Back in April, I was driving to work one morning, eating my favorite toast ever made from Blue Heaven Leaven Bread; the day just doesn’t seem right without it. Suddenly, I realized I was eating more than just the toast… a piece of my tooth was going with it. Now, I’ve had my share of teeth cracking on popcorn kernels, but never with a supple piece of toast! Nonetheless, half of my tooth was gone, and I had to go visit a dentist. Unfortunately, the tooth was broken beyond repair, and I was left with no choice but to have it pulled. For a little background, my molars are full of fillings, the silver-colored kind. I grew up eating the conventional food of the day- LOVED me some chipped beef gravy (that’s processed sandwich meat with some white sauce), over super soft white toast (think Wonder® bread) covered in margarine.
Man, that was pure joy. I was a candy hound (I don’t think that is entirely abnormal for kids…), and I’m pretty sure we drank something like pasteurized 1 or 2% milk, and plenty of pop. We had great iceberg lettuce salads – loved those, too – and whatever else people on the go were standardly eating back in the 70s and 80s. I’m giving this background simply for the understanding of why (probably) I have a mouth full of amalgams.
Certainly, that era wasn’t pre-Weston Price and his publishing on diet, health, and teeth. But, it definitely was long before I ever learned about it.
Please note that my mother is aghast that I say these things, and to be sure, what we ate then didn’t seem wrong at the time (we did eat healthy things too by the way). But, of course, our family’s diet has changed substantially since then. On just a tangent here, it is important to recognize that as a society on the whole, we still aren’t recognizing the impact of diet on teeth, and more specifically, the importance of teeth and mouth health in our overall health. It boggles the mind that “dental” (or vision for that matter) would be separate from the rest of our health considerations. I hope to see that change.
Now, I had a great dentist way back when – I really liked him; he always made me feel special. Of course, I was buying – ahem, my mom was buying him – a new car. But, truth be told, he did do a great job with my fillings, and they have lasted some odd decades. Yet, in the end, fillings do fail, and in my case, bits of teeth around them. If I had been thinking properly ahead of time, I would have started my “antibiotic” regimen a couple days ahead of the procedure, just to give my body more of a head start. But, I was feeling healthy in general, eating well as usual, gut in balance with lots of live cultures in real foods, etc. So, it didn’t dawn on me until the morning of, at which time I sucked down a quick concoction, and went on my way.
The removal went well, relatively speaking (yes, I did use numbing agents), and for the next 24 hours, I was thinking I had it made. After the numbness wore off and the initial pain subsided, things were rolling smoothly. Late on day two, some pain began returning, and at first I chalked it up to using my mouth more, etc. But, not too long later, I noticed heat in my jaw area, and realized infection had set in. Again, I had not been super proactive about internally boosting my system ahead of time, so I was a little behind in the game already.
At that point, it was all-hands-on-deck, full scale battle mode. I could tell that the infection was down into the bone, and definitely becoming formidable. This is where the fun starts. Have you ever noticed or experienced yourself how “natural remedies” are fine and good for folks until things get serious – and then you (or they) “have to” go get antibiotics (the commercial kind)? I’m actually not one of those, but even in my close circle of family that is vigorous about natural healing, I still heard on this one… “well, you might just have to do antibiotics.”
People discovered the value of a particular natural antibiotic, and pharmaceutical companies capitalized on it, streamlined the production with synthetics, and made them “convenient."
Why is that? Why is it so scary to rely on nature’s remedies versus commercial ones; for heaven’s sake, that’s where they originated in the first place. People discovered the value of a particular natural antibiotic, and pharmaceutical companies capitalized on it, streamlined the production with synthetics, and made them “convenient."
COMMERCIAL ANTIBIOTICS
At this point, we can’t even say with conviction that commercial antibiotics consistently work, considering the overuse of them and the resistance that has developed. On top of that, I think of all the work I’ve put in developing my “tummy buddies”, and how they would be wiped out with a round of over the counter “meds." To me, THAT is scary. Needless to say, my response to the fear I hear (and even feel, due to hearing it repeatedly) is to say that the natural remedies I turn to ARE antibiotics, super powerful ones at that. For me, I use a wide variety of them at different times, so that whatever infection or bug tries to invade my body gets the “guns” from all angles. No kidding. I don’t mess around. I remember back in the day when Vitamin C was pretty much my only “arrow in the quiver."
While it is certainly still a mainstay, it has allies now! After the ordeal with my tooth/jawbone infection, it occurred to me that it might be interesting to talk about the different herbs and oils I used and why to some degree. This is by no means intended to be instructional, exhaustive, or conclusive. And, I am NOT saying what another should or shouldn’t do when it comes to “antibiotics." Everyone has their own path to walk and levels of understanding and comfort. But, for those of you interested in hearing, here are my “big guns” plus some.
First of all, any time I feel even the slightest inkling of something – tight throat, flush, run down, etc. – and especially when I’m around sick people or we’re in the “flu season,” I go straight to my big guns for a cocktail: oil of oregano, goldenseal (or Echinacea/goldenseal depending on what I have), and GSE. If I have Oscillococcinum on hand, I will take some of that if needed, too. I find that if I catch it early, one concoction does the trick, and I am good to go. Without a doubt, my trusted go-to's are not the end-all-be-all; there are so many I’m not listing below, or not even really familiar with probably. But, let’s take a peek at my troops which have grown beyond just Vitamin C (in no particular order).
NATURAL REMEDIES
GSE (grapefruit seed extract) is made from the seeds, pulp, and membrane of grapefruit. It has strong antimicrobial, antiviral, antibiotic, antifungal properties, etc., and is useful internally as well as for cleaning. I even leave my dishrags in a bowl of water with a drop or two of GSE, and they stay sweet. Recently, I discovered additional benefits I hadn’t known before- it fights sinus issues. I have experienced a chronic sinus infection in the last couple of years due to the dust in my horse arena. A few months back, I gave the GSE nasal spray (NS084) a try, and it has been unbelievably helpful for me. Now, undoubtedly some of you are versed in the controversy over GSE, its efficacy, and its purity. The only thing I can really say is from my own experience, research, and the understanding of the Nutribiotic product which has been a staple in my house for probably 15 years – I have found it to be a very important part of my health-keeping arsenal.
Oil of Oregano. Oh, how I love oil of oregano. Just like GSE and most of the rest of the troops, it has antibiotic, antiviral, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiparasitic properties, etc., as well as anti-inflammatory. It also proves helpful with respiratory and digestive issues. For me, I pretty much just use it for its full-scale battle ability. Oil of oregano is highly potent and needs to be diluted- whether used topically or internally. Take the example from my mom who grabbed for some Similisan eye drops in the medicine chest, and grabbed oil of oregano instead… it was an extremely shocking experience to say the least. So, if you use it, dilute it, and DO NOT put in your eyes. I also make sure that the oil is made from true, wild-crafted oregano from the Mediterranean.
Goldenseal. I was chatting with David Stelzer awhile back, and asked him off the top of his head what he thought was the most powerful natural antibiotic, and he didn’t hesitate before saying goldenseal. It is one potent antimicrobial. The thing about it that I keep in mind is that it is a broad spectrum killer- kind of like a commercial antibiotic, only without the side effects. So, I don’t take it for extended periods of time. Also, whenever I am using any natural antibiotics etc., I focus increased effort on gut/probiotic support. For me, that tends to be in the form of various lacto-fermented foods like sauerkraut, pickles, raw milk products, etc.
Echinacea is for immune system support. I use it in conjunction with the others less for its “fighting” ability, and more for its ability to stimulate the body’s own system for defending against invaders. It helps to activate white blood cells and phagocytosis which is the process the body uses to consume and remove pathogens and debris. To me, Echinacea is less aggressive and more supportive which is really important when looking at the whole picture. In the case of illness or infection, I think it is critical to have both- some agents to fight the fight, and some to support and give care.
Turmeric is something I have begun to use more and more on a regular basis, particularly for its tremendous anti-inflammatory and antioxidant attributes. It has antiseptic and antibiotic properties as well. It has been a staple in cooking in various cultures for millennia, and I have found it useful as a pain reducer… less inflammation, less pain! My horses benefit from it too. It is something that can be taken on a continual basis, and a new thing I have really enjoyed lately is dicing up pieces of turmeric and ginger root, along with a little lemon, and having that in my water bottle for the day. It adds a distinctive and refreshing flavor, with healthful benefits to boot.
Garlic is an absolute powerhouse, like the others, but with a difference. It has mighty antibiotic, antimicrobial, antiseptic, antiviral, antifungal properties, etc., AND it can be taken longterm. That’s not even to mention that it is rich in sulfur compounds which are vital to overall health and flexibility, and even to proper enzyme function. So… garlic is a daily companion, and I definitely take a LOT of it when up against an infection. I even found that adding a couple cloves of diced garlic to that drink I mentioned above is pretty great. Dicing or crushing the garlic is helpful as it activates the alliinase enzymes, and I like to eat the garlic raw to take advantage of all its nutrients, compounds, and properties. The only thing is that sometimes garlic can be pretty hot, and maybe even burn a little as it goes down. To cut that aspect, I coat it in honey, and the burning effect is virtually nullified. I love lots of different kinds of raw honey, but in the case of fighting infection, I regularly use Manuka.
Manuka Honey. I had never heard of it before starting with Azure. But, when I saw it in our catalog a couple years ago, and did some research on it, I knew I had to give it a try. It is a staple in my “medicine” cabinet now. So, like I said, I use it on garlic. I mix it with that drink I mentioned when I really need a boost. I have even used it on a severe leg infection. Actually, that one was pretty bad and scary too. I had kind of cut my leg while moving some heavy (dirty) stall mats in my horse barn. It wasn’t really a cut more like a bad rub, so I didn’t think a whole lot about it (i.e., didn’t immediately go wash it off). However, the skin had been kind of broken, and within about 12 hours, the site grew red and inflamed, and got bigger and bigger.
Now, there are a whole lot of nasties out there in horse manure, and when I realized I was dealing with one of them on my injured leg, I knew I had to get really serious. I washed the site with GSE. Rinsed with 3% hydrogen peroxide, and then put Manuka honey to its first test with me. I coated the area and bandaged. It took a couple days -- just like it would with a conventional antibiotic. But, it did take care of that infection. Now, I don’t use it every day, simply because it’s fairly expensive as honey goes. For regular eating and general purpose goodness, I go for other raw honeys. But, at this point, I make sure I have it (at least Bio-Active 5 SW224) on hand for the critical needs.
Coconut oilhas so many health benefits- well beyond the scope of this article. I am pointing it out here for its antimicrobial, antibiotic, antifungal, antiviral properties, and how I use it for “pulling”. If you aren’t familiar, oil pulling is where you swish oil around in your mouth for anywhere from 10-30 minutes, and then spit it out. It is a common practice in Ayurvedic medicine, used to help detoxify the body. It is helpful in many ways, especially for sinus issues and promoting oral health (among other things). Coconut oil is not the only oil that can be used for pulling - sesame, sunflower, and even olive oil are often used. But, I use coconut oil for its strength in the properties I mentioned earlier- plus it has a great taste. Of course, I did not pull immediately after my tooth extraction- had to wait a few days for the clot to set (so I didn’t get dry socket), and the healing to begin. When it did, I resumed the pulling. I even added in a little Manuka honey to boost the healing.
We’re just about out of time here, but I want to give a shout out to a few more of the assisting troops in quick succession.
Hydrogen peroxide: It is indispensable for its cleaning assistance, from a mouth or wound rinse to a surface or produce cleaner. It’s a master disinfectant, and whitener!
Cloves: Have tooth pain? Put some clove on it (oil or powder works) and feel it disappear. Clove has an amazing analgesic effect, and I keep a little container with me – just in case.
Arnica: It’s my go-to for any kind of trauma or bruising control, along with its pain relieving properties.
Tissue or Cell Salts: We as a family have been using Hyland’s brand tissue salts since I think the 90's. There are 12 main cell salts in the biochemic healing method (and several additional complementary ones) - each addresses and serves different functions in the body. They are based on the principle of maintaining mineral balance at the cellular level, and generally come in the form of sublingual tablets. I keep all 12 in stock on my shelves at home, and wouldn’t be without them. Currently Azure carries “Bioplasma” which is a combination of all twelve, designed for overall health and support.
SEVEN DAYS OF TREATMENT
So, how did it go with my jaw infection?
Well, I diligently used all of the above mentioned helpers in various combinations throughout each day, and by day seven, we won the battle. Yes, 7 days. Sometime around day three or four, I thought I was better and slacked off on the regimen a little bit, only to realize it wasn’t over. Ever heard of someone doing that with commercial antibiotics? They think they’re better after a couple days, stop taking the pills, only to have the infection come back with a vengeance. I didn’t let my guard down that long, maybe a half a day, but I did have to jump back on it and continue solidly through seven days.
If I had taken a round of commercial antibiotics, wouldn’t I have been required to do them for seven days, if not more, too? Sure, they may have been more convenient in the moment – pop a couple pills and be on my way. But, in my mind, the convenience is entirely diminished by the thought of the after effects – like having to rebuild my gut biome which takes years. That’s not convenient in the least. and can be avoided by using natural infection remedies.
FURTHER RESEARCH
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3609166/
http://www.nutriteam.com/faq#germany
http://www.nhs.uk/news/2011/04April/Pages/manuka-honey-mrsa-superbug-bacteria.aspx
http://www.herbs.org/greenpapers/echinacea.html
http://www.herbwisdom.com/herb-goldenseal.html
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=60
http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/organic-coconut-oil/health-benefits-of-coconut-oil.html
http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/best-oil-for-oil-pulling-therapy/
http://www.medindia.net/alternativemedicine/turmeric-powder.asp