Antibiotics have a purpose and they can be miracle medicines. They are used to kill or inhibit the growth of infectious or pathogenic organisms.

An antibiotic works in either of two ways. It can be a bactericidal that kills bacteria by destroying the cell wall or cell content, or a bacteriostatic that stops bacteria from multiplying when it interferes with protein production, DNA replication or other bacterial cellular metabolism.

However, Dr. Margaret Chan, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), warns that as bacteria evolve to evade synthetic antibiotics, common infections could become deadly. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria could bring about “the end of modern medicine as we know it,” she says. “The dearth of effective antibiotics could also make surgical procedures and certain cancer treatments risky or even impossible,” Chan said at a conference in Copenhagen earlier this year. “Hospitals are becoming hotbeds for highly resistant pathogens, increasing the risk that hospitalization kills instead of cures.”

Elizabeth Lipski, Ph.D., C.C.N. and author of Digestive Wellness, states, “If microbes are becoming more resistant and virulent, we must increase our own resistance and strength to outsmart them.” How do we do so? Simply by boosting our immune functions so we will be less receptive to infection.

In his book Healing Oils of the Bible, David Stewart, Ph.D., writes, “[T]he reason bacteria become resistant to specific antibiotics is because the antibiotic drug consists of a specific chemical makeup and is identical in every batch manufactured; this is known as pharmacological purity.” Many scientists and wellness practitioners believe that the purity of commercially produced synthetic drugs is a profound weakness. Each batch of a specific antibiotic is predictable in its chemistry and consistency. The targeted bacteria soon learn to recognize the synthetic drug, adapt in ways to protect themselves from it and become resistant to it.

But a drug’s liability is an essential oil’s asset. Pure, authentic essential oils are like fine wines. Each year’s crop is slightly different because growing conditions change annually, which changes the chemistry of each plant’s oil. Therefore, bacterial resistance to essential oils can never develop. Essential oils used today are as effective against bacteria as they were thousands of years ago. Although they have been used for generations, pure, authentic essential oils are also modern-day medicines and our best alternative for combating antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

Essential oils have an intelligence that synthetic antibiotics do not have. They can distinguish between hostile invaders and the friendly flora that the immune system needs. In short, they kill the “bad stuff” and leave the “good stuff.”

Essential oils contain the chemistry of phenylpropanoids that cleanse receptor sites on the cell, sesquiterpenes that erase incorrect information in the cellular memory and oxygenate the cell and monoterpenes that restore original information into the DNA. Basically, essential oils support and stimulate the body to return to normality, working in harmony and moving the body toward a state of healthy symbiosis.

The molecular structure of essential oils and lipid solubility enables the oil molecule to cross the blood-brain barrier to address inflammation and infection. On a more fundamental level, the aromatics of essential oils help to address disease from a physical and emotional aspect, as unresolved emotions are often the root cause of physically manifested disease.

Essential oils with antibiotic and/or antibacterial properties include basil, laurus nobilis, copaiba, cedarwood, cinnamon bark, clove, cassia, geranium, lemongrass, mountain savory, oregano, palmarosa, peppermint, rosemary, rosewood and thyme.

It’s important to use common sense with pure, authentic essential oils. They must never be placed directly into the eyes or ears. For topical application, oils should be diluted with a high-quality seed oil, such as almond oil or grape seed oil. Pure, authentic essential oils can be ingested by placing drops into a capsule, which should be taken with eight ounces of water. Enjoy the healing.

Paula Quinlan is a certified natural health professional and certified aroma therapist, based in New Hope, who used essential oils to recover from chronic Lyme disease. For more information, call 612-719-0228 or visit PaulaQuinlan.com.