Natural Antibiotic Alternative #8 – Cayenne Pepper
If you like spicy food and suffer from asthma, joint and muscle pain, diabetes, psoriasis, or have a cut/scrape, you’re in luck. Cayenne pepper is good for treating all of those issues.
“The bright red fruit of the plant contains an ingredient called 
capsaicin, which has been found to deplete nerve cells of a chemical that helps transmit pain messages” #1
Capsaicin is also shown to block “the small nerve fibers that transmit the pain” people with diabetes suffer from. “Topically applied capsaicin has been shown to be of considerable benefit in relieving the pain of diabetic neuropathy” #2
Capsaicin in cayenne pepper is also effective in getting rid of inflammation, which can help treat psoriasis, and helps to desensitize “airway mucosa to various mechanical and chemical irritants,” which makes it effective in preventing asthma attacks” #3
Natural Antibiotic Alternative #9 – Turmeric
This bright orange spice, commonly used in Indian cuisine, is good for just about everything you can think of that would normally require a trip to the hospital and the consumption of harmful antibiotics.
“Research shows turmeric reduces liver toxicity, boosts the gallbladder’s performance, helps metabolize fat and reduce bad cholesterol, and may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease” #4
Turmeric’s active ingredient, curcumin, has been shown to treat osteoarthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease, gallstones, and has even shown promise in treating HIV/AIDS.
Curcumin has been “shown to inhibit HIV integrase, the enzyme that integrates a double-stranded DNA copy of the RNA genome, synthesized by reverse transcriptase into a host chromosome” #5
It is an effective anti-inflammatory, which makes it effective in treating psoriasis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and sports injuries.
Add it to recipes, make it into tea, or brush your teeth with a combination of turmeric and coconut oil to whiten and fortify your teeth. You can also add honey and hot water to help soothe symptoms of the common cold (particularly inflammation in your lymph nodes).
Ref:
#1 Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine, p 51
#2 The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, p 541
#3 The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, p 335
#4 The New American Herbal, p 319
#5 The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine, p 260
Ref: Compiled by Marjory Wildcraft who is an Expedition Leader and Bioneer Blogger with The [Grow] Network
