Parasites
I never thought I would be writing an article to discuss bowel movements and parasites, but here we are.
I have struggled with GI symptoms for years, until this past year when I finally began working on the roots of my personal dysfunction. I have had chronic constipation, been diagnosed with anxiety, major depression, and been diagnosed and placed on medication for IBS.
But I was never tested or treated for parasites.
Today, I can tell you my depression is gone, my anxiety has improved significantly, I no longer suffer with chronic constipation and I do not take medication for IBS.
This is why I love functional medicine. It is incredibly empowering to learn how to approach healing with a root cause approach.
Optimal health is a lot like peeling back an onion. It happens one layer at a time. So keep in mind, when I share this, it is a brief glimpse into one aspect of my healing.
In my unique body, I have taken measures to heal my nervous system, balance my hormones, heal my gut, and I am working on healing my metabolism. So I cannot simply say, “eradicating parasites healed me completely.”
But I will say, eradicating parasites has been a key to my healing and a huge missing link when it came to resolving certain symptoms.
I have gotten so many questions regarding the protocol I have used, and while I would encourage you to book with a Practitioner for a personalized plan, I know many of you like to self-navigate.
So, I created this email for you with this disclaimer:
This is NOT medical advice. Sometimes a prescription strength anti- parasitic may be needed.
I HIGHLY suggest clearing these types of protocols or herbs with your primary provider, because if you do not approach it cautiously and take measures to open your pathways, you can create a lot of issues for yourself.
This is simply for educational purposes only.
So, with that in mind. Let’s explore parasites.
First things first:
What is a parasite?
Most people think parasitic diseases occur in poor and developing countries, or are infections they might pick up on a mission trip to a foreign country. However, parasitic infections also occur in the United States, and in some cases affect millions of people. A parasite is any organism that lives and feeds off another organism. They are tiny organisms, usually worms, that feed off of your nutrition. Some examples of parasites include roundworms, tapeworms, pinworms, whipworms, hookworms, and more.
Because parasites come in so many different shapes and sizes, they can cause a very wide variety of problems.
How do you get parasites?
Parasites are a lot more common than you think and there are multiple ways you can contract them. I am guessing mine came from traveling, but they can also come from food, water, pets, and the environment. I remember watching House and a woman got a huge parasite from Ham and I do not eat ham to this day (haha) but in all seriousness, undercooked meat is a common place for parasites to hide as well. Unclean or contaminated fruits and vegetables can also harbor parasites. If you have a parasite and don’t wash your hands after using the restroom, you can easily pass microscopic parasite eggs onto anything you touch — door handles, shaking someone’s hand, the gym , your phone, etc.
Other sources include:
Blood transfusions: Before donating blood, people may be asked if they’ve had certain blood-borne parasites like Babesia. But some people don’t even know they’re infected. And labs only test for certain parasites in blood donations.
Food: Undercooked meat and seafood can be sources of parasites. Raw food, including fruits and veggies, can also be tainted with parasites. If you are uncertain how your produce was handled, you can clean it with grapefruit seed extract diluted in water. It’s effective against many microscopic parasites and other pathogens.
Other people: If someone is infected and doesn’t wash their hands well after using the restroom, they could pass parasites to others. Also, an infected mother can transmit certain parasites to her unborn child. And, some parasites are transmitted sexually, including T. vaginalis.
Pets: Animals can also give you parasites, especially if veterinary care is overlooked. For example, clients could get a T. gondii infection from handling contaminated kitty litter. Remember to wash your hands well after touching pets because parasite eggs can stick in their fur.
Soil: You can pick up parasites from the soil, such as by walking barefoot outside. Ascaris, hookworm, and whipworm commonly contaminate the soil and may linger for years.
How do I know if I have parasites?
This is not meant to be a fear mongering post, however, it is important to know that certain symptoms that are potentially caused by parasites can be incorrectly attributed to other diseases. If you have tried countless approaches to heal your gut and relieve your symptoms without any success, a parasite could be the underlying cause for many of your unexplained and unresolved symptoms.
For example, many parasites infect the gut, leading to a range of digestive symptoms. But, in my case, I was misdiagnosed as having irritable bowel syndrome.
Parasites can be a root to many types of issues and may present with symptoms such as:
Air hunger
Anxiety
Allergies
Chronic Fatigue
Eye inflammation
Gallbladder disease
Low blood sugar
Seizures
Teeth grinding
Constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, or other symptoms of IBS
Food sensitivities
Brain fog + Headaches
Fatigue, depression, or feelings of apathy
After you eat, you still feel hungry, not satisfied.
Arthritis aches and pains, joint pain, lower back pain
Have Hashimotos or some kind of autoimmune disease
Insomnia
Skin irritations like hives, excema, rashes, itchy eyes and skin.
Jaw clenching
Anal itching
How can I test for parasites?
Conventionally speaking, some key markers to look for on your CBC panel of blood work:
High Eosinophils or Eos which is an abbreviation for eosinophil. This white blood cell is primarily involved in fighting allergies or parasites. High eosinophil counts indicate an allergy or parasite causing illness. These cells are responsible for destroying parasites and cancer cells, and they are part of an allergic response. A good indicator, eos >3%.
High Basophils or Baso which is an abbreviation for basophils (above 1%).
Abnormal WBC markers; 5-8 is normal.
Ferritin below 40 due to the fact that parasites often feed off ferritin
However, they do not always show up in blood tests. In my case, I personally completed a GI map.
However, it is important to know that parasites can often be missed in testing due to their life cycle and can often go un-detected. That is why many people who experience chronic symptoms, proceed with parasite treatment despite lack of testing.
Some reasons why parasite tests might turn up empty despite having an infection are:
Improper storage: If your specimen isn’t handled correctly, you are unlikely to get an accurate result. To detect certain parasites in their active stage, the stool sample must be examined within 30–60 minutes after passing it or be put into a preservative. Otherwise, the parasite will disintegrate before it’s found.
Insufficient availability: The right tests or equipment may not be available to you. And due to inadequate parasite training for doctors, they may not even know the best tests for them. On top of that, their insurance may not cover the tests.
Insufficient training: Is the technician who’s looking at your stool or blood sample highly trained and experienced? The number of truly qualified people to perform these tests is dwindling while the need is going up.
Parasites aren’t being expelled: Stool samples don’t necessarily reflect what’s inside of you. Some parasites simply may not be making an exit when you test. For example, they could be hiding in your gut or tissues.
Rapid DNA destruction: Though genetic tests are available to detect parasites in certain samples, parasites can destroy their DNA when they die.
For example, Leishmania rapidly degrades its DNA in almost any death situation. If a sample isn’t appropriately preserved and transported in a timely fashion, the test results could be invalid.
Shortage of time: Medical labs are often very busy with many tests to complete. If a technician is underqualified and rushed, the risk for errors increases.
How do you eradicate parasites?
The steps I took to eradicate parasites in my own system started in many layers. This is because you really want to detox and kill parasites from a place of strength. Meaning, NEVER, ever attempt to eradicate if you are constipated. Otherwise, when the parasites die off, all of the bacteria they release will stay in your system, causing worsening symptoms.
So before even considering parasite removal, it is so important to keep your drainage pathways in mind. Here is how our drainage system works:
In short, prior to starting a parasite cleanse, you can see there are many things to address.
CellCore is a brand I personally love. They have tons of education you can explore here:
You can message me for a patient direct code.
Disclaimer: Always check with your primary care provider prior to using any supplements you learn about on the internet.
They recommend you are:
Having 2–3 bowel movements a day
Getting the bile flowing, such as with the help of TUDCA
Maintaining normal sphincter of Oddi function, including by getting enough iodine
Moving the lymph with lymphatic-supportive herbs
Supporting energy and mitochondrial function with polyelectrolyte extracts of fulvic acid.
Other Products to explore:
I personally used Zuma Nutrition for liver support, incorporated Magnesium, Shilajit, and the Para Protocol by Cellcore.
As I was also suffering with a lot of bacterial overgrowth, as well as parasites, I personally did an 8 week protocol.
However, as I do not know your unique needs, I would highly encourage you to partner with a Practitioner and do your research.
The Para protocol comes with clear instructions. But as I said, approach it with caution.
Here is a Breakdown of The Para Kit:
Para 1 — Actively paralyzes parasites and forces them to fall away from their position on intestine walls. This means that parasites can be effectively flushed from your system. Most parasite protocols fail to include this.
Para 2 — This proprietary blend includes multiple ingredients whose properties maximize the body’s ability to boost immune system function and detox. We now use this as a replacement for the Xymogen supplement that is no longer being made. It contains the same ingredients that fight parasites.
BioToxin Binder — Removes debris and supports binding of toxins such as mycotoxins from mold, ammonia from bacteria, and parasites and other byproducts from yeast, fungi, and viruses. As the parasites are being expelled from your body they have a tenancy of releasing toxins into your body. These toxins are not being expelled from your body by the Mimosa Pudica or the Formula 1. If these toxins are left in your body you can see different symptoms that we refer to as die-off-symptoms. These symptoms can include but are not limited to; Bloating, head fogginess, and rash marks throughout your body.
The BioActive Carbon BioTox focuses on binding to these toxins and expelling them from your body.
Bowel Mover — Necessary to keep the bowels moving and support digestive function. If you kill things off, but fail to eliminate effectively, toxins and byproducts will get reabsorbed and create an imbalance in the microbiome. You want two well formed bowel movements per day.
Para 3 - This formula contains seven herbs have their own unique benefits when it comes to immune health and detox. They work synergistically to “cover more ground together” than they could alone, enhancing the detoxification protocol. This herb combination hits hard on many pathogens but is especially geared for Strongyloides, liver flukes, Clostridium, and Blastocystis hominis.
· Thyme damages the intestines/outer wall of parasites and also helps to fight Candida.
· Sage is a strong antiparasitic and helps protect your liver.
· Tansy helps paralyze parasites.
· Holy Basil boosts your immune response and helps protect internal organs.
· Wormwood (Epazote) helps the gut and is an antioxidant.
· Black Walnut Hulls damage the parasites protective defenses.
· Clove increases immune response and helps the liver.
Some people like to also incorporate the sauna, dry brushing, castor oil packs, for drainage support. I personally did dry brushing and Epsom salt baths and made sure I was sweating in the Guam heat because I did not have access to a sauna.
DIET:
Foods to include:
Garlic: The allicin in garlic is potent against bacteria, but also viruses and fungus too.
Pumpkin Seeds: Pumpkin seeds contain an amino acid called cucurbitin, which can paralyze parasites, and could prevent them from attaching to the intestinal wall. They are one of the greatest foods for natural parasite cleansing; aim to consume 1 oz of raw, organic pumpkin seeds every every day while cleansing.
Papaya Seeds: These seeds have been shown to have anthelmintic effects on parasites in trials performed on rats.
Coconut: Coconut is suspected to help kill Protozoa, Tapeworms, Guardia Lamblia, and Ringworm.
Fennell Seed Tea: I did not drink fennel tea, but this is something easy you can add in that is believed to help cleanse.
Another important key is to avoid processed foods, especially sugar and alcohol, is critical during this cleanse.
Drinking plenty of mineral water is also essential. I recommend trace mineral drops to ensure you are getting the minerals needed for proper hydration.
You can book with me if you want extra assistance during your cleanse. I am currently full, however I will have openings in April!
I hope this helps you on your unique journey!
Other things to keep in mind:
Parasite activity is impacted by the full moon. It is greater during a full moon. Leveraging an increased dosage of these supplements during a full moon may help target and eliminate parasites that might be a little harder to find during normal periods. Cellcore has a special Full moon detox you can read more about here: https://cellcore.com/products/para-kit
Sources for further reading:
Ankri, Serge, and David Mirelman. "Antimicrobial Properties of Allicin from Garlic." Microbes and Infection 1.2 (1999): 125-29. PubMed. Web. 7 Dec. 2017.
Plotnikov AA, et al. “Clinical trial of cucurbin (a preparation from pumpkin seeds) in cestodiasis.” Med Parazitol (Mosk) 41 (1972): 407–11. PubMed. 8 Dec. 2017.
Sapaat, A., et al. "Anthelmintic Activity of Papaya Seeds on Hymenolepis Diminuta Infections in Rats." Tropical Biomedicine 29.4 (2012): 508-12. PubMed. Web. 7 Dec. 2017.
https://www.amsocparasit.org/human-parasite-medical-links
https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/references_resources/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2014/p0508-npi.html
https://cellcore.com/products/para-kit
