The Kill List: Streptococcus (Group B & A)

Group B strep, Streptococcus agalactiae, is the most common strep that causes UTIs: I’ve only seen one case of Streptococcus pyogenes (Group A strep, which causes strep throat. Use the same treatment for that one as for GBS, but definitely use grated horseradish).
GBS is the most persistent gram positive bacteria, typically low grade and not particularly virulent, but it’s like that one guy who won’t go away no matter how hard you friend-zone him.

Like entero, it’s gram positive, non-motile (can’t swim around like most of the gram negative pathogens can) and your first step is going to be acidifying your urine pH. Gram positive bacteria thrive in an alkaline environment, which is why they don’t cause the kind of bladder pain something like E. coli does: they don’t naturally thrive in the bladder, where the pH is usually around 5.

Now, based on the cases I’ve seen, the main reason this has been hard to treat in the past is…you’ve probably already guessed it….low stomach acid. Streptococcus is highly susceptible to organosulphurs, especially in garlic, *light bulb moment ahead*…..

….which is almost impossible to absorb if your stomach acid is too low.

We all needed a palate cleanser after that sloth…..
Okay, tear your gaze away from McConaughey now and pay attention.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Few of these weapons are going to work as they should if you have not cleansed with activated charcoal at all, or if you have low stomach acid and aren’t actively treating it. Without cleansing the gut, the bacterial and fungal pathogens in your gut will use up most types of natural meds (Vitamin C and cayenne pepper are the exceptions) before they can get to the bladder. It’s like charging a machine gun nest when there’s three rows of enemy-filled trenches in the way: you must sweep the trenches clear first in order to reach your objective. For this you can do the Shock and Awe cleanse outlined here. 

For a gram positive UTI, the large doses of ascorbic acid Vitamin C you’re going to take are going to have a cleansing effect: you can take that with meals instead of the lemon juice people with a gram negative UTI should use. Once you’re loose and frequent, you can take 2 tsp (5 gram) doses twice a day, with 12 oz water each. Remember, no food within 2 hours of charcoal.

If you have low stomach acid your digestive system is unable to properly break down and absorb most of what you’re putting into it. That’s why you feel like crap all the time and nothing works. This must be addressed or nothing will get better. Click here to read how.

Additionally, if you are peeing frequently but only taking natural meds a few times a day, they move into your bladder quickly and then get emptied out too soon. You want every bit of urine coming through your bladder to be full of natural meds. That means you want to take a combination of the ones you don’t need to eat with (ginger, OLE) every time you pee. With a gram positive UTI you want to take 3 grams of ascorbic acid Vitamin C with every glass of celery/ginger juice, if you’re using that to treat low stomach acid and/or cleanse your gut. The ascorbic acid will counter the alkalizing effect of the celery.

The natural meds are listed in order of how broad-spectrum they are against the different strains, and potency. For best results with all of these things:

1. Cleanse with activated charcoal: you want to send a minimum of a tablespoon (7.5 grams) through, total, before taking full-strength doses of natural meds.
2. Take about 2 grams of HCL per meal
3. Keep your urine pH where it needs to be, monitoring with urine test strips
4. Combine three different types of these natural meds
5. Keep a journal where you jot down what you’re taking, when, and what your symptoms/test results are when you pee. This way you will be able to spot patterns and track your progress.
6. Lastly, when you’re doing everything right, (you cleanse thoroughly with charcoal and you’re taking acid if needed and your meds consistently), it should take 5-7 days to kill a UTI, at the most. If it’s taking longer, you either need more charcoal cleansing, more acid with your food/meds, or a different combination of natural meds. 

Streptococcus: ph 4 Ascorbic acid Vitamin C

1. Ascorbic acid Vitamin C: This will take your pH down to a level hostile to strep growth. Urine test strips don’t show a level lower than 5, but you can get pH test strips and use those. Bonus: they’re cheap. Mama like.
You want to take enough ascorbic acid to keep your pH steady around 4.
2 grams per dose, 4x a day (baseline). Safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding. Do not take the kind with sorbitol in it. Just pure ascorbic acid.

A. This is likely going to give you the runs, but that gives you the ideal opportunity for charcoal cleansing: 1-2 tsp or 3-5 grams per dose as often as needed to normalize the bowels.
B. You can use camu camu whole food Vitamin C, but not acerola cherry, which does not acidify the urine.

2. Raw garlic. This is the second best weapon against all “coccus” bacteria.
Take 1 large clove with food, 4x a day. Safe for pregnancy/breastfeeding, may cause baby gas.

A. If you have low stomach acid, you will not absorb it. Take alongside 2-3 capsules of HCL (HCL and garlic must be taken with food) and 2 grams of ascorbic acid.
B. It needs to be freshly minced/crushed right before taking.
C. Do not mix into hot food or you will destroy the medicinal qualities.
D. Get a firm head with lots of large cloves: do not store in the refrigerator: do not buy elephant garlic; it is a leek, not garlic.
E. If you bloat every time you take garlic, even though you’re taking acid with it, you have a problem with fructans and you need a low FODMAP diet and some serious gut healing. Click here to read about it.

3. Olive leaf extract. This is the best wingman to ascorbic acid and raw garlic: it’s an effective prophylactic against all types of bacteria, kills Candida like no other, has no toxicity and is excellent for general health, BUT when you already have an embedded UTI you need to combine it with other natural meds to administer the coup de grâce. It has the strongest Candida-killing action of any UTI med: you will have die-off unless your Candida has a biofilm. It can be taken with or without food, as often as desired. Safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding.

A. The most trustworthy brands are Vitacost and Swanson Super Strength. Most brands sold in hippy stores are weak, overpriced crap that will do you no good. You need about 300-350 mg of oleuropein (the active ingredient) per dose.
B. Charcoal cleansing before you take full doses is imperative, or the Candida die-off will be hell.
C. If you ignore the warnings and take this without charcoal cleansing and feel nothing, your gut Candida has a biofilm and you need to be extremely thorough with charcoal cleansing to peel it all off the gut walls, or OLE will never reach the bladder. Extensive use of prescription antifungals or corticosteroids in the past is a predicator of Candida biofilm.

4. (Experimental phase) Freshly grated horseradish: This kills Streptococcus pyogenes, the strep species that causes strep throat. I’ve seen one UTI caused by that species, and horseradish worked like a charm on it. By all rights, it *should* also be effective against agalactiae: I think the people who tried it before without success were hampered by undiagnosed low stomach acid (which prevents absorption of sulphurs). If you have Group B strep (S. agalactiae), I would try this after thorough charcoal cleansing and along with HCL supplementation.
1/2-1 tsp grated root per meal and with a bedtime snack. Grate with a medium-fine grater, pinch it together, and take mid-meal with a mouthful of milk. Minimal interaction with Candida but it’ll cause wicked bacterial die-off (cramps, diarrhea) in the gut if you haven’t cleansed with charcoal.
Take only with food, 4x a day. Use no more than 1/2 tsp twice a day if pregnant. Safe for breastfeeding but may cause baby gas. When horseradish is not wholly effective, either:

A. It is not fresh enough. It should smell wickedly pungent. Cut the root in the middle and grate the freshly cut end.
B. If smelling it brings tears to the eyes but it’s making your bowels run and not helping your bladder, do a charcoal sweep (2-3 tsp (5-7 grams) doses until the runs stop) and take HCL capsules with every dose to improve absorption into the bloodstream.
C. If you have greasy yellow stools while taking this, don’t freak: you just got a gallbladder cleanse.
D. Those of you in Asia (Japan/China/India area) can take wasabi root the same way, since horseradish root is virtually impossible to get, there.