Parasite cleanses are popular, as the mere thought of crawling creatures living inside of us is frightening. Did you know that the herbs that kill parasites, as well as bacteria, fungus, candida, & viruses, often significantly damage our microbiome (our good bacteria and hence immune system). Knowing this, I did an experiment on myself to get some real data. I tested my microbiome before and after a 2 month gentle parasite cleanse. If I would have known how damaging this was I would not have done this. It dramatically reduced my good bacteria. Fortunately I know how to heal my microbiome :).
Four take aways when considering a parasite cleanse:
1. Be very careful when using herbs to kill organisms in the body, there is often collateral damage that is hard to foresee. This is why nourishing the good bacteria, creating a healthy terrain that does not allow bad organisms to grow, and work on building the immune system is a solid way to eliminate harmful pathogens.
2. Many cleanses create problems, from collateral damage, to not fully eliminating toxins from the body. Please see my previous post on the topic of cleanses for more information.
3. Modern testing is finding more and more parasites than ever before, many are microscopic. There is much debate about how harmful many of these are, if at all. We evolved with parasites and organisms, just eliminating things something is not the best idea. Be very clear which parasite you have and evaluate how harmful it actually is before attacking it. I do not trust muscle testing and other fridge methods to determine this, get a stool test from a reputable company. If not severe, consider gentle methods to boost the immune system first.
4. There is a time and place for cleanses and killing parasites. It is best to work with a health practitioner that is level-headed around this matter and understands the risks.
