Immunity… it’s something immeasurably sacred that probably all of us, to some degree, take for granted because we’re blessed with it from birth. And yet, it’s the very essence of what keeps us alive. It serves us 24/7 protection against pathogenic bacteria and viruses that seek to destroy.
Though not widely known, the immune system also operates, in large part, as the body’s “second brain.” Roughly 70% of this “brain” resides in the approximately 30 feet of digestive plumbing that stretches from the entry point (mouth) right on down to the exit.
This second brain functions as the cradle of human life as it’s responsible for a number of critical tasks. These include processing and assimilating nutrients from food, filtering out and expelling waste, and communicating directly with our “first” brain (the one in our heads), on a routine basis.
Much of this second brain is comprised of plentiful, but delicate, bacteria − more familiarly known as probiotics. These bacteria not only serve as a functional microbial army working to protect against harmful invaders, but also as a collective legion of living healers that maintains homeostasis.
Put simply, a healthy, well-functioning immune system is designed to work symbiotically with the central nervous system to regulate a number of important bodily processes. When it’s thrown out of whack due to things like poor diet or toxic overload, serious health problems can arise. This same damaging state of gut dysbiosis can also spring up following use of antibiotics, which are commonly prescribed for everything from ear infections and colds to strep throat and pneumonia.
Antibiotic Treatment Makes the Problem Worse!
When they first hit the medical scene, antibiotics were actually hailed as some kind of all-encompassing cure for infectious disease. But thanks to advancements in modern science, we now know that antibiotics are enemy number one when it comes to maintaining a healthy immune system. That’s because antibiotics completely decimate the body’s internal microbial terrain. They indiscriminately target both “good” and “bad” bacteria throughout the intestinal tract and leave in their wake death, destruction, and utter desolation − the exact opposite of what our bodies need to live.
Truth be told, the beneficial microbiota that naturally populate the human gut are fully capable on their own of keeping pathogenic bacteria at bay − without antibiotics − so long as they’re properly maintained and adequately nourished.
Antibiotics technically work in opposition to this normalization process because they destroy anything and everything in their path, including the protective microbes that keep yeasts, fungi, and other invaders from penetrating the intestinal lining and infecting the body.
It’s all these yeasts and fungi that are the real triggers of infectious disease, it turns out, not the bacteria targeted by antibiotics. When antibiotics are introduced into the equation, these yeasts and fungi actually gain an upper hand because they no longer have to face the immune barriers that otherwise would have destroyed them at the gate.
In their book The Fungus Link, Volume 2, authors Dr. Dave Holland, MD, and Doug Kaufmann refer to yeasts as “opportunistic organisms” that thrive in the absence of intestinal bacteria. Using their hyphae, yeasts are able to punch holes in the walls of an unprotected, antibiotic-damaged gut system, allowing toxins to enter the body indiscriminately. This is one of the pathways through which potentially life-threatening digestive conditions like leaky gut syndrome and Crohn’s disease are able to form.
Antibiotics are Mycotoxins
Another one of the more pressing public health concerns of our day is mycotoxicosis, also known as mold poisoning. Millions of people today suffer from its devastating effects, though many have no clue as to why. Science is continuing to uncover how the various metabolic byproducts of pathogenic fungi (known collectively as mycotoxins), are directly responsible for its growing prevalence throughout the developed world.
Did you know that antibiotics are technically mycotoxins disguised as medicine? The non-synthetic varieties, at least, are derived straight from fungal metabolites, and they operate in much the same way, triggering the same types of systematic damage. Serious health conditions like urinary tract infections (UTI), for instance, that are often blamed on bacteria are actually a consequence of antibiotic use in many cases. Hence why their symptoms often worsen after a run of antibiotics.
Mycotoxins are primarily an issue in commercial food that was grown in diseased and/or “dead” soils. More often than not, this results from these soils and the crops grown in them having been heavily sprayed with chemical pesticides and herbicides. Similarly to how the human immune system becomes compromised due to antibiotic exposure, chemical-sprayed soils are left stripped of their protective bacteria which leads to their eventual infestation with damaging fungi.
The end result is the spawning of toxic fungal metabolites that eventually make their way into the general food supply, wreaking all kinds of health havoc on those who consume it. Nearly the exact same situation occurs inside your gut when you take antibiotics, by the way. If you think of antibiotics as being the mycotoxins that they truly are, you’ll be a lot less prone to take them at the whim of your doctor, who may not fully understand the consequences of their use.
Antibiotic Treatments are Driving Antibiotic-Resistant “Superbugs”
Another important little tidbit about bacteria in general is that they’re highly adaptable. When faced with a particular challenge − in this case, antibiotics − they quickly learn how to overcome it and become stronger and more resistant. When they accomplish this feat, they earn the title of “superbug,” which means the attacks levied against them are no longer effective.
Superbugs are becoming a major problem in the world today, and much of what’s driven their growth and proliferation over the past several decades is the obscene overuse and abuse of antibiotics, both in conventional medicine and commercial animal farming practices. Besides the fact that many doctors still irresponsibly hand out antibiotic prescriptions like candy, many industrial farmers continue to pump their livestock full of the stuff to make them look fatter and more appealing.
But appearance isn’t everything. These antibiotic-laden animals are typically very sick and full of toxins that easily passed through their drug-damaged intestines. And when they’re finally slaughtered, their tainted meat ends up spreading disease to the public, while at the same time contributing to wide-scale antibiotic resistance… not exactly a sustainable food production model.
Avoiding antibiotics at all costs and greatly reducing their accepted uses in medicine and food production are among the only logical approaches to stemming this tide of widespread immune destruction, both in animal and human populations. Those with already-damaged guts also need a solid boost of probiotics and complementary prebiotics to help correct this damage. After all, our very existence as humans depends upon having a healthy gut.
This information is being suppressed from you by the mainstream media and the medical establishment. Please help us spread our message of truth.
After having my life decimated by Cipro I hope to never take another antibiotic again. Regular MDs that are not integrative are CLUELESS in this area. They are so brainwashed by their big-pharma immersed training.
I don’t agree with this article. I get a few UTI’s a year and the ONLY thing that alleviates my symptoms are antibiotics. I’ve tried natural remedies and none work.
You probably tried the weak remedies that only possibly help to maintain health. The powerful proteolytic probiotics that we use are patented strains. We have tremendous success with elimination of cancer and other health challenges. Visit our site to learn about our protocol… http://LeadingEdgeHealth.org
Louis Hoolaeff HR HC ACS
I agree with Michelle. I get UTI’s from having intercourse and the ONLY thing I have found to get rid of them is antibiotics. I now take an antibiotic after intercourse to prevent getting a UTI. The antibiotics are not causing the UTI’s and it’s been 13 years and have not had any issues with my gut health or becoming resistant to antibiotics.
Or just drink plain cranberry juice (no added sugar) for a week and water only. You will be cured. Its been over 7 years since I’ve had a uti. I got sick of the the know it all doctors always getting it wrong, (on perpose) just to gain a buck. I go all natural before I try the doctors.
I had a UTI in 2001, and was at a clinic in Mexico for cancer. The doctor told me to make a mixture of the following herb powders: Dandelion (root or just plant, I can’t remember), Cornsilk, Uva Ursi, and Horsetail. He said to mix them equally. Then make a tea from the mixture by putting one teaspoon of herb mixture into a cup of hot water. Take the tea four times a day. It’s a bit gritty, but force yourself, and keep mixing as you drink it. Stay on this program for four weeks. It actually worked!!! No antibiotics. However, there were other times when it didn’t work as well, but I always keep the mixture on hand for emergencies, like weekends or holidays when the doctor isn’t available or the pharmacy is closed or to use first to see if I can avoid an antibiotic altogether. Hopefully, the mixture is all I need. I was amazed that it went away completely the first time I used this program.
Michelle, I work in a health food store. There is a product from Peak Health designed for people that get regular UTI’s. It’s called Urinary Tract Care and has things like cranberry, D-mannose, probiotics and enzymes to digest the overgrowth of yeast. There is a recommended amount to get rid of the UTI and another amount to maintain. It works well for people.
This has been going on for decades and the same information has been there for decades. People are sheep and follow and swallow anything from Pharmageddon’s drug dispensers, their doctor. Same sheep support snd eat from Sewer Markets selling toxic food daily.
My biggest complaint comes from yet another headline grabbing article that isn’t news but history and at the end of it, yet another inducement to buy a book! Oh and hurry up and “grab” your copy of Ty’s new book. I am sick of this American type of pushy, discounting for limited times only crap. Dr Axe is another example of these horrible limited time discounts, SO HURRY UP FOLKS!
I have asked these “bone broth” sales companies if their products are organic. So far they are not, so it is no better than eating meats treated with who knows what. I agree that we all need to do our own research. It’s harder than asking someone for the answers, but we need to start thinking for ourselves.
It’s not just the books, it’s also the supplements that they immediately have available that they claim are more absorbable, safer, organic, and of course cost two to three times more! It’s ALWAYS about a cash reward!
I agree that anti biotics are not good, especially when used frequently. However I want t o know what a person is supposed to take? I know some of the home made remedies don’t always work and we need relief from whatever is ailing us.
You probably tried the weak remedies that only possibly help to maintain health. The powerful proteolytic probiotics that we use are patented strains. We have tremendous success with elimination of cancer and other health challenges. Visit our site to learn about our protocol… http://LeadingEdgeHealth.org
Louis Hoolaeff HR HC ACS
I have knee replacements and when I go to dentist they want me to take them! What should I do about that?
Jan,
The dentist wants to “pre-med” you so that any bacteria that is dislodged during dental procedures will not get into your bloodstream and affect large organs like your heart. I was pre-medicated for years by dentists due to a heart operation I had when i was 4 y/o (I’m now 58), but it is actually not necessary in most cases. I stopped pre-medicating a few years ago. My suggestion would be to check with a good Dr. who you trust that can fully explain why you need to be pre-medicated. I have never heard of being pre-medicated after a knee replacement! This may be totally unnecessary.
Get a great dentist that understands this…there are a few for Biological or Holistic Dentistry-google them. Dr. Thomas J. Lokensgard is mentioned in the episodes I belive and he is in Franklin TN-not sure where you are? Worth changing dentists to save your health since so much of our health is tied to dentistry!
Learn about probiotics on the site… http://LeadingEdgeHealth.org
Louis Hoolaeff HR HC ACS
So far, looking at LeadingHealth.org, I see yet another company trying to get people to buy their PROBIOTICS? I have heard many times, that Organic foods are the #1 best defense for curing and treating illnesses. It is in my opinion cheaper that any supplemental pills I see advertised. If these pills worked as good as they claim, there would be thousands upon thousands of people proclaiming the benefits. I believe we are what we eat. Pay now for Organic food, or pay later with illnesses and terminal disease.
There IS a protocol that gets rid of UTIs but it involves several different suppements. AN ND (esp a a female ND) should have this protocol. I know. AFter having my life torn apart by Cipro, a failed chemo drug masquerading as an antibiotic, I refused to take antibiotics anymore. My ND put me on a protocol for a UTI and a urinalysis shows it is gone.
What is an ND?
Doctor of Naturopathy. They go to medical school too, but are trained in using nontoxic methods
This is very true. When doctors prescribe antibiotics to their patients, they think that they are doing them good and all that they are doing is jut making them even sicker and their bodies be exposed to all poisons. We are exposed to all kinds of poisons that we do not know of.
WE NEED ALL THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH! ALL of these Docs and companys give us a wealth of free information with the option of optaining more. PEOPLE we have the right to CHOOSE what we buy. Yes I too have had my fill of miss information and information overload.. I have to ask God for the Wisdom to desern all the time.
It is the lack of disclosure of information, whats behind every thing seems to be money. we should be holding corperations ,drug companies ext who have a hold on government by way of lobbiests. The so called med. reform was written by medical professional? Yea those HMOs and others that stand to gain $ from a sick and deiing people. Doctors are limited to how they care for us by the medical program we pay into.
Yes the newest information is the most worthy. It has been that way for the past 30 years for me. it started their with diognosis of C.I.F.I.D.S. (cronic fatiqe immune deficeincy) and fibromialga (french for I hurt all over)! About 20 years ago i found Dr. Synard in St. Louis Park MN. He said all thes fancy names for health issues just mean when your sick your just not healthy. Get healthy, do and eat the right thing. I had been on the cover of times magazine 21 times. Interviewed on news programs and talk shows. he co-authered a book about ear infections and alcoholism connection to yeast and antibiotics. He had to choose between his daughter deiing or going deaf by antibiotic to save her he choose antibiotic. He believed ahead of his time tactic. a 3 point system of what u can see , like the heavy heal skin build up, indication of thyroid condition, heratage ext. before medical testing. He was attacked by government backed by the medical profession. at that time also attacked were those dentists that were concerned about amalgums, mercury and metals used in them. now 20 yrs latter a dentist cannot mention mercury with out being charged when we can find the info on net if know where to look that indeed their is mercury and other places how this metal is dangerous in our bodies.
I am still on my way to complete health. We had not been told all the truth about the food we eat the medical schools backed finacially by the drug companies.Folks This is a disadvantage to us getting healthy. First Get out their and vote moral issues of a candidate, not your pocket book( $), they will do right. If their doing right not just them thinking they are right, walking the walk not just talking the talk. Then speak well of whoever gets in office the position deserves respect. THEN PRAY for them to be guided in what is truly right for our nation. THANK YOU GOOD PEOPLE who CHOSE to read all written here!!
Is it within “acceptable legal guidelines”, “medical efficacious parameters” and ,in general, helpful to those facing having to consider using antibiotics post medical procedure to offer alternative measures to take when including such statements as”…antibiotics are enemy number one when it comes to maintaining a healthy immune system.”? That leaves those who are in or will be in such situations left without a viable solution. I appreciate you passing on this vital information. I’m just concerned about how to “safely” and effectively move forward with this.
Antibiotics cause cancer because they damage mitochondrial DNA. Tetracycline which is commonly prescribed for acne has been linked to a 120% increased risk for breast cancer. I see this common pattern in my practice. Teen age girls are prescribed tetracycline and develop breast cancer 20-25 years later. Mitochondria are essentially bacteria living within our cells. They are sensitive to environmental toxins, radiation and the toxic effects of all classes of antibiotics. Because cancer takes such a long time to develop, the association has never been detected until recently.
For another perspective, read The Human Superorganism” by Dietert. As we unravel genes and the microbiome, the whole concept of antibiotics is questionable
The big concern of mine is probiotics are not the answer ,good eating organic fresh foods can support good gut health especially sprouts they are full of good enzymes, vitamins and prebiotics allowing you to nourish your own defense system the natural way ,they are easy to grow and can be a game changer for those who eat them ,not to say probiotics don’t have there place , however the big problem is people don’t eat all organic diets and America has made that near impossible, that’s why I started growing my own food with a simple easy to use sprouting setup , my health has improved immensely, what people have to realize is they are under chemical attack from weapons of mass biological destruction ,the antibiotic ROUNDUP sprayed on most food in North America is noting short of a weapons campaign assaulting the population . Therefore if you are consuming poison on your food daily not eating 100% organic you are still in harms way no matter how many probiotics you take as your non organic sprayed foods destroy the probiotics you are paying for . In the long run it is more effective to just eat organic and it’s alot cheaper tools it has no cost to your health and the health of the planet , my best advice is to start sprouting ,plant a garden in the spring and start thriving again as we were all meant to . Sincerely Richard Miller. P.S. the only way to conquer cancer is to beat it at the root cause and ban Glyphosate and Pesticides on food period .
Michelle… have you tried D-Mannose and staying away from dairy for the UTI’S. used it on my Mother in law when she was in a nursing home for over 9 years kept her infection free.
I don’t mind them promoting products or books that are helpful and help support their/our cause-this stuff isn’t free and neither is the nutrition or info in the books/supplements to them-they have to raise money to provide info. I do agree that in the articles that point out how harmful antibiotics, vaccines and other toxins are, there should be complete info on exactly what the replacement is or the answer naturally would be to forgo what big Pharma hands out to us. Please let us know what to take/eat instead of antibiotics in the most average instances. Thank you!
Hi, I was diagnosed with positive TB skin test and my doctors have me take Isoniazid (antibiotic). Should I be worried? thank you!
Most implants create Biofilm, which is a low grade undetectable infection. Biofilm is the real reason for anti biotic resistant bacteria. Those of us with implants have to be very careful with Candida, and parasites. Our immune system is compromised and we have to be extra careful with antibiotics which result in Candida overgrowth.
Penni, do they sell vitamin B17 supplements, apricot kernals, and Neem toothpaste at your Health food store? Where do you live?
I fully agree with this article. As an individual growing up, I took antibiotics for colds, acne, infections etc. It never made me healthy, but rather wrecked a ton of havoc on my body. It eventually lead to a systematic candida issue that really wiped me off my feet. I had to drop out of school for 6 months while recovering. I fully believe this was due to all the antibiotics i took, causing a very weakened immune system along with poor eating habits. With poor intestinal flora, candida albicans were easily able to grow and takeover my intestinal tract.
5 years later I am the healthiest I have ever been. I often take probiotics in the form of raw-unpasteurized organic sauerkraut. Please do yourself a favour and read up on them. Nearly one forkful (tablespoon) is equivalent to half the bottle of most probiotic capsules. It has really helped in transforming my health and life around.
Note – I normally don’t post on boards like this, but I felt I needed to in the hopes that at least one person reads this comment and will benefit from it. Trust me guys, your health is worth it!
Thank you, Brandon for your remark about sauerkraut and it’s probiotic propensity. I take a little each day. I had no idea it was more powerful than bottled ( pill form) probiotics. When I first heard of probiotic, I thought it had to come in a supplement form. That’s the second time I heard it is a probiotic. I threw out my Simvastatin cholesterol pills after hearing they are a major cause of Alzheimer’s and now take 1/3–1/2 c. organic beets, one carrot and one apple a day which is equal to lowering cholesterol just as good with no side affects. So many great comments here!
i eat organic fruits and vegies, juicing etc yet i’ve had sooo many antibiotics thru my life supposedly necessary! As a child much too many for upper respitoray infection s, then bladder and then pneumonia, hepatitus a; then a few bout of lyme, dental infections, root canals; last winter an in flammed cyst so what can i do’ i always say n o and they insist and scare me especially with the teeth stuff and lyme’ also had serious staph once and a myectomy; so i’ve had alot even tho i try so hard to stay healthy!
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