antibiotics


Futurity: Ancient beer brewed to include antibiotic

Green fluorescence in Nubian skeletons indicated tetracycline-labeled bone, the first clue that the ancients were producing the antibiotic. (Credit: Emory)

Now this is a treatment I would like to try

Check out this article on Futurity. It seems that ancient Nubians used Tetracycline-infused beer in an attempt to cure sickness in people.

…researchers later tied the source of the antibiotic to the Nubian beer. The grain used to make the fermented gruel contained the soil bacteria streptomyces, which produces tetracycline.

I always thought that antibiotic use started back in the mid to late 1800s, but apparently the Nubians were fermenting-up some microbrewed goodness over 2,000 years ago.

Sign me up for that IV!!

Tagged , , , ,

Friday Link Love for 03.05.10

It’s back!

At least for this week, anyway :)

I found a couple of interesting articles. The first one is particular compelling…

Here’s what I’ve got this week

Futurity.org: Probiotics prime immune system to fight – Scientists have long pondered the seeming contradiction that taking broad-spectrum antibiotics over an extended period of time can lead to severe secondary bacterial infections. Now researchers may have figured out why.

We suggest that if the immune system is on idle, and you treat someone with broad-spectrum antibiotics, then you turn the system off. The system is deprimed and will be less efficient at responding quickly to new infections.

NPR.org: How Revving Up Your Heart Rate, Even A Bit, Pays Off – I know a lot of people with Lyme struggle to exercise. They want to bike, run, hike or do whatever they did before getting sick. Sadly, they hit the wall quickly and are wiped out for days afterward.

This article and accompanying podcast show that even just a little bit of activity can be beneficial. According to the researchers involved, even as little as 72 minutes a week (that’s just over 10 minutes a day) can deliver an increase in your health.

I wrote an article many months ago about how I used targeted heart rate training to help me restart my running. Check it out here.

Oh, and a side benefit to the cardiovascular improvement is that exercise increases blood flow to the prefrontal cortex. This helps with cognition, attention and overall mood. Who couldn’t use some of that?

Lymenaide: Paining This May Lyme Green – May is Lyme Awareness Month! Who knew? The ladies of Lymenaide do and they are all over it.

They’re putting together a multichannel PSA campaign to help raise awareness about the disease. On their blog post they’ve listed several ways that you can help, but if you just want to give some cash, check this link. Good luck!!

Tagged , , , , , , , ,

USNews: Green Tea Boosts Antibiotics for Superbugs

Came across this short yet interesting article today…

Green tea can help antibiotics be three times more effective in fighting drug-resistant bacteria, even superbugs, according to a study by researchers at Alexandria University in Egypt.

I’m currently off the abx, but if/when I get back on them I think I’ll add this into the mix.

(can you tell I’m sick and just sitting in bed doing nothing?)

Tagged , ,