Enterobacter Aerogenes Spices

The body's natural flora includes bacterial strains that work to keep the body running. Some of these bacteria are simply hanging out. The Enterobacter aerogenes bacteria is one that hangs out in the digestive system. It is resistant to disinfectants and some antibiotics. In fact, an E. aerogenes infection occurs after a bacterial infection, when an antibiotic has depleted the bacteria in the body. At that point, the E. aerogenes infects the body. The one weak spot of the bacteria, however, is its inability to resist natural antibiotics.

Cinnamon

• Experiments show that the E. aerogenes bacteria respond most strongly to cinnamon as an antibiotic. It isn't the only one; other Gram-negative bacteria like E. aerogenes are sensitive to the affects of cinnamon. Gram negative bacteria are those that color pink in a Gram stain test. They are also called "drug resistant bacteria" or "superbugs." Cultured forms of the bacteria were introduced to cinnamon extract. One Maryland study found that the extract inhibited the growth of the bacteria significantly. The results were increased when other versions of cinnamon are used such as the cinnamon oil and cinnamaldahyde used in Chinese medicine.

Cloves

• Cloves are another spice used heavily in Chinese medicine. It also has a significant effect on the E. aerogenes bacteria. The extract from the dried clove berries has been found to inhibit the growth of E. aerogenes. Clove oil is toxic, but the extract in the form of a chemical known as eugenol is ingestible. A University of Karachi study---"In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Clove Against Gram Negative Bacteria" --- found that the clove oil showed very strong antibiotic activity in the E. aerogenes culture.

Ground Garlic

• Garlic has shown many medicinal properties including its effectiveness as an antibacterial. As a ground powder or extract, the spice is effective against cultured infections of E. coli, E. aerogenes, salmonella and staph infections.

Reason for Spice Remedies

• The superbug category that E. aerogenes belongs to has a long track record of infecting the body in spite of strong antibacterial drugs. The natural spice remedies contain antibacterial agents that have not been overused by hospitals and doctors. Researchers are still looking for the science behind the use of spice as antibiotics, but they do work to rid the body of E. aerogenes infections.