The Kill List: Staphylococcus Edition

I’ve seen two species of Staph cause UTIs: Staphylococcus aureus and Staph saprophyticus. Like the other ‘coccus’ bacteria, you want to acidify the urine to discourage growth, the opposite of what you do for the more common gram negative bacteria types. A pH around 4 is perfect, and while the urine test strips only test pH down to 5, you’ll know when you’ve gotten down to 4 because your discomfort will ease up.

Staph aureus (of MRSA fame) is my favorite, because it’s so ridiculously easy to kill when you know what to use. I’m talking a complete cure in 2 days, with one thing. And you don’t even have to worry about gut interference and Candida die-off symptoms, because the cure for S. aureus doesn’t kill Candida and it even speeds you up, making a charcoal cleanse a snap.

Think that sounds too good to be true?

It gets better. The cure is at any local grocery store or drugstore and it costs maybe $5.

*dramatic pause for effect*

Ascorbic acid Vitamin C, the cheapest kind of Vitamin C there is. The kind purists sneer at as “not real Vitamin C” while they’re reaching for the acerola cherry Vitamin C that costs 5x as much. Don’t get me wrong, acerola cherry Vitamin C is just fine, if you’re not trying to kill Staph. This has been covered in Profiles in Power: The Real Role of Vitamin C in UTI Treatment, but Staph still gets its own profile in the Kill List series for maximum visibility.

You want the loose powder form of ascorbic acid, or powder in a gelatin capsule, because what they use to compress it into a solid pill (sodium and magnesium) cancels out some of the Staph-killing virtue. You just won’t get the same near-miraculous results you do with the powder. Get the powder: there’s a good brand on Amazon in the Supplies Post if you don’t want to run down to the store to get it.

As a general rule, 3 grams ascorbic acid Vitamin C 3-4x a day will kill even a runaway antibiotic-resistant case of Staph, and I’m not just talking about Staph in the bladder. Staph is the single most common cause of skin infections and cellulitis, and can be highly antibiotic-resistant. Ascorbic acid Vitamin C will kill Staph anywhere in your system: the blood, the tissue, the bladder. I’ve seen it kill antibiotic-resistant cellulitis, cure infected animal/bug bite wounds, and cure Staph bladder infections that had been in place for months, defying antibiotics.

Staph aureus’s cousin, Staph saprophyticus, is a little tougher. That one requires a couple of adjuncts to ascorbic acid, which should still be your mainstay.

• Start taking 3 grams of that ascorbic acid powder between meals, after dinner, and at bedtime. That will lower your urine pH to a level that inhibits Staph growth and get your gut moving faster at the same time.
• When your gut is fast and loose, skip one of those ascorbic acid doses and take 2 tsp activated charcoal in 12 oz water, instead. That will give you a good cleanse and slow things down so you aren’t tied to the bathroom all day. You can do that once a day until your gut is moving normally. Expect a surge in energy, mood, and mental clarity, and the loss of about 5 lbs of water weight within a week.
• For Staph saprophyticus, take 2-3 of the natural meds listed below in addition to the ascorbic acid doses.
• As always, check yourself for low stomach acid before treating for Staph saprophyticus so you know if you have a poor absorption issue.

Staphylococcus: pH 4 Ascorbic acid Vitamin C

1. Ascorbic acid Vitamin C:
3 grams per dose, 3-4x a day. 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 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. Juiced ginger root. 1.5-2 inch cube per dose.
This has some Candida-killing action but is absorbed into the blood too fast to cause severe die-off. You can take it by itself like a shot with 3 grams of ascorbic acid.
You can also juice a 2 inch piece with a head of celery (makes 16 oz), and take 3 grams ascorbic acid with every 8 oz you drink of that blend.
Juiced ginger root can be taken with or without food, as often as desired. Safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding.

A.  The root should be firm and unwrinkled, with some visible juiciness when you slice it.
B. Take a large swallow of this every time you pee. You can juice a big batch every morning and bottle it to take with you to work/errands. Make sure you pee every 2 waking hours.
C. If the juice gives you the runs, you both need and are now prepared for a charcoal cleanse. Take 2 tsp (5 grams) doses with 12 oz water 1-3x a day until stools normalize.