For years, many of us have relied on antibiotic use to treat various infections. And the reality is that antibiotics have been responsible for saving millions of lives since penicillin, one of the earliest antibiotics, was first used on a clinical basis 70 years ago. However, today is a new era in which taking antibiotics can cause some very dangerous and potentially life-threatening situations. (13)In fact, you may have heard about the new “superbugs”, which are antibiotic-resistant bacteria that have developed as a result of overprescribed antibiotics. In the past, health experts warned us that the day would come in which it would become very difficult to provide medical care for even common problems such as lung infection or severe sour throat. (14)And, apparently, that day has come because seemingly routine operations such as knee replacements are now much more hazardous due to the looming threat of these infections.

The problem has grown into such epidemic proportions that this severe strain of resistant bacteria is being blamed for nearly 700,000 deaths each year throughout the world; and, unfortunately, health experts worry that the number will rise to 10 million or more on a yearly basis by 2050. (15)With such a large life-threatening epidemic, it is sad to say that only 1.2 percent of budgetary money for the National Institutes of Health is currently being spent on research to tackle this problem. This is a far cry from the funds necessary for a problem of such magnitude.