when that old saying came into being, the apples people ate were fresh picked and packed with nutrients. And most importantly, they came without the chemicals that now coat the skin of the fruits we eat.

Today, apples and other fruits are prepared for transport by first treating them with a fungicide. The goal is to prevent spoilage and extend shelf life. This helps keep them fresh as they’re stored first in warehouses then on the trucks that cart them hundreds and thousands of miles and finally, on the shelves of your produce aisle.

While this might sound great in theory, there is a downside.

That’s because according to researchers the fungicides may help select and boost the transmission of pathogenic yeasts that are multi-drug resistant.

One such pathogen is Candida auris, which we warned you about a couple of years ago. The problem now is that it’s hitching a ride to your fruit bowl…

How dangerous is C. auris

To get an idea of how bad C. auris really is, here’s a look at what the CDC says about it…

Candida auris is an emerging fungus that presents a serious global health threat. CDC is concerned about C. auris for three main reasons:

1. It is often multidrug-resistant, meaning that it is resistant to multiple antifungal drugs commonly used to treat Candida infections. Some strains are resistant to all three available classes of antifungals.
2. It is difficult to identify with standard laboratory methods, and it can be misidentified in labs without specific technology. Misidentification may lead to inappropriate management.
3. It has caused outbreaks in healthcare settings. For this reason, it is important to quickly identify C. auris in a hospitalized patient so that healthcare facilities can take special precautions to stop its spread.

Pretty scary, right?

Especially considering that research findings at the University of Delhi suggest apples could be a selective force for the pathogen — and help it to spread.

After testing 62 apples, including varieties like Red Delicious and Royal Gala, the scientists identified drug-resistant strains of C. auris on a total of 8 apples (or 13%).

All the apples with the yeast had been stored before purchase, whereas not a single freshly picked apple hosted C. auris.

People with compromised immune systems, including the elderly and those who are already ill, hospitalized or in nursing homes are at the highest risk from C. auris infections.

But the CDC suggests that the risk factors for C. auris infections are generally similar to risk factors for other types of Candida infections — including recent surgery, diabetes, broad-spectrum antibiotic and antifungal use. Infections have been found in patients of all ages, from preterm infants to the elderly.

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Eat your fruit carefully

With these results, you might be wondering whether it’s time to give up those so-called healthy apples. But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Fruit offers a variety of health benefits that you don’t want to miss out on. For example, apples may help lower LDL cholesterol and fight off diabetes.

And, researchers in China have found that people who eat 100 g of fruit each day are one-third less likely to die from cardiovascular disease.

So instead of giving up the benefits of these fruits, simply institute some safer habits…

This includes choosing organic fruit — or better yet, locally-grown organic fruit where possible. Even then ensure every apple or piece of fruit you eat is thoroughly washed to help clear away dangerous pathogens, like C. auris.

This way, you can keep the truth in that that old saying — an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Sources:

Apples and other fruits can host drug-resistant, pathogenic yeasts on surfaces, study finds – ScienceDaily

Candida Auris – CDC

The post Dangerous drug-resistant pathogen coming to your fruit bowl appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Antibiotics kill bacteria that cause infections, but overuse of these powerful drugs can make “good” bacteria go “bad,” leading to the formation of “superbugs” that do not respond to the antibiotics we have available.

Antibiotic use has also been connected with an increased risk of inflammatory bowel disease, heart problems and even colon cancer (especially if you’re under 50).

Now, if we’re not more careful with them, we can add cognitive decline to the conditions that seem to be connected with prolonged antibiotic use…

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Antibiotic use can age your brain by 4 years

A team of epidemiologists at Harvard Medical School has found an as-yet-unexplained link between taking antibiotics for at least two months in midlife, and a dip in cognitive score assessments taken several years later.

The subjects of this study were 14,542 women who were participants in the Nurses’ Health Study, a long-term study started in 1976 that’s now in its third generation of women.

The women’s cognitive ability was assessed starting an average of seven years after they began using antibiotics. They completed an online test at home, which included four different tasks designed to measure different aspects of cognitive performance.

“In a cohort of over 14,000 women, we observed that antibiotic use in midlife was significantly associated with subsequent poorer scores for global cognition, learning, and working memory, and psychomotor speed and attention,” the researchers report.

For the women on antibiotics, the drop in brainpower across various categories of learning, response, and memory was the equivalent of three to four years of normal aging.

In other words, the study data showed that, in women who used antibiotics for only two months, their brainpower was at least three to four years older than their chronological age.

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Caution and alternatives to antibiotic overuse

Now, this study doesn’t prove that antibiotics caused the drop in brainpower. But the association was strong enough to suggest that more research is certainly warranted.

In the meantime, it would be wise to practice caution when it comes to antibiotic use…

First, remember that antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections — not viral ones.

If you must take antibiotics — take them as prescribed and finish the prescription. Otherwise, they may work less effectively for you the next time you need them. A 10-day to two-week regimen is common.

There are also some things you can do to avoid common infections and ramp up your immune system…

• For women, urinary tract infections (UTIs) are all too common. Not only has drinking cranberry juice been shown helpful in helping avoid UTIs, but research has shown cranberries can help improve the effectiveness of antibiotics, which could cut down on overuse.
• Try a nasal wash to avoid sinus infections. According to investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, “Patients don’t get better faster or have fewer symptoms when they get antibiotics,” says Jay F. Piccirillo, M.D., the study’s senior author. “Our results show that antibiotics aren’t necessary for a basic sinus infection — most people get better on their own.”
• Boosting the health of your gut may also make antibiotic use less necessary. A study found that children who took probiotics were 53 percent less likely to need antibiotics. The older we get the more our guts need a helping hand from probiotics.
• Take vitamin D. A very recent study confirmed what most of us have suspected for years about this immune booster — but found out the right form of the vitamin matters. According to Professor Colin Smith, lead author of the study from the University of Surrey, “We have shown that vitamin D3 appears to stimulate the type I interferon signaling system in the body — a key part of the immune system that provides a first line of defense against bacteria and viruses. Thus, a healthy vitamin D3 status may help prevent viruses and bacteria from gaining a foothold in the body.” The same study found that vitamin D2 did not have the same effect.

There’s another big plus about keeping your vitamin D levels up that makes it the perfect answer to the antibiotic-brain health conundrum…

Researchers at the Free Radical Biology in Cancer Core of the Markey Cancer Center at the University of Kentucky found that “adequate vitamin D serum levels are necessary to prevent free radical damage in the brain and subsequent deleterious consequences.”

Sources:

Large-Scale Study Reveals Strange Link Between Antibiotics And Cognitive Decline — Science Alert

Association of midlife antibiotic use with subsequent cognitive function in women — PLOS One

The Nurses’ Health Study and Nurses’ Health Study II are among the largest investigations into the risk factors for major chronic diseases in women. — Nurses’ Health Study

The post Antibiotics and the surprising threat to women’s brains appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But the toll these infections can take on the body is even greater.

Repeated UTIs can lead to chronic inflammation, extensive damage to the mucus lining of the bladder, and chronic infection.

Of course, both men and women can suffer from UTIs. But overwhelmingly, they are often a lifelong problem for women, ramping up in the years during and following menopause.

Fortunately, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Washington University School of Medicine have discovered a series of biological events that take place in the body in response to a UTI that may drastically change the way they’re treated.

This discovery has pointed the way to a potential new non-antibiotic drug treatment and natural remedies that can activate these exact mechanisms in the body, possibly preventing a UTI from happening in the first place.

That’s huge news for two reasons…

Number one, doing away with UTIs is a dream come true (no exaggeration!) — and number two, becoming less dependent on antibiotic treatment has been a longtime goal considering the bacteria that cause UTIs have become increasingly antibiotic-resistant.

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A delicate balance

Essentially, the body strikes a delicate balance between two tasks: eliminating the bacteria that are causing the UTI, while at the same time working to minimize the damage these bacteria cause to the lining of the bladder.  

Think of it as trying to get an intruder out of your home at the same time you’re cleaning up his muddy footprints.

“More than 85% of UTI are caused by uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC), bacteria that can attach to the surface of the epithelial cells lining the inside of the bladder, called urothelial cells,” said first author Dr. Chetanchandra S. Joshi. “Attached UPEC can then enter the urothelial cells, where they reproduce.

“In the current study, we looked at how urothelial cells fight back UPEC invasion and proliferation while preserving their integrity, which is essential for proper bladder function.”

As a UTI begins, urothelial cells defend themselves by producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) — highly active compounds that kill bacteria. However, if ROS are around for too long, they can damage the urothelial cells they are trying to protect.

So the body steps in to do something about that…

“We found that accumulation of ROS activated an anti-ROS response in urothelial cells, called the NRF2 pathway, that minimized the damage excess ROS could cause to the urothelial cells,” Dr. Joshi said.

“Interestingly, one of the genes NRF2 activates is Rab27b, which promotes the elimination of UPEC from urothelial cells. Together, these coordinated events mediate the elimination of UPEC while preserving the integrity of the cells attacked by the bacteria.”

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Treating a UTI without antibiotics

Based on this research, doctors may be able to offer UTI treatment choices without relying on antibiotic therapy by using drugs that activate the NRF2 pathway, which stood out as a key contributor regulating both the potential damage to tissues and the elimination of bacteria. 

“The most exciting part about this work was identifying a non-antibiotic-based therapy that contained the infection and reduced inflammation,” says Dr. Indira Mysorekar, E.L. Wagner Endowed Professor of Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Baylor.

One such drug being looked at is DMF, an FDA-approved drug that treats inflammatory conditions such as multiple sclerosis.

But knowing that the NRF2 pathway plays a role here opens up another option: the use of NRF2-activating herbs that can decrease free radical production and inflammation like:

• Turmeric
• Ashwagandha
• Milk thistle
• 6-gingerol (a phenol phytochemical compound found in fresh ginger)
• Green tea extracts

It’s possible that incorporating these herbs into your “UTI medicine cabinet” as many women do cranberry juice and D-mannose, could keep you from getting an infection.

But don’t forgo a trip to your physician if you notice those tell-tale signs that UTI has taken hold.

Source:

Research reveals potential new strategy to combat urinary tract infections — Eureka Alert

The Nrf2 Pathway and Nutrition: What You Need to Know — Gene Food

Nurf-WHAT? — Center for Wellness Medicine

The post Potential new strategy for treating UTIs kicks antibiotics to the curb appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Bacteria have a natural tendency to adapt to the drugs meant to kill them. Antibiotic treatments that were once standard become less and less effective.

Because they’re so difficult to control, these rogue bacteria have become known as superbugs.

But it now appears that other drugs can encourage the development of Superbugs that leave you vulnerable and without recourse to normal antibiotic treatments as well.

Some could be medications you’re taking right now.

So, what’s the big deal about ‘gut bugs’?

Science has known for some time that some of the more common non-antibiotic medications we use have an impact on the bacterial makeup of the gut microbiome.

Disrupting the balance of your gut bacteria can have serious consequences. Research has found that the proper balance of “gut bugs” is strongly connected to your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and heart disease.

But until recently, the possible role of these non-antimicrobial drugs (NAMDs) in creating antibiotic resistance was unknown.

Now, we know that they play a definite role in perpetuating this health crisis.

3 types of drugs that increase the risk of antibiotic resistance

Researchers at Tel Aviv Medical Center in Israel examined data from 1,807 hospitalized adults diagnosed with upper urinary tract infections over a period of 26 months.

Before being hospitalized, all the patients had used at least one of nineteen different classes of NAMD.

When the data was analyzed, three types of NAMDs stood out as being associated with the development of antibiotic resistance:

• Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which treat ulcers of the esophagus and stomach, as well as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Beta-blockers, which help treat heart problems
• Anti-metabolites, most commonly used in chemotherapy for leukemia and cancer of the breast, ovary and intestine.

Of these three drug classes, anti-metabolites seemed to have the strongest impact on antibiotic resistance.

“Our findings highlight the importance of non-antimicrobial drug exposure as a risk factor for antibiotic resistance, says lead author Dr. Meital Elbaz from Tel Aviv Medical Center in Israel.

“We urgently need larger studies with more drug classes to confirm the discovery and to clarify the biological link between common prescription drugs and antibiotic resistance.”

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How you can prevent the spread of superbugs

The scary part of this whole thing is that the antibiotics we’ve depended on for a century to cure life-threatening diseases like tuberculosis, malaria and even influenza, are failing us.

According to the World Health Organization, “Many of the medical breakthroughs of the last century could be lost through the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Previously curable infectious diseases may become untreatable and spread throughout the world.  This has already started to happen.”

The good news is that we can do our part to slow the spread of superbugs.

The easiest way to start is to be very conscious of antibiotic therapies. Remember, antibiotics are only effective for bacterial infections, not viral ones, though doctors are usually quick to prescribe them for either.

Of course, the best defense against antibiotic resistance is a properly functioning immune system…

• A 2005 study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise revealed that walking briskly for 30 minutes increased the number of natural killer cells, white blood cells and other important immune cells circulating in the body. These cells can help protect you from everything from colds to cases of flu to cancer.
• Nutrients can help fortify your immune system, including vitamin C, turmeric and EGCG. Here are a dozen delicious ways to power up your immune system with foods, spices and special compounds.

Also consider effective alternatives for prescriptions, like the PPIs used to treat GERD. Here, my colleague Tracy Ingram talks about 5 ways to douse GERD that won’t raise your stroke risk.

As far as heart disease goes, talk to your doctor about safe alternatives for beta-blockers — for more reasons than just antibiotic resistance. Beta-blockers have been associated with a 5 percent to 6 percent higher rate of heart failure.

Sources:

Common prescription drugs (not themselves antibiotics) may increase risk of developing antibiotic resistance Eureka Alert

The post Drugs that make antibiotics less effective when you might need them most appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said we’ve already entered the post-antibiotic era.

What does that mean exactly?

It means we’re living in an era where we can’t count on antibiotics anymore. And people are dying as a result. In fact, one person dies every 15 minutes because of antibiotic resistance. And that number is going to get worse before it gets better.

Right now, roughly 700,000 people die per year from diseases that don’t respond to antibiotics worldwide. That number is expected to climb to 10 million by 2050.

What can we do about it?

Find alternatives for the antibiotics we’ve used over and over again for decades. And researchers from Northeastern University have just done exactly that.

They found a new antibiotic that could treat many of the drug-resistant superbugs that are putting humankind in serious danger. And they found it in an unusual place — the gut of a worm!

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Unearthing the next big antibiotic…

A new study from researchers at Northeastern University just uncovered an antibiotic that can knock out gram-negative bacteria — bacteria that are resistant to most available antibiotics. Where did they find this amazing new antibiotic?

In the microbiome of a nematode, a small parasitic worm that lives in soil.

The new antibiotic compound is called darobactin, and it was made from a bacteria found in nematodes called Photorhabdus. In the study, darobactin cured gram-negative bacterial infections like E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae in mice.

Why can it kill these notoriously unkillable infections?

Well, it all has to do with the mutually beneficial relationship between nematodes and Photorhabdus.

Nematodes worm their way inside caterpillars and other insects with one intention — to feast on them. To kill these caterpillars, nematodes release Photorhabdus bacteria, which acts as a toxin.

Once the caterpillar dies, though, nematodes need help warding off other microbes that want to steal their snack, including many gram-negative bacteria. Luckily, Photorhabdus bacteria are up to the task.

Since Photorhabdus is well-versed in killing gram-negative bacteria in this scenario, researchers thought it might fight gram-negative bacteria in mice too. And it did. Researchers also knew that since Photorhabdus bacteria is non-toxic to nematodes (which are animals, just like us) that it would be safe for mice and (hopefully) humans.

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Fighting antibiotic resistance on the home front

Now, it will be a long time before darobactin is available for use. It has to go through clinical trials in people first. But with the post-antibiotic era looming over us, it’s good to know there are alternatives being developed.

And while researchers are hard at work trying to save humankind from antibiotic-resistant superbugs, we should all do what we can to protect ourselves and others.

Related: 7 things you need to know before taking antibiotics (slideshow)

Antibiotic resistance is obviously a societal issue that goes far beyond the actions of one individual. But we have to do what we can, right? Here are a few of the things you can do to fight rather than fuel antibiotic resistance:

• Don’t take antibiotics unless you need them. This one sounds obvious, but it’s astounding how often antibiotics are used “preventatively” or for non-bacterial infections. If you have a virus (like a cold or the flu), don’t ask your doctor for an antibiotic. It won’t help.

Also, if you have a catheter and your urine tests positive for bacteria, don’t take antibiotics unless you have the signs and symptoms of a UTI. Almost everyone with a catheter has bacteria in their urine, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you have a UTI.

If you have sinusitis, you most likely don’t need an antibiotic. Most sinus problems are caused by viral infections or allergies. These are just a few examples of situations where antibiotics are often prescribed unnecessarily. But there are many more. So, stay on your toes.

• Take probiotics. There’s evidence that taking probiotics can decrease your risk of developing bacterial infections. In fact, a 2018 study found that children and infants who took daily probiotics were less likely to develop infections that required antibiotics.
• Buy organic, antibiotic-free food. The industrial food system is filled with antibiotics— especially animal products. So be a wise shopper for your own sake and the sake of humankind. Buy organic, antibiotic-free meat and dairy products. And make sure to cook your meat well to keep sneaky superbugs from finding their way into you.

Sources:

1. A new antibiotic has been hiding in the gut of a tiny worm. It may be our best weapon against drug-resistant bacteria — Phys.org
2. A new antibiotic selectively kills Gram-negative pathogens — Nature
3. Gram-negative Bacteria Infections in Healthcare Settings — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
4. The post-antibiotic era is here — Vox
5. Antibiotics for People with Catheters — Choosing Wisely
6. Treating Sinusitis — Choosing Wisely
7. Probiotic use may reduce antibiotic prescriptions, researchers say — MedicalXpress

The post This parasitic worm may be our best hope against drug-resistant superbugs appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, antibiotic resistance has been labeled an epidemic and according to the CDC, “More than 2.8 million antibiotic-resistant infections occur in the U.S. each year.”

It’s a fact that I’m now all too familiar with first-hand: Not long ago, I had a case of strep throat, and before it was done with, I had to take three rounds of three different kinds of antibiotics to recover (my gut is still recovering!).

Scary, right? You betcha, what with all the damage those medications can exact on your gut.

Well, it’s possible that I could have avoided all of the trouble, days turning into weeks of sickness, and danger if I had simply known about a natural antibiotic powerhouse that has been shown to be effective against strep.

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Blocking bacterial biofilms

The natural antibiotic that may now become part of my regular routine is Manuka honey.

Sound too good to be true? Well, it did to me at first too.

After all, while I love to add honey to my tea, as anything more than an alternative to sugar, it’s been off my radar.

But, when a friend of mine told me that she had heard that honey had the power to stop strep, I couldn’t help but research further.

And, you know what?

She was right!

In fact, as far back as 2011, scientific studies have been proving that honey could be the answer to killing off superbugs, including Streptococcus pyogenes — the kind of strep that causes strep throat.

And, with strep, in particular, the studies show that honey actually blocks the biofilms that allow the bacteria to cling to each other.

Even better, when you compare honey to traditional antibiotics, honey has a lot going for it.

According to Dr. Susan Meschwitz, assistant professor of chemistry at Salve Regina University in Rhode Island, “What makes honey effective is the fact that honey works to fight bacteria on multiple levels, by various mechanisms, involving its antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral properties — not just by attacking the growth of the bacteria, which is the bactericidal mechanism most conventional antibiotics use.”

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Why Manuka?

So, what is Manuka honey and why is it better than regular honey for killing off bacteria that can become antibiotic-resistant?

Well, if you haven’t heard of it before, Manuka is a special type of honey more common in New Zealand and is made by bees that pollinate the Manuka bush.

And, this gives it some special qualities when it comes to antibiotic power…

Studies show that compared to types of honey common in the U.S., Manuka possesses higher antimicrobial activity that experts say could be due to two things:

• Its high levels of certain phenolic compounds that come from the Manuka bush
• The fact that the honey contains methylglyoxal (MGO) – a supremely antibacterial compound

So, while other types of honey could be beneficial against the germs that make you sick, like strep, if I was going to bet my health on one, it would be Manuka.

But, there is something you should know…

According to Dr. Meschwitz, when you purchase Manuka, you should look for one that is as raw, unheated, and minimally processed as possible since that is the type that has been shown in the studies to be so amazingly effective.

And, the good news is that on top of being so effective, Manuka (despite the fact that it sounds exotic) is easy to find online. In fact, I was able to order my honey and have it sitting on my pantry shelf, ready for the next time an infection strikes.

Will I still use an antibiotic?

If my doctor thinks that’s best, I certainly will. He understands my hesitancy surrounding improper antibiotic use, so I feel I can trust him when he feels they’re necessary.

But I’ll add Manuka to my regimen, especially since studies in other types of superbugs have shown that adding honey along with a course of antibiotics made the bacteria less resistant. In fact, during cold and flu season, in addition to sweetening my tea, I may try a spoonful a day and try to put that biofilm strength to work to keep my throat protected.

Sources:

1. Antibiotic / Antimicrobial Resistance (AR / AMR) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2. Can honey fight superbugs like MRSA? — nhs.uk
3. Sweet solution: Can honey help in the fight against antibiotic resistance? — Pharmaceutical Technology
4. Manuka Honey — WebMD
5. Manuka honey makes bacteria less resistant to antibiotics — The Conversation

The post The natural ‘antibiotic’ that could fend off strep throat appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And, women are far more susceptible to them than men. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about half of all U.S. women will have a UTI sometime during their lives. As we age, our odds get even worse.

That’s because, after menopause, the levels of estrogen circulating in a woman’s body goes down dramatically, leaving us increasingly vulnerable to these types of infections.

So, what can we do about it?

Do we just keep heading off to the doctor and filling those antibiotic prescriptions? Experts say you should only do that if you don’t mind taking the risk of creating antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

But, what other options do we have?

Well, you’ve probably heard that drinking cranberry juice can help prevent urinary tract infections. But, clinical trials of this popular folk remedy have produced mixed results.

While some studies have shown that drinking cranberry juice can keep the bacteria that cause UTIs from sticking to the cells that line your urinary tract (something the researchers have attributed to compounds known as proanthocyanidins), others have shown little effect.

Luckily, a new study, reported in American Chemical Society’s Journal of Natural Products has now dug deeper into the great cranberry juice debate and found the truth of whether the red fruit really works to prevent UTIs and why.

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Complex carbohydrates and adhesion

The multi-institution study set out to enable better UTI prevention studies and determine if compounds in cranberry juice really can keep dangerous bacteria from adhering to your urinary tract. And, if so, which ones end up in your urine and do the trick.

The researchers fed female pigs dried cranberry powder, collected their urine and used chromatography to separate it into fractions of differently sized molecules.

Then, they screened the samples for anti-adhesion activity against the E. coli bacteria that cause UTIs. E. coli is a bacteria that normally lives harmlessly in your intestinal tract. But, because of the close proximity between the anus and urinary tract opening in the female body, it’s the cause of approximately 90% of all urinary tract infections.

And, guess what…

The researchers found that those proanthocyanidins that they thought were responsible for cranberry’s apparent UTI prevention properties, actually had no effect. It was a different set of compounds that was more powerful…

They discovered that complex carbohydrates, or oligosaccharides known as arabino xyloglucans, were in every sample in which E. coli was unable to attach itself to the walls of the urinary tract — and was instead whisked away with the urine.

As to why this was never before discovered, the researchers say that those specific oligosaccharides are difficult to detect and isolate.

But, now that we know, and the verdict is in that cranberry juice really does work, we can all feel good about drinking it regularly in order to prevent painful urinary tract infections.

Sources:

1. Urinary tract infection (UTI) — Mayo Clinic
2. Cranberry oligosaccharides might help prevent UTIs — EurekAlert!
3. Urinary Tract Infections — University of California San Francisco

The post Finally! The definitive answer on cranberry juice and UTIs appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

So, chances are you’ve had a UTI before. And if you have, you know how they’re treated — antibiotics.

For many women, UTIs become chronic… which means taking antibiotics does too. This combined with the number of UTIs that occur on a global scale, make UTIs one of the top contributors to antibiotic resistance.

Now, in case you need a refresher, antibiotic resistance refers to the fact that bacteria have gotten wise to all the antibiotics we’ve been taking for years, and they’ve developed resistance to them.

This means many bacterial infections that were once easily treated with common antibiotics won’t be soon. We’ll need to find new treatments or else face serious consequences… like losing a good chunk of the human population.

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But even if all this antibiotic resistance stuff doesn’t bother you, you probably know that taking antibiotics frequently is bad for your health. They kill the good bacteria in your gut, leading to an unbalanced microbiome. This imbalance can trigger everything from chronic digestive issues to serious autoimmune diseases.

So, there are two fantastic reasons to find a new treatment for UTIs. And researchers from the University of Queensland may have done just that…

Zinc zaps bladder infection bacteria

Researchers from the University of Queensland discovered something interesting about how our immune systems fight the E. coli bacteria that causes most UTIs…

Our immune cells release zinc to kick this bladder-harming bacterium to the curb.

Researchers have known for quite a while that zinc kills bacteria. But they watched with their own eyes as immune cells known as macrophages fought the bacteria that causes most bladder infections with zinc.

This means zinc could be an effective alternative to antibiotics when treating UTIs. But there’s one problem…

Researchers also noticed that E. coli bacteria find clever ways to evade zinc. So, they need to figure out how to prevent those sneaky suckers from getting away if they want to create a zinc-based treatment for UTIs in the future.

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Getting more zinc

Here’s more good news: zinc not only fights E. coli. It fights Mycobacterium tuberculosis (the bacteria that causes tuberculosis), Salmonella (the bacteria that causes food poisoning) and Streptococcus (the bacteria that causes strep throat). That means, making sure your body has enough zinc is critical to fighting off more than just UTIs.

Related: At-home taste test can reveal zinc deficiency

Unfortunately, there’s not enough research to suggest that you rely on zinc solely to clear up UTIs. But there is enough research to suggest getting your recommended daily allowance of zinc to keep your immune system strong against all infections.

You can also take a little extra zinc (up to 40 mg per day) when you’re fighting off an infection, whether it’s bacterial or viral.

If you prefer to get your zinc from foods rather than supplements, there are plenty of delicious dishes that give you a healthy dose of zinc, including:

• Oysters
• Grass-fed beef
• Pastured pork
• Chicken
• Pumpkin seeds
• Yogurt
• Cashews
• Chickpeas
• Cheese
• Oatmeal
• Grass-fed milk
• Almonds
• Kidney beans
• Peas
• Mushrooms
• Kale
• Salmon
• Flounder
• Sole
• Edamame
• Lentils
• Black beans
• Pine nuts
• Brown rice
• Quinoa
• Dark chocolate

Sources:

1. Zinc could help as non-antibiotic treatment for UTIs — MedicalXpress
2. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli employs both evasion and resistance to subvert innate immune-mediated zinc toxicity for dissemination — PNAS
3. What are the side effects of antibiotics? — Medical News Today
4. Consumption of a cranberry juice beverage lowered the number of clinical urinary tract infection episodes in women with a recent history of urinary tract infection — The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
5. Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals — National Institutes of Health
6. 10 Best Food Sources of Zinc — Everyday Health

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Well, there may be safe and cheap way to do just that. In fact, you may be able to fend off those nasty bacterial infections with something you have in your fridge right now — probiotics.

The latest research shows that these popular gut-healing supplements play a big role in protecting you from some of the most serious bacterial infections.

Probiotics slay Clostridium difficile

When people spend time in the hospital they often end up with a serious bacterial infection called Clostridium difficile (C. difficile). It also pops up frequently in nursing homes or in people taking long-term antibiotics.

Sometimes C. difficile just causes mild symptoms like diarrhea. But other times it can lead to life-threatening colon inflammation.

The worse part about C. difficile is that it’s becoming more common…and more difficult to treat. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says C. difficile is one of the top three antibiotic-resistant superbugs that they’re concerned about.

But two new studies published in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology showed that probiotics could help prevent this scary superbug.

The first study conducted by researchers at Dalhousie University in Canada included data from 18 clinical trials in 12 countries. After examining the data from these trials, researchers determined that taking probiotics reduces the risk of developing a C. difficile infection in children and adults. The risk was reduced by two-thirds.

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Another study conducted by Cook County Health & Hospitals Systems in Illinois found that people who took probiotics for 12 months gradually reduced their C. difficile risk more and more. In the first six months of taking probiotics, their risk went down slightly. But in the second six months, it went down significantly.

All in all, it seems like probiotics are a superbug safety net. There’s no guarantee you won’t get a superbug infection like C. difficile if you’re taking them. But they tip the odds in your favor.

“There is an expanding number of options to prevent or treat the often serious and costly infections caused by C. difficile,” said William Trick, MD, a clinician at Cook County Health & Hospitals System and lead author of the second study. “Probiotics are one option that is low cost, relatively safe and likely beneficial in the long-run.”

Taking probiotics for superbug protection

So, if you aren’t already taking a probiotic daily, why not start? It’s the least you can do to keep yourself a little safer from superbugs.

Researchers in the first study found that probiotics containing multiple bacteria strains were the most effective in the fight against C. difficile. So, find one that contains at least three strains of healthy bacteria.

You should also keep your antibiotic intake to a minimum. The more antibiotics you take, the more likely you are to get superbugs like C. difficile. Never take antibiotics for a virus. Ask for the shortest course possible. And always double-check with your doctor that antibiotics are absolutely necessary for your health issue.

When you do need to take antibiotics, pair them with a dose of probiotics too… just make sure to take them at least two hours apart.

In the second study, researchers had study participants take a three-strain probiotic pill within 12 hours of taking their antibiotics. So, you should do the same the next time your doctor writes you an antibiotic script.

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Or maybe you’ve heard that taking antibiotics is like setting off an atomic bomb in your microbiome. It doesn’t just wipe out bad bacteria, it wipes out everything… including the bacteria that keeps you healthy.

But have you heard how antibiotics affect your heart health?

You may not have. I hadn’t until recently. But it’s something you’ll want to know before you fill your next antibiotic script… especially if you ever need to take antibiotics for more than a few weeks…

A new study shows that taking long-term antibiotics significantly increases your risk of dying from heart disease.

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Antibiotics, your microbiome and your heart

Researchers from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health recently uncovered an alarming connection between long-term antibiotic use and heart disease.

They found that women who take antibiotics for two months or more are 58 percent more likely to die from heart disease.

The study included 37,510 women who were 60 or older. Researchers followed these women from 2004 until 2012, tracking antibiotic use and health.

Besides the extraordinarily strong connection between antibiotic use and heart disease death, researchers also found that taking antibiotics for two months or longer increased the risk of death from all causes by 27 percent.

If you’re wondering why long-term antibiotic use puts your heart — and life — in danger, researchers believe it all comes down to those good bacteria I mentioned earlier — the ones antibiotics wipe out while they’re killing the bad guys. Considering problems like antibiotic resistance and recurring urinary tract infections, it’s easy to see why people, especially women, may be taking more antibiotics for longer periods.

Moreover, those bacteria are tied to your health in every body part… from head to toe. That includes your heart.

“Gut microbiota alterations have been associated with a variety of life-threatening disorders, such as cardiovascular diseases and certain types of cancer,” said study author Lu Qi, M.D., Ph.D., professor of epidemiology at Tulane University in New Orleans. “Antibiotic exposure affects balance and composition of the gut microbiome, even after one stops taking antibiotics; so, it is important to better understand how taking antibiotics might impact risks for chronic diseases and death.”

So clearly you need to keep your antibiotic use to a minimum. Your health depends on it. But how?

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Approaching antibiotics differently

It’s not always easy to know when to take antibiotics and when to avoid them. But here are few tips that can help you take less antibiotics in the long run:

• Don’t take antibiotics for viruses, like colds or flus. Antibiotics should only be used for conditions caused by bacteria. Period.
• Always ask your doctor if an antibiotic is truly necessary. Doctors often prescribe antibiotics, because they think that’s what patients want. So be clear with your doctor and tell him or her that you only want to take them when you have no other choice.
• Ask for short-course antibiotics. If your doctor believes you need an antibiotic, ask if a short course will do. Based on this study and many others, it’s obvious that the longer you take antibiotics the higher your risk of health issues. Your doctor may be willing to write you a short-course and check in with you once it’s done. If you’re feeling better, you may have just dodged a few extra days or weeks of unnecessary antibiotics.
• Call your doctor if you feel better early. If you take antibiotics and you feel better before your prescription is through, call your doctor and ask if you can stop your antibiotics early. In many cases, your doctor will probably tell you that’s fine… especially if you have an open-minded doctor who understands the threat of antibiotic resistance.
• Turn to antibiotic alternatives when you can. There are so many powerful, natural antibiotics you can turn to for less serious infections. Many of them even work against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. You can try onion, garlic, oregano oil, Manuka honey and olive leaf extract, just to name a few.

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“Many physicians can tell you that they see patients who are particularly susceptible to urinary tract infections (UTIs),” says researcher Jeffrey P. Henderson. “We often don’t know why certain people seem to be prone to recurrent UTIs. For a long time, we had inexpensive antibiotics that worked really well for this. But over the last 10-15 years, we have seen a huge jump in bacterial infections that are resistant to many of these drugs.”

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That’s where research at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis comes in. A study there shows that the best way to fight these bacterial problems is with other bacteria — the probiotic, friendly bacteria, that inhabit your digestive tract. If you can keep those bacteria well-fed with fruits and vegetables, especially cranberries, they may produce compounds that limit or eliminate the infectious bacteria that attach to the urinary tract.

The research shows that the probiotic bacteria work in concert with your immune system to deprive the undesirable bacteria of minerals and nutrients it needs to survive.

But in addition to cranberries and probiotic foods there are four other foods you’ve probably heard little about in regard to urinary tract health, even though they provide powerhouse benefits. And the best way to enjoy the first three is to juice them.

Carrots, celery and asparagus are three potent vegetables that when juiced, can provide concentrated support for your urinary tract.

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Celery, a known diuretic helps flush out your kidneys and urinary tract. Carrots are one of your best sources of vitamin A, a powerful immune system booster. And last but by no mean least, is asparagus. Asparagus is ripe with B vitamins and antioxidants, and fights bacteria. In fact, in a study ^[1] published in the African Journal of Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, asparagus was found to effective against 18 strains of bacteria.

To enjoy as a preventative or to help boost your immune system during an infection throw about three each of carrots, celery and asparagus into a juicer or blender. For a little extra liquid try fresh coconut water. For taste, add a splash of cranberry juice and fresh blueberries.

But if you’d like something warm and satisfying consider making mung bean soup. The mung bean is native to India and is similar to lentils. It’s a food often used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to help detoxify the body and clear it of infection. Here’s a recipe if you’d like to try it.

Now, just as there are foods that can protect your urinary tract, there are foods that can irritate it, such as sodas, acidic fruits, chocolate, alcohol, coffee, and spicy foods.

Antibiotic resistance is a problem that is likely to only increase overtime. Making your body infection-proof is the best advice against this threat. The less you need to rely on conventional antibiotics the chances are higher that if you do ever absolutely need them, they should hopefully be more effective. But as always, if you can avoid the pharmaceuticals to begin with, you’re much better off in the end.

Sources:

Biological Activities Of Asparagus racemosus

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And more than one condition can be the reason for the pain… but most often the blame can be placed on one of three common and treatable conditions: urinary tract infection, non-specific urethritis and interstitial cystitis.

More often as well, women tend to suffer from these conditions frequently compared with men — and it’s mainly because the distance from the urethra to the bladder is a much shorter distance in the female body.

The urethra serves as the gateway to which bacteria can make its way into the body, up to the bladder, and if not stopped, to the kidneys. Once inside, the symptoms are hard to ignore.

Technicalities aside, the first questions my patients ask is what is it and how did I get it… so let’s start there…

Acute cystitis

The symptoms of painful urination, frequency, urgency, or bladder discomfort in a woman most often indicate acute cystitis, a.k.a. UTI (urinary tract infection). And there could be a few causes…

It’s quite common for recent sexual activity to lead to a urinary tract infection so it’s one of the first questions I’ll ask about. I realize some people are a little uncomfortable having that discussion but it’s important. It’s not a reflection on cleanliness or sexual activity — it’s purely that during sex there’s a lot going with friction, bodily fluids and such, and — once again — the urethra is right there in the middle of all of it.

If you find you’re prone to UTIs following sexual activity, there’s one prescription-free thing you can do that save yourself a lot of grief — and that’s to urinate immediately after sex.

That simple act helps flush any bacteria that may have breached your urethra and can save you a lot of irritation if done right away.

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But if my patients discomfort is not a result of sexual activity from the previous evening, then I ask patients to consider the other factors at play here, including:

1. A shift in vaginal pH: this acid/base balance can be thrown off by increased sweating, stress, or a topical cream/lotion/soap. It could also be from high content of foods that cause an acid metabolism such as sugars, meats, and refined fats (and a relative lack of fresh produce)
2. A change of the predominate vaginal bacteria or yeast: yeast is fed by high sugar foods or higher-glycemic foods (e.g. bread, pastas, white rice)
3. An irritation around the urethral opening: this could be from tight-fitting or new clothing
4. Holding urine too long while traveling, working, etc.

All these lead to bacterial growth where it shouldn’t be… into the urine contents of the bladder.

Typically identifying the cause can help cut down on occurrences in the future and round of antibiotics can prevent a simple urinary tract infection from becoming more. Lots of water and cranberry juice can help too.

Note: If you take antibiotics for a urinary tract infection, be careful to finish your prescription so you don’t inadvertently contribute to the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

In approximately half of symptomatic patients with a dip urinalysis consistent with bacterial infection, I also send their urine for a 3-day culture. But only about half of these even grow out a predominate bacterial strain. This indicates they don’t have infected urine.  Instead, their symptoms are consistent with urethritis, which is pain in the tube that empties the bladder…

Urethritis

When a routine urine culture doesn’t show bacterial growth, we have to consider other causes for pain in the urethra. First, there are the atypical organisms that can cause it. Sexually-transmitted infections such as gonorrhea and chlamydia can also cause it. So can stealthy bacteria such as ureaplasma and mycoplasma. Bacterial vaginosis (caused by gardnerella vaginalis), less common bacterial mixtures, yeast, trichomoniasis, and even herpes simplex type-2 can cause urethral pain. With rapid tests and cultures these can be identified and addresses.

Less commonly, urethral pain can be from irritation. There are a multitude of causes for irritation of this sensitive skin area, from sex to urinary leakage to topical ingredients.

But if not of these culprits are to blame, and my patient is nearing menopause, there’s one more condition to consider…

Interstitial cystitis

It is estimated that nearly one million Americans (90% women) have interstitial cystitis (IC). And if it comes on, it’s typically around the age 40.

Interstitial cystitis (IC) can seem like a chronic urinary tract infection, except without any bacterial infection. In time, irritation of the bladder leads to scarring, stiffness, and bleeding of the bladder wall.  In addition to usual UTI symptoms, the patient with IC can experience bladder/urethral pain with sexual and other physical activity.  It is commonly associated with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and/or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The diagnosis of IC is typically made by a urologist, after excluding infection and rarer causes such as kidney stones, endometriosis, tuberculosis, a neurological disorder, or radiation. The urologist can also directly visualize the inside lining of the bladder (cystoscopy) and test function.

What causes IC? That’s the million-dollar question. Mainstream medicine considers IC to be an idiopathic illness — meaning “cause-unknown.”

But, like any difficult chronic illness, there are contributors to IC to consider…

First, you should know that your parasympathetic nervous system is what controls your bodily functions of urination — and bladder contraction. BTW, it also controls salivation, lacrimation, defecation, and emesis. This parasympathetic nervous system is an “automatic” thing, but is greatly influenced by your feeling state. Let me explain.

For example, when you are nervous, your salivation dries up, tears may dry up, bowels may need to move, nausea may occur, and your urge to pee may increase. This is why it makes sense that stress plays a big role in IC.

Another interesting finding is that the inside lining of your bladder, called the urothelium, generates its own ATP naturally, ¹ which also contributes to contraction. ATP is that famous molecule that provides energy to muscles and tissues.

Therefore, when I list causes of IC below, you may see similarities with all the other “idiopathic” (no known cause) illnesses:

• Autoimmune disorders: there is an unexplained association of IC with other autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjogren’ssyndrome, inflammatory bowel disease (IBS), and scleroderma.
• Allergy: much of allergy is delayed-type sensitivity, and may be caused by foods or chemicals in your environment
• Stress; stress reduction can help alleviate symptoms the are mediated through the parasympathetic nervous system as mentioned above
• Smoking: greatly contributes to bladder cancer — and likely to IC as well
• Chronic repeated over-distention (holding your pee)
• Sexual, physical or childhood abuse

[1] Andersson KE. Purinergic signaling in the urinary bladder. Auton Neurosci. 2015 Sep;191:78-81.

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Of course, men get them too. But women are much more likely to experience the burning bladder pain of a UTI. In fact, 60 percent of women will have a UTI at some point in their lifetime.

But if you’re one of the really unfortunate women out there, this bladder problem is chronic. You get one UTI after the next. And if it gets bad enough, your doctor may even put you on long-term antibiotics just to prevent them.

But long-term antibiotic use is a huge red flag for health researchers. And it should be for you too if you know anything about one of the most dangerous public health crises looming on the horizon: antibiotic resistance.

The problem with UTIs and antibiotics

It turns out UTIs are one of the primary health conditions contributing to antibiotic resistance on a global scale. That’s because they’re one of the most common bacterial infections in women worldwide, and mainstream medicine’s go-to treatment is antibiotics.

The fact that UTI-related antibiotics are contributing to global antibiotic resistance is pretty well documented. The World Health Organization even found that one of the antibiotics most widely used to treat UTIs already has a 50 percent resistance rate— which means this antibiotic is now ineffective for half of all people who try it.

Hopefully, by now you also understand the larger implications of antibiotic resistance on your health and the health of those you love. Basically, if we let antibiotic resistance progress any further, antibiotic-resistant superbugs will threaten to wipe out one in three people by the year 2050.

So whether your UTIs are occasional or chronic, scientists agree that you want to avoid unnecessary antibiotics whenever you can… which is why researchers are turning to a well-known natural remedy as a potential source of UTI relief and prevention.

And this remedy doesn’t contribute to the most pressing global health crisis of our time — so that’s a plus.

Cranberry: a UTI remedy without any downsides

The remedy is the cranberry. And if you’re a woman who’s had a UTI, you’ve probably chugged a glass of cranberry juice or two to help rid your bladder of that pain-inducing bacteria.

It’s by no means a new remedy for bladder problems. In fact, researchers have been studying the cranberry’s ability to promote urinary tract health for over 50 years.

But now, researchers are looking at the cranberry’s potential in a new light because of growing concern over antibiotic resistance, especially when it comes to treating UTIs.

The latest research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that drinking an eight-ounce glass of cranberry juice every day reduced symptomatic UTIs in chronic UTI sufferers by 40 percent.

This means that if you suffer from chronic UTIs, you could cut the frequency of your infections nearly in half. That’s a lot less uncomfortable nights spent sitting in pain on the bathroom.

So if you’re a chronic UTI sufferer, give yourself a dose of cranberry juice every day. It should do wonders for your UTI frequency. But even if you only get UTIs occasionally, cranberry juice could save you from the pain of another one. And it has the added benefit of saving mankind from being wiped out by antibiotic-resistant superbugs. So you’re doing a good deed for yourself and the world. Just make sure to get pure, unsweetened cranberry juice and avoid cranberry juice cocktail, which contains a lot less cranberry juice and a lot more sugar.

Source:

1. C. Maki, K.L Kaspar, C. Khoo, L.H. Derrig, A.L. Schild and K. Gupta. “Consumption of a cranberry juice beverage lowered the number of clinical urinary tract infection episodes in women with a recent history of urinary tract infection.” American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. June 2016, v.103 no. 6, 1434-1442.

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By helping your body defend against digestive ills, these tiny organisms promote strengthened immunity, an improved mood, more brain power and even better hormone balance.

Protect Against Traveler’s Blues

Vacations are important for our health and well-being. They offer new experiences, new adventure, rejuvenation and relaxation. But vacations can also come with their own set of health risks, particularly in terms of digestive health. Many seasoned travelers know all too well the digestive challenges that often “come with the territory,” so to speak. The main culprit: foreign microbes.

During all our excursions, from long-distance travel to local camping trips, we come into contact with foreign microbes that can enter the digestive tract and result in chronic digestive problems that can be mild or distressingly severe. To complicate matters, these health issues can be very difficult to diagnose.

The good news: You can prevent harmful bacteria and pathogens from wreaking havoc throughout your body by maintaining beneficial bacteria — aka probiotics or “friendly flora” — in your digestive tract. This is done by supplementing with probiotics and cultured foods containing beneficial bacteria (common examples are sauerkraut and yogurt) and limiting substances such as antibiotics and caffeine that destroy helpful flora. By increasing and strengthening the levels of healthy bacteria in your body, you decrease your chances of suffering from digestive imbalances. In addition, probiotics can improve your overall health in a number of other ways.

The Foundation Of Wellness

For many reasons, optimal digestion is a central focus of any health program. Influencing complete nutrient absorption, immune health, hormone balance, cognitive function and more, digestive health directly affects a wide range of critical processes in the body. And many of these digestive-related functions hinge on the presence of healthy bacteria in the digestive tract. New studies are revealing insights into the far-reaching health benefits, complexity and uniqueness of the friendly microbes that live in and around us and offer numerous health advantages. One of the beneficial microbes being studied is Saccharomyces boulardii.

A Friend Indeed

S. boulardii is a non-pathogenic, widely studied variety of yeast that thrives in the digestive system and provides numerous health benefits. This means that S. boulardii colonization in the gut is healthy, unlike the actions of harmful yeasts such as Candida albicans.

Widely used in Europe for many years, S. boulardii produces beneficial effects for both children and adults in treating and preventing diarrhea caused by acute microbial infections, antibiotic use and a number of chronic digestive disorders. Studies done on tourists found that the ingestion of S. boulardii significantly reduced the incidence of traveler’s diarrhea that occurs when foreign microbes enter the system.

Important Information For Anyone Taking Antibiotics

Some antibiotics, though they may be lifesaving, can cause serious harm to the digestive system. For example, Pseudomembranous colitis is a serious complication that can result from use of certain medications.

Antibiotics may be necessary for acute infections, but they also kill the beneficial bacterial populations in the digestive tract, allowing harmful microbes to take over. One particularly deleterious bacteria overgrowth that can occur from antibiotic use is called Clostridium difficile. This bacterium produces toxins that can cause very serious and potentially life-threatening diarrhea. Consequently, if you take antibiotics for the diarrhea, you set up a vicious cycle that leads to further difficulties. However, studies on S. boulardii show excellent results in preventing the reoccurrence of this dangerous type of colitis.

In addition, S. boulardii has been shown to stimulate immune antibody production specifically targeted against the C. difficile toxin. It also stimulates the production of enzymes in the digestive tract that help to break down this serious toxin and inhibits the growth of the harmful Clostridium. If you are taking antibiotics or have taken them in the past, including S. boulardii and other probiotic strains in your daily program can help protect your digestive and overall health naturally.

Natural Anti-Inflammatory Actions

S. boulardii communicates with the organism in which it lives (you!) and can help regulate inflammation throughout the body. It does this by modifying inflammatory pathways and inhibiting the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals. At the same time, S. boulardii promotes the body’s production of natural anti-inflammatory chemicals to help keep inflammation in check, an essential key to long-term health and vitality.

Other beneficial bacteria with anti-inflammatory actions include the common probiotics Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium.

Healthy Gut Flora Benefits Mood

Studies have illuminated the connections between the brain and beneficial bacteria while highlighting the many ways these friendly flora affect our cognitive abilities and moods. Recently, it was shown that the presence of healthy probiotic flora in the gut during infancy regulates serotonin levels throughout life. Serotonin is a main neurochemical responsible for our mental and emotional well-being. Other investigations have shown that an absence of healthy flora in the gut increases anxiety and neurotic behavior in experimental models. Increasing intake of probiotics can help lessen depression.

Truly Beneficial Bacteria

Science is only now beginning to understand the complex range of benefits and key roles of probiotics in promoting and maintaining numerous critical areas of health. Studies show that beneficial bacteria enhance and regulate immune function, increase nutrient breakdown and assimilation, support cognitive development and do much more.

Saccharomyces boulardii and other beneficial flora are great allies in the ever-broadening family of beneficial organisms that provide protection from disease and help us stay healthy. Keep these friends on hand to prevent and treat digestive imbalances if you have to take antibiotics or you want to increase your overall health and well-being. Pack some in your travel bag if you are planning a trip: It may save you from the real “traveler’s blues” and allow you to enjoy your long-awaited vacation. For more tips on maintaining digestive health and wellness, visit www.dreliaz.org.

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