By Michael Biamonte, C.C.N.

The subject of parasite worms is definitely not a pleasant one socially, and one that most people are likely not to talk about. However, from a health standpoint it is something that is really vital to be addressed.

Throughout history, man has had different remedies or natural treatments to deal with intestinal problems, or physical problems in general that had been caused by parasites and worms. Just about every society has their own herbal or food type of remedy or treatment to deal with this problem.

In the early part of this century, it was very common for the country doctor, upon finding that someone was anemic, or was pale and rundown, seemingly having digestive problems, to immediately treat them for parasites or worms. That is because it was known that if one had parasites or worms, that he was very likely to become anemic, to become pale looking, have a lack of energy or a luster, and definitely have various digestive problems.

In today’s society, the simple fact of infection in the intestines by parasites and worms has been grossly overlooked. Many very excellent alternative physicians, nutritionists, chiropractors, and health educators, have written articles in various health magazines to try to bring this more to people’s attention.

Typical symptoms of parasites or worms would include rectal itching, a moist feeling in the rectum, accompanied by itching or a rash, a rash in the rectal area or anywhere on the buttocks, boils or pimples breaking out on the skin, particularly in the buttocks area or in the abdominal area. It could go to rashes anywhere on the body, pimples breaking out anywhere on the body, itchy skin anywhere on the body. Other symptoms are an explosive bowel movement, loose stools or diarrhea, flatulence, constipation, mucus in the stool, blood in the stool, sinus congestion or sinusitis, sore tongue, frequent mouth sores, abdominal bloating or distension, cramps in the stomach or intestinal area, frequent hunger, feeling hungry after you eat, continually being hungry, arthritic pains such as joint pain, flu-like symptoms, fever and chills. Any and all of these symptoms can occur when one has parasites or worms. The ones I’ve given you here are some of the most common and sometimes the most obvious.

If one were to look at the pupil of his eye, which is the black opening, and look in the area of the iris, which is the colored part of the eye immediately surrounding the pupil, one may notice a tan or straw color on the part of the iris that surrounds the pupil. This, historically, has been associated with parasite and worm infestation in the body. This is somewhat easier to notice on someone who has blue eyes or lighter eyes, and a little harder to detect on people with brown eyes.

A tongue that is heavily coated, especially white with raised bumps or pimples in the back of the tongue, is also a common sign that someone may have a parasite infestation. This is also commonly used to determine whether or not the person may have overgrowths of yeast, called candida albicans, in the intestines. But it can also be a sign of parasites. The yeast, candida albicans, and parasites commonly live together.

A common way for one to determine whether one actually does have parasites is through a stool examination. A proper stool examination usually would be done by taking a sample of the stool for three consecutive days, in order to increase the frequency of detecting the parasite. Many times the actual stool would not be used, and a sample of the mucus lining the intestinal tract or colon can be taken with a swab by a medical doctor. This sometimes gives a better chance of detecting parasites, because some of the parasites are living in the mucus stuck to the lining of your intestine. Either way it’s done, having a sample taken for three consecutive days is ideal way to determine if one has parasites.

In testing for parasites, it’s sometimes not so important whether they’re actually found in the stool sample, because stool samples are notorious for missing them. This is not so much due to laboratory errors or failure on the part of the lab to detect them, as it is simply the fact that many times parasites are very difficult to detect in the stool sample. This is why the three-day approach is the best. However, it’s still no guarantee that they’ll happen to come out and show up in the stool sample that particular day of your testing.

A stool test which also can determine the immune function of the intestines and determine how much friendly bacteria versus harmful bacteria that is present can determine how well one is digesting his food, and absorbing nutrients from the food, and which is also able to determine if there is any possible inflammation in the intestinal tract or irritation, is a very valuable test in determining whether one does have parasites. The reason this test is more valuable than any other type is that the evidence of the parasites in the body can be determined by this type of test. If someone has many symptoms of parasites and the stool test can determine that there is evidence of them being present by finding not enough friendly bacteria, or inflammation in the intestines, or that the person is not digesting well, that gives added evidence that they might, and is cause for treating the person for the parasites, though they may not be physically found in the stool sample.

Treatment is a very interesting subject. In treating parasites we have found that traditional drug methods used by most doctors tend to fail, in that the patient will relapse. In some cases, the method or the treatment is never fully able to get rid of the parasites, but only suppress its symptoms for the time period that the person is on the medication, only to return in a few months with a vengeance after they stop the medicine. This is because traditional doctors know nothing about nutritional approaches to normalize the digestion, normalize the digestive tract, to help build back the friendly bacteria, and to help re-establish the immune system in the intestinal tract. Due to this fact, many times the parasites will come back, because the cause hasn’t been corrected. Many people are exposed to parasites on a daily basis. Why does one get them and not another person? It’s very simple. One person may have a better digestive system, and the digestive juice is more able to destroy the parasites or a healthier intestinal tract with friendly bacteria that are able to help eliminate the parasites, and stronger immune response in their intestines to kill them. In the case of someone whose digestion is weak, and they have a constipation problem, this gives the parasites an edge in setting up camp. So a person who gets parasites usually gets them because they’re predisposed to the parasites due to a weakened constitution. Unless nutritional approaches are applied that help build up the entire body, the person is likely to relapse.

The approach to handling parasites naturally is not an easy one. It does produce good results, better results than I’ve seen with traditional drug treatments, but yet it is not easy. It is not a quick process and it is not inexpensive. However, it does work in most cases. I cannot say that for the traditional drug methods. While traditional drug methods might be important in the case where the person has an acute, extreme parasitic infection and is having very frequent diarrhea, losing a lot of fluids, and is in a dangerous condition, past that point of reducing the parasite population down to where the symptoms abate a bit, that type of treatment appears to be useless.

The correct way to handle parasites would begin with a first phase program, where we would give the person different natural herbs that are non-toxic to the body, that have been traditionally used to eliminate these parasites. We know of twenty or thirty such herbs. These herbs should be taken in a rotation style so that the parasites do not develop an immunity to the herb. What we mean by this is, the person will take the herb for four days, stop it and go to another one and take that for four days, and after the four days stopping that and moving to another one, etc., etc. The person would do this with all the herbs being used, usually four to five different herbs. After the person has gone through this rotation phase, what we have done is we have killed most of the parasites in the system. A first phase program must utilize herbal substances that have the ability to kill parasites anywhere in the body. The reason for this is that parasites of certain types do tend to travel throughout the body, and it’s quite known that there are certain parasites that can travel through the liver and elsewhere in the system and cause infections there. So due to this fact, a Phase I program with rotating herbs must utilize herbs or natural substances that can kill the parasites anywhere in the body.

This first phase will reduce the majority of the overload of the parasites throughout the system. This however does not handle the whole situation. What we have done now is made it easier to eliminate the parasites in their nesting place which is the colon or intestines. The second phase of the parasite elimination program would involve taking specific herbs and intestinal cleansers to literally scrub the parasites off the lining of the intestines while they’re being killed. Basically, three classes of supplements would be used here. First would be specifically parasite killers that work best in the intestinal tract. The second class would be substances which are able to literally bulk up, like many fiber products do, and push old debris out of the intestines. The third class of substances would be substances with the ability to loosen old debris and mucus that parasites might be hiding in. Loosen this debris from the intestinal tract so the bulking agents can push it out so that these specific intestinal parasite killers can then contact them and eliminate them. To some degree parasites will be attracted magnetically and get stuck in the intestinal cleanser and come out of the body in that fashion. Using the specific looseners, the substances that break up old mucus and old debris, will loosen them off the lining of the intestines so the fiber products can scrub them off. In this way, the intestinal killers have the ability to then contact them, find them and kill them. A vermifuge is also very essential at this part of the program. Regardless of what type of parasite the person has, one must assume that they may have worms, such as tapeworms, pinworms, hookworms, etc. When a person has one parasite it is very common that they have several other types. This also holds true for candida albicans, or any form of yeast fungus in the intestines. A person who has yeast fungus in their intestines commonly does have parasites and worms. So at this step of the program, a vermifuge should be used which purges out larger worms such as hook and tapeworms, etc. Once this has been accomplished and no trace of the parasites can be seen, the next step would involve building up friendly bacteria in the intestines. Bifidus for the large intestine and acidophilus for the small intestine, along with FOS, a product that helps to build up the friendly bacteria, must be used at this point. This helps re-establish the correct environment in the intestinal tract which will prevent parasites from coming back. The trick to the program at this point is to remove as much of the parasites from the entire body as possible (Phase I); attack them in their nest, removing almost all (Phase II); then build up the friendly bacteria using friendly flora products and digestive aids such as enzymes, etc. (which help the flora) so that the friendly bacteria can overrun any remaining parasites. Then, with the intestinal tract being brought back to normal, the parasites will die because the environment is not conducive to their eating and breeding.

The next step after re-establishing the friendly bacteria is to build up the immune response in the intestines. There are some very special specific supplements which help to re-stimulate intestinal immunity. Friendly bacteria does this as well.

Now, after these steps have been accomplished, a comprehensive vitamin and mineral program is necessary to build up the person from the deficiencies that he has acquired by having parasites and worms. It is very common and traditionally known that old country doctors would treat people who were anemic, sallow looking, pale looking with no energy, no lustre for life, for parasites or worms, just based on this alone. This is because people who have parasites or worms frequently have these complaints. So vitamins and minerals are necessary to build up the person’s energy. Having had parasites or worms for any long period of time ensures that one develops pretty significant vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Supplements would be required to make the up this deficit, as a normal diet may not be able to do it fast enough for the person to get back on their feet and feel normal again. This would be the third phase of the program.

After this is accomplished, it is essential to help build up and repair the person’s immune system, using specific vitamins, herbs, amino acids and minerals so that they are more resistant in the future to ever having parasites again. It is also very important in a person who has had parasites to make sure that their intestinal tract is well cared for after the program is over. A person must continue to take friendly bacteria, intestinal cleansers, and whatever digestive aids they might need to continue building up their intestinal tract, so that if they’re exposed to parasites again, their body can resist them. It could take several years for someone to build themselves up to a point where they could completely resist parasites and worms like any other healthy person. But this can be accomplished if the person continues on their program and continues taking friendly flora, intestinal cleansers and digestive enzymes, along with the basic vitamins that they need to keep their immune system strong.

In many cases, and specifically with some types of parasites, it is absolutely essential that someone be taking colonics while they’re doing the first and second phase of their program. Colonics can be done by seeing a professional or by doing it at home. A home colonic unit could be purchased. For those who are not familiar with colonics, a colonic is a bowel cleansing method wherein someone lies on their back with a small tube inserted in the rectum, as though they were taking an enema, but the tube is hooked up to a water supply which gently and slowly allows five gallons or so of water to pass into the bowel, and then be eliminated out of the bowel. This creates a washing and loosening effect which removes old debris, old mucus, and parasites from the intestinal tract. We have found the best results from colonics when we add an herbal tonic to the colonic water, which itself is a very powerful parasite killer. Patient reports show that once someone begins this method, using the herbal tonic in the water, it is quite common to see many types of worms expelled into the toilet. Of course, these are dead worms so there’s no need to worry. They won’t attack you.

This sometimes is essential with particular parasites. Blastocystis hominus is one such parasite. Blastocystis hominus is a parasite which only recently was classified as such. It was thought to be a harmless organism for many years. Blastocystis and parasites like it very specifically cling to the intestinal lining and are very difficult to eliminate. We’ve seen best results in those who were taking colonic therapy, as the colonic water was able to loosen and wash and literally carry out the organisms from the intestinal tract into the toilet. There are many types of parasites or organisms that are commonly found in the metropolitan area. Worms are normally thought of as being parasites that can be seen with the naked eye. This would include tapeworms which are long and ribbon-like, pinworms which literally look as they’re named, and hookworms, which all look like worms. There are several types of worms as well. Basically, these are usually seen with the naked eye. Other parasites that are more difficult to see are those which need to be detected with laboratory procedures. These would include certain species of amoeba, giardia, klokera, blastocystis hominis, and entamoeba. These parasites are usually not able to be seen with the naked eye. Some will produce worse symptoms than others. Amoeba and giardia generally will produce more outstanding symptoms. The weaker parasites such as klokera and blastocystis in themselves do not produce such horrible symptoms. They usually produce very bad symptoms when accompanied by other harmful bacteria, yeast, or other parasites. Blastocystis, however, is very difficult to eradicate. It is one of those parasites referred to earlier which tends to cling to the intestinal wall, and stick itself there, requiring the colonic therapy to help loosen it so it can be eliminated.

The new approach to parasites is quite revolutionary, and very different. It is a very thorough approach. In our modern times where we are exposed to so many harmful organisms and chemicals in our society and environment, this modern approach is absolutely necessary to make sure that parasitic organisms are fully removed from the person’s body, and that their body then can fully recover, build itself back up, and be, in the future, resistant to ever getting these organisms again. It is unfortunate that our diet, lifestyle and the pollution in our air, water and food have weakened our systems to where a one-shot cure such as that offered by medical doctors with typical anti-parasitic drugs does not bring permanent results.