Are Natural Remedies for C. Diff. Strong Enough?

Skip ahead to Natural treatment comparisons:
Probiotics
Herbal Remedies
Toxin Binders and Detox Aids
Fecal Transplants (FMT)
Garlic & Allicin
Essential Oils
Diet & Foods

Natural remedies can be as strong as drugs, without the side effects.

Many people are surprised that there are effective options beyond antibiotics for controlling C. difficile infections. Natural antibiotic substances have been used for centuries, and they range from specific essential oils, herbs and herbal blends, special foods, probiotics and more. Quality is of the utmost importance as many of these products have limited to no antibacterial qualities.

Many natural antibiotics are strong, safe and effective options and holistic doctors across the U.S. and Europe commonly use them in their practices. Some natural remedies have even proven to be stronger than antibiotics in laboratory tests. I think it’s important that you know about these alternative options even though most medical doctors in the U.S. have never heard of them.

But first, you must understand that simply stopping your infection does not guarantee you will stop cycle of recurring infections. This is true whether you use natural antibiotics or synthetic antibiotics.

Stopping your infection is only the first step

C. diff. can recur over and over if you only rely on treatments

Regardless of how effective an antibiotic or a natural remedy is at stopping your infection, that’s only the first step. C. difficile is very stubborn and it often comes back over and over, usually within weeks or months after you stop taking antibiotics to treat your first infection. Two, three or more recurring infections are a high risk unless you take other steps beyond treatments and remedies.

C. difficile bacteria can hide out inside biofilms for years inside your body, waiting to cause another infection when conditions are right. The best way to prevent recurring infections is to help boost your body’s own defenses against infections, and help restore the balance of good bacteria in your gut. After all, gut bacterial imbalances, usually caused by antibiotic use, are what cause C. difficile infections in the first place.

Strengthening your defenses takes a little time but it’s well worth it. And, it’s more than just taking a single herb or supplement. The good news is there are some simple, inexpensive and powerful techniques you can learn to support your body to help keep C. difficile from coming back.

Are home remedies right for you?

C. difficile is serious business and it should be treated as such. It’s critical for yourself and your family that you understand how to combat these bacteria without relying on antibiotics. While some home remedies work, many are not up to the task of C. difficile. And, more importantly, stopping C. difficile is only part of the solution.

It’s important that you be educated and understand how to make your body as resistant to C. difficile bacteria as possible. That’s where working with your body to naturally stop these bacteria comes in.

Natural treatments can be just as powerful as antibiotic drugs, but they must be used with responsibility. Not all natural remedies will work well for everyone, or for every infection. The bottom line is, it’s best that you have a good understanding of ALL of the treatment tools available to you, using the best tool for each need.

Relying on any single treatment approach is a big mistake

Focus on more than just remedies and treatments for best results

Putting all your faith into a single treatment or remedy can be a mistake. You wouldn’t drive a car with just one wheel or play a guitar with just one string. So why fight an infection with just treatments?

The key to victory over stubborn infections is to attack the infection on multiple sides. That means using more than just antimicrobial products, whether antibiotic drugs or natural remedies. It’s just as important to boost your immune system, eat healing foods, break down biofilms, bind microbial toxins, and aid in the re-population of healthy gut flora.

C. difficile is a crafty and dangerous infection. Limiting yourself to only antibiotics can be a big risk with these infections. Antibiotics have a time and a place, but they are not always enough when it comes to C. difficile. Because of their many side effects and often short-lived results, I believe antibiotic drugs should only be used as a last resort. There are many alternatives, including powerful natural remedies, toxin binders to reduce intestinal inflammation caused by C. diff toxins and a whole new class of Bacillus probiotics that support gut health in an entirely new way.

See the tables below for some of the pros and cons of the most common natural C. difficile treatment options.

Natural treatment comparisons

As with any treatment method, natural remedies should be used knowledgeably, sensibly and under the supervision of a medical professional for maximum effectiveness.

Probiotics

Probiotics in gut Your Microbiome is made up of hundreds of different species of living microorganisms living inside you, especially in your gut. The health of your microbiome is your first line of defense against any kind of infection. In fact, 80% of your immune system is tied to the health of your microbiome. An imbalance of the microbiome is what leads to gut infections.

Most common probiotics attempt to “reseed” your gut with beneficial organisms. However, there are many limitations with this approach, and many people have found reseeding not helpful enough. Bacillus spore based probiotics can help recondition, repair and restore your gut after taking antibiotic drugs or suffering from C. diff. or other gut infections.

Probiotic Pros

Addresses root cause of infection in gut.
Safe, easy, relatively inexpensive.
Bacillus strains survive the stomach and reduce gut inflammation.
Some Bacillus strains target C. diff.

Probiotic Cons

Most probiotics are killed by stomach acid.
Potency values pertain to storage, stomach survivability.
Most common strains have minimal impact on gut healing.

Herbal remedies

Herbs Plants have developed sophisticated chemical weapons against attack from not only bacteria but also from funguses and viruses. Many herbal remedies have a long history of safe and effective use against infections in humans. These remedies are nature’s offensive weapons against disease-causing microbes. When used along with immune support and other steps previously mentioned, these remedies can play a key role in recovery.

Herbal Pros

Broad-spectrum against many types of infections.
Can support immune system and detoxification.
Some have activity against biofilm infections like C. diff.

Herbal Cons

Product potency and effectiveness can vary brand to brand.
Huge range of options can be confusing.

See my recommended herbal remedy and toxin binding kit.

Toxin binders and detox aids

Toxin binding Dead bacteria, biofilm byproducts and bacterial toxins (like C. diff. toxins A and B) are toxic to your tissues and intestines. Environmental toxins also enter your body through foods, drugs, water, and household products. Most people’s toxin removal systems are weakened and overburdened which weakens your immune system and causes inflammation. Taking remedies that support your body by the binding and removal of dangerous toxins can speed your recovery and help you feel better faster.

Detox Pros

Some binders remove C. diff. A & B toxins.
Can remove toxins from dead bacteria and biofilm break-down.
Targeted binders remove toxins but not drugs and foods.
Can reduce diarrhea and other infection symptoms.

Detox Cons

Different binding agents bind different things.
Indiscriminate binders absorb drugs and foods too.
Low quality binders may contain heavy metals.

Learn more about a highly targeted microbial toxin binder.

Fecal transplants (FMT)

FMT C. diff. infections occur when your gut bacteria get out of balance. Fecal transplantation seeks to restore healthy gut flora by borrowing flora from a healthy person’s gut, through donation of their stool. The FMT can be administered through the rectum, by swallowing capsules or though synthetic stool produced by culturing and growing the donor’s bacteria in the laboratory.

FMT Pros

Often quite effective short-term.
Helps restore good bacteria balance.

FMT Cons

Results are often temporary.
Risk of exposure to unknown infectious agents in donor stool.

Are fecal matter transplants too good to be true? Find out here.

Garlic & allicin

Garlic Garlic has been used for over 5,000 years for all types of infections. Garlic contains 27 known active ingredients and at least 35 other ingredients, but allicin is the best known and most studied ingredient. Garlic can interrupt bacterial communication that helps them become resistant to treatments. Garlic has been shown to inhibit C. difficile spores. Garlic also stimulates the immune system, is anti-inflammatory and promotes balanced intestinal health.

Garlic Pros

Can be very effective at controlling bacteria.
Supports balanced intestinal flora.

Garlic Cons

Some preparations are less effective than others.
Some stabilized allicin brands can be expensive.

See my recommended stabilized allicin product.

Essential oils

oil-drop Essential oils are potent aromatic and volatile liquids extracted from plants by distillation. Some highly antibacterial oils, such as oregano oil, can be taken internally with precautions. Properly diluted basil, marjoram and fennel oils can be applied on the stomach to help with intestinal upset. Essential oils can be combined with herbs to produce broad-acting and easy to use herbal blends.

Essential Oil Pros

Can be very potent.
Multiple uses and modes of action.
Can help control a variety of different symptoms.

Essential Oil Cons

Potency, effectiveness and safety vary widely from brand to brand.
Internal use requires capsule filling and taking proper precautions.
Some oils can reduce “good” bacteria and cause sensitization over time.
Some oils will be “too hot” for inflamed intestines.

See my recommended therapeutic grade essential oils.

Diet & foods

Food Your diet has a dramatic effect on your health, immune function and recovery from infections, yet it is usually ignored or overlooked by mainstream medicine. Eating the right foods and avoiding unhealthy foods can have an immediate and noticeable impact on an infection. But because there are so many so-called “healthy” diet fads, it can be challenging to know which foods fight infections and boost your immune system and which ones feed infections.

Diet Pros

Can reduce diarrhea and infection symptoms.
Addresses root cause of infection by supporting intestinal balance.
Can be tailored to improve nutrient and electrolyte absorption.

Diet Cons

The huge number of so called “healthy” diet fads can be confusing.
Best used as a complement along with treatments, toxin binding and immune support.
Lifestyle changes can be emotionally challenging.

Learn more about mainstream treatment options here.

Find out more

I cover more specific details about C diff and supplements that have helped others recover. Be sure to get my free report to find out much more, including a natural supplement program (you’ll see my report on the left sidebar or down below). I’ve also created a new book on C Diff infections you can find here. *

*Testimonial Disclaimer: Each individual’s success depends on his or her background, dedication, desire and motivation. As all health issues have inherent risk, our information and testimonials are not intended to infer or guarantee that anyone will achieve the same or similar results. Click here for our full testimonial and results disclaimer.

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Natural remedies: iStockPhoto.com, © Pears2295
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