Do You Need a Parasite Cleanse?
Handwashing is a great preventative for many common parasites
There’s something about parasites specifically that makes most people get the creeps. Sure, bacteria are alive and living inside of you, but biome sounds pleasant enough people are happy to take probiotics to make sure their little bacteria have enough to eat. Parasites somehow feel significantly more intrusive.
Plus, we’ve all heard the stories of people living for years with vague symptoms of stomach pain, only to find out much later that they’d been infected with a worm. Why not do a quick clean-out to find out?
William Petri, MD, an infectious disease specialist, says that “there’s no evidence that these parasite cleanses are either effective or needed.”
Common Parasites in the United States
That’s not to say that the United States is without parasites. “The most common intestinal parasites are giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis,” Petri says.
Giardia
The most common intestinal parasitic infection is caused by a protozoan. And mild cases can be asymptomatic. For people who are seriously affected, Giardia can cause weight loss, malnutrition, growth failure, and vitamin deficiencies.
If left untreated, Giardia goes away on its own. But if severe, your provider can prescribe medication that can resolve symptoms in just a week for most people. So, no need to buy a general parasite cleanse online.
Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidium is another protozoan parasite. And just like Giardia, it usually comes from the fecal-oral route (don’t think about it too much). Swallowing water from a swimming pool or water park are 1 of the main ways people get this.
If you’re afflicted with this parasite, you’ll have watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, and nausea. Unfortunately, the only treatment for this is staying hydrated, and it may last for a couple weeks. If you have underlying conditions, you may need greater medical support.
Pinworms
In school-age children, pinworms are an unfortunately common parasite. They are the most common type of worm infection in the United States. You can actually do a tape test at home to see if your children have this and treat it with an inexpensive over-the-counter remedy.
Compared to a 100+ dollar parasite cleanse that may or may not work, targeted anti-parasitic medications are more effective and less likely to cause widespread problems.
Make Sure You Have Parasites
If you have bothersome symptoms, talk to your doctor. They may want to take a stool sample for testing. Or they may want to talk to you more to find out what possible avenues of exposure you’ve had or if you’ve ruled out more likely causes for your symptoms.
Most of the problems you’ll get from parasites aren’t easily mistaken for anything else.
Meanwhile, the symptoms social media attributes to parasites are a little more vague.
Teeth grinding, anxiety, acne, liking sweet food, liking salty food, and feeling tired are all attributed to “parasites.” Which ones? Parasite Cleanse Believers aren’t sure, but they’re sure these symptoms are parasites.
Compare this to the visible red stripes that appear on the skin with hookworm, the extreme stomach illness of Giardia, or the visible white eggs of pinworms. Specific symptoms, attributable to a single parasite, and treated with a few doses of a targeted medication.
Parasites, Common, but Specific
It’s not uncommon to deal with parasites. External parasites, like mosquitos and ticks, cause a wide range of issues, including serious ailments like Alpha-Gal.
Intestinal parasites are much less common, but cause exactly the kinds of symptoms you’d expect from something living in your intestines: abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, and bloating. If you have these symptoms regularly, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor. Whether it’s a parasite or a food sensitivity, you deserve to feel better. Unfortunately, if you already have a sensitive stomach, you may want to evaluate the ingredients in a parasite cleanse critically.
Pinworms, Roundworms, & Tapeworms
How can you know if your child may have a pinworm, roundworm, or tapeworm infection? These are some of the common symptoms, sources of infection, and at home checks you can do.
What’s In a Parasite Cleanse?
Depending on your parasite cleanse brand of choice, it may have several ingredients. Here are some of the most common.
The Good
It’s not all bad. A lot of the ingredients in parasite cleanses are great for you. Here are some of the ones you should definitely try on their own, preferably as whole foods.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are not only safe to eat, but they also have a ton of health benefits. They’re rich in fiber, iron, and magnesium.
Oregano Leaf
Who doesn’t love fresh oregano? Instead of inside of a supplement, try it fresh on roast veggies, herbed breads, or toss some in your next marinara. It does also provide anti-inflammatory benefits.
Chamomile Flowers
Chamomile is pretty much entirely safe (and combined with boiling water makes a nice tea, generally well-regarded for its soothing capability). Because of its interactions with estrogen, it’s not recommended for people who have had breast, ovarian or uterus cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids.
Garlic
Everyone should have an ear of garlic at the ready. It’s delicious, and a needed ingredient for flavorful cooking. There are many studies into its potential health benefits, but there are some studies that indicate it’s good for your heart and promotes gut health. The worst risk is bad breath, and some folks can get gas.
Ginger
Who doesn’t love ginger? It’s tasty, can help with nausea, and has some mild health benefits.
Cloves
This common spice is yummy, but in its concentrated oil form it has a few health benefits and risks. It can kill bacteria like E.coli, and helps to promote digestion and reduce bloating. But it can cause blood thinning, and it can also be irritating to skin.
Turmeric
Another hit from the spice cabinet. But also another one that can cause blood to clot more slowly. If you have a bleeding disorder, it’s recommended that you limit these ingredients.
Marshmallow Root
This root is not found in modern marshmallows, and has a ‘woody’ taste that’s definitely medicinal. But it’s great as a tea for colds, the plant helps encourage moist mucus membranes, and is used to treat constipation.
Ingredients that May Cause Problems
These ingredients on the other hand are more likely to cause issues, especially in vulnerable populations, like during pregnancy or childhood.
Black Walnut Hulls
Black walnut hulls contain high levels of tannins and juglone. This can cause upset stomachs, kidney damage, or liver damage. Juglone is pretty nasty stuff, and a mature black walnut can kill nearby vegetation, cause lameness in horses, and (if you’ve ever hulled black walnuts without gloves) pain, itching, and blistering.
Obviously, it’s also toxic to anyone who is allergic to tree nuts.
Pau D’arco Bark
A lot of research is being done on the potential medical uses for this bark. But the lack of existing medical studies mean we don’t know a lot about how it interacts with medications, affects pregnancy or nursing, or what dose would be considered an overdose. We do know it inhibits blood clotting, which can lead to internal bleeding.
Neem Leaf
Neem oil is toxic for small children and pregnant women. It’s led to miscarriages, infertility, and low blood sugar. Weirdly, it is actually effective against one parasite: the common louse (or head lice). But given difficulties with dosing and lack of oversight for supplements like neem oil, you’re still probably better off getting an anti-louse shampoo.
Cascara Bark
We used to use cascara bark a lot in North America as a laxative. But it’s a VERY effective laxative, so ultimately it was banned because of the dehydration and low electrolyte levels it left in its wake. It’s also maybe a carcinogen (cancer-causing substance).
Slippery Elm Bark
The chemicals in this increase mucous secretion. It’s used for sore throats and also to treat constipation. Importantly, it also historically has been used to induce miscarriage, and is probably not safe for pregnant people.
Wormwood
Wormwood that’s thujone-oil-free is usually considered safe for otherwise healthy adults in short-term use. But it’s not safe for children, pregnant people, people with ragweed allergies, kidney problems, or seizure disorders. If it contains thujone oil, it’s not considered safe for anyone.
Wormwood may fight tapeworms, but research is limited. Your chances of having a tapeworm if you’re living in the United States are also low, especially if you cook your meat well.
No Real Benefits Shown
Some of the ingredients in a parasite cleanse have health benefits, some carry serious risks, but there are very few of these ingredients that have shown any real success at treating parasitic infections. So, believing that taking these supplements for 10-day intervals to clean out parasitic infections that have supposedly survived undetected in the body for years is a bit of a stretch.
What do these ingredients taken together cause? Diarrhea with lots of mucus. Which can look like worms.
It can also cause a lot of pain and other worrying symptoms, most of which proponents claim are signs that you did have parasites and now they’re dying. As opposed to acknowledging that the parasite cleanse ingredients carry a list of symptoms identical to what people claim to be experiencing.
What About Ivermectin?
Ivermectin is a miracle drug for a very few, specific types of parasites. River blindness, which is caused by a bite from an infected blackfly, is treated with Ivermectin. Aggressive ivermectin treatment has nearly eradicated this parasite in Niger, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Colombia. In countries where this condition is endemic, 80% of the population needs to take ivermectin 4 times a year. This is the routine parasite cleanse many wellness influencers talk about, and it doesn’t make sense in the United States because we’re not a country where River Blindness is a common ailment.
While Ivermectin can also be used for pinworms, we have other medications that are more effective against pinworms at a smaller dose. And these tend to be much cheaper. Pyrantel can be bought at many pharmacies, over the counter, and claims to have a mild banana flavor.
Why Not Just Try It?
In addition to hurting your wallet, these cleanses do carry real medical risks as well. Inducing diarrhea in an otherwise healthy person is generally considered a bad idea. Especially in children for whom dehydration can occur quickly.
Your gut microbiome is also important, and poisoning your helpful bacteria isn’t going to make your stomach problems any better. Instead, talk to your doctor about your concerns.
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