Drug-resistant bacteria are becoming all too common.
Whether hand sanitizers or industrial strength cleaners, disinfectants are increasingly the first line of defense against bacterial infection. Ironically, this weapon may also be helping to strengthen our microbial enemies—superbugs that resist commonly used disinfectants and antibiotic drugs.
Recent research shows that disinfecting wipes—used to protect against MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylcoccus aureus)—can actually spread this prevalent superbug. Originally a hospital-based infection, MRSA has increased seven-fold in the larger community, striking gyms and locker rooms as well as outpatient medical facilities.
Scarier still, scientists now suspect that disinfectants can “train” bacteria to resist antibiotic drugs. “In principle, this means that residue from incorrectly diluted disinfectants left on hospital surfaces could promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria,” says microbiologist Gerald Fleming, lead author of a new study.
Superbugs, as these mutant bacteria are called, can kick out disinfectants as quickly as they take these antibacterial chemicals in, he explains. Unless disinfectants kill every last bacterium, it could become yet another new superbug.
Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:
The Centers for Disease Control recently reported a new superbug, Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria found in soil and water, in hospital-acquired infections. For anyone whose immune system has been weakened—say by burns, diabetes, or chemotherapy—this pathogen can dangerously infect the blood, joints, lungs, urinary tract, and wounds.
Lab research at the National University of Ireland also exposed this bacteria to increasing levels of benzalkonium chloride, an antiseptic found in eye drops and wet wipes—only to find that P. aeruginosa survived high doses. While this superbug doesn’t seriously harm healthy people, it has been linked to “hot tub itch” and “swimmer’s ear.”
Don’t Overuse Antibacterials and Antibiotics
To protect against bacteria that have developed genetic resistance to disinfectants and drugs, it’s important to recognize just how prevalent these substances are in everyday use. E. coli, salmonella, and other pathogens in food also resist superbugs—thanks in large part to overuse of antibiotics in livestock.
“We don’t give antibiotics to healthy humans,” says Robert P. Martin, who led a Pew Commission on antibiotic use in industrial farming. So why does agribusiness insist on feeding these drugs to livestock? Despite the fact that 70% of these drugs go to healthy livestock, MRSA has begun turning up in pork that was fed antibiotics.
That’s why I eat only antibiotic-free meat and poultry. If you’re concerned about harmful bacteria on foods (particularly anything raw), Fat Flush for Life recommends soaking them in Parcells’ Clorox Bath. Discovered in the 1960s by my mentor (Dr. Hazel Parcells, head of the Nutrition Department at Sierra States University), this formula—using lemons and Clorox in water—has since been registered by the Smithsonian Institution.
Relief for Haitians and the Rest of Us
Because antibiotics and antibacterial products in foods kill beneficial bacteria, it’s also wise to take probiotics (or “good” bacteria) to restore a healthy balance of intestinal flora. I use Dr. Ohhira’s Probiotics 12 Plus because it’s formulated by a microbiologist—and proven effective against the most virulent super bugs.
I’m so proud of this company for stepping up quickly to the Haitian relief effort by shipping its probiotics to earthquake victims who are trying desperately to hold on to life. In this devastated nation—without clean water, adequate food and nutrition, or the most basic healthcare—probiotics are critically important.
Probiotics 12 Plus is six times stronger than any other beneficial intestinal bacteria known to microbiologists. And in a crisis situation like Haiti—without electricity and other basic services—this probiotic formula is perfect, needing no refrigeration and safe for use by adults, children, and infants.
Make a Clean Sweep
In the developed world, antibacterial disinfectants and antibiotics have made their way into an astounding array of household and personal care products—only increasing superbugs’ potency while attacking beneficial bacteria in the GI tract. Carefully read labels on antimicrobial creams, deodorants, dishwashing liquids, hand lotions, soaps, and toothpaste.
One antibacterial found in facial wash, mouthwash and other oral care products, deodorants, and soaps, triclosan is a hormone disrupter that’s proving toxic to lab animals and wildlife. Registered by the EPA as a pesticide, triclosan can combine with chlorine in tap water to form chloroform gas, believed to be a human carcinogen.
Replace disinfectants and other antibacterials with natural cleansers like baking soda, borax, and white vinegar. As Fat Flush for Life explains, distilled white vinegar kills bacteria and other germs, plus molds. To neutralize acid, try baking soda. Borax is a fungicide, laundry booster, and multipurpose cleaner.
Be sure to launder any bedding or clothing that may have come in contact with harmful bacteria in hot, soapy water. Whether you’re washing gym clothes or bedding where the family cat likes to curl up, cold or even warm water isn’t sufficient to kill superbugs.
Sources:
Fat Flush for Life
www.health-report.co.uk/triclosan.html
www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-sci-disinfectant2-2010jan02,0,673985.story
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20072161
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20077770
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20077765
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19835777
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20042067
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19759044
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20046971
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19336980
Visionary, health guru, diet/detox expert, author, spokesperson, role model, and natural foods icon, Ann Louise Gittleman has always been a trendsetter. 
Can these probiotics be used by someone on heavy chemotherapy and doing stem cell transplants?
Kathi: I don’t see why they couldn’t be used — but check with your physician, just in case.
There are all these wall-mounted disinfectant containers all around my gym., with reminders to use them periodically (I don’t). I think they use a hydrogen peroxide solution. Is that safe to use? I always wash my hands before and after working out. And I always wipe off any equipment I use (again with hydrogen peroxide solution).
The gym looks very clean and there’s almost always someone washing floors, emptying towels, cleaning showers, etc. Can I trust it?
I was thinking about investing in this company that is the first EPA approved Sporicidal Disinfectant. What do you guys think?