6 Tips To Eliminate Parasites

How to eliminate parasites? This is a very frequent question I have been asked recently so I thought I would give you 6 tips to eliminate parasites.

I’d like to mention here that I have been studying the “art” of Functional Medicine (FM) for a while now which I have found really spot on (I guess therefore it is called FUNCTIONAL 🙂 ). I have taken few FM courses as I’m well aware how continuous education is essential in order to provide you with reliable and the latest information in a “digestible” manner. The medical protocols of FM practicioners are pretty wise and evidence-based, getting into roots of the health problem.

Having a parasite can be a scary thought. However, parasites are far more common than you think. It’s a myth that parasites only exist in underdeveloped countries.  As you will see, parasites can cause a range of symptoms, only a few of which are actually digestive in nature. However, the one, very common symptom is linked with your gastrointestinal system (GI).

As Sherlock Holmes would say: “Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.” In other words, once the more common causes of GI problems, such as bacterial or yeast overgrowth have been eliminated, the only possible cause of the symptoms must be parasitic.

Common Symptoms of Parasites
Diarrhea or constipation
Abdominal pain
Belching, flatulence, distention
Anorexia, nausea, chills, fever, headache, rash
Blood or mucous in stools
Intractable fatigue
Weight loss
Itching anus
And much more!

Clinical assessments:
Well, everybody has parasites, the question really is whether they are causing you any health issues.

You can detect the parasites in your stool. The problem with the traditional stool test is that although you have parasites, the test might not detect it, the standard stool testing is not the most sensitive test, though. However, there is a newer stool testing (I’ve learned it during my functional medicine certification course) which uses DNA detection technologies and is proving to be a far more reliable detection method than the older microscopy techniques, especially for finding these difficult to detect pathogens. This test is used by functional medicine practitioners across the US and is also available in Australia as well as in other countries.
Consider this particular testing especially if you or your child have autism, dyslexia or other learning disorder or autoimmune disease as these might be also related to GI health and parasites.

6 tips to reduce/eliminate parasites (except conventional medicaments):

1. Elimination diet: avoid all processed carbs, sugar, gluten and dairy as these foods feed some of the parasites and yeast! Yes, raw food is pretty safe. However, avoid high amounts of natural sweeteners.
2. Herbs are very strong and certain mixtures which include wormwood (Artemisinin), extracts from tribulus, sweet wormwood, grapefruit, barberry, bearberry, and black walnut, with a long history of use as natural antimicrobials) can be very effective. Thyme is another very effective herb to help with fungus and parasites (1). Your Naturopath may be ablle to prepare you a herb mixture or search for such a supplement. Before starting an anti-parasite herbal supplements, I recommend you consult your physician and have your liver enzymes checked if you have a history of liver disease, heavy alcohol use or previous history of elevated liver enzymes. If you are pregnant, please consult with your practitioner first as some herbs are not suitable during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Also, a different protocol may apply for the children.
3. In the meantime, eating raw garlic (smashing the cloves first to activate their beneficial properties) and raw pumpkin seeds (2) may help you to eliminate parasites too. Papaya seeds have also been proven to be working according to Maryland Medical Center and Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical medicine (safe for kids too). Simply add the seeds in your smoothies, porridge or soups. The problem with herbs and plant medicine in common with relation to parasites is that they may not be effective enough to eliminate them! Parasites have their life cycles and especially the eggs are very difficult to get rid of!
4. Maintaining healthy gut by eating naturally fermented foods (like fermented vegetables) and/or taking a high-quality probiotic may also help prevent and eradicate parasitic infections.
5. Oregano oil seems to be working quite well too (1). You can put a few drops (1-3) to your smoothie or juice 3 times per day.
6. Another effective way of parasites elimination is long-term water fasting (at least 21 days). I appreciate this one requires a bit of practice and is not suitable for everyone (pregnant, breastfeeding women and children!). However, by fasting you starve the parasites to death!
7. Electronic treatment such as Zapper. This device utilises a small harmless nine-volt battery and emits a specific frequency which over a course of treatments, helps rid your body of parasites such as worms, fungi, bacteria and viruses, without the use of harmful chemicals, or drugs with dangerous side-effects. Some of you, including functional medicine practitioners, are very sceptical in such treatment, however, I want to mention it here as I have seen great results using it (including myself).

Treating parasites is a challenging exercise which requires dedication, willingness and following the medical protocol designed for your individual case. It is more likely that once you are diagnosed with one type of parasite that you have other types too. bear in mind that the standard tests are not very sensitive and most likely don’t detect anaerobic parasites.

Please, share this article with your friends and let me know your experience and insights.

References:
1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26566647
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22684690