Parasites: What Are They, And How To Get Rid Of Them

Could A Parasite Be Causing Your 'Mystery Symptoms'?

If you’ve ever wondered why you seem unable to overcome a chronic health condition or dis-ease, despite eating and doing ‘all the right things’, this post is for you.

You may have been told that you have inflammation, IBS, or leaky gut, and to avoid certain foods and add others in. Yet, despite making all the changes and following a strict nutrition protocol, you can’t quite get rid of the symptoms, which leaves you feeling hopeless, frustrated and reverting back to the foods you’ve been told to avoid.

If this sounds familiar, it’s not your fault!

It could be that there’s something else, something stealth, at play. Often chronic health conditions and the dis-ease labels they are given are actually symptoms of something else. For example, IBS is a symptom. Leaky gut is a symptom. Inflammation is a symptom. Unless you know what is at the root causing the symptoms and remove it, it’s unlikely that the symptom will ever resolve itself.  

One extremely common, but widely overlooked cause of many everyday, common symptoms and health complaints is parasites. Although this may at first sound unbelievable, the reality is that all living things are host to other living organisms - plants, animals and of course, humans. It is the strength of the immune system, and the overall terrain of the host, that determines how these organisms survive or thrive.

What are Parasites?

Parasites are generally either protozoa, and microscopic in size such as giardia, or helminths and as long as several metres, such as some tapeworms. Regardless of their size, they can cause their host a lot of trouble.

There are two schools of thought as to why one might have parasites. It’s commonly thought that parasites are at the root of most chronic illnesses and transmitted in a variety of ways including food, travel, or swimming in lakes and rivers. Whilst it’s true they are implicated in most chronic illnesses, emerging research suggests that parasites are the result of heavy metals, and they are there to help clean up the heavy metal toxicity. It’s believed that parasites feed on, and coat themselves in heavy metals to remain undetected by the immune cells that would otherwise take care of them.

Whether or not heavy metals are the underlying reason why parasites are in the body in the first place, or if they are transmitted via food, travel or otherwise, detoxing the body is key to clearing the body of parasites!

What impact do they have on your health?

A parasitic infestation can really do a number on your health, particularly your immune function.  I personally attribute the parasite infection I had as one of the main factors that contributed to the cancer recurrence I had in 2015.

Parasites deplete their host of nutrients. This in turn weakens immune function which is further weakened from the waste they excrete into the bloodstream.

To make matters worse, they cause mayhem in the microbiome where as much as 80% of the immune system resides, and they damage and burrow into the intestinal wall (leaky gut) and other organs. This leads to systemic inflammation, and more weakening of the immune system.

The net effect of this is a malnourished and inflamed host, who is susceptible to illness and dis-ease, and a range of chronic, digestive issues.

It’s quite the storm!

If this is allowed to continue for extended periods, the perfect terrain is formed for autoimmune conditions, illness, dis-ease, and critically, opportunistic cancer cells to take hold and thrive.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms of parasites mimic many other diseases, which makes their diagnosis difficult.

The symptoms associated with a parasite infestation are wide ranging and common everyday complaints. Here’s a brief list of the everyday complaints they are associated with:

Eczema / Itchy skin / hives

Dry skin/dry hair

IBS / gas / bloating

Diarrhea / constipation

Bloody stools

Lethargy / insomnia

Nausea

Mood swings / brain fog

Teeth grinding / bruxism

Unexplained weight loss

Loss of appetite /uncontrollable hunger

Cravings

How do you get parasites?

Parasites and their eggs are very easily transmitted. Some common ways include:

• Travel

• Camping

• Swimming in lakes and rivers

• Under cooked / rare meat, sushi, marinated fish

• Unwashed vegetables, particularly organic produce

• Contact with pets and animals

• Contact with an infected person such as shaking hands, kissing, sexual contact.

Parasites are generally very difficult to detect. Their mission in life is to remain undetected and often hide in biofilm and heavy metals.  It is possible to have parasites for decades without even knowing it.  

Standard stool tests are notoriously inaccurate, only detecting an infection if parts of a worm or their eggs happen to be in the actual sample. More comprehensive testing is available from integrative doctors or functional medicine practitioners.

But here’s the thing. You could spend several hundred dollars on functional medicine tests to find out if you have a parasite(s), or you could simply assume that because you have a pulse, you have parasites, and do a parasite cleanse twice a year (or until you lessen your symptoms), just as our ancestors did - and as you do when you de-worm your pets.

How to Treat an Infestation

Prior to embarking on a parasite cleanse, it’s important to ensure that the organs of elimination such as the colon and the liver are adequately prepared to receive the additional, incoming waste produced when one starts hitting parasites and their eggs. This is important because it means they are more easily and quickly eliminated without causing any discomfort.

Do not skip the pre-cleanse.

Skipping this step may result in a more challenging and uncomfortable parasite cleanse - you can read about my horrific experience here.

Parasites secrete chemicals into your bloodstream including ammonia as they die which can make you feel extremely unwell. This is known as a ‘die-off’ or herxheimer effect, and it happens when toxins are rapidly released into the bloodstream with no exit strategy. This is why the pre-cleanse should not be skipped.

If the organs of elimination are sluggish and struggle to process the existing waste, the additional die-off waste from parasites will only add to the toxic burden and recirculate around the body. This will cause symptoms such as intense head and body aches, fatigue, hives, sweating, fever, and nausea.  

To lessen or avoid such a reaction, the whole body should be cleansed first including the kidneys, colon, liver, and lymph system, and the pores of the skin should have no trouble releasing sweat. Sweating is an important element of detoxification.

Once the pre-cleanse is complete, the next phase is working towards cleansing the body of heavy metals, arguably one of the key reasons why the parasites take up residence in the first instance. The theory is that when you eliminate the metals, the parasites have nothing left to feed on and so they move on.

Regular use of an infrared sauna is an effective way to support the elimination of heavy metals from the body, as is a good quality binder which ideally should be used throughout all phases of cleansing, including the parasite cleanse. Many people report passing  worms just from clearing the body of heavy metals alone.

I like to use zeolite, specifically this nanozeolite from  Pure Body Extra, or PBX Total Detox. The nanotechnology means that it can get into the cells, unlike regular zeolite which stays in the digestive tract. This link will get $50 off your first order of PBX Total Detox.

Due to their laying cycle, parasites can be extremely difficult to eliminate due to the sheer quantity of eggs they lay, which can be upwards of tens of thousands per day. Cleansing needs to happen in cycles to remain on top of any newly hatched eggs, and ideally, different methods should be used with each cycle so that a tolerance isn’t developed to any one particular kind of herb or formula.

Some ways people commonly cleanse their body of parasites is with herbal formulations that include cloves, wormwood and black walnut hulls, specific essential oils (food grade only), oxidative therapies such as ozone therapy, MSM, or food-grade hydrogen peroxide, colonic hydrotherapy, or pharmaceutical medications.

I have personally found that starting a parasite protocol a few days before the full moon is best as this is when they are said to be more active, and cycling various protocols over an extended period helps  reduce the likelihood of parasites building a tolerance for any one particular protocol, and stays on top of the egg cycle.

Our body’s contain the most sophisticated, internal waste-management system, however it relies on a steady supply of nutrients for its efficient operation.  As with any type of cleanse, a nutritionally-dense diet that supports and promotes detoxification is critical to yield good results.

The Foundational Protocol from Cell Core is an excellent, four month approach to complete the entire cleansing process, and includes herbs to support lymph drainage, detox support, and their famous Para Kit.

When you purchase any products from Cell Core, you will receive a complementary consultation with me. Use this code to open your own patient account d9UQ2mVC and I will contact you with further details.

If you need guidance and support with a pre-cleanse or tailoring a parasite protocol specific to you so that you can restore your health and vitality, book a cleanse consult and let’s get started today.