The bacteria that causes Lyme, Borrelia burgdorferi, is tricky to manage. Antibiotics are used to treat it, but according to numbers from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), they only work for 80-90% of cases. The other 10-20% develop into chronic Lyme, as the bacteria is able to change form and hide in the body. Conventional medicine is still divided as to whether Chronic Lyme actually exists, so it makes sense that they can only offer management solutions instead of actual treatment. Patients increasingly find themselves turning to alternative medicine. A recent study suggests there is yet another treatment available in the alternative arsenal: stevia.
Conventional medicine is still divided as to whether Chronic Lyme actually exists, so it makes sense that they can only offer management solutions instead of actual treatment. Patients increasingly find themselves turning to alternative medicine. A recent study suggests there is yet another treatment available in the alternative arsenal: stevia.
Will the Real Stevia Stand Up?
Stevia is a naturally sweet herb that is more than 100 times sweeter than sugar, but unlike sugar, it doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. Originally from South America, stevia has been around for more than 1,500 years, but it hasn’t gained public popularity until recently. Stevia is incredibly concentrated and doesn’t feed Candida in the body the way other sweeteners do.
The best form of any food, nutritionally, is in its natural state. The pure stevia leaf, whether fresh, dried, or in a tincture, is the best way to use the plant along with all of its flavonoids, sterols, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. But not all stevia is created equal. Many of the widely available stevia powders are bleached and altered with other chemicals and additives like erythritol and dextrose.
It’s the Little Things in Life
The phytonutrients in stevia are powerful. A new study from researchers at the University of New Haven found that stevia leaf extract is more effective at dealing with Lyme disease in all of its forms than any of the currently used antibiotics. The bacteria that causes Lyme disease is a spiral-shaped bacteria, and the common antibiotics used like doxycycline, cefoperazone, and daptomycin can be effective in dealing with the bacteria in that form. Unfortunately, Borrelia burgdorferi can morph into a dormant round body under unfavorable conditions, and in this form, antibiotics are more likely to miss it. In fact, antibiotics increased the bacteria in its dormant form.
Is Stevia is a Better Idea than Antibiotics?
Stevia and antibiotics were both effective against the Borrelia burgdorferi is its spiral form. Stevia reduced the bacteria in its dormant form, whereas the antibiotics increased its resistance to the next antibiotic treatment and may have even helped it to multiple. Antibiotics, even when they work as intended, damage to the body. They suppress the immune system and kill off good bacteria, effectively ridding the body of its natural defenses. Is there really any question as to which treatment is better?
Related Reading:
- How to Cure Lyme Disease and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally
- Stevia: The Sweet Medicine for Inflammation
- Are You Buying Stevia or Something Else?
- Inexpensive, Easy Detox – The One Gallon Challenge
- Naturally Treat Multiple Sclerosis – Therapies, Diet, Pain Management, Alternative Medicine
Sources:
- Study Finds Stevia Kills Lyme Disease Better than Antibiotics – Collective Evolution
- Effectiveness of Stevia Rebaudiana Whole Leaf Extract Against the Various Morphological Forms of Borrelia Burgdorferi in Vitro – National Center for Biotechnology Information
- How to Cure Lyme Disease, and Virtually Any Other Bacterial Infection, Naturally – Organic Lifestyle Market
- Is Stevia Safe or Healthy? – Wellness Mama
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