Probiotics, green tea, and honey are examples of “ancientbiotics”—natural compounds that have been used for centuries to address the overgrowth of opportunistic bacteria. These traditional medicines have also been scientifically validated as having antibacterial properties that are valued to this day.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been declared one of the top 10 global public health threats to humanity. It’s fueled by the misuse and overuse of antimicrobials and occurs when certain bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites become impervious to the antimicrobial drugs conventionally used to treat them. In the United States alone, 2.8 million people are believed to develop antibiotic-resistant infections annually, and 35,000 people die as a result. In 2018, approximately 5,400 people in Canada died as a direct result of AMR.
