We know we need something different

We Know We Need Something Different

CONCLUSION: In general, the mechanisms by which microorganisms survive the action of antimicrobial agents are poorly understood and remain debatable. [713-2010] Increasing risks of infection stemming from anti-biotic-resistant microorganisms have made the discovery of new and natural antimicrobial substances the focus of various studies, while the expectations of conscious consumers have encouraged or even forced drug producers and service providers to use natural preservatives. Thus, a need has arisen to investigate and test the efficacy of various plants against microorganisms, and the antibacterial impacts of various plant extracts on microorganisms and, particularly, food pathogens have been reported by several researchers. [638-2016]

One of my first thoughts after reading Herbal Antibiotics was, “Oh no! I love my community and I would hate to see it decimated.” After growing Sida for a few years and trying to convince people of the value of this plant, I made very little progress in terms of raising awareness or growing Sida in my community. The local herbalists want to be on board, but they know nothing about this plant. And after a couple of years the realization came that if I did not write this book, perhaps no one would. The information about the Sida family is very limited and scattered. It took me several years to dig out most of everything known about this plant. All the information in this book is from peer-review research studies, or to a much lesser degree, expert websites.

Since I started this project, there has not been a day passing that I do not feel the urgency to get this information out in a useful form before it is too late. It will take time to spread this information and use Sidas to compound useful herbal antibiotics. I am not sure that we will have enough time to avoid or neutralize the multiple epidemics from pathogens fully resistant to all pharmaceutical antibiotics that are only months away.

This book is specifically written for herbalists and natural healers to give them the Sidas as an additional tool to help preserve life and health. It is mostly based on what little peer-review research has been done to date, with the hope that this will inspire much more research. There is some material taken from expert websites, always with the intention of providing well-researched information from sensible sources. Bottom line: I always cite the name, author, and source for any claims in this book.

The traditional uses are also fully cited, allowing you to easily find the source material. Much of the traditional uses cited in this book come from the peer-review researchers themselves. Not always, but usually these fine “second world” peer-review research studies devote a paragraph or two at the beginning to honor the long-time effective use of Sidas in the traditional healing practices of their country (this is never in “First-world” studies). The best research into the traditional uses of Sida is at institutions and universities in India, Nigeria, Brazil, and many other countries. The rest of the information on traditional uses comes from international plant websites.

Nearly all this research is easily accessed through Google Scholar. In many cases, there is more than just an abstract summarizing the research, and you can access the whole study! Looking at the actual results can be very edifying! This has been a one-man crusade, and in this first edition mistakes have certainly been made. I am comforted by knowing that no one has to take my word for anything in this book (if you find a misplaced citation, please let me know). I encourage you to always go back to the source and draw your own conclusions. Bottom line: everything in this book comes from some peer-review research even if I got the citation wrong.

Finally, I could not have written this book without the help of Wikipedia. Many, many questions and definitions I was able to answer quickly and authoritatively through Wikipedia.It also has been a very up-to-date source for learning so many new things – it has been my professional oracle. I needed a Glossary to keep track of many unfamiliar terms, and most of that comes from Wikipedia. Wikipedia struggles to remain independent. I willbe donating a percentage of the proceeds from this book back to Wikipedia in deep gratitude for the essential work they perform, and their role in the creation of this book.