Best Natural Antibiotic Drink - Home Remedy Recipe

author avatar Dr. Eric Berg 08/31/2023

Plant extracts and essential oils contain incredible natural antibiotic compounds that can help fight bacteria and fungal infections—without the potential side effects of antibiotic drugs.


Learn how to combat bacterial infections with a simple home remedy recipe using seven of the strongest natural antibiotic foods!

Natural antibiotic drink

What is the best natural antibiotic drink? 


Natural remedies have been used for centuries to fight microbial infections and boost immune defenses.


“Combining some of the best natural antibiotic compounds can significantly amplify their antibacterial effects and target a broad spectrum of microbes,” explains Dr. Berg.  


You can make a potent natural antibiotic drink with these seven ingredients:

  • Garlic

  • Ginger

  • Turmeric 

  • Apple cider vinegar 

  • Lemon

  • Manuka honey

  • Extra virgin olive oil 


Research published in Antibiotics confirms that these foods contain various phytochemicals with potent antimicrobial properties, making them some of the best natural antibiotics you can use against bacteria and other germs.  


Prescribed antibiotics can have significant side effects, including weight gain, diarrhea, skin rashes, and nausea. They also contribute to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a serious issue for healthcare providers worldwide.


Chemical antibiotics target all types of bacteria, including the beneficial microbes that populate your digestive tract, which can weaken your immune defenses, leaving you more susceptible to bacterial and yeast infections.


Using plant compounds with antimicrobial properties may help you fight off a wide range of infections.


Natural antibacterials can protect you from infectious diseases without the risk of side effects, antibiotic resistance, impaired immune function, or a loss of beneficial gut bacteria.  


However, it’s important to remember that microbial infections can have serious health consequences. It’s crucial to consult with your healthcare provider if you show symptoms of persistent or acute infections such as malaise, fever, chills, headaches, or nausea. 


Watch the video below to learn how to make the best natural antibiotic drink.


Why does it work?


Most natural antibiotics are derived from resilient plants that are incredibly rich sources of plant chemicals, including phytochemicals and polyphenols.


These natural substances protect plants from the harmful effects of pests, diseases, droughts, and extreme temperatures.


Many plant compounds also have profound health benefits for humans and exert strong antibacterial effects that protect from invading microbes and help fight infections. 


While natural antibiotics can help combat microbes, it’s important to remember that stress, poor dietary choices, vitamin D deficiency, and hormonal imbalances can significantly impair immune system functioning and your ability to defend against infections.


Rest, relaxation techniques, a healthy diet, and adequate sunlight exposure or vitamin D3 supplementation can boost your immune defenses against invading microbes and lower the risk of microbial infections.   


Here’s how the seven best natural antibiotic foods help protect you from infections. 


Garlic

Garlic contains over 30 sulfur-containing plant chemicals that exhibit potent antibacterial and antimicrobial effects. 


Allicin, one of several garlic-derived organosulfur compounds, is activated when garlic is chopped or crushed. This powerful phytochemical has been found to inhibit bacterial enzymes and energy production, which essentially kills pathogenic bacteria. 


Research published in Emerging Microbes & Infections suggests garlic is one of the strongest natural antibiotic foods effective against various microbes, including E.coli, S.aureus, Salmonella, and the common cold and flu virus.


Allicin also has been found to prevent the proliferation of Candida albicans, a common type of yeast linked to small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, thrush, and urinary tract infections. 


Ginger

Ginger contains several plant compounds with potent antimicrobial properties. 


Ginger is a rich source of gingerol, the phytochemical responsible for ginger's spicy taste. Gingerol stops bacteria from dividing and is believed to disrupt the microbes' cell membranes, which triggers leaking and causes them to die. 


Gingerols can induce oxidative stress in pathogenic bacteria, leading to cellular damage and impaired function. This explains why ginger has been suggested to be one of the most powerful natural antibiotic foods.


“Ginger has antimicrobial activity against E coli, Salmonella typhi and Bacillus subtilis and ethanolic extract of ginger showed widest zone of inhibition against Salmonella typhi,” according to a group of research scientists that investigated the effects of ginger on health. “Ginger contains several constituents which have antibacterial and antifungal effects.”


Turmeric 

Turmeric has traditionally been used in herbal therapy to fight infections and promote strong immune defenses.


Curcumin, the yellow pigment that gives turmeric its vibrant color, has been effective against many microbes and helps clear bacterial sinus infections.


Curcumin directly inhibits the enzymes needed for bacteria to produce energy, interfering with their cellular function and preventing bacteria from proliferating.

Lemons

Lemon

Lemons contain high concentrations of citric acid, which has been shown to have potent antimicrobial effects against several types of bacteria. 


Citric acid disrupts the cell walls of bacteria and impairs energy production, leading to bacterial cell death.


In addition, lemon peel is a rich source of limonene, an aromatic essential oil with antibiotic effects against several types of bacteria, including E. coli and S. aureus.


Limonene is also a powerful anti-inflammatory compound that helps lower inflammation triggered by bacterial infections. 


Vitamin C is found in abundance in fresh lemon juice. This water-soluble vitamin plays an essential role in immune cell functioning and boosts your body’s natural ability to combat microbes.  


Manuka honey

Using Manuka honey as a natural antibiotic remedy has become increasingly popular in recent years. 


Manuka honey contains high levels of methylglyoxal (MGO), a naturally occurring compound that interferes with bacterial metabolism and triggers the cell death of pathogenic bacteria. 


While all honey contains some MGO, Manuka honey is an exceptionally rich source of this antimicrobial chemical, and using this particular type of honey has been found effective against different types of microbial infections. 


Manuka honey is also beneficial in treating skin infections and appears to aid wound healing for various types of wounds, including burn wounds and pressure ulcers. 


If you are doing a low-carb diet like Healthy Keto®, you may be concerned about using Manuka honey as a natural antimicrobial agent. However, it’s unlikely that the small amounts of honey in a shot of a natural antibiotic drink will kick you out of ketosis. 


Apple cider vinegar 

Apple cider vinegar is a rich source of acetic acid, a natural acid that helps to acidify the body and supports healthy stomach acid levels.


Stomach acid is the first line of defense and destroys many microbes, preventing them from entering the body and causing infections. 


In addition, immune cells require an acidic pH to fight pathogenic microbes. Lysosomes, a group of enzymes that break down bacterial cell walls, need an acidic pH to be activated and function properly.


While the body tightly regulates pH levels, low stomach acid is common and may affect as many as 25 percent of the population, leaving them at an increased risk of microbial infections.


Extra virgin olive oil 

Although extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) doesn’t possess the same powerful antimicrobial properties as ginger or garlic, it has been shown to protect against certain types of bacteria linked to foodborne illness, including Salmonella and Campylobacter.


Using EVOO in a natural antibiotic remedy also boosts the concentration of antimicrobial compounds. Oil helps draw out fat-soluble phytochemicals, making them easier to digest and absorb, which increases their antibacterial potency. 


For example, curcumin is fat-soluble and poorly absorbed, and combining it with a carrier oil such as EVOO significantly increases curcumin’s intestinal absorption. 

Tray with natural antibiotic foods

Natural antibiotic drink recipe

Making your own natural antibiotic drinks is easy! 


Ingredients:

  • 15 garlic cloves, peeled

  • 1 whole lemon

  • 1 Tbsp turmeric powder

  • ¼ cup ginger, grated

  • ¼ cup Manuka honey 

  • 1 oz extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil 

  • 3 oz apple cider vinegar 

  • 1 cup of water


Directions:

  1. Add ingredients to a blender and blend for 1 to 2 minutes until well combined. 

  2. Transfer the mixture to a 16 oz mason jar and pour in additional water until the mixture is about 1 inch from the top of the jar. 

  3. Tightly seal the jar and keep it refrigerated.  


How to use:

At the first sign of sickness or if you feel run down, drink one shot-glass serving and take up to four shots throughout the day. 


The longer you store this formula, the more potent it will become, and you may have to adjust serving size and frequency as needed.  

Shot of natural antibiotic drink

Key takeaways


Plant compounds with antibacterial properties have been used for centuries as natural treatments against infections.  


Using natural antimicrobial compounds with potent antibiotic effects to fight infections can prevent serious illness without the risk of side effects or developing antibiotic resistance. 


It only requires seven simple ingredients to prepare a homemade antibiotic remedy that fights bacterial infection, defends against invading microbes, and boosts your immune defenses.



FAQ


1. What are the strongest natural antibiotics?

Several natural substances are known for their antibiotic properties, including garlic, manuka honey, turmeric, and lemon. 


Tea tree oil and thyme essential oil also are potent natural antibiotics that can be used topically to treat skin infections.   


2. What is the best natural antibiotic for a bacterial infection?

Garlic contains allicin, an organosulfur compound with powerful antibacterial effects. Allicin interferes with enzymes and energy-making processes of bacterial cells, which kills pathogenic bacteria.


3. How can I get rid of a bacterial infection without antibiotics?

Home remedies such as natural antibiotic drinks with potent antimicrobial ingredients can help fight infections without the need for chemical antibiotics. 


Manuka honey, garlic, ginger, lemon, apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and turmeric are all powerful natural antibiotics. Avoiding stress, consuming a nutritious diet, and maintaining healthy vitamin D levels also supports normal immune system function and boosts your body's natural ability to eliminate germs and microbes.  


4. What is a natural antibiotic that works fast?

Taking a natural antibiotic drink with a wide range of antibacterial compounds may help protect you from microbes and provide the fastest relief from bacterial infections. 


Try combining strong natural antibiotics—including manuka honey, garlic, ginger, lemon, apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and turmeric—to fight infection and fortify your immune system.


5. Is there anything natural that works like an antibiotic?

A study published in Chemical Research suggests that many plant chemicals have potent antibiotic properties. Garlic, ginger, and manuka honey are rich sources of phytochemicals that directly inhibit bacterial proliferation and have effectively treated bacterial infections.


6. What is the strongest antibacterial herb?

Oregano oil is a rich source of carvacrol, a phytochemical with antibacterial properties that are effective against many bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains.


7. What is the best natural antibiotic drink?

A blend of garlic, ginger, turmeric, apple cider vinegar, manuka honey, lemon, and extra virgin olive oils combines some of the strongest natural antibiotic compounds and helps fight bacterial, fungal, and viral infections.  


8. Is garlic a natural antibiotic?

Garlic is a potent natural antibiotic that's effective against many bacteria. Garlic can inhibit E. Coli, Salmonella, and S. Aureus, the bacterial strain responsible for staph infections.

Healthy Keto Guide for Beginner

FREE Keto Diet Plan