Last week I posted a list of my top ten herbs that are effective against Gram-positive bacteria. Today’s article focuses on some of the best herbs for fighting against Gram-negative bacteria.
(For a little background, Gram-positive and –negative are terms used to classify bacteria. The Gram stain, developed by Hans Christian Gram in 1884, involves staining the bacteria and then observing them under a microscope. Gram-positive bacteria have a thick cell wall that readily absorbs the stain (crystal violet or methylene blue dye). Gram-negative bacteria have an outer membrane and a thin cell wall that resist staining. The latter are much more likely to develop antibiotic resistance and in general pose a greater public health risk than Gram-positive bacteria.)
Today’s focus is on herbs that are effective against Gram-negative bacteria. Seven of these ten herbs also made the top ten list for herbs effective against Gram-positive bacteria. (Multi-taskers. Love it.) Nine of the ten are effective against salmonella (food poisoning) and Klebsiella pneumoniae, the latter causing pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis, usually in a hospital setting. Eight will knock out Pseudomonas aeruginosa, bacteria commonly found in the soil, water, and air, but which often causes opportunistic infections in those with compromised immune systems. Six work against Shigella, which causes a type of food poisoning with symptoms of bloody diarrhea (among other things) and which the CDC noted earlier this month is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics. Four are effective against cholera.
As with the Gram-positive herbs, I’ve placed these in descending order, with the most overall effective against Gram-negative bacteria at the top of the list.
Ginger
Japanese barberry
Juniper
Licorice
Elder
Garlic
o Helicobacter pylori[42]
o Klebsiella spp.[43]
o Proteus spp.[44]
o Stenotrophomonas maltophilia[47]
o Vibrio cholerae[48]
Basil
Pomegranate
Cabbage
o Escherichia coli O157:H7[70]
o Helicobacter pylori[71]
o Klebsiella pneumoniae[72]
o Pseudomonas aeruginosa[73]
o Salmonella[74]
Usnea
Note that this is not an exhaustive list of the diseases these herbs fight. These are just the diseases caused by Gram-negative bacteria that commonly occur in people. (For more comprehensive lists of the diseases these herbs are effective against, see articles on the specific herb.) Some of these herbs are also effective against Gram-positive bacteria as well as viruses. Include at least two or three herbs from this list in your herbal medicine chest. Other articles on the blog detail how to prepare the medicine from these herbs. If you are already using conventional pharmaceuticals to battle a bacterial infection, these herbs may help—assuming they are in the same family. Synergisms can be very effective. Also, these herbs may help overcome antibiotic resistance.
Keep in mind that the active constituents in many of these herbs are best extracted with alcohol. Make sure you have some on hand, and include strengths of around 100 proof like vodka to something as high as 180-190-proof such as Everclear or Mohawk. You’ll also need coffee filters and canning jars.
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