Plant-based antibiotic alternatives: Is there an overlooked weapon against infections in your spice rack?

Anna Sandner

24.12.2025

Translation: machine translated

Thyme, oregano, horseradish: what usually ends up in our food has an amazing effect against infections. But does this also make the plants an effective alternative to antibiotics?

An important note in advance: This article does not replace medical advice. Antibiotics are often life-saving and indispensable for serious bacterial infections such as pneumonia or meningitis. The herbal alternatives presented here are intended as support for mild to moderate infections or for prevention, not as a substitute for medically necessary therapy. Please never stop taking prescribed medication without authorisation and always consult your doctor if you have persistent or severe symptoms.

Hand on heart: when was the last time you looked for medicine in your spice rack? Probably rather rarely. Yet there may be a part of the solution to one of the biggest problems of modern medicine lying dormant there.

The situation is serious - and unfortunately this is not clickbait. Antibiotics, veritable miracle cures for bacteria, are losing their potency alarmingly quickly. Humanity is firing its ammunition against countless diseases through incorrect and excessive use. Germs develop so-called antimicrobial resistance, allowing them to survive and multiply despite antibiotics. Bacteria become resistant and antibiotics become ineffective. As a result, infectious diseases become more difficult to treat and mortality increases.

Plant-based alternatives to complement the medical hammer

While researchers around the world are working flat out to find new antibiotics, nature already has something up its sleeve. Many plants have substances that kill germs without also killing off many necessary bacteria (keyword: intestinal flora)

This is not to say: «Drink some sage tea and you won't need an antibiotic.» There's no question that conventional antibiotics can really work like a magic bullet in serious infections. But in order for them to help in these serious cases, it is crucial that they are only used in these cases. However, as long as it is a matter of prevention or a mild infection, it is sometimes worth looking at the colourful range of herbal support.

It is important to understand: Most herbal active ingredients are fundamentally different from conventional antibiotics. While the latter usually specifically inhibit certain metabolic processes in bacteria, herbal substances often work via more complex mechanisms and are generally much weaker. The great advantage of herbal alternatives lies in their versatility. They often combine antibacterial with anti-inflammatory and immunostimulating properties.

Plant beats pill? What the science says

«Herbal alternative» may sound like herbal tea and good persuasion. In fact, research has already shown otherwise:

Example 1: the cough dream team of ivy and thyme

A double-blind study (the gold standard in research) has shown that the combination of thyme and ivy relieves cough attacks in acute bronchitis significantly faster and more effectively than a placebo. The participants reported a significant reduction in cough intensity and were symptom-free sooner on average than the control group.

Example 2: the bladder saviours nasturtium and horseradish

If you've ever had a bladder infection, you know the pain and the need to take antibiotics. But there are often other ways. Researchers compared a combination of nasturtium and horseradish with standard antibiotics. The result: the plant combination proved to be just as good for uncomplicated infections, but had fewer side effects.

Example 3: the super germ killer oregano

And now it gets really exciting. What usually adds that certain something to pizza turns out to be a medical heavyweight in the lab: oregano oil. Laboratory tests show that oregano oil (especially the active ingredient carvacrol) is even effective against multi-resistant germs such as MRSA. In other words, against the very bacteria for which standard hospital antibiotics often fail. The plant substances break through the bacteria's protective shield, the so-called biofilm. However, the successes so far have mainly come from the laboratory. Whether this effect will be confirmed in clinical studies remains to be seen.

A compass for the green pharmacy

So herbal alternatives can work. Naturopath Aruna M. Siewert explains exactly how in her book «Pflanzliche Antibiotika» from GU Verlag. Like an instruction manual for the natural pharmacy, she describes which plants promise relief for which symptoms and how to prepare and use them correctly.

Guidebooks

CHF15.90

Pflanzliche Antibiotika

German, Aruna M. Siewert, 2020

Siewert comes from practical experience. And you can see that in the book. It is not a dry treatise, but a «do-it-yourself» guide to health. For example, she not only explains that onions have an antibacterial effect, but also how to make an effective syrup from them when you have a sore throat.

«Herbal antibiotics» presents around 30 «must-haves» for your plant pharmacy - from classics such as garlic to specialists such as usnea (bearded lichen). What I like: It draws very clear boundaries as to where self-treatment is sensible and advisable (e.g. mild sinusitis) and when I should definitely go to the doctor. This way, herbal support remains reliable and safe.

To conclude by making this clear again: If you have severe pneumonia, please go to hospital and take the medication you are prescribed. Conventional medicine saves lives. Full stop.

But for the many minor everyday infections - a scratchy throat, the beginnings of a bladder infection or a persistent cough - we often have an effective and gentler alternative in the cupboard that many people completely underestimate.

How do you feel about the topic of medicinal plants? Do you have any favourite plants that help you with certain illnesses? Or do you rely purely on conventional medicine? Let us know in the comments.

Anna Sandner

Senior Editor

Anna.Sandner@galaxus.de

Science editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always the outdoors - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.

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