Serrapeptase is a useful tool for treating staph infections. While you should not use serratiopeptidase in place of any antibiotics your doctor has prescribed for you—and it is very important to finish the entire prescription for any antibiotic you start—serratiopeptidase can break down the defenses staph bacteria use to evade detection and destruction by the immune system.

What Is Staph?

Staph infections are caused by Staphylococcus bacteria. The most common of all the Staphylococcus bacteria is Staphylococcus aureus (you can read more about it on the Textbook of Bacteriology site if interested). The term “staphylo” comes from a Greek word for a cluster of grapes. A “coccus” is a round bacterium, and “aureus” is a Latin term for gold. Under the microscope, colonies of Staphylococcus aureus look like tiny clusters of golden grapes.

The golden pigment made by staph bacteria is chemically similar to the orange pigment beta-carotene. Like beta-carotene, this pigment is an antioxidant, and its benefit for bacterial health is what makes it especially detrimental to human health. Staph bacteria use this antioxidant to stop the free radicals that activate the immune system to attack them.

And that's not all. Staph bacteria also have the ability to make an enzyme called coagulase. This is an enzyme that's also made by the human body. Coagulase transforms a protein called fibrinogen, which constantly circulates through the bloodstream, into another protein called fibrin.

When we cut ourselves, coagulase is responsible for the reactions that help the blood to clot. Staph bacteria create blood clots to coat themselves and a cluster of tissue on which they feed. That's why staph infections cause nasty boils and pimples that fill with yellow pus. The darker the yellow, the healthier the bacteria, and the more damage they can do to your skin or other tissues.

Who Gets Staph Infections?

At one time or another nearly everyone gets a staph infection. There are hundreds of thousands of staph bacteria on our skin at almost all times. For most of us, staph just gets into a nick or scratch of the skin and forms a red pimple with a center of yellow pus. Sometimes an especially virulent strain of staph bacteria can cause boils, impetigo, folliculitis, furunculosis, or scalded skin syndrome.

Staph infections inside the body, however, can be even more serious. Sometimes children will develop a sudden high fever, bone pain, back pain, and/or a limp. This can be caused by a staph infection of the bones.

Children and adults alike who come down with bacterial pneumonia usually have a staph infection. This form of bacterial pneumonia is most likely to occur after a bout with the the flu. Even with the best modern of modern medicine, it's fatal in about 50% of cases. In teens and young adults, staph can cause fast-moving and potentially fatal meningitis. And staph infections can also cause thrombophlebitis and toxic shock syndrome, both potentially deadly diseases.

Serratiopeptidase in the Treatment of Staph Infections

Pneumonia, meningitis, toxic shock syndrome, and bone infections are not conditions you should ever try to treat on your own. If you have a minor skin infection, however, or if you are prone to getting folliculitis when you use a hot tub or minor skin infections when you change at the gym, serratiopeptidase can make a big difference in how fast you can heal.

Serratiopeptidase works against staph infection by breaking down fibrin. Robbing staph bacteria of the blood clot in which they hide exposes them to the immune system. Scientists at the Sapienza University in Rome have found that serratiopeptidase also works on eight other bacterial proteins that help them stick together as colonies, making it possible for the immune system to fight individual bacteria rather than groups of bacteria. Serratiopeptidase also breaks down the “glue” that bacteria use to attach themselves in tissues and that they use to bond to each other to share genetic information, such as the genes that make them resistant to antibiotics.

When Should You Use Serratiopeptidase?

If you're prone to minor staph infections, it's a good idea to keep serratiopeptidase on hand. Use serratiopeptidase at the first sign of staph infections on the skin, any spot of red infection filled with yellow pus. (Don't pop pimples or boils. You will only spread the infection further.)

There are also times you should not use serratiopeptidase. Don't try to use serratiopeptidase to treat any kind of internalize staph infection, especially if the symptoms are serious enough to keep you in bed. Since serratiopeptidase just exposes staph bacteria to the immune system, you don't want to release more bacteria than your immune system can handle. You also don't want to use serratiopeptidase when your skin has turned not just red but purple. That's a sign of a problem that your immune system will have trouble handling.

Serratiopeptidase is compatible with antibiotic treatment, but it's not a substitute for antibiotic treatment. Always use the all the antibiotic medication you are prescribed to prevent the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.