Natural Antibiotic Alternative #8—Cayenne Pepper
If you like spicy food and suffer from asthma,
joint and muscle pain, diabetes, psoriasis, or
have a cut/scrape, you’re in luck. Cayenne
pepper is good for treating all of those issues.
“The bright red fruit of the plant contains an
ingredient called capsaicin, which has been
found to deplete nerve cells of a chemical that
helps transmit pain messages” (Mayo Clinic
Book of Alternative Medicine, p 51).
Capsaicin is also shown to block “the small
nerve fibers that transmit the pain” people
with diabetes suffer from. “Topically applied
capsaicin has been shown to be of considerable benefit in relieving the pain of diabetic neuropathy” (The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, p 541).
Capsaicin in cayenne pepper is also effective in getting rid of inflammation, which can help treat psoriasis, and helps to desensitize “airway mucosa to various mechanical and chemical irritants,” which makes it effective in preventing asthma attacks” (The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine,
p 335).
Natural Antibiotic Alternative #9—Turmeric
This bright orange spice, commonly
used in Indian cuisine, is good for just
about everything you can think of that
would normally require a trip to the
hospital and the consumption of
harmful antibiotics.
“Research shows turmeric reduces liver
toxicity, boosts the gallbladder’s performance,
helps metabolize fat and reduce bad cholesterol,
and may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s
disease” (The New American Herbal, p 319).
Turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin, has been shown to treat osteoarthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, gallstones, and has even shown promise in treating HIV/AIDS.
Curcumin has been “shown to inhibit HIV integrase, the enzyme that integrates a double-stranded DNA copy of the RNA genome, synthesized by reverse transcriptase into a host chromosome” (The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, p 260).
It is an effective anti-inflammatory, which makes it effective in treating psoriasis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and sports injuries.
Add it to recipes, make it into tea, or brush your teeth with a combination of turmeric and coconut oil to whiten and fortify your teeth. You can also add honey and hot water to help soothe symptoms of the common cold (particularly inflammation in your lymph nodes).