Antibiotics save lives every day, but there is a downside to their ubiquity. High doses can kill healthy cells along with infection-causing bacteria, while also spurring the creation of “superbugs” that no longer respond to known antibiotics. Now, researchers may have found a natural way to cut down on antibiotic use without sacrificing health: a […]
Chemical added to consumer products impairs response to antibiotic treatment
Grocery store aisles are stocked with products that promise to kill bacteria. People snap up those items to protect themselves from the germs that make them sick. However, new research from Washington University in St. Louis finds that a chemical that is supposed to kill bacteria is actually making them stronger and more capable of […]
Toothpaste And Hand Wash Are Causing Antibiotic Resistance
A common ingredient in toothpaste and hand wash could be contributing to antibiotic resistance, according to University of Queensland research. A study led by Dr Jianhua Guo from UQ’s Advanced Water Management Centre focused on triclosan, a compound used in more than 2000 personal care products. Dr Guo said while it was well-known the overuse […]
New Research Suggests Common Herbicides Are Linked To Antibiotic Resistance
Antibiotics are losing their ability to kill bacteria. One of the main reasons for the rise in antibiotic resistance is the improper use of antibiotics, but our latest research shows that the ingredients in commonly-used weed killers like Round-up and Kamba can also cause bacteria to become less susceptible to antibiotics. Herbicides induce gene activity Already, about […]
Antibiotics May Reduce The Ability Of Immune Cells To Kill Bacteria
Antibiotics normally act in concert with an organism’s immune system to eliminate an infection. However, the drugs can have broad side effects, including eliminating “good” bacteria in the course of fighting off a pathogen. A new study led by researchers from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, MIT, and the Wyss Institute for Biologically […]
Bacteria From Bees Possible Alternative To Antibiotics
Raw honey has been used against infections for millennia, before honey — as we now know it — was manufactured and sold in stores. So what is the key to its’ antimicrobial properties? Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have identified a unique group of 13 lactic acid bacteria found in fresh honey, from the […]
Probiotics Help With Digestion And So Much More
The friendly bacteria that live in our guts are essential for good health. What do these beneficial bugs do? Probiotics are the opposite of antibiotics, which kill bacteria. (There are trillions of them, outnumbering the cells in our body 10-to-1.) They help prevent colitis-related colon cancer, protect you from food poisoning, strengthen the immune system, […]