Parasite cleanses are all the rage these days.
Folks are trawling through Amazon for supplements and giving themselves a deep clean at home with helpful tips courtesy of Dr Tiktok. In other words- anything goes!
But unless you want to drain your wallet and potentially even endanger your health, it’s best not to do a parasite cleanse without properly knowing what you’re doing.
I’m going to share with you how to go about doing a parasite cleanse in an effective and safe way so that you can expel those unwanted squatters lurking in your body. I’m going to talk about a few nutrients that personally I think a lot of parasite cleanses forget, and well I think they are really essential to prevent a toxic overload from happening as you go about the cleanse.
Now, if you have tried a parasite cleanse before, let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear your experiences.
Types of Parasites
Okay, so we need to start by understanding that there are many different kinds of parasites. They lurk in your intestine, they can also be in your liver or lungs, even your brain. I mean it’s crazy.
And sorry in advance if they freak you out coz yeah, they’re not pretty.
So, let’s start with the roundworms. The problem with roundworms is that they’re quite common in animals, especially dogs, and contact with dog poop (usually through contact with soil) can result in human ingestion or infection. For other roundworms, eggs may hide in the food you eat and larvae can even enter the body directly through your skin. Ewww! That creeps me out just thinking about it.
Hookworm. An estimated 576-740 million people in the world are infected with hookworm! Very ‘pacific I know!
Now hookworms have these tiny nasty fangs that basically hook onto your intestinal walls and start to rob you of your nutrients and your energy.
Hookworm eggs are passed in the feces of an infected person. The most common way hookworm infection is acquired is if the poop of an infected person somehow ends up in soil and someone walks barefoot on the soil. So just be careful of where you do your grounding.
And then we have flukes – the common way humans get flukes is by eating raw or undercooked fish, crabs, or crayfish from areas where the parasite is found.
Tapeworms- these are the largest parasites- some reach a length of more than 25m!! And, if you think that’s bad enough, they can survive up to 30 years as well! I know, this blew my mind I do not recommend googling “the largest tapeworm ever found in a human”, you’ll never be the same again!
These ones are notorious for basically using their suction cups which they have on their heads to suck onto your intestinal walls. Which is why the normal movements of your bowels often don’t cause them to dislodge- they can stay in your intestines for a hell of a long time.
And then we have protozoa. These are found all over the world and come from contaminated drinking water and water in general, so drinking water straight out of the creek would probably get you one of these bad boys. These usually tend to give you acute diarrhea. Like you’ll have a week of a pretty terrible time.
Last but not least, candida. So candida-causing yeast infections- they’ll give you cravings for sugar, alcohol, and all the wrong foods, gas, bloating, and thrush (and this is where you usually see a white coating on your tongue).
Transmission
Now most of these parasites get around via hand-to-hand contact, drinking contaminated water, and poor hygiene, such as bathroom habits, having grubby nails…
Contaminated food is also a major means they are able to hitch a ride inside your body. If meat isn’t processed or cooked correctly, you can ingest a form of the worm called a cyst that can transmit the worm to you.
Pretty scary stuff.
Signs and symptoms
Now the thing with parasites is that you don’t always know that they’re there. They’re no Anchorman.
But sometimes you may feel symptoms like:
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Nausea or vomiting
- Bloating
- Itchiness around your anus
- Fatigue
- Unexplained weight loss
- Poor tolerance of carbohydrates
- Headaches
Long-term health effects
Now if you don’t have symptoms, this doesn’t mean that the parasites aren’t doing you any harm. The whole, “what you can’t see, doesn’t hurt you”- does NOT apply here.
They can cause malnutrition, diarrhea, blood loss, immunity issues and can even impact a child’s growth.
They can cause seizures, blindness, infertility, kidney issues, heart failure, and even trigger an early purchase of a plot in the graveyard.
So no way hosay should parasites be ignored.
Diagnosis
Trying to diagnose a parasite infection is like playing Russian roulette with your health.
You really want to have definitive proof one way or another if you do, in fact, have parasites. Test don’t guess. While the Faecal Multiplex PCR test is the standard test, the GI Map test gives the most precise analysis.
Okay okay. So before I overload you with too much information and give you a headache bigger than Ben Hur, let’s get down to what we’re all here for – curing parasites the natural way.
Diet
First and foremost, you need to support the process through what you put in your mouth.
To prevent a bunch of parasitic freeloaders living off your dinner plate, it’s important to stop fuelling them by steering clear of simple carbs and starches. And yep, I’m going to be the party pooper- you’re going to have to steer clear of the alcohol too, which is often high in sugar.
Instead, load up your plate with nutrient-rich veggies especially orange-colored ones to get your daily dose of beta-carotene – it’ll turn into powerful Vitamin A which helps your body resist worms.
Keeping track of any foods that trigger digestive issues is also crucial – many people react adversely to gluten, dairy and eggs; so always be sure you know what your system’s limits are. I get it, it can be a pain, but ingesting food that triggers an immune reaction is only going to put further burden on it when it’s already overwhelmed fighting the parasite.
Drink lots and lots of H2O and increase your intake of high-fiber foods. You need to keep things movin’ when you do a parasite cleanse. Think veggies, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and something like psyllium husk can also really help.
And eat plenty of garlic, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate juice, and papaya seeds. Pumpkin seeds, especially, contain a compound that helps to attack tapeworms and roundworms.
Herbal remedies
Now that you’re ready to give your body the ammo it needs for a parasite cleanse, let’s check out some of our most powerful herbal weapons in the fight against these pesky critters!
Firstly, we need to look at berberine containing herbs including golden seal, Oregon grape, and barberry.
These herbs have been used for centuries for treating infections against a large variety of organisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Oregano oil is also a great remedy against parasites as it stops them from multiplying in your body and combats any toxins the parasites release when they die off.
Then you’ve got mighty garlic. Garlic’s been slaying parasites pretty much since dinosaur times, so you know it means business! In fact, studies have shown garlic to be as equally effective against some parasites as conventional prescription medication.
Thyme and wormwood, which is aptly named, are great ones to add to the mix. These herbs have also been used since Tutankhamun.
And then some other herbs that fight parasites include clove, pau d’arco, myrrh, and black walnut.
When used together, these special herbs can unleash a powerful anti-microbial force that’ll leave those parasites trembling in their skins.
I will add though, always consult your healthcare provider before taking any of these herbs. Plus, a parasite cleanse might not be the best idea during pregnancy or nursing or even for children.
Other supplements
Furthering from removing the parasites, I also suggest consuming some pre and probiotics (whether it is through food or supplements) as they may help your body work more efficiently at killing the parasites.
Last but not least, I wouldn’t do a parasite cleanse without antioxidants such as vitamin C, zinc, and N-acetyl-cysteine. As the parasites die, they release toxins like ammonia that cause these things called free radicals that need to be neutralised, so if you don’t include antioxidants, you’re going to have a big toxic problemo on your hands.
Well that was a lot. I admit, it was a bit of a War and Peace type length but I hope this has been comprehensive and you have learnt how to do a parasite cleanse that’s not only going to work, but it’s going to be safe.
You can book a consultation with our resident Wellness Coach and get started with your cleansing process: