Free Herbal Antibiotics: Natural Alternatives for Treating Drug-Resistant Bacteria by Stephen Harrod Buhner Page B

come from the outer wall of Gram-negative bacteria and are released into the body when the bacteria die. In a number of diseases, bubonic plague for example, it is not the bacteria that kill you but the endotoxins that are released when they die. If you are treating a systemic infection by a Gram-negative bacteria, the use of an endotoxin scavenger and protectant is often important. Isatis (though not discussed in this book) is perhaps the best herb for this (ginger is also good). It should be included if endotoxin release may be a problem.
USING SYNERGISTS
    If you are treating a difficult infection, especially if it is Gram-negative, use a synergist to enhance the treatment. There are two forms of synergists: the first is active against the efflux pumps in the bacteria, the second helps move the herbs across the intestinal membrane and strongly into the blood. Licorice is the best synergist for Gram-negative bacteria. Piperine will potently move herbal compounds across the intestinal membrane, significantly increasing their presence in the blood. See chapter 6 for more specifics.
INCREASING NATURAL IMMUNITY
    Always work to increase the body’s natural immune function through the use of immune herbs or an immune formulation. These should be taken daily. The formulations suggested in this section were generated by looking at immune herbs that were also active against the specific organisms—kind of a two-for-one thing. Nevertheless, don’t get obsessed by these, as other immune herbs that don’t have any specific antibacterial activity will work, often better than these, in increasing immune function. These are only guidelines.
    A note about the suggested formulations: The formulations that I have included to treat the various bacteria and the types of infections they cause
are only suggestions
. They can be varied considerably. Don’t get stuck in thinking that any of these formulations are the only way to go.
Read the book
and the monographs on the herbs themselves. Tremendous sophistication is possible. These are just guidelines.
    Piperine Warning
    Under no circumstances should you use piperine for severe intestinal infections such as
E. coli
O157:H7 or cholera. Piperine increases intestinal permeability, which can allow the resistant organisms access to the interior of your body in significantly greater numbers. It can make you much sicker.
    Finally, don’t forget that human love and caring are an essential part of the healing process—they are medicines that you must also dispense to those you are working to heal. There is perhaps nothing that the ill need more than to know that they are supported in their suffering. It is very difficult to live without love, and nearly impossible to truly heal without it.
Using This Book
    The rest of this chapter is concerned with the individual resistant bacteria, what herbs are effective in treating them, and then some actual specific suggestions for treatment. These are the main ones you need to know about to be able to take care of yourself and your family.
    Subsequent chapters explore the individual herbs in depth; examine what other organisms they are active against; explore what else they can do medicinally; and then show how to grow, harvest, and prepare them as medicines so that you can take complete charge of your own health care if you wish to do so.
    Chapter 7 contains in-depth explorations on the immune-enhancing herbs that you can use to keep your immune system strong—a number of which are also potently effective against resistant pathogens. And chapters 8 and 9 will tell you more than you ever wanted to know about making just about any kind of herbal medicine you might ever need.
Dealing with Gram-Positive Bacteria
    The major resistant Gram-positive organisms are:
    â€¢
Clostridium difficile
    â€¢
Enterococcus
spp. (
E. faecalis
,
E. faecium
)
    â€¢
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
    â€¢
Staphylococcus aureus
    â€¢
Streptococcus
spp.