Beware of Parasites

By Dr. Gordon Chang, Ph.D.

 

In North America it is commonly believed that there are no parasites anymore because of the general cleanliness of our environment.  Parasitic diseases are generally believed to exist only in lesser-developed third world countries.  It is increasingly recognized that in developed countries, parasitic infestations do occur but these infestations do not exhibit the same classical symptoms as seen in the third world.  Classical symptoms of parasitic disease are often seen in individuals that are immune suppressed.  For example, tests with antibodies show that a large portion of the population in the United States is infected with the protozoan, toxoplasma gondii.  The vast majority of these individuals do not show any outward symptoms of disease.  Likewise, individuals with a small number of intestinal worms are normally asymptomatic.  As an example, hookworms in small numbers will consume a small amount of blood drawn directly from the intestinal wall; this creates no apparent symptoms as long as their numbers remain small in the infested individual.  However, if the number of hookworms increases substantially the infected individual begins to show anaemia as a primary symptom.  Diseases caused by parasites in developed countries tend to be more chronic and may be show up as vague sub clinical symptoms (that is not show any real serious symptoms).

            Parasites usually gain entry into the body via ingestion or penetration through the skin.  In developed countries, it is more common to find an oral route of entry.  The parasite normally enters the body as an egg or adult normally hidden in food (raw foods e.g. salads, raw fish), water, or from infected pets.  Once a parasite gains entry into the intestinal tract it can attach itself to the intestinal wall, grow and multiply.  The parasite can also migrate through the intestinal wall and lodge itself in some internal organs or live in the intestinal wall itself. 

            Whether or not a parasite elicits a serious disease depends on the number of parasites ingested, the immune response mounted by the host and also how well the parasite is adapted to living within a human being.  For example, in order for parasites to gain entry via the oral route the parasites must first have to survive the acids in the stomach.  If only a few survive passage through the stomach and the host has a good immune system it is very likely that the number of parasites growing in the intestinal tract remains few.  However, as the number of exposures to a source of parasite increases so too will the number of parasites gaining access to the intestinal tract.  As the number of parasites infesting the body increases, the response to the infestation by the body becomes more severe.  Sometimes the complications to parasitic infestations occur years after the initial infestation.  For example, schistosomiasis (a parasite commonly found in many lakes and rivers in Canada) infections in the early stages normally causes bleeding from the rectum or urinary tract.  Individuals with chronic infections may develop high blood pressure and even cancer of the urinary tract years later.

            It is therefore a good strategy to maintain your immune system at its peak and to periodically do a parasite cleanse to maintain good health.  Periodic parasite cleanses keep the number of parasites in the body low and aids the body’s immune system in fighting off the parasites.  There are many different parasite cleanse products available.  Invariably they are all composed of whole herb mixtures ground into powder form.  Liquid extracts are mainly used to treat blood borne parasites while whole herb mixtures are used to treat intestinal parasitic infestations.  Whole herb mixtures are used to treat intestinal parasites because the active ingredients from whole herbs are released constantly as it travels down the intestinal tract to the lower small intestine and large bowel where many of the parasites live.  If liquid or powdered extracts are used most of the actives are absorbed in the upper small intestine and none or very little actually reaches the lower small intestine and large bowel.  

In order to maximize the effectiveness of your parasite cleanse use a product that contains the digestive enzyme, cellulase.  Cellulase will partially digest the cell walls of the plant thereby increasing the quantity of active ingredients released by the herb mixture and thus increase the effectiveness of the parasite cleanse product.  It is also a good idea to increase your fibre intake when doing a parasite cleanse.  The increased fibre intake will help expel parasites that are dead or detached from the intestinal wall.

            Therefore in conclusion, parasites are known to cause chronic disease but their numbers in the body can be controlled by optimizing the immune system and by periodically doing a parasite cleanse.