Antibiotic Resistance and the "Super Bugs"

"Bacterial resistance to antibiotics is a growing public health threat to the United States," says Richard Besser, M.D., of the CDC’s respiratory disease branch.

Substances once thought to be miracle drugs are currently posing one of the most serious health threats we have faced in decades.

Bacteria are now outwitting even our most potent antibiotics, creating a global threat of enormous proportions.

We all shudder at the thought of flesh-eating bacteria or penicillin-resistant strep bacteria, but even new drug formulas can hardly keep up. Some experts believe we are only one antibiotic away from a major epidemic of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

If these antibiotic-resistant bacteria continue to evolve at the present rate, having a strong and fortified immune system may be your family’s only defense against a whole host of life-threatening diseases.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 100 million courses of antibiotics are provided by office-based doctors each year. In 1954, two million pounds of antibiotics were produced in the United States. Today, that figure exceeds fifty million pounds.

Some experts believe 20 to 50 percent of antibiotic prescriptions are unnecessary. Remember that antibiotics are only effective against bacteria. They are completely useless against the viruses that cause colds, flus and some sore throats.

Because of misuse of antibiotics to treat common conditions like sinusitis, resistance to many antibiotics, even in the most common bacterial causes of upper respiratory infections, has risen to 40 to 50 percent in the last two decades.

Overusing these drugs can also cause yeast and fungal infections. Frequent use can compromise your immune system, stimulate allergies, damage organs, and even cause depression.

If Antibiotics Fail Us, What Then?

The simple answer to this question is to fortify the body’s own defense team. Transfer factor supplementation is an excellent form of immune support.