Imagine a creature so sinister that it can live inside your body for years, eating your blood, tissue, and food. It grows and reproduces, generation after generation.
Those creatures are parasites, and they range greatly in size and threat. Some are large and easy to spot, such as ticks. But others are far more insidious and can go unnoticed for years, feasting on you unchecked.
Worms and flukes may be squirming around in you right now, but without an understanding of signs, symptoms, or a positive stool test, you may never know.
How Parasites Enter Your Body
Parasites can enter the human body through various means—ingestion of contaminated food or water, insect bites, inhalation of contaminated particles, or contact with animals. The mode of transmission depends on the specific parasite and its life cycle.
Little Awareness
Today, however, we’re much less likely to attribute our symptoms to worms. Part of our blind spot is our modern expectations. We usually think of parasites as exclusively a problem for animals and people living in remote tropical regions. For most of us in developed temperate climates of the 21st century, parasites seem like a rare or nonexistent health concern.Yet we regularly treat our pets and livestock for parasites as a standard practice. So why aren’t parasites more of a concern among humans?
‘Unseen Epidemic’
“They’re far more prevalent in the United States than you would ever imagine,” Ms. Gittleman said. “In fact, studies have shown that 1 in 3 of us may be infected.”The Diverse Health Implications of Parasitic Infections
In 1974, Ms. Gittleman’s professor displayed patient samples, showing parasites from microscopic amoebas to foot-long tapeworms. “It made me not eat out in restaurants for at least two years,” she said.This experience shaped Ms. Gittleman’s belief that parasites underlie diseases beyond just gastrointestinal issues. In her practice, she said she has seen conditions such as fatigue, pain, and depression resolve with antiparasitic cleanses. Parasites are often overlooked by health care practitioners when investigating the cause of symptoms.
“Parasites tend to be the last place they look,“ Ms. Gittleman added. ”It should be the first place.”
Other conditions Ms. Gittleman has seen linked to parasites are hypoglycemia, arthritic-like aches, obesity, auto-immune issues, and other issues that you might never suspect were parasitic in origin.
The relationship between parasites and disease remains unclear. They may causes symptoms directly or affect the body in ways that make it vulnerable to other infections or conditions.
For instance, many doctors have recently tried treating COVID-19 patients with the anti-parasitic drugs hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin, usually used for conditions such as malaria and heartworm, with anecdotal success. However, these drugs remain controversial for COVID-19.
The study supports Ms. Gittleman’s suggestion that different symptoms may be linked to parasites without health care providers realizing it. It may be that the body can resolve various conditions once the effect of parasites has been removed.
Running the Right Test
If parasites really are such a widespread issue and underlying cause to many diseases, why aren’t modern diagnostic tests revealing them? One might expect parasitic infections to show up on routine stool analyses.These tests don’t dig deep enough, Ms. Gittleman said. Parasites can evade normal stool exams because they tend to reside deep in the colon. It may take several consecutive bowel movements to finally reveal their presence.
“They’re not seeing them because they’re not purging the stool,” she added.
How to Protect Yourself
Thorough stool tests can reveal the specific parasite, any viral component, mucus membrane health, and potential food allergies or sensitivities. But when it comes to parasites, testing isn’t nearly as important as prevention.Cleansing
Ms. Gittleman advocates herbal cleanses to eliminate parasites twice a year. She cites significant results, including clients who recovered from skin conditions, anxiety, insomnia, arthritis, and autoimmune issues.Precautions
It may be what we avoid eating that can have a larger effect on whether we harbor a parasitic infestation. To minimize risk, Ms. Gittleman urges people to wash their produce and cook their meat.“I can’t tell you how many of my clients become well totally when they get off sushi because they’re ingesting worms, worm eggs, worm trophozoite cysts, and all kinds of things when they’re eating fish that’s uncooked,“ she said. ”Fish is much more wormy than meat.”
Not everyone has equal susceptibility to parasites though. People with strong stomach acid, digestion, and immunity resist parasites better, according to Ms. Gittleman. The strength of a person’s stomach acid can be determined with a diagnostic test called the Heidelberg test. It’s typically used to evaluate for conditions such as gastroesophageal reflux disease, to which decreased stomach acid may be a contributing factor.
“HCl hydrochloric acid is your first barrier to parasites, better digestive enzymes, and better overall immunity,” she added.
