DO YOU REALLY NEED A PARASITE CLEANSE?

As fads come and go on the internet, the latest thing is parasite cleanse that does tend to prey on the ‘ick’ factor within all of us, I mean who is not creeped out by the thought of little creatures that feed on us. In Chinese medicine it is called ‘GU’ syndrome that literally means ‘possession’ indicating that the ancients many thousands of years ago well understood the effects that being overwhelmed with unfriendly organisms.

Truth is we, as I have said before, are multitudes and most are called commensal organisms that we have a mutually beneficial relationship with such as the probiotics in our yoghurt for instance. Problems occur however when due to poor immunity, or infestation from non-commensal organisms build up and begin to damage our digestion, skin, liver etc. It’s important to get professional help in making sure you know what you are looking for before doing any radical cleanse that you may see on the internet. Anti-parasitic herbs are often quite strong, bitter and cold in nature so if you are already run down with a low immunity you can end up feeling worse.

There are 3 main types of parasites; Helminths that are worms such as round worms, tapeworms and flukes that are found in contaminated soil, faeces and passed on from poor hygiene. Protozoa such a Giardia (often found in poor quality untreated water) or Plasmodium from mosquitoes and fungal parasites such as Candida.

All of these need specific approaches to really clear the imbalance from the system.

Main signs and symptoms of a parasite infection include,

* Stomach pain

* Cramping or bloating

* Skin rashes

* Fatigue

* Foggy brain

* Weight loss and loss of appetite (especially watch for children getting stomach pain or vomiting after small amounts of food)

*Abdominal tenderness and discomfort when passing a stool

* Itchy anus

*Unexplained fevers that re-occur

Travelling overseas in countries that have contaminated water is a factor to consider so please consult a health professional if you have any persistent symptoms.

Treatment does vary depending on the type of infection and has 3 phases, first 3 or 4 weeks to eliminate the invaders, rebalance of gut and digestive and liver cleanse and reboot with probiotics.

The following herbs and foods have all shown anti parasitic actions are best used in the daily diet as post treatment and to prevent infections. They include Garlic, ginger, turmeric, wormwood, pumpkin seeds are amazing…, black walnut (very bitter) barberries, oregano, and thyme to name a few. A low or no processed sugar diet is vital post treatment as worms love sugar, and eating a processed food free whole food diet is the best change at your own immune system fighting reinfections. Washing hands before eating and after petting animals is really important too.

Don’t over worry though, the more you think of these things the more you can be paranoid which is why unless you have a number of symptoms and need to consult a professional, eat well and include the above foods as often as you can.

Until next time, stay well

Dr Angela Palmer Chinese Medicine