My father used to run squeezin’s through these hills during Prohibition. I guess many people had some of this set aside for medicinal use as a base for herbal remedies and, of course, uncut lightning. Back in those days, people got by in the best way they could. Times change and some things stay the same. A non-alcoholic squeezin’ that you should know about that helps with just about anything that ails you (at least the infectious bugs) is grapefruit seed extract liquid (GSE).

Twice a day I put five drops of this bitter in the container of my oral irrigator and rinse my gum lines. I hate to floss my teeth and I find this to be something I don’t mind doing on a regular basis. The pulsing water cleans the space between my teeth, along the gum line and the soft tissues of the mouth. When you add grapefruit seed extract the mouth bugs die in droves leaving your breath fresh and your mouth clean. The bacteria are mostly the cause of tooth decay, gum disease and even some heart disease, especially valves. The last dental cleaning I had was short, as there was very little plaque build-up.

Grapefruit seed extract is a very power antimicrobial, meaning it kills a very wide range of harmful bugs including bacteria, parasites, mycoplasm, virus and fungus. In liquid form it is very important to follow the easy directions given by the manufacturer. It is so strong that if you use too much you can give yourself a minor, short lived chemical burn, so some reasonable care is needed. The extract comes from the seed of the grapefruit and not the juice or pulp; this makes it safe to use for everyone including those on heart/blood pressure medications.

While I use it for my mouth, it can be used for a lot of different things. If you travel and worry about the foreign water put a few drops in it. If you get a nasty from strange water mix some GSE, rinse your mouth and swallow — it kills those troublesome bugs. Does a lot more especially in the capsule form.

I’ve seen it to be very useful in cases of stubborn infection and can easily be used side by side with prescribed antibiotics. And, in the case with the capsule unlike the liquid you can use high doses safely according to need.