OK. I know testing for parasites is not on your top 10 list of things to do. But…did you know the CDC conservatively estimates that at least 30% of Americans have parasites, and professional parasitologists put that number closer to 90%? And that parasites pave the way for chronic disease? That if you have digestive problems such as bloating or constipation or food intolerances, you probably have parasites, and if you don’t deal with the parasites, it will be next to impossible to reverse the digestive difficulties?
Now that know what I know, I want to test for critters. And I bet you do too. Want to know where to go for testing? Right here:
http://drglennwilcox.com/index.php/How/Specimen-Analysis.html
His lab sends the samples to Nairobi where they’re experienced and very, very good at finding parasites. *Much* better than we are in the United States.
And…can I have a drumroll, please? We just got our test results back. Guess what? Yep. Four. I have four parasites. Yuuuuuck!!!!! And…that may not be all. He only had a stool sample. I am not *even* ready to *deal* with parasites elsewhere.
OK, aside from the yuck factor, why should you test for parasites? Don’t we all have them? Does it really matter?
The answer probably depends on what parasites are infecting you and what kind of trouble they cause. In my case, my parasites and their associated health problems are:
Balantidinum coli-According to Wikipedia, “Infection occurs when the cysts are ingested, usually through contaminated food or water. Balantidium infection in immunocompetent individuals is not unheard of, but it rarely causes a serious disease of the gastrointestinal tract. It can thrive in the gastrointestinal tract as long as there is a balance between the protozoan and the host without causing dysenteric symptoms. Infection most likely occurs in people with malnutrition due to the low stomach acidity or people with immune compromised systems. In acute disease, explosive diarrhea may occur as often as every twenty minutes. Perforation of the colon may also occur in acute infections which can lead to life-threatening situations.”
Enteromonas hominis-According to PracticalScience.com, Enteromonas hominis is considered a non-pathogen at this time. It is however an indicator like most non-pathogens of contact with fecal material.
Trichostrongylus colubriformis-found in the small intestine, sometimes abomasum also, in cattle, sheep, goat, antelope, camel. Also recorded in pig, human, dog and rabbit. Trichostrongylus colubriformis homogenate was also shown to sensitize murine L929 cells to the cytotoxic effect of TNF-alpha. An interesting study discussing this (get out your medical dictionary) can be found here. This is ***so*** interesting! I’ll tell you why in a moment…
Dipylidium caninum- Infects organisms infested with fleas (or their close friends). According to Wikipedia, “In children, infection causes diarrhea and restlessness…The best way to prevent human infection is to treat infected animals and to kill fleas.” The adult worm is 18″ long. Hahahha. Did we make this clear? It’s carried in fleas, dogs and cats and often infects children. But children grow up. I did. And I still have this worm…O.M.G. No wonder I am ADD-ish.
OK, so here’s what’s really interesting to me. Clearly these parasites aren’t doing me any good. But I have a history of infertility and early menopause caused by over-proliferation of TNF-alpha!!! If I am reading this right, this can be caused by infection with Trichostrongylus colubriformis!! I can’t wait to talk to my doctor about this one…