Dr. Paul Deglmann
Meghan Feir Walker
If you live in the US and haven't recently traveled outside the country, do you need to worry about parasites? Will you always have noticeable symptoms if you get one? And why is it important to know how to test for parasites?
The thought of getting a parasite is usually met with disgust, which is completely understandable. Parasites are nasty little creatures that can cause big problems, and the thought of getting one can feel like an alien takeover in your body.
What many people don’t realize is that parasites are extremely common, and they affect millions of people every day. You don’t have to be in a remote area of the world to get parasites. People regularly get parasites from swimming in contaminated water, closely interacting with pets, eating contaminated food, and drinking contaminated water, and all of that can happen right in your own backyard.
| Key Takeaways Parasites are extremely common and can be contracted through contaminated water, dirt, food, insects, and animals. Everyday exposures can come from activities like swimming, eating food, drinking water, bug bites, and close contact with pets. Symptoms can range from acute digestive distress to more chronic issues like bloating, fatigue, and nutrient depletion. Stool testing is widely used to assess parasites, and multiple samples may be recommended for a more complete picture. Supporting gut and immune health with a clean, low-sugar diet and practitioner-guided herbal protocols can help promote healthy microbial balance. |
What are parasites, and what do they do?
Parasites are organisms that live in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefit from deriving nutrients at the other’s expense. In other words, they thrive while they rob you of vitamins and minerals and deplete your energy.
Besides stealing nutrients, parasitic infections often impair micronutrient absorption. As mentioned in this study published by the National Library of Medicine, vitamin A, selenium, and zinc are especially important for immune function and resistance to parasitic infections, and those (including iron) are often depleted from the very infections themselves. This creates a toxic cycle for your immune system.
How the standard American diet helps parasites thrive
There is an abundance of food available in the United States, but the standard American diet has only worsened immune function, making our resistance to parasites even less effective.
While Americans consume excessive calories, these calories are usually from highly processed, highly refined foods and oils. The most affordable, convenient foods are often lacking nutrients while being full of sugar and simple carbohydrates (that quickly turn into sugar in the body), which harm the immune system, organs, and cellular health.
The majority of packaged foods in grocery store aisles are nearly devoid of bioavailable forms of nutrients like vitamin A, selenium, and zinc, yet these are vital vitamins and minerals for your immune system to function well.
To fight parasites and other infections, your immune system must be strong enough to fight them off.
Learn how you can improve your gut health.
The consumption of pesticide-free vegetables and fruits is far from optimal in America, and less intake of fruits and vegetables only adds to the problem. Although most people eat too much, they don’t consume enough healthy, nutrient-dense foods.
Are all parasites harmful?
Brace yourself for what I’m about to tell you. Most people have some kind of parasite. Yes, that’s right. You likely do, too.
While not all parasites are considered extremely harmful to your health, you still don’t want them around.
Some may not cause many symptoms unless overgrown, but they’re still an issue.
Parasites love to hide and live in the deep crypts of the gut lining, which is why it’s so hard to catch them on the first few stool tests. As your gut gets healthier and the gut lining remodels, these deeply embedded parasites get kicked into the gut lumen, where we can then catch them on a test. And once they’re less embedded and protected, you should also be able to reach and eliminate them more effectively.
Different kinds of parasites:
- Certain types of parasites can make you excessively sick quickly, such as Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium, or Giardia.
- Other parasites may contribute to more chronic health issues by slowly depleting certain nutrients from the body.
What are the symptoms of a parasitic infection?
Parasites are so common that many people don’t even notice when they have an infection because their symptoms are so minor. However, others are well aware they have an infection of some kind because of how serious their symptoms become.
Since they are such a common occurrence, it’s important to know the signs and symptoms of a parasitic infection. This will help you identify when you or your loved ones should be tested for parasites.
When people have an acute infection (its initial stage), their symptoms can often be severe.
Acute symptoms often involve:
- Uncontrolled diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
When the parasitic infection has gone without help, the infection can enter a chronic state.
Chronic symptoms can include:
- Gas/bloating
- Diarrhea/loose stools
- Constipation
- Nausea
- Anal itching
- Hives, rashes, itching
- Constant hunger/never feeling full
- Fatigue due to nutritional deficiencies from the parasite (iron is classic, which can cause iron deficiency anemia)
- And more
How do you get parasites?
By now, you know the commonness of parasites is undeniable. You can come into contact with them while doing everyday activities, like drinking and eating contaminated foods and beverages, being in close contact with animals, or swimming in contaminated water.
The most common ways of contracting a parasite include:
- Eating contaminated food from undercooked meat
- Drinking water or eating food that has fecal contamination
- Water from lakes, rivers, streams, etc.
- Skin contact with soil contaminated with larvae or ingestion of the larvae
How do you know if you have a parasite?
While there are a few different ways to test for parasites, stool tests are widely considered to be the best test by most practitioners. Keep in mind that parasites can live in various parts of the body, not just the intestines.
Other ways to test for parasites are:
- Endoscopy/colonoscopy by looking through a camera lens for evidence of parasites
- Blood test to look for antibodies to certain parasites
- Blood smear to look for parasites in the blood under the microscope
- Absolute eosinophils and IgE are other blood markers that CAN be elevated with active parasites, but you can’t diagnose a parasite with just these markers.
How does stool testing actually work?
When it comes to exploring possible reasons for ongoing digestive concerns, stool testing is one commonly used tool. Depending on the lab method used, a stool test may look for parasites, parasite eggs (often called ova), or patterns that may be consistent with certain organisms.
One helpful thing to know is that some organisms don’t show up consistently in every sample. Because of this, some practitioners recommend collecting multiple stool samples over several days to better “capture” what may be going on.
Your practitioner can help you choose the most appropriate type of testing based on your symptoms, health history, and potential exposures.
Special note:
Many practitioners believe that parasites are extremely tough to catch through testing. Even if the stool test is negative, they may continue with a parasite protocol if they think it may be the cause of your symptoms.
Make sure to speak with your healthcare practitioner to see what course of action is suitable for your individual case. You may also want to find an experienced functional medicine practitioner who can do the appropriate testing to see if you have parasites present that are detectable with testing.
If you have a parasite, what can be done?
If you have been told by a practitioner through testing or conjecture that you have a parasite, they may put you on a particular protocol.
While they will undoubtedly assign a particular diet and set of supplements for you, you can also keep the following suggestions in mind.
- Eat a clean, non-processed, organic diet with low amounts of sugar. Parasites love to feed off of sugar, so avoiding sugar and ingredients that quickly convert to sugar will help starve the parasites.
- Find the best supplements and/or herbs to help target your parasite(s). Several herbs have been shown to be beneficial against parasites.
Common herbs used for parasites are:
- Wormwood
- Olive leaf extract
- Black walnut
- Berberine
- Artemisia
- Neem
- Oregano oil
- Grapefruit seed extract
- Clove
What supplement works best for parasites?
What we suggest in our clinic
After running a comprehensive stool test to confirm the presence of parasites, we then determine which herbs will work the best for each person based on their health history and the type of parasite(s) they tested positive for.
Each practitioner prefers certain products over others because they have worked more effectively for them with their patients/clients. In our clinic, we have had the most success using Paracid Pro.
Paracid Pro has been one of the most effective supplements we have used against parasites. Formulated to support the gastrointestinal flora by promoting balanced immunity, the plant compounds in this product also provide potent antioxidant support to help fend off microbial challenges. The ingredients in this product support healthy microbial balance in the GI tract by supplying botanicals shown to create a hostile environment for microbes. Each capsule of this product includes sweet wormwood (150 mg), olive leaf extract (100 mg), black walnut hulls (85 mg), and artemisinin (25 mg).
Paracid Pro benefits include:
- Support for a healthy microbial balance in the GI tract
- Support for healthy immune function
Please note: This product is not to be taken if you have an allergy to walnuts.
Concerned about parasites?
If you are concerned about parasites, make sure you have a reliable practitioner who can guide you through the process.
Here are the highlights of this article’s information:
- Parasites are extremely common and affect millions of people every day. You don’t have to be in a remote area of the world to get parasites.
- A parasite is an organism that lives in or on an organism of another species (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the other’s expense.
- Not all parasites are considered equal, and most people are thought to have some type of parasite. Some parasites cause very few issues, while others can significantly disrupt the gut and lead to serious symptoms.
- Acute parasitic infection symptoms often involve uncontrolled diarrhea, abdominal pain, and vomiting.
- Chronic symptoms of parasitic infections can include gas/bloating, diarrhea/loose stools, constipation, nausea, anal itching, hives, rashes, constant hunger/never feeling full, fatigue due to nutritional deficiencies from the parasite (like iron), and many more.
- Ways to test for parasites include stool testing, endoscopies/colonoscopies, blood tests, blood smears, and checking elevated absolute eosinophils, IgE, and other blood markers (but you can’t diagnose a parasite with just these blood test markers).
- Eat a clean, non-processed, organic diet with low amounts of sugar. Parasites love to feed off of sugar, so avoiding sugar and ingredients that quickly convert to sugar will help starve the parasites.
- Find the best supplements and/or herbs to help target the parasite(s). There are several herbs that have been shown to be beneficial against parasites.
- Common herbs used for parasites include wormwood, olive leaf extract, black walnut, berberine, Artemisia, neem, oregano oil, grapefruit seed extract, and clove.
- In our experience, Paracid Pro has been one of the most effective supplements for patients with parasites. It supports healthy microbial balance in the GI tract and healthy immune function.
Schedule a free consultation
If you are struggling with ongoing digestive symptoms or suspect parasites may be contributing to your concerns, request a free 15-minute consultation so we can help you explore personalized testing and supportive next steps.
I hope this information will help you in your health journey! To watch the correlating video, click here.
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