How to Treat Parasites

No one wants to think that parasites are living inside of their bodies. However, most people do have some parasites, to some degree. It's not until health problems such as fatigue, poor digestion, diarrhea, and bloating manifest that they're recognized. In fact, parasites are the main cause of digestive distress and chronic diarrhea.

How Parasites Enter

Parasites can enter through eating uncooked (or unwashed) food and drinking unsafe water, as well as mosquitoes invading your skin and nose. When you travel overseas your chances increase if you're not careful to avoid unsafe water and unwashed questionable foods. While parasites used to be mostly in third world countries, they're now a common problem in North America.

Symptoms of Parasites in Your Body

• Weight problems - Your inability to lose weight may not be because of lack of will power. If you're doing all you know to do to shed pounds but still don't see the scale budge, but instead feel bloated, there may be parasites living in your body. Parasites living inside your body can hinder weight loss. If parasites are left to multiply inside your stomach, intestines, and colon, you can not only puff up and gain weight, but can also become ill. Besides stealing years from your lifespan, parasites can also be fatal if left untreated.
  

• Lack of energy

• Stomach problems

Treating Parasites

To get rid of parasites, naturally, you need to detox your body of all parasites, and then cleanse it thoroughly. You can use natural supplements such as psyllium seeds, husks, papaya extract, beetroot, flaxseeds and others that help rid your body of parasites.

Foods That Flush Out Parasites

• Fruits and vegetables - The pectin in citrus fruits is a soluble fiber that helps with digestion and bloating. By including a citrus fruit daily in your diet, you can fight parasites. Carrots help kill parasites as they contain carotenoids, (which increase parasite-fighting white blood cells.)
  

• Grapefruit seed extract - Besides eating grapefruit, grapefruit seed extract is also used to treat parasites. Not absorbed into tissues and generally considered nontoxic, grapefruit seed extract can be used for up to several months. It has been successful in treating candida yeast and giardia.

• Cranberries - Cranberries are also good for flushing out parasites. Rich in organic acids, cranberries are tart fruits that break down the protein structure of parasites and discharge parasitic wastes. Just by drinking a gallon of cranberry water each day, you can improve your health, says nutrionalist Anna Louise Gittleman. You can either buy it or make it yourself by combining eight ounces of unsweetened cranberry juice with 56 ounces of water.

• Pumpkin seeds - Pumpkins contain zinc which is a mineral that builds up the intestinal lining, making it harder for parasites to invade your body. According to Canadian research, you can speed up the healing of a parasitic infection by 21 percent, by munching on pumpkin seeds.

• Spices - Spices such as garlic can begin killing GI tract invaders within two hours of eating. Take two cloves daily. Other spices that help get rid of parasites include cloves and turmeric.

Preventing Parasites

• Make sure all foods you eat (especially meats) are thoroughly cooked.
  

• When visiting foreign countries, be careful to not eat or drink any foods or liquids that could be contaminated. Do research before leaving for your trip.

As a final caution, don't be paranoid, thinking everything you eat may have parasites. Just use some common sense and learn how to avoid getting sick. If you do contract an illness due to parasites, just do all you can to correct it.

Originally published on Suite 101.