7 Strongest Natural Antibiotics (Science-Based)

You will find the 7 strongest natural antibiotics in this article.

What is an antibiotic?

An antibiotic is an agent that kills bacteria or prevents their growth¹.

Microorganisms synthesize this substance as a defense mechanism².

For example, a fungus produces the antibiotic penicillin³.

Besides, synthetic antibiotics are made based on the structure of this substance⁴.

Drawbacks of antibiotics

Antibiotics may cause adverse events, side effects, and antibiotic resistance¹.

Side effects include diarrhea, dehydration, abdominal pain, and skin rash⁵.

What is a natural antibiotic?

In the medical field, a natural antibiotic is an antibacterial substance produced by a microorganism as opposed to a synthetic antibiotic made artificially⁴.

In this article, we will use the words “natural antibiotic” to designate any plant that has antibacterial effects.

Advantages of natural antibiotics

Medicinal herbs are a good alternative to synthetic antibiotics.

Indeed, plants produce various phytochemicals that are involved in their defense mechanism⁶.

These molecules have beneficial effects on human health, including antioxidant and antimicrobial properties⁶.

They help your body kill bacteria by boosting your immune system⁶.

As such, natural antibiotics do not cause bacterial resistance and toxicity in the digestive system and kidneys⁶.

7 Strongest natural antibiotics

Here are the 7 strongest natural antibiotics.

You can use them orally or topically for bacterial infections, including food poisoning, sore throat, and acne.

1. Thyme

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is a flowering plant native to southern Europe.

It is known to relieve a sore throat and cough. Thyme is also a common herb used in Mediterranean cooking.

Studies have shown that thyme essential oil displays activity against numerous bacteria, including^7,8,9,10

Escherichia coli
Listeria monocytogenes
Salmonella species
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus pyogenes

Thyme essential oil is also effective against several antibiotic-resistant strains, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)^7,9,11.

It is, therefore, one of the strongest natural antibiotics.

2. Sage

Sage (Salvia officinalis) is an evergreen shrub with purple flowers native to the Mediterranean region.

Like thyme, sage is used to treat colds and flu during the winter.

Research has reported that sage essential oil and extract is a natural antibiotic against various bacteria, including^12,13,14

Escherichia coli
Salmonella typhi and S. enteritidis
Shigella sonnei and S. flexneri
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus mutans

Sage is amongst the strongest natural antibiotics.

Its antibacterial effects against P. vulgaris, S. flexneri, S. sonnei, S. typhi, and S. aureus is similar to or stronger than synthetic antibiotics¹³.

Moreover, sage is effective against multidrug-resistant bacteria strains¹¹.

3. Oregano

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is a flowering plant with opposite leaves native to the Mediterranean region.

It is a popular pizza seasoning herb, owing to its sweet and earthy aroma.

Studies have revealed that oregano essential oil has natural antibiotic properties against bacteria, such as^10,15,16,17

Escherichia coli
Listeria monocytogenes
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Salmonella enterica
Staphylococcus saprophyticus and S. aureus

Moreover, oregano essential oil has antibacterial activity against several multi-drug resistant strains, including MRSA^9,11.

Also, researchers have found that oregano oil reduced a third-degree burn bacterial infection within an hour¹⁷.

4. Rosemary

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a flowering shrub with needle-like leaves native to the Mediterranean region.

It is a medicinal and culinary herb. Rosemary is one of the most suitable herbs for flavoring a ratatouille.

The essential oil and extract of rosemary have natural antibiotic effects against bacteria, such as^12,18,19,20

Escherichia coli
Listeria monocytogenes
Salmonella choleraesuis, S. typhi, and S. enteritidis
Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis
Streptococcus mutans

Besides, rosemary essential oil has antibacterial activity against antibiotic-resistant strains, including MRSA^21,22.

It is, therefore, amongst the strongest natural antibiotics.

5. Goldenseal

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is an herbaceous plant native to North America.

It is a good source of alkaloids (such as berberine and hydrastine), which makes it beneficial to health²³.

Goldenseal is also a “bitter herb”. Bitter herbs stimulate the production of saliva, stomach acid, and digestive enzymes, optimizing digestion.

The extract of goldenseal has natural antibiotic activity against the following bacteria²⁴:

Escherichia coli
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus sanguis
Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Furthermore, goldenseal has antibacterial properties against several strains of MRSA²⁵.

It reduces the ability of bacteria to pump toxins out of their cells and become resistant^23,25.

6. Garlic

Garlic (Allium sativum) is a flowering plant that grows from a bulb. The bulb consists of several odoriferous cloves.

Since ancient times, humans have used garlic cloves as a food flavoring and traditional medicine²⁶.

Studies have reported that garlic has natural antibiotic activity against bacteria, such as²⁷

Escherichia coli
Listeria monocytogenes
Salmonella species
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus species

A study found that garlic is effective against several multi-drug resistant bacterial strains, including MRSA²⁷.

Moreover, sulfur compounds present in garlic show antibiofilm activity²⁷.

7. Turmeric

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a rhizomatous herbaceous plant native to South Asia²⁸.

It is used as a spice in South Asian and Middle Eastern cooking²⁸.

Besides, it has a very long history of medicinal use, dating back nearly 4000 years²⁸.

Turmeric has natural antibiotic effects against multiple bacteria, including^29,30

Escherichia coli
Pseudomonas aerigunosa
Salmonella typhi
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus faecalis

The antibacterial effect of turmeric compares favorably with standard antibiotics²⁹.

Moreover, turmeric displays antibacterial activity against multi-drug resistant strains, including MRSA³¹.

Besides, it has antibiofilm properties, making it one of the strongest natural antibiotics³¹.

What is the strongest natural antibiotic?

The efficacy of natural antibiotics varies according to de type of bacteria studied.

For example, a study reported that thyme had stronger antibacterial properties than oregano against multidrug-resistant E. coli, K. oxytoca, and pneumoniae strains¹¹.

Another study, on the contrary, found that oregano showed a greater antimicrobial effect against S. enteritidis and thyphimurium, S. aureus, MRSA, E. coli, and B. cereus compared to thyme⁹.

In addition, the composition of essential oils depends on several factors, including harvesting season and geographical source⁹.

How to use natural antibiotics

Drink/eat the following mixture or apply it to the wound with a cotton pad.

Tincture

Mix 10 drops of the tincture with water.

Essential oil

Mix 3 drops of the essential oil with a teaspoon of raw honey.

Turmeric powder

Mix 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder with water.

Garlic

Crush or grate half a clove of garlic.

Summary: 7 Strongest natural antibiotics

Medicinal herbs are a good alternative to synthetic antibiotics.

They produce phytochemicals that have antimicrobial properties.

Natural antibiotics help your body to eliminate bacteria by boosting your immune system.

As such, they do not cause bacterial resistance and toxicity.

The 7 strongest natural antibiotics are the following:

Thyme
Sage
Oregano
Rosemary
Goldenseal
Garlic
Turmeric

7 Strongest Natural Antibiotics

What is an antibiotic?

Drawbacks of antibiotics

What is a natural antibiotic?

Advantages of natural antibiotics