Global Antibiotic Crisis

REPRINTED FROM BEYOND HEALTH® News by Raymond Francis Last May, the World Health Organization issued a report warning that common diseases are popping up in incurable strains. "We are standing on the brink of a global crisis in infectious diseases," said Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima, WHO's director general. The report warns that the spread of untreatable infections is threatening to undermine modern advances in health care. In an amazing display of candor, the report said that the reason for the increase in drug resistant microbes is the "inappropriate use of antibiotics." The report went on to say that in the developed countries the overuse of antibiotics and other prescription drugs has weakened people's immune systems. In short, we are facing an infectious disease crisis because antibiotics have produced super bugs and also damaged our immune systems. A Rand Corp. study concluded that up to 32% of all disease is caused by physicians, and this estimate is conservative. How is this possible? The answer lies in the WHO report. Abuse of antibiotics and other prescription drugs by physicians has weakened our immune systems. Weakened immune systems play a crucial role in causing AIDS, autoimmune diseases, asthma, allergies, and a long list of other diseases. An antibiotic is a toxic chemical, called a mycotoxin, which is produced by molds. Molds produce mycotoxins to kill bacteria that would otherwise compete with the mold. Mycotoxins are so deadly they eliminate infections like magic. That's the upside; here's the downside. They also kill your cells, thus damaging you, as well as killing your friendly bacteria which are essential to good health. Even one course of antibiotics is capable of damaging your health for life. Frequent or prolonged exposures virtually guarantee serious future health problems. Taking an antibiotic initiates a complex and extensive chain of events. For example, antibiotics kill off the friendly bacteria in your digestive system, allowing other organisms to grow in their place. Friendly bacteria play critical roles. They aid in the digestive process by converting food into enzymes, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that the body can use. They produce critical materials such as vitamins K and B12, natural antibiotics to keep unfriendly bacteria under control, fatty acids that are food for cells in the gut, and so on. Killing these bacteria causes subclinical and even clinical malnutrition. Malnutrition suppresses immune function. In addition, friendly bacteria keep yeasts under control by competing for food and by producing biotin, which inhibits yeasts. When the friendly bacteria are killed, yeasts and undesirable bacteria grow in their place and create their own ecosystem, which inhibits the return of the friendly bacteria. Small amounts of mycotoxin-producing yeasts are always present in the gut, but when yeasts overgrow, the mycotoxins become clinically significant. These toxins are known to interfere with transmission of nerve impulses. They suppress and inhibit immune function, thus promoting immune dystoreunction diseases. They inhibit magnesium absorption causing a variety of neurologic problems. Yeasts also damage gut tissue, causing leaky gut syndrome, which causes problems ranging from allergies to arthritis. In addition, yeasts produce a variety of immune reactive substances that can keep the immune system busy forming antibodies to the point of immune suppression or even breakdown. These are only a few of the things that can happen when you take an antibiotic. So why take them? Since only sick people get infections, keep yourself healthy by eating a good diet, taking high quality supplements, avoiding toxins, reducing stress, and getting regular exercise. If you do get an infection, lots of vitamins A, C, and E are very useful, as well as garlic, herbs like echinacea, and homeopathic remedies. Most infections are self-limiting, and less than 1% of all antibiotic use is justified. The rest is irresponsible nonsense, nonsense that is now causing a global health crisis. Raymond Francis is an M.I.T.-trained scientist, a registered nutrition consultant, author of Never Be Sick Again, Never Be Fat Again, Never Fear Cancer Again, and an internationally recognized leader in the field of optimal health maintenance. Reprinted with permission from: Beyond Health® News email: [email protected] Copyright 1996, Beyond Health