What is bothering you?

Years ago, I took a trip to Mexico City. Along with the memories, I also brought a horrendous case of Montazuma’s revenge. Of course, I was treated immediately and I thought I was cured. But parasites are not so easily defeated, and after years of battling stomach problems, I was finally diagnosed correctly and was able to eradicate the little bug.

While my parasite came from south of the border, you can pick up one of these creatures in your own hometown. If you often feel bloated or gassy, ​​suffer from frequent diarrhea or constipation, are tired or depressed, you too may be the unsuspecting victim of a parasite.

More common than you think

Parasites are a rarely discussed public health problem. But the truth is, millions of Americans harbor more than 130 different types of parasites. Diagnosis is also difficult, because symptoms can mimic many other health problems.

Another reason we miss parasites is because we assume they are a third world problem. However, one of the largest cases of contamination came from a waterborne Cryptosporidium parvum outbreak in Milwaukee that affected more than 400,000 people in 1993. Another parasite, Giardia lamblia, is also common in the US. cause diarrhea that can last several days. or even several years in some cases. Since chronic giardiasis can be misdiagnosed as chronic fatigue syndrome, it is difficult to know how many people are affected, but the numbers could be astronomical!

Contaminated water is often the culprit, but fish, meat, and poultry can also contain parasites. Trichinosis can be transmitted to pigs fed raw litter or food eaten by rodents. It is then transmitted to humans if the meat is undercooked. Rare pork, beef, or lamb can also harbor toxoplasmosis, a parasite commonly transmitted by cats. Ceviche, sashimi, sushi, and other raw fish dishes can harbor a variety of parasites such as anisakin larvae, eustrongylides, liver and lung flukes, and fish tapeworms. Kind of spoils your appetite, right?

Pest control

Fortunately, there are some simple ways to protect yourself against parasite exposure. Wash your hands often, especially before and after handling food. And be sure to rub under your nails. Be sure to wear gloves when gardening. And dispose of pet waste quickly and safely.

You can also bolster your defenses with a little help from bees. Research in the 1980s found that propolis, the resin collected by bees from leaf buds and tree bark, can effectively thwart parasites, especially giardiasis. A preliminary trial of children and adults with giardiasis showed that those who took propolis experienced a 52 to 60 percent rate of successful parasite clearance. More recently, laboratory tests validated the findings of these early trials. They also found that combining propolis with conventional antiparasitic medications was incredibly effective in eliminating parasites from the body and protecting the gastrointestinal tract.

Useful herbs

If you come in contact with one of these little critters, you can try one of the following herbs:

Oregon grape: the secret of the effectiveness of this herb against parasites is berberine. Preliminary trials have shown that berberine can be used successfully to treat giardia infections. Additionally, test tube studies show that berberine kills amoebae, although it is not known whether this effect occurs in humans. The required amount is approximately 200 mg. three times a day for an adult – a level high enough to cause side effects. Therefore, berberine should not be used without consulting a healthcare provider.

Garlic: This fragrant herb has been shown to kill parasites, including amoebae and hookworm, in test tubes and in animals. Older human studies support the use of garlic to treat pinworms, pinworms, and hookworms. However, due to the lack of clinical trials, the amount of garlic needed to treat intestinal parasites in humans is unknown.

Pumpkin Seeds – These tasty seeds are a nice addition to conventional antibiotics to treat tapeworms. In Germany, 200-400 grams are normally ground and taken with milk and honey, followed by castor oil two hours later. Tapeworms can cause serious illness and should be treated only with medical supervision. In China, pumpkin seeds have been shown to effectively treat acute schistosomiasis, a serious parasitic disease that occurs mainly in Asia and Africa and is transmitted by snails.

One last thing …

If you suffer from gastrointestinal problems and you can’t seem to pin down the cause, ask your doctor to look for parasites. Mild cases usually respond well to natural remedies. But if you have a chronic or severe case, you probably need a course of antibiotics.

However, the problem with antibiotics is that they don’t discriminate between good and bad mistakes. They just kill everything they find. If you need an antibiotic, follow up with a good quality probiotic to recolonize your GI tract. Look for a probiotic that contains several different strains of beneficial bacteria such as Lactobaccillus acidophilus, L. bulgaris, L. bifidus, and Streptococcus faeceum.

This just arrived …

Red Bull, the popular energy drink, likes to promote itself by saying that it gives you so much energy that you will feel like you have wings. What they don’t tell you is that those wings come with a catch: an increased risk of stroke. At least that’s what a group of Australian researchers say after analyzing the effects that Red Bull has on the heart.

The Australian team analyzed the effects the energy drink had on the cardiovascular systems of 30 young adults after drinking a can of Red Bull. The drink makes the blood “sticky” and this stickiness increases the chance of developing cardiovascular disease. Other symptoms observed were similar to those seen in patients with cardiovascular disease.

What’s particularly noteworthy about this finding is that these symptoms were seen in people who were healthy and had no history of cardiovascular disease. The study’s principal investigator, Scott Wiloughby, told reporters that if someone has a history or predisposition to cardiovascular disease, they should stay away from Red Bull.

I would go much more than that. Stay away from each and every energy drink. These products contain stimulants that can keep you awake, but they can also cause some very unexpected health effects. Products like Red Bull are so dangerous that they are banned in Denmark, Norway and Uruguay due to health risks.

What speaks even more to the debilitating effects of energy drinks are the dangers of the drink that Red Bull himself clarifies, advising consumers not to drink more than two Red Bulls in a 24-hour period. If a company advises consumers not to drink or eat more than a certain amount of its product, it should tell you everything you need to know about its safety.

This latest research supports a study conducted not long ago by researchers at Wayne State University. Their results showed that energy drinks like Red Bull raised blood pressure to dangerous levels for people with pre-existing heart conditions. There is also some evidence linking energy drinks to seizures.

When you need a quick dose of energy, an energy drink can seem tempting. But it is not worth risking a heart attack or stroke from any injection of energy. By consuming these and other high caffeine beverages, that is exactly what you are doing.

Yours in health and happiness,

Bonnie Jenkins, editor

Advanced Natural Medicine Newsletter