2. IBD (Inflammatory Bowel
Disease)
According to
a 2011 article published by Fox News, a scientific link has
been established between antibiotic use and colitis.
Antibiotic-induced colitis is caused by the toxins exuded by the
bacterium Clostridium difficile following antibiotic
treatment. While the majority of other intestinal bacteria have
been killed off by the antibiotic, Clostridium difficile grows
rapidly and releases toxins that damage the intestinal wall.
In fact, Crohn's disease which has spread epidemic like over
the past 50 years parallels the introduction and widespread use
of antibiotics.
There's even a
theory postulated by a couple of German scientists that
Crohn's is actually the mutation created from normal gut
bacteria by antibiotics.
3. Liver Damage
A new study
published
in the journal Gastroenterology found that although
all types of prescription drugs are linked to liver damage,
antibiotics in particular were the worst offenders
- the
drug class most likely to cause serious harm to the liver.
John Gever, Senior Editor of
MedPage Today
reported one researcher stating,
"antimicrobial agents are
the most common cause of drug-induced liver failure, with most
cases ending in death or transplant."
4. Cancer Link
One study found that those who had taken 6 or more antibiotic
prescriptions had a
1.5 times greater risk of less common cancers compared with
study participants who had the lowest antibiotic exposure.
Taking some antibiotics may slightly increase the risk of
developing colon cancer,
one study
suggests.
After controlling for known risk factors for
colorectal cancer including obesity, diabetes, smoking, and
alcohol, researchers found that those who had taken antibiotics,
including penicillins, quinolones, and metronidazole, were 8 to
11% more likely to develop colorectal cancer.
A
2008 study by the
International Journal of Cancer
reported,
"those who had taken 2-5 antibiotic prescriptions had
a 27% increase in cancers compared to those who took none. Those who took six or more
prescriptions had a 37% increase in cancers."
5. AIDS
Perhaps it is no accident that the same group with the
highest incidence of so called
AIDS (view "House
of Numbers") is also the group that uses more antibiotics
than any other group in America.
6. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Repeated antibiotic use has been linked with chronic viral
illness, including chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
About.com
reports:
"Prominent ME/CFS researcher Kenny de Meirleir
announced that he and his Belgian research team have
uncovered a major cause of ME/CFS and a major underlying
mechanism of the condition.
According to Dr. de Meirleir, a
major cause of ME/CFS is a high level of the chemical
hydrogen sulfide (H2S). H2S can build up
after antibiotic use,
salmonella infection, or too much mercury exposure."
7. Possible Fungal and Bacterial Overgrowths
Antibiotic use
triggers
the release of endotoxins (toxins produced within
the body), which suppress the immune system. They destroy the
"communication pathways between cells of the immune system"
Homestead.com
explains,
"Without these pathways in operation,
immune cells don't attack. Healthy gut flora supports
immune function but does not replace those communication
pathways."
8. Recurring Infections
It is a myth that antibiotics are responsible for any decline
in infectious disease. While antibiotics
are helpful for many infections,
they have not resulted in the elimination of infectious
diseases by themselves.
In the book Beyond
Antibiotics, authors use
graphs to trace the incidence of the major infectious diseases
from 1900 to 1973. All diseases researched were
in decline for several decades before the introduction of
antibiotics or vaccines.
After
reviewing the data, researchers John McKinlay and Sonja McKinlay
concluded that,
"...at
most, 3.5% of the total decline in mortality since 1900
could be ascribed to medical measures introduced for the
diseases considered here."
Improved
nutrition and improved sanitation and hygiene were far more
important than the ‘wonder drugs' or vaccines to reduce these
diseases.
Some research
has
revealed that those treated with antibiotics succumb to
recurring infections more frequently than those who do not use
antibiotics. For example, children with ear infections who are
prescribed antibiotics routinely suffer from repeat infections.
Of course there is always the possibility that children taking
these antibiotics frequently for infections would suffer from
the infections anyway, and that the antibiotics aren't causing
them to happen.
However, since antibiotics are in fact creating unstoppable
bacteria, they are now somewhat responsible.
9. Weakened Immune System
Peter J. D'Adamo, ND, is a naturopathic physician and author
known for his pioneering research on the interconnectedness of
human blood groups, lifestyle, nutrition, and health.
Dr.
D'Adamo explained:
"When
you allow your body to go to war on its own terms,
without antibiotic intervention, it develops not only a
memory of specific antibodies to the current infection
and any similar to it, but also the ability to fight
more effectively the next time it is challenged or
attacked."
In other words, the "invaders" are getting stronger, but our
immune systems are less prepared to handle them.
Antibiotics
suppress the immune system, as opposed to merely assisting it to
do its job more effectively. In fact, antibiotics "cut off
immune response."
They can reduce the level of infection, but
they cannot eradicate it; only the immune system can do that.
10. Mitochondrial Damage
Pharmaceuticals are a major
cause of
mitochondrial damage, including statin medications,
analgesics such as acetaminophen,
antibiotics, and many others.
Structurally, mitochondria
are essentially modified bacteria. Antibiotics
indiscriminately target bacteria.
Mitochondrial disorders
commonly manifest as neurological disorders, for example,
neuropathy.
