Ever wonder why your digestion never seems just quite
right? Well, as much as we don’t like to admit it we are exposed to and
host all sorts of critters within our own bodies. Lots of times when your
doctor can’t figure out what is wrong with you or they tell you it is in your
head, it may likely be something else such as parasites, yeast/fungi/mold, viruses,
or bacteria that are taking over your body and causing you a variety of
symptoms.
Typical symptoms include: Allergies, anemia, asthma,
bloating, chronic fatigue, constipation, Crohn’s disease, diarrhea, enlarged
liver or spleen, flu-like symptoms that persist, gas, headaches, immune
problems, irritable bowel, unexplained joint and muscle aches, skin problems,
sleep disturbances, and teeth grinding can signal parasites, which masquerade
so easily as other disorders. Some people will experience secondary gluten
and/or lactose intolerance, so add food sensitivities to the list above.
I had a client diagnosed with Crohn’s and a gluten
sensitivity and we discovered parasites. They used anti-parasitic herbs and
homeopathics to get rid of the parasites, healed their digestive tracts, no
more gluten issues, and are now perfectly healthy.
The rest of this article will focus specifically on
parasites as typically they are not treated correctly by main stream medicine
and have lingering and sometimes long-term effects. I worked with one client who had diarrhea for
over two years with no support from her regular doctor or the GI doctor. In one
week, the diarrhea was gone and in several months the parasite issue was
resolved.
What makes parasites so nasty?
First, they cause physical trauma to the body, particularly worms. They destroy
cells in the body faster than cells can be regenerated. This results in ulceration, perforation, or
anemia. Remember, parasites must eat, so they take away our own nutrients –
vitamins, minerals, and amino acids – so they can live. Many people will become anemic and fatigued
due to this. Not only do they eat, but they poop! They produce toxic waste
materials that are harmful to your body.
These wastes trigger the immune system leading to increased pain and
inflammation.
They irritate bodily tissues,
resulting in an inflammatory response from the body. This over time depresses
the functionality of the immune system. The actual size and/or weight of the
parasitic cysts cause pressure on nerves and organs. They may also cause obstructions, all
resulting in malfunctioning of the body’s systems. They can lump together and
form a ball, that acts like a tumor. Several years ago, there was a story of a
woman from Arizona who they thought had a brain tumor. When they went to remove
the “tumor” they found a long worm!
While parasites have always been around, it seems they are
even more prevalent today. There are several reasons for this. First there is
the international factor. There is an increase in international travel, an increase
of refugee and immigrant populations from endemic areas, and an increase in the
return of military personnel from overseas. Associated with this is the
increasing popularity of exotic regional foods. All these factors bring “new” parasites
into our environment. I’ve had clients get parasites in Mexico, Columbia, and
Israel.
Within our own daily living there is the contamination of
water supplies – both municipal and rural; the increasing use of day care
centers – for both children and adults, and the continued popularity of
household pets. I’ve had clients get parasites from swimming in rivers and
lakes. These are all places where parasites can survive. In addition, the increasing consumption of processed
and sugar-laden foods and the use of antibiotics and immunosuppressive drugs
have suppressed our immune system’s ability to fight off parasites.
For a quick parasite primer, we’ll start with the smallest
guys – the protozoa. They account for
70% of all parasites and cannot be seen by the naked eye. They are single celled microscopic organisms
that can take over the GI tract and from there migrate to other body organs and
tissues. An estimated 7 million people
have some form of protozoa living inside of them.
One of them is Entamoeba histolytica which causes a disease
called amoebiasis. It mainly infects
humans and other primates. It is found
in water, damp environments and in soil, so it can contaminate fruits and
vegetables. It spreads through fecal
contamination. Other than the malarial
parasite, it causes more deaths than any other protozoan. It is also very difficult to detect as it
makes its way from the digestive tract to the lymph nodes and liver and even
cause death. Some strains have become
drug resistant and it can produce an autoimmune reaction. Symptoms include
abdominal pain, weight loss, weakness, diarrhea, and liver abscesses.
Toxoplasma is another common parasite. This crescent shaped
parasite will invade our central nervous system. We can become infected by eating undercooked
meat or by handling infected cat litter.
The cysts of toxoplasma are passed through cat feces. They become infectious within three to four
days, but remain viable for up to 18 months!
An acute infection is like mono.
Chronic symptoms include hepatitis and lymph problems like Hodgkin’s in
the host.
It is estimated that 50% of the US adult population may be
carrying a latent toxoplasma infection.
Those with a compromised immune system are even more susceptible. Also of greater risk are fetuses as they can
suffer serious or fatal effects from infection. Typical symptoms include
flu-like symptoms, fever, chills, fatigue, and headache.
Next come the worm family.
It should be noted that unless the worm infestation is heavy, most
people will not show symptoms of any disease. The smallest of these is the
pinworm. It is the most common of all
worms in the US and most prevalent in children.
Contamination comes from food, water, bedding, house dust, and human
contact. While anal itching is the most
classic signal, these worms also produce many behavioral and neurological
symptoms including hyperactivity and vision problems.
Adult females range from 8 to 13 millimeters in length and
have a long, pin-shaped posterior, for which the worm is named. They make their
home in the host's intestines, but unlike many parasites they do not pass into
the blood and cannot survive in other parts of the body for any length of time.
They lay their eggs outside the body, usually around the anus, causing itching:
this assists the larvae's spread via hand contact.
The most common intestinal parasite in the world is the
large roundworm. It is estimated that 1
billion people worldwide are infected.
Children are also prone to this infection. It is spread through soil, food, and feces.
They are transferred by ingestion. The eggs hatch and quickly penetrate the
intestinal wall, where they enter the bloodstream. From there, the roundworm
makes its way to the lungs, from where it is coughed up and swallowed,
returning it to the gut. Symptoms include fever, tiredness, allergic rash,
vomiting, diarrhea, nerve problems, and wheezing / coughing.
Next come the larger worms of the cestoda family. These include the tapeworms found in beef,
pork, fish, and dog. Pictured here is
the pork tapeworm. These are among the
oldest known parasites and the largest.
They can grow up to 36 inches!
They each have a “head” that attaches to the intestinal wall. As long as the head remains attached, a new
worm can grow from it. They are transmitted through infected food. A tapeworm attaches itself to its victim's
intestine with hooks on its "head", or scolex. They mature over three
to four months, during which time the reproductive organs develop and can
survive for up to 25 years in humans. Tapeworms lack their own digestive tract
so utilize that of the host.
Their eggs are excreted in feces and can survive on vegetation, where they are
then consumed by cattle or pigs, and passed on to humans. It can be spread by
kissing your dog and eating undercooked meat or fish. While this parasite
doesn’t always produce symptoms, allergies, bloating and gas, dizziness,
“fuzzy” thinking, hunger pains, mineral imbalance, nausea, vomiting,
inflammation of the intestine, diarrhea, weight loss, dizziness, fits,
malnutrition, and sensitivity to touch can signal this worm.
Last, but not least is the trematoda family – these are
leaf-shaped flatworms, also known as flukes.
There are blood flukes, liver flukes, lung flukes, and intestinal
flukes. The name corresponds to the
organ that they settle in. These
originate life in the water.
The blood fluke lives in the bloodstream of infected hosts
and cause
schistosomiasis,
also called bilharzia.
They live in
water, and penetrate the skin of victims who come into contact with
contaminated water plus eating undercooked fish and contaminated produce.
The parasite causes inflammation (swelling)
and damage to organs, particularly the liver. The adult worms can persist in their
human host for decades (up to 30 years), and may not cause any symptoms for
years. They leave the host in feces and spend part of their lifecycle in a
snail host.
Symptoms include: fever,
aching, cough, diarrhea, swollen glands, lethargy, depression, edema, enlarged
liver, pain on the right side, vertigo, and even cancer.
As you can see there is quite a variety of parasites and
they can be responsible for a variety of health issues. I see this all the time
in my practice and fortunately have been able to help many clients regain their
health.
Bernard Rosen, PhD is a Nutrition Consultant and
Educator. He works with individuals, groups, and at corporations to create
individualized nutrition and wellness programs. His office is in Mequon, WI. To
learn more or to schedule an appointment, e-mail at bernie@brwellness.com, call (262)
389-9907 or go to www.brwellness.com.
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