Consuming a Standard American Diet (SAD) may cause you to develop parasites inside your body. The consumption of meat is a large cause for parasite infections because of the amount of parasites that live in meat. The good news is that there are many ways to naturally and effectively eliminate these parasites, which commonly infect about 85% of Americans. That’s quite a high percentage. To break free from this lifestyle pattern, carefully choose restaurants, always wash your hands after animal exposure or hospital/school visits, abstain from eating meat, and perform a parasite cleanse twice a year to rid yourself of these common parasites.
What are parasites? Parasites are organisms that feed off other organisms, for example, they can live inside the body or on the skin and feed off the host. They enter the body via food or water ingestion and can be transmitted from the environment to the skin. Many of these parasites are harmful to humans, often resulting in some form of sickness. The waste from parasites can also poison the body and cause dizziness, unclear thoughts, or poor digestion. This is known as verminous intoxication or poisoning. Because people are so used to living with parasites, sickness or common symptoms have become the norm. Living with parasites in the blood stream or body should not be the norm because they rob the body of nutrients. In fact, though there are tests for common parasites, few doctors can recognize common symptoms or problems as parasitic infections. most American doctors only suspect parasites when they are visible, but this is after they have severely progressed into diseases or illnesses.
The symptoms of parasite infections can include:
- constipation
- diarrhea
- gas and bloating
- irritable bowel syndrome
- joint and muscle aches
- anemia
- cravings for junk food
- distaste for vegetables
- allergies
- skin conditions (irritation, itching near eyes/nose/ears/anus, rashes, hives, or eczema)
- tumors
- sleep disorders
- anxiety
- teeth grinding
- chronic fatigue
- headaches
- runny nose
- acne
- fever
- yeast/candida infections (especially if they reoccur)
- Immune System Dysfunctions
Common Parasites
Roundworms
Roundworms are common in pets, but can also live in the stomachs and intestines of humans. These worms often live in the soil and can enter the body if you touch them and then touch your mouth without washing your hands. The most common disease associate with roundworms is Ascariasis. Remember to wash your hands after pets or their feces, or if you touch dirt. If you are on a raw-food diet, it is possible to get roundworms, but remember to wash your produce to minimize this risk.
Heart Worms
Heart worms are extremely rare in humans. If it occurs, it has been documented that a single worm will live in the lungs, as opposed to the heart. They cannot be passed from animal to animal (or human to human), rather, they must be spread through mosquitos.
Tapeworms
Often living in the lower intestinal tract, tapeworms usually enter the body via undercooked beef, pork, or fish. Those with tapeworm infections may not experience symptoms. The best way to avoid getting tapeworms is to wash your hands after meat preparation or consumption.
Pinworms
A pinworm infection is one of the most common human intestinal worm infections. They are highly contagious and can live inside the lungs and intestinal tract. Poor hygiene is the primary cause for pinworm infections, but one can contract the infection by coming in contact with another infected person. At night, pinworms come out and lay eggs around the anus and upon hatching, the worms crawl back inside the anus. If scratching occurs during sleep, pinworms are small enough to get lodged under the fingernails and can spread to whatever the person touches. That means that that if someone touches a contaminated person and then touches his/her mouth, the pinworms will enter the body. Pinworms are even light enough to become airborne, which means people can inhale them.
Hookworms or Threadworms
Hookworms, commonly found in drinking water, can affect humans and enter via the feet because they are tiny. They lodge themselves in the intestinal walls and feed off human blood. Because they consume blood to live, a persistent infection can lead to anemia.
Good News! There Are Treatment Options
Conventional doctors, who practice Western medicine will commonly prescribe anti-parasitic medications if he/she believes you have parasites. Medications are usually toxic, as their toxicity kills parasites, but this can cause lymph node swelling, especially in the hands and feet. Luckily there are natural alternatives that can help eliminate parasites. Commercial parasite formulas often are overpriced and have low concentrations. Unfortunately, we cannot examine and evaluate each formula. This list includes:
- Diatomaceous Earth
- Black Walnut Hulls
- Wormwood (from the artemisia shrub)
- Common Cloves (from the clove tree)
- Pumpkin Seeds or Pumpkin Seed Oil Capsules
- Raw Garlic
- Neem*
- Thyme Leaf and Seed
- Marshmallow Root
*Don’t take Neem if you are pregnant or want to get pregnant because it can act as a contraceptive.
While it is an all natural pesticide, diatomaceous earth is one of the best anti-parasitic remedies. When you buy diatomaceous earth, it is important to buy food grade as the industrial grade is chemically treated and used in swimming pool filters. It kills insects, parasites, or worms by dehydrating them. If you mix one tablespoon of diatomaceous earth with water and drink it for seven days straight, it should effectively kill the living parasites in you body. The amount of the diatomaceous earth needs to be altered if using it for children. For example, a 4-foot tall child should take 2 teaspoons, while a 2-foot tall child should only take 1 teaspoon. While using diatomaceous earth is it important to stay hydrated, as the earth naturally dehydrates the body.
One of the reasons diatomaceous earth is so effective is because it is 85% silica. Silica is a life-giving mineral that is the third most common component in the body after oxygen and carbon. Although diatomaceous earth contains aluminum and lead as part of its mineral content, the selenium in its makeup helps cleanse the body of heavy metals. This means that the lead and aluminum are of little concern. Once you are done cleansing the body, continual intake of selenium supplements can make sure all heavy metals are flushed out.
If you aren’t going to use diatomaceous earth, using a combination of woodworm, black walnut hulls, and cloves is another way to efficiently cleanse the body of parasites. Add thyme and burdock to this regimen and you should be able to effectively flush out the parasites. If finding these items proves difficult, you can use the ParaWrm Formula, which is a natural parasite cleanser that contains all of them.
You may consider participating in a liver cleanse or detox. If the liver isn’t functioning optimally, the bile flow will be reduced. When the liver is cleansed, be it with a cleanse, dandelion root tea, beets, or other alternatives, bile flow will be improved and thusly attack living parasites. And parasites hate bile!
It’s a good idea to refrain from eating meat, pork, poultry, fish, seafood, and shellfish because they can contain parasitic eggs and cysts. Additionally, get rid of food allergens, as parasites thrive on them. Continued consumption of soy, wheat, eggs, and dairy can lead to parasites having a long-term home that is your body. It’s also a good idea to consume raw garlic and onions as they provide the body with sulfur, which contains amino acids that are anti-parasitic. If you don’t want to eat them raw, you can juice them with leafy greens and lemons.
An amazing and potent anti-parasitic is oil of oregano. Mixing 2-3 drops with a little lemon in an 8oz glass of water (suggested to consume 3-4 times a day) has been known to help kill parasites. You can also take probiotic supplements or eat probiotic foods like tempeh, miso, kombucha, or kimchi. Probiotics can effectively combat intestinal parasites, especially the hookworm parasite.
You may get sick or experience cramps or stomach pains as part of the cleansing your body of parasites, but this is okay; it means the cleanse worked. You may feel fatigued at times, but your normal life should continue and you should feel sick less often. Continue with a healthy diet such as raw-food, vegan, or vegetarian and your immune system will get stronger and keep you healthier.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
