Parasites and Colon Cleansing

Do You Have Parasites Living in Your Intestinal Tract? The Truth May Surprise You

Colon cleansing is gaining in popularity and rightly so. I read one report where it is estimated 50 million Americans suffer from intestinal-related health issues -- and that is just in America! Quite frankly, I actually disagree with that figure. I honestly think it's more like 225 million. Really.

How could that be? Americans have an abundance of food -- and that's part of the problem. It's the wrong food.

Most don't eat vegetables or fruit or grains as part of their daily fare. Most eat almost exclusively processed food, too much meat, and junk food.

More nutritionally devalued food is consumed in America any day of the year to equal the gross domestic product of any third-world country.

So, what do I mean that 225 million or so Americans have unhealthy colons and intestinal tracts? I mean it quite literally. While 225 million Americans don't have colon-related diseases like Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, or colitis, most have constipation, constant flatulence, weight problems, and parasites.

A colon cleanse should be something everyone does at the very least once a year, even if your diet is 80% or more raw. Why? Because of parasites. According to Discover Magazine, "Every living thing has at least one parasite that lives inside or on it, and many, including humans, have far more."

There's more.

A nationwide survey reported by the Chicago Tribune utilized 414,820 samples of human feces as examined at 570 public and private laboratories in all 50 states. The findings? Grab your socks and pull: 1 In 6 people was harboring parasites!

The parasites ranged from microscopic organisms to fifteen-foot tapeworms.

According to the late chiropractor Dr. Bernard Jensen, a longtime natural health advocate, best-selling author of "Foods That Heal," parasites are the number-one health enemy in the world.

If you are not convinced that intestinal parasites are real, check out the recent image of Oprah and Dr. Oz holding "wormzilla," a human intestinal tapeworm. Dr. Oz said on the show that an astonishing 90% of all people will have a parasite of some kind.

Still not convinced? No less an heath authority than The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies parasites as among the six most dangerous diseases infecting humans. Believe it or not, parasites outrank cancer as the number one global killer. Not surprisingly, they also account for many of the digestive woes people suffer from today.

In a very literal way, I believe the 225 million figure I gave before may be somewhat conservative for 90% of 300 million, using Dr. Oz's figures means 270 million! (America's population is 300 million.)

This may surprise you but check out this YouTube video of parasites infecting some poor soul's intestinal tract. The parasite shown is the whipworm (Trichuris trichiura).

Personal Anecdote

When I was 19, one of my friends was a young woman whose family was good friends of our family. We were in their house many times and I saw they didn't eat very healthy. Cinnamon buns and bear claws were common for breakfast and the family ate a lot of meat as well. Basically, they followed the western diet: lots of processed foods, junk food and meat. They didn't consume any alcohol, though, nor coffee.

They were absolutely wonderful people, though. Very kind and giving. One day, my friend Leslie asked to talk to me in private. She said as I was a health afficionado she was hoping I could help her. She told me the day before when she had a bowel movement, she looked in the bowl and saw a massive expulsion of worms in her fecal matter.

She was very humbled and shocked by this experience, which was certainly understandable. Moreover, one health problem Leslie had was acne. Very bad acne is a tell-tale sign of an unhealthy colon. I told her it was not hard to believe her story as her family's diet was so lacking in good nutrition and fiber.

I recommended a colon cleanse and to change her diet. I moved out of the area shortly thereafter so, to be honest, I don't know the follow up to the story. Our families fell out of touch and I've not seen her now for many years. Her story such as it is, however, is very revealing.

Do You Have Parasites?

So, do you have parasites living in your colon? You just might have them. What type of parasites can be found in the human body? Here are the most common ones:

• Tapeworms (Dipylidium caninum)
• Hookworms (Necator americanus)
• Whipworms (Trichuris trichiura and Trichuris vulpis)
• Roundworms (Ascaris sp.)
• Trichinosis (Trichinella spiralis)
• Giardia (Giardia lamblia)
• Entamoeba histolytica
• Strongyloidosis (Strongyloides stercoralis)
• Toxocariasis (Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati)
• Coccidia (Cryptosporidium)

Unfortunately, that is not a comprehensive list. How many parasites can be in the human body? Worm species reported from human hosts by the Taxonomic Group include:

• Acanthocephala 7 species
• Digenea 113 species
• Eucestoda 57 species 
• Nematoda 138 species
• Nematomorpha 24 species
• Turbellaria 3 species
• Platyhelminthes 173 species
• TOTAL 342 species

How Can You Get Parasites?

Picking up a hitchhiker helminth is not that difficult. Picking up your dog's excrement without washing your hands might be enough. If you dog licks your face, you could inadvertently be exposed. Eating lots of meat, especially meat sparsely cooked or not cooked at all could do it.

Some say eating sushi is asking for a problem. The counterpoint to that is that all sushi is frozen in the U.S. and sushi chefs are trained to spot parasites and parasite eggs in meat.

I personally think eating sushi is ill advised. You're eating raw meat and raw meat is a breeding ground for bacterial and parasite infestation. I know many love sushi so I'll leave it to you to do what you think is best. Personally, I've never liked sushi.

Drinking unfiltered water is also a possibility.

Eating a western diet with lots of sugar, fat, and meat is a recipe for disaster and invites what most parasites love: garbage. Think of your local trash bin. Ever notice lots of insects around? Add lots of heat and humidity and it's even worse. Your intestinal tract and colon are the waste sewage processing plant of the body. Insects are attracted to excrement and waste.

Ever eat at a fast food restaurant and notice that there are flies inside the restaurant? Where do flies come from? Larval flies are more commonly known as maggots. A female fly will lay her eggs as close to a food source as possible as well as in foods sources like...dead flesh...or as we like to say in the western world "meat." 

I'm not saying you'll get a parasite eating at your local Wendy's. I'm just saying there's a greater chance of it than the food you eat at home.

Symptoms of Parasite Infestation

The following is a list of symptoms of parasite infestation you should be aware of:

• Your fecal matter floats after a bowel movement. This could be a sign of a parasitic infection in your intestinal tract as the reason your fecal matter floats is because the fat has not been digested.
• Itchy rectum. If your anus itches, especially badly at night, this is a very clear signal you might have worms.
• Worms or eggs in stools
• Chronic candida
• Yeast infections
• Chronic sinus or ear infections
• Itchy ears or nose
• Digestive problems
• Flatulence and bloating
• Constant diarrhea
• Inability to gain or lose weight
• Hemorrhoids
• IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
• Grinding teeth while sleeping
• Crawling feeling under the skin
• Skin problems
• Cysts

This list is not comprehensive but is fairly representative of parasite infestation. Needless to say, this list can be caused by other factors as well but if you see commonality and certainly if you see worms in your stools, you know you have a parasite infestation.

Herbs That Kill Parasites

Many herbs and plants have been proven to be very effective in killing parasites. Here is a list of the best herbs that can help you do that:

• Black walnut
• Burdock root
• Garlic
• Hazelnut
• Wormwood -- especially effective as it's so bitter
• Chaparral
• Juices: apricot, garlic, onion, pomegranate
• Red Oak
• Hyssop
• Pumpkin seeds -- especially when fresh

Parasites and Colon Cleansing Summary

If there was one reason to go on a colon cleanse periodically it's possible parasite infestation. Parasites are animals that survive off the efforts of other animals. Humans are "animals" that parasites find a wonderful host. It's a sad truth but parasites are common and even modern-day man with all his accomplishments still must be more aware of the environment around him.

While watching an A&E special the other day, something an interviewee said stopped me in my tracks. He said, "The health of a society's plumbing is the health of the society." He's right. The "plumbing" of human beings is their intestinal tract and colon. If you have a healthy or unhealthy plumbing structure, it affects every other system.

So it is with we human beings. Now you know why colon cleansing is a necessity in today's world.

Thanks for visiting.

Yours in health,
BestColonCleanseSecrets.com

Merck Research Laboratories, NJ, 1999. Journal of Parasitology 85:379-403 Dr. D.W.T. Crompton (Crompton, D.W.T. [1999] How Much Human Helminthiasis Is In The World?)

Kucik, C.J., Martin, G.L., Sortor, B.V. (2004, March 1). Common intestinal parasites. American Family Physician 69(5), 1161-8.