THE SILENT THREAT OF ANTIBACTERIAL RESISTANCE

At the heart of our modern medicine, antibiotics stand as sentinels against many infections that have claimed countless lives in the past. Yet a threat is emerging that worries doctors and scientists alike - antibacterial resistance.

Imagine a world in which a simple knee abrasion could be life-threatening, or where routine surgeries became high-risk procedures. This is not the plot of a dystopian novel, but the past before the antibiotic era, and also the real future scenario we face as bacteria become resistant to antibiotics.

What is antibacterial resistance?

Antibacterial resistance occurs when bacteria change in response to the use of drugs. Like a clever enemy that learns the tactics of its adversary, bacteria evolve to resist the drugs that are supposed to kill them. This means that antibiotics, once reliable infection fighters, are losing their power.

How does this happen?

There are several ways in which this happens:

First and foremost, it is the overuse of antibiotics: whenever we use antibiotics "just in case", for illnesses they cannot cure, such as the common cold or flu, we give bacteria a chance to learn and resist.

The role of natural alternatives:

This is where natural alternatives come in. Plants have been nature's pharmacy for millennia, offering compounds that can promote health and fight disease without contributing to antibacterial resistance.

In our daily lives, the immune system acts as a vigilant protector against disease. Throughout history, people have relied on natural substances to strengthen this defence mechanism. Today, we're bringing these time-tested approaches back into the spotlight and offering simple, natural strategies to boost your immune health.

Natural immunity allies:

Several natural substances stand out for their historical and scientifically recognized immunity-boosting properties.

Used for centuries by Native American tribes and now embraced by modern science, Echinacea is valued for its potential to boost the immune response.

Ginger has a history of over five thousand years in various cultures and is celebrated for its warming properties and ability to support various health functions, including the immune system.

In addition to adding pizzazz to dishes, garlic also contains compounds known for their health benefits, which many cultures use to support the immune system.

When incorporating these and other natural helpers into our daily routine, it is important to also take into account our overall lifestyle. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables, regular exercise and stress management are the foundation for a strong immune system. For cases where our diet is not sufficient, high-quality natural supplements can provide suitable support. By combining these natural remedies with healthy habits, we can take proactive steps to maintain good health and support our body's natural defences.

And why look for sources of new effective antibiotics in the plant kingdom?

Big pharmaceutical companies are worried that if bacteria become resistant to their new antibiotic soon after it goes on sale, the drug won't even be able to pay for itself. Because developing a new synthetic drug is an extremely expensive business. It's for this reason in particular that some of the biggest companies have already have officially declaredthat they're done developing antibiotics.

In this respect, "artificial" antibiotics created by pharmaceutical companies have another disadvantage. As commonly used drugs, it cannot be assumed that they can be sold at extremely high prices, as is the case with some other drugs, typically, for example, anticancer drugs, or drugs for Covid 19 and others. The price of a single pack of an antibiotic can be around €20-30 , which cannot be accepted by a large pharmaceutical company that has invested millions or billions of euros in the development of a new drug.

Plant extracts erase all these disadvantages:

There are a huge number of substances - metabolomes - produced by plants that have antibacterial effects. By the time bacteria have developed resistance to a new plant antibiotic, we may have hundreds or thousands of other substances in reserve to make another new and effective antibiotic. By the way, there are currently only about 30 types of "man-made" antibiotics in the world, and there are virtually no more.
The cost of an antibiotic based on an existing plant extract and its entire development can be orders of magnitude less expensive than developing and testing an entirely new chemical compound. In fact, these extracts have already been proven effective against bacteria in thousands of scientific studies, under laboratory conditions.

What can you do?

Each of us has a role to play in this fight against antibiotic resistance.

Together with your doctor, always consider whether your current health condition necessarily requires the use of an antibiotic, or whether it is possible to try a natural alternative first. Educate yourself. Understand the proper use of antibiotics. Prevention is key: strengthen your immune system with a healthy lifestyle, good nutrition and natural supplements. Choose products from companies that invest in research and development, even if they have no guarantee of financial gain, but aim to support a good cause that benefits everyone.