Today’s headline may have you wondering which deadly killer I’m referring to.

Cancer?  No.

Heart disease?  Nope.

It’s antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Even though it’s not getting a lot of mainstream news coverage (because the media are funded by the drug industry, which happens to manufacture antibiotics), antibiotic resistance is quickly emerging as a potential global killer.

Here’s what you probably don’t know but should know about this emerging killer, and how you can protect yourself.

The numbers

According to the CDC, two million Americans are infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria each year, and at least 23,000 of them die as a result of those infections.

One organism alone—methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)—already kills more Americans each year than the combined total of emphysema, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, and homicide!

Now you may be wondering why this is happening.

Well, we definitely got careless with antibiotics, and it has come back to bite us in the derriere.

Here’s what I mean:

The antibiotic craze

Antibiotics became a part of mainstream medicine in the early 1950’s and were truly the “wonder drug,” fighting infections and causing few side effects.

But then people began requesting them more often and they were prescribed in increasing numbers--even when an illness had not been tested and proven to be an infection.

At that time, the thinking was that, if the illness WAS an infection, antibiotics would be a good "head start" on treatment...and if not, they won't do any harm.

Well, we would later find out we couldn’t be more wrong. 

In addition, antibiotics began being used on a preventative basis for conditions like ear infections and acne. 

The antibiotic craze also extends beyond our pharmacies…because they’re also in our food supply—in meat and milk from antibiotic-treated animals, and farmed fish.

Agriculture accounts for about 80 percent of all antibiotics used in the US.  Over 25 million pounds of antibiotics are administered to livestock every year for purposes other than treating disease!

Antibiotics have the effect of making the animals grow larger, faster—and I’m sure you can gue$$ what that means.  Bigger animals means more profit$.

But the antibiotic residue ends up in the meat and milk from these animals—and eventually inside of YOU.

So what’s the problem?

The initial problem that we noticed was, while antibiotics destroy the infection-causing bacteria in your body, they also destroy your friendly gut bacteria.

And since 80 percent of your immune system resides in your gut microbiome, your ability to resist illness following a course of antibiotics plummets.

So that means you are more susceptible to infections or viruses…and if you do get sick again, voila!  It’s more antibiotics, of course!

This creates a vicious cycle of progressive immune system weakening and repeated infections.

Plus, antibiotics have now been implicated as an underlying cause of Crohn’s disease due to the harm they cause to your gut microbiome and intestinal lining.

The problem is getting deadly

The concerns with antibiotics are becoming deadly.

Because now we are seeing increasing species of bacteria that are resistant to them.

Bacteria are resourceful and extremely skilled at survival techniques—they have the ability to out-evolve other organisms that can destroy them.

Each time they come into contact with an antibiotic, they continue working to outsmart the drug.

And eventually they succeed.

Here’s an example of how:

Bacteria can develop a protective “shell” so that antibiotics can't invade their cell walls—or the drugs get pushed back out if they do.

And when those bacteria reproduce themselves, they can pass that drug-resisting trait down to the next generation, thereby creating a new “superbug” strain.

They share too

Bacteria can also share their drug-resisting ability with other species of bacteria, thereby exponentially increasing the chances of numerous superbugs.

Stuart Levy, MD, a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine said, "Over the past decade, bacteria have evolved the ability to accumulate multidrug resistances."

Plus, people are passing on these bacteria to others in unimaginable ways.

For example, one study found that New York’s Hudson River contained bacteria that's resistant to two antibiotics (ampicillin and tetracycline) and it was linked to sewage.

In other words, people with these drug-resistant bacteria can “pass” them into the environment through their feces, which eventually gets into our waterways. 

The grim truth

Thus far, bacteria have found a way around every single antibiotic we’ve created, and we’re running out of answers.

23,000 people in the US die each year from antibiotic-resistant infections, and even more die from secondary complications. 

Plus scientists have predicted that currently treatable infections like strep could become fatal in 10 years or less.

You can fight back—and WIN!

The glimmer of hope here is that you can fight back against these deadly infections and WIN!

Because a certain strain of probiotics—specifically the Bacillus strain—is showing promising hope against the deadliest of the antibiotic resistance species—MRSA!

A new study by investigators from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) showed that Bacillus probiotic bacteria can fight and effectively eliminate MRSA!

And our very own Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula contains a Bacillus species—specifically, Bacillus coagulans!

Plus the 12 other strains in Super Shield’s full-spectrum blend can help keep your gut microbiome in a more health-supporting balance, and better able to fight off infections, viruses and even cancer!

Other ways to stay healthy

Here are other ways you can help prevent illness:

1- Be smart

Limit your exposure to people who are sick, particularly if they are running a high fever. 

Wash your hands often, especially when out in public.

Talk to your doctor immediately about other options if you are on long-term antibiotics.  If he asks why show him this blog.

Use antibiotics ONLY when absolutely necessary and other measures (such as rest, vitamin C, garlic and lots of fluids) have not been enough to help you overcome a bacterial infection.

Make sure you actually have a bacterial infection versus a virus.  Antibiotics are useless for viruses.  Insist on a test before you take antibiotics.

Ensure your vitamin D level is where it needs to be this time of year with Optimum DK Formula! Vitamin D is crucial to strong immune function and has even been shown to be more effective than flu shots in preventing the flu!

2- Have the right diet

In order to maintain a strong, healthy gut microbiome, you must get the nutrients your body desperately needs from REAL foods like fresh vegetables and fruits, meats, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts, and healthy fats (butter, olive oil and coconut oil).

At the same time, it’s also crucial to avoid the foods that feed harmful microbes in your gut—namely refined carbs (sugar, breads, pasta, crackers, chips, pastries) and the biggest offender of all—SODA!

Also, try to go organic whenever you can—to avoid antibiotic-tainted meat and milk.  Plus look for wild-caught fish varieties to avoid antibiotics in farmed fish. 

3- Keep stress under control

Chronic stress can damage your friendly flora and weaken your immune system.  That’s why you seem to get sick when you’re stressed—your body literally can’t fight off illnesses as well.

If you find you’re frequently stressed, it’s time to find ways to chill out.  Keep in mind that regular exercise is the best stress reliever there is.  You can also try aromatherapy with essential oils, meditation, deep breathing, prayer, and even adopting a pet.

Now you are armed with the information you need to support a strong immune system and enjoy great health all year round!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia