Although herbs and spices have traditionally been used in cooking, as they add varieties of flavor to our food, these herbs and spices have also been known to many cultures for their medicinal properties and miscellaneous uses. The oils extracted from these spices and herbs are found to be effective in killing bacteria and viruses.
Garlic is known for its ability to fight bacteria and viruses. It is known to be affective against a wide range of bacteria and also has the ability to combat the common cold. Other notable medicinal benefits of garlic are its ability to reduce heart disease. Garlic has been intensively studied, and numerous large studies have shown that taking supplements that mimic fresh garlic can significantly lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels without harming beneficial high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels.
The antimicrobial substance in garlic is known as allicin. Allicin consists of approximately 0.3% - 0.5% of the garlic. To maintain the antibacterial properties of garlic, it must be consumed or applied as raw garlic because cooking will destroy this antimicrobial substance.
Frequent use of antibiotics causes the microbes to develop resistance against the drugs. Studies have shown that garlic has proven its ability to fight against bacteria that has developed resistance to antibiotics. The use of garlic along with other forms of medication has also been known to enhance the effectiveness of these drugs.
Over the years, antibiotics have been prescribed to fight bacterial infections.It has proven safe very effective against bacteria, but over-usage of these drugs can kill good bacteria in your body, and The process in which we are experimenting is garlic’s ability ...
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... kill bacteria and prevent its growth is proven to be true.
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Ankri, S., and D. Mirelman. "Antimicrobial properties of allicin from garlic.." PubMed.gov. NCBI, 1 Februaru 1999. Web. 1 Dec 2013.
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Head scientist of the antibiotic research center at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ohio, Gerry Wright, has studied the genes of 500 streptomyces strains, a type of bacteria, many of which had never previously been identified. All 500 strains held antibiotic-resistance genes and on average were resistant to 8 of 21 tested antibiotics (Sachs). With an average resistance rate as high as 67 percent in some of these streptomyces species, it is evident that antibiotic-resistance is a rising problem. Regardless of the countless studies proving antibiotic-resistance and articles about the subject, it is one the public knows little about. With such a history of antibiotic benefits, it is difficult to perceive the negative affects these drugs have. This is the main reason antibiotic studies are disregarded. If the large majority of the population continues to do little to avert antibiotic-resistance, bacteria will evolve beyond medical treatment. Actions must be taken by the community as a whole, and even further by the individual, to “reduce the spread of microbes and improve our defense against them” (Schmidt 272). Although antibiotic resistance is inevitable, humans are accelerating the natural defense of microbes through the overuse and misuse of antibiotics.
Bacterial resistance to antibiotics has presented many problems in our society, including an increased chance of fatality due to infections that could have otherwise been treated with success. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, but overexposure to these drugs give the bacteria more opportunities to mutate, forming resistant strains. Through natural selection, those few mutated bacteria are able to survive treatments of antibiotics and then pass on their genes to other bacterial cells through lateral gene transfer (Zhaxybayeva, 2011). Once resistance builds in one patient, it is possible for the strain to be transmitted to others through improper hygiene and failure to isolate patients in hospitals.
Long before humans discovered antibiotics, they existed in nature. So naturally, after penicillin was introduced, some germs were already naturally resistant to the drug. As we used more and more of the antibiotics, we incidentally caused drug-resistant germs to progress. So, even if you’ve never misused antibiotics, you could still become infected by bacterium most drugs won’t kill. For each drug, there are germs genetically programmed to survive- some w/ outer walls tough for antibiotic to cross, others with ways to dump the drugs back out before they can work, and yet others can inactivate the antibiotic. Even worse, by passing tiny packets of genetic material to other bacteria, these survivor germs sometimes also pass the formula for resistance to the other bacteria. The best way you can protect yourself and your family against drug-resistant bacteria is by using antibiotics correctly. Taking them when they’re not needed encourages the takeover of drug-resistant strains in your body. (Redbook, pg.95) That’s because when antibiotics are given, the normal bacteria in your body are killed off, leaving lots of bacterial “parking spaces'; open. And the germ left to fill them is the drug-resistant ones. (Redbook, pg.95) So far, antibiotic resistance has not been a big problem with streptococcus A, the germ familiar to all of us for causing millions of cases of strep thr...
Penicillin, the first antibiotic, was discovered accidentally by Sir Alexander Fleming in 1928. Sir Fleming was growing bacteria on agar plates and accidentally left one of the plates open. A mould started growing on this. Fleming noticed that no bacteria grew
“But how did it come to this?” you’re probably asking yourself. Humans may have been studying antibiotics, but so were bacteria – and they’ve b...
Bacteria that is resistant to antibiotics is a major problem not only for the United States, but worldwide. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012) the cause is related to “widespread overuse, as well as inappropriate use, of antibiotics that is fueling antibiotic resistance”. According to World Health Organization (2013) resistance is a global concern for several reasons; it impedes the control of infectious diseases, increases healthcare costs, and the death rate for patients with resistant bacterial infections is twice of those with non-resistant bacterial infections.
To get a clear insight of how pathogenic bacteria become resistant to antibiotics, one has to understand first how antibiotics work. Antibiotics are manufactured to interact with a specific target molecule produced by the bacteria. The target molecule performs protoplasm in the bacterium that is the driving cause of cellular growth and survival of the pathogen. Antibiotics hinder the growth and survival of the bacteria so that the bacteria can die. To inhibit the target’s function, an antibiotic must do three things. First, it has to reach the site of the target molecule. Second, the antibiotic has to persist at the site to have its effect. Third, the antibiotic needs to prevent the proper formation of cell walls and stop metabolic processes performed by the bacteria to prevent protein synthesis.
For many years we have become increasingly dependant on antibiotics to fight off the bacteria that cause diseases in our bodies. Many of the diseases these bacteria and microbes cause are infectious. For these reasons, it has been noticed that bacteria and other microbes are becoming increasingly resistant to the antibiotics prescribed to sick people. Many doctors prescribe antibiotics for common illnesses, yet other medicines such as home remedies and homeopathy could be used instead. As a result, we are using antibiotics too often, as many sources claim we should only be using them once every three years.”Bacteria have shown a remarkable ability to endure and adapt to their environment including the development of different mechanisms of resistance to most old and new antimicrobial agents”. Because of the frequent prescription, the bacteria and microbes that cause these illnesses are exposed to the same type of antibiotics frequently, thus they are able to adapt and build up resilience against these antibiotics. “Bacteria have developed resistance to all different classes of antibiotics discovered to date” . This is a major problem as we rely so heavily on antibiotics to treat serious illnesses that we are running out of options to treat them with. The prescribing of antibiotics for illnesses that are not life-threatening are now resulting in fewer solutions to cure people affected by diseases that can be fatal.
...cial roles in modern medicine. But the emergence of microbial resistance has increasingly limited their effectiveness in the past two decades (Schmidt, 1994). The overuse of antibiotics in clinical practices and everyday life substances, such as antibacterial soap, has been found responsible for such resistance. Due to frequent mutations of microbes, researchers and scientists have to consider multiple strategies to combat microbes. As a society, we need to thrive to understand the effects of antibiotics and develop newer methods to contain antimicrobials. Furthermore, we need to emphasize the danger of unfinished antibiotics that could potentially lead to higher percentage of microbial resistance. Preventing and developing novel methods to impede the spread of antibiotic resistance is a way to keep today’s antibiotics effective and to sustain future generations.
Since antibiotics, such as penicillin, became widely available in the 1940s, they have been called miracle drugs. They have been able to eliminate bacteria without significantly harming the other cells of the host. Now with each passing year, bacteria that are immune to antibiotics have become more and more common. This turn of events presents us with an alarming problem. Strains of bacteria that are resistant to all prescribed antibiotics are beginning to appear. As a result, diseases such as tuberculosis and penicillin-resistant gonorrhea are reemerging on a worldwide scale (1).
The most effective way to combat pathogenic bacteria which invade the body is the use of antibiotics. Overexposure to antibiotics can easily lead to resistant strains of bacteria. Resistance is dangerous because bacteria can easily spread from person to person. Simple methods for preventing excessive bacterial spread are often overlooked. Not all preventative measures are even adequate. Doctors and patients often use antibiotics unnecessarily or incorrectly, leading to greater resistance. Antibiotics are used heavily in livestock and this excessive antibiotic use can create resistant bacteria and transfer them to humans. In order to reduce resistant bacteria,
Medical science and pharmaceutical researchers need to vigorously investigate the many factors contributing to the decline in antibiotic efficacy which will then empower them to research and develop a new generation of antibiotic therapies. Aligned with this is the responsibility of each individual to manage their health and expectations with regard to treatment. For example, individuals could adopt better ways of maintaining their immune systems by means of a healthy diet and exercise.
Food use to be a part of treatment in some cultures. Some kind of food have a majority of vitamins like vitamin C, B, and Omega3 which support the human body. Also it can fight disease or prevent it from developing such cancer cells. This essay will explain how Ginger and Garlic improve our health.
Antimicrobial Packaging: Edible films are produced which incorporate cinnamon, zinc, calcium, oregano oil or other materials that can kill bacteria.