Parasite cleanses: why are so many people obsessed with intestinal worms? | Health & wellbeing
Name: Pests clean.
Age: The first written records of what were likely parasitic infections in humans come from Egyptian medicine, between 3000 and 400 BC.
So this is not news. TRUE. More recent though, is what some people think of them (intestinal parasites in particular) and what they do about them.
And by intestinal parasites, are we talking about… worms? See also roundworms, flukes, Giardia lamblia …
I think I’d rather not see them, if you don’t mind. Maybe don’t go to certain corners of social media, then.
Whoa, you’re telling me people are posting… human excrement on the internet? Yes, @coachkatie.rogers, for example, gave her followers what looks like a pot lid (!) filled with twisted black spools that she thought were rope worms.
Better out than in, I suppose – although I’m still not convinced it needs to be made so public. He came out on the first day of a parasite and bowel cleanse.
What is it, exactly? A popular wellness trend that may include ingesting ground papaya seeds, burdock root, oregano oil, black walnut…
This seems healthy. And get rid of parasites? That’s what many people online are saying, perhaps accompanied by a cute photo of a toilet bowl filled with what looks like sprinkles. They might also suggest that a 10-day detox kit makes the perfect gift.
Pest control cleanings for the whole family then, Christmas is over: flush out those turkey worms. They suggest starting three to five days before the full moon for best results.
It makes sense. How much do they cost? A 10 day kit costs £288.
Oh! However, when necessary, eh? Actually, not everyone thinks so.
Who doesn’t? Um, the medical facility.
What about Coachkatie’s string worms?? If there’s even the slightest risk to any of them, I want them OUT! To be honest, she admits that it’s not actually a worm, but a buildup of mucus and undigested food.
Are you saying intestinal parasites don’t exist? No way. In fact, the WHO estimates that about a quarter of the world’s population suffers from an intestinal parasite-related infection. In tropical and subtropical regions, this figure could be as high as half.
What about the alternative wellness spaces of Instagram and TikTok? It’s possible that not everyone who thinks they have a parasite does; and even if it did, drinking oregano oil may not be the most effective way to get rid of it.
Say: “Absinthe, cloves and garlic? Just what I wanted for Christmas!”
Don’t say: “So the oregano oil wasn’t for the dressing?”
