Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common infections affecting millions of people each year. The biggest problems of urinary diseases are recurrences, increasing resistance to common antibiotics, as well as biofilm formation making them difficult to treat.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the main bacteria found in 80% to 85% of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Unfortunately, due to the overuse of antibiotics to these infections, the E. coli strains have now become resistant to many pharmaceutical prescription antibiotics; and therefore, alternative means to fight these infections are imperative to find.
A study published in the Molecules journal in March 2019 showed that essential oils from the plants Origanum majorana (oregano), Thymus zygis (thyme) and Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) all showed antibacterial activity to the uropathogenic E.coli strains. Whereas, the essential oils from the plants, Juniperus communis (juniper) and Zingiber officinale (ginger) ,did not show any effect towards E. coli.
More specifically, Thyme essential oil demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against the E. coli isolates, followed by Oregano and Rosemary. Furthermore, the essential oils also showed high biofilm inhibitory action with the Rosemary oil having the highest antibiofilm activity followed by Thyme and Oregano oil.
In conclusion, these oils showed very effective antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against E. Coli strains. Hopefully more studies will be done on other bacterial strains giving more validity to alternative medicine, and also give medical professionals more tools to use to fight the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance we are developing due to overuse.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30909573
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31136644
About the author
Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped thousands of women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believe that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.
Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center For Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.