Parasitic infections can cause many symptoms, and the most difficult part about it is that most of the symptoms they cause are not even all gastrointestinal related.
This means you may not experience gas, bloating, indigestion, diarrhoea, constipation, or acid reflux. It is very possible that if you have these symptoms, you more than likely have some type of gut infection. But what if you don’t have any of these symptoms? Individuals tend to make the connection between gut symptoms and gut infections pretty naturally. Its symptoms of parasite infections that don’t involve gut symptoms leave people scratching their heads. Parasites may primarily reside in the gut, but they have the ability to travel through the body.
Some parasites can even make their way up to your brain. The Not-So-Obvious Symptoms of Parasite Infections – Brain fog, Sweet cravings, Mood disturbances (anxiety or depression) Skin issues, Nutrient deficiencies (anaemia), Allergies, Fatigue, Crawling sensation under your skin.
The More Obvious Symptoms of Parasite Infections are: Bloating; Gas Indigestion; Diarrhoea; Constipation; GERD or acid reflux, IBS, Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative colitis.
What Is a Parasite Infection?
A Parasite infection is an organism that lives off another organism. Parasites will not only rob you of energy and nutrition but also produce other bio-toxins that can disrupt digestion. These toxins come from the defecation of the parasites as well as the dead debris of the parasites.When we deal with parasites, we have ones that are bigger, like worms: hookworms, roundworms, pinworms, tapeworms, nematodes, protozoa, and more. These are infections that are typically big enough to be seen by the human eye. We have small parasites that are microscopic and can only be seen under a microscope with specific stains: Giardia, Entamoeba histolytica, Blastocystis hominis, Cryptosporidium, Dientamoeba fragilis, Entamoeba coli, Yersinia enterocolitica, Entamoeba hartmanni, and Toxoplasma to name only a few.
This is often the root cause of many chronic disorders of the body. Most people aren’t aware of this hidden stressor as they go from doctor to doctor looking for answers to what’s causing their health issues.
There is almost always an infection connection at play. Chronic infections deplete your body’s ability to produce regenerative hormones, like DHEA, testosterone, progesterone, thyroid hormone, and growth hormone. When our anabolic/regenerative hormones are depleted, we are put in a very difficult situation to heal. Even if the infection is removed, there is a good chance of reinfection due to the weakened hormonal environment. The Stress Caused by Parasites creates a low immune reaction, lymphatic, and detoxification systems is put in overdrive when parasite infections are active.
Our lymphatic system is busy trying to move toxins out of the tissues and commonly gets backed up and stagnant when inflammation is elevated.The detoxification system has to filter out the blood and run our cytochrome P450 oxidase enzymes (phase 1 and phase 2 detoxification pathways) so clean blood can then be recirculated.The Immune system is revved up and produces antibodies and specific white blood cells known as eosinophils to help attack the various critters. It also stimulates various cytokines and interleukins to mobilise the attack against these foreign invaders. I have had clients suffering from chronic panic attacks all due to parasite infestation. The attacks cleared up once we had cleaned out the body.
Few doctors or people are aware the when they are infected with parasites this can impair their cognitive performance independent of age or nutrition. Essentially, when inside our bodies, parasites can produce bio-toxins that decrease our mental performance. You may be eating good food, but the parasites have the opportunity to eat it before you do. This can affect your absorption of nutrients whether or not your diet is nutrient-dense. Poor performance was associated with parasite status and had no association with educational attainment or memory function. The research done on this study showed there is evidence that the more parasites you have the more they have an effect on your attention/cognition. One of the first places to look when chronic brain fog and memory issues occur outside of diet and lifestyle is at the potential of chronic parasitic infections.
Parasites and Nutritional Deficiencies
Did you know parasites can steal your nutrients in spite of a healthy diet? You aren’t what you eat, but what you eat assimilates, absorbs, and utilises. “Recent work has also shown that a malabsorption syndrome leading to poor absorption of essential nutrients may occur in patients heavily infected with hookworms, Strongyloides stercoralis, and Giardia lamblia. ”Anemia, whether it is iron-deficiency or vitamin-B-deficiency, can be devastating to your body’s ability to produce energy! It’s possible for a parasite infection to cause chronic fatigue.
Our bodies utilise B vitamins, especially B12 and folate, to make healthy red blood cells so we can carry oxygen and nutrition to all of our cells. Without healthy B12 levels, it is nearly impossible for our thyroid and adrenals to work optimally. Without enough iron, our bodies won’t be able to carry enough oxygen. Oxygen is needed for the creation of ATP, which is the main currency of energy in our bodies.
Can you now see how these little pests interfere with most of our human body systems? Iron is an essential nutrient in the production of your thyroid hormones. If your thyroid doesn’t have enough iron, there is a good chance you will suffer from hypothyroidism and all of the symptoms that come with it. This will include weight gain, fatigue, depression, and digestive problems, and the Dr. may just give you medication for your thyroid or leaky gut, but leave the pests behind, basically ignoring the root cause of the findings.
How Do You Test for Parasite Infections?
Book a session with one of our trained Nutritionist available on our website. On www.wholisticwellness.co.uk shop you can order organic teas and enzyme drinks to stimulate the removal of dead parasites and worms.
On a last note so many people think you get parasites and worms from eating pork or red meat, and from having cats and dogs, but eating sushi is one of the causes as well, toilet seats, escalator, door handles, shaking hands, cardboard boxes from deliveries – so many ways that one does not think about.