You may have felt a tinge of queasiness when hearing about parasites and colon cleanses. The uneasy truth is, humans are a perfect host to hundreds of different parasites. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates 1.5 billion people worldwide are infected with some sort of parasite. There is debate, though, as to whether parasite colon cleanses work to rid the body of these little creatures that live inside us -- or if they are mostly hype.
Parasites
To understand a parasite colon cleanse, you must know what it is you're trying to rid your body of. Parasites are homeless forms of bacteria that can't survive without a host -- that would be you -- to provide food and a safe place to breed. Parasites can enter your body in many ways: on dirty or unwashed produce, via dirty water, on pets or from undercooked meat, such as fish or chicken.
Hydro Colon Cleanse
Two techniques are touted to rid your colon of parasites. The first is called hydro colon cleansing, which uses water to cleanse the colon. Hydro colon therapists are trained to use specific instruments inserted into the colon that allow fluids to flow into the colon and back out again. This is repeated a number of times, and purportedly rids the colon of parasites and fecal matter.
Herbs
The second way to do a parasite colon cleanse is by use of herbs. Some used in parasite cleanses are black walnut hull, wormwood and clove. It's suggested taking all three together: The black walnut hull and wormwood kill the adult parasites, while the clove kills parasitic eggs before they hatch and have a chance to reproduce.
Disease From Parasites
Among many diseases caused by from parasites, toxoplasmosis is a type of food poisoning caused by ingesting undercooked meat containing parasites. An estimated 60 million Americans carry this parasite, but their immune systems are strong enough to kill it. Toxoplasmosis is still the third leading cause of death from food poisoning. The CDC acknowledges there are many types of diseases stemming from parasites, but advises the use of antibiotics instead of colon cleansing.
Colon Cleanse Effectiveness
Despite the long history of colon cleanses, there is no evidence it can improve health or prevent disease, according to researchers from the University of Texas' M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Health experts from Harvard agree, stating that the body has plenty of naturally occurring ways to defend itself from harmful parasites.
Considerations
As with any new regimen, you should consider the possible side effects of a colon cleanse. According to Harvard Health Publications, colon cleanses may result in dehydration, electrolyte and intestinal flora imbalance or impaired bowel function. Consult a physician before beginning a colon cleanse.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: A-Z Index of Parasitic Diseases
- Global College of Natural Medicine: Why I Regularly Colon Cleanse And Detoxify My Body
- Colon cleanse: Parasite cleansing
- University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center:Clean your colon
- Harvard Health Publications: The dubious practice of detox
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