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‘Natural’ way to beat superbugs found: Study

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Washington: It may be possible to rein in the spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs without the need to develop new antibiotics as it has been found that these bacteria possess the natural ability to become vulnerable to existing antibiotics.

A study found that to kill their competitors, these bacteria need to relinquish their ability to defy antibiotics.

“If we can identify ways to force the entire population of drug-resistant bacteria to undergo this change, we stand a better chance of fighting the growing problem of antibiotic resistance,” said first author Brent Weber from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

“Instead of looking for new antibiotics, we could restore bacteria’s vulnerability to antibiotics we already have,” Weber said in a study that appeared online in the journal PNAS.

The researchers studied samples of A. baumannii isolated from a 2012 outbreak at a Canadian hospital. Four patients were infected, and one died.

The researchers expected the bacteria to readily kill other bacteria by producing and injecting a poison into their bacterial competitors. Killing the competitors should help A. baumannii infections spread widely and quickly.

But instead, the scientists found that the bacteria’s poison injection system was disabled in most of the samples from the Canadian outbreak. They identified chunks of bacterial DNA that were shutting down the system.

These pieces of DNA, known as plasmids, also carried genes that enabled the bacteria to resist antibiotics.

In addition, the scientists found that part of the bacterial population regularly deactivated the plasmids, which turned on the poison injection system and transformed the bacteria into killers.

But doing so meant the bacteria also turned off the antibiotic-resistance genes, making the bacteria vulnerable to antibiotics.

“This knowledge could lead to more effective treatments and better strategies for preventing the development of superbugs,” Feldman said.

Health

These three drinks can be a blessing for your gas and acidity problems

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ily foods, spicy dishes, fried fares… Done it all and regretting it? If you’re suffering from acid reflux, you probably know what to eat and what to avoid. But is there anything to relieve you from such digestive issues? Well, there are certain drinks for acidity to improve your digestive health, if you consume them regularly.

Ready to find out? Let’s go!

In an Instagram video, nutritionist and health coach Neha Ranglani has suggested that to calm your acid reflux, you need to help your food get digested well. This can be done by improving your stomach acid production and healing your stomach cells. And these drinks that she has suggested, can help with just that, allowing you to digest your food well without the burn.

Here are 6 drinks for acidity:

1. Cucumber juice

Cucumber is a favourite salad ingredient in summer because of its cooling properties. Consuming cucumber juice can be really beneficial for relievingacid reflux because it is highly nutritious as it provides your body with both fibre and water which is needed for better digestion and has a low calorie volume. What’s more? It can also keep you full and help you avoid reaching out to junk foods!

2. Lemon water

Lemon can do you a world of good! Being rich in vitamin C and B and minerals such as phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium—drinking lemon water regularly will not only help you burn fat but will resolve your digestive issues such as acidity. Moreover, lemon water contains laxative properties that can help improve your bowel movements and clear toxins from the body, keeping you hydrated.

3. Ginger water

Ginger aka adrak, is a very well known ingredient that has been used for ages to help relieve acidity and gas. Also, if you are facing digestive issues due to overeating or undigested food, consuming ginger water can help in emptying your stomach. You can also consume it by adding it to soups, subzi or curry, and even tea. Remember that you’re not allowed to consume ginger in excess amounts.

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