No doubt many would have heard in the media recently about the Canberra lady who, after undergoing an operation, had been found to have a parasite worm growing in her brain. Since then, we have had several customers asking about anti-parasitic supplements, which could be helpful in ridding our body of intestinal worms and parasites.

I guess most of us would be horrified to think we may have parasites residing in our body. Yes, they are the unwelcome guest you would prefer not to take up residence. Parasites are organisms which can infect our body because unfortunately, they happen to like feeding off a living host, which in some cases could be us! There are many and varied forms of parasitic worms that may be happy to take set up house in us humans e.g. tapeworms, whipworms, hookworms to name a few.

Often parasite infections will emanate from eating and drinking contaminated food and water. I’m sure most of us are mindful of this when travelling overseas, especially in developing countries where food and water may be contaminated and there is poor sanitation. We can however also come into contact with other parasites in our everyday lives at home.

The most commonly known worm is threadworm also known as pinworm. Threadworm eggs can often be ingested, setting up home in our lower intestine. When we suffer from threadworms we may suffer from an itchy bottom. They will often find their way from our lower intestine, out through the anus at night and then lay their eggs between our buttocks. This is when the itching is most unpleasant, and the worms can be seen wriggling like white threads. They can also be seen moving around the surface of our stools. Unfortunately, the eggs can then stay alive on surfaces such as bed sheets, towels, and other surfaces for up to a fortnight enabling further infection to those who come into contact with them.

If we suffer from intestinal worms such as tapeworms and hookworms, we may not suffer any symptoms. We may however suffer from abdominal pain, weight loss or diarrhoea. Often, we may feel fatigued and quite drained. These worms can be contracted when the larvae permeate our skin.

We can be infected with a dog tapeworm when patting a dog which is infected by tapeworm. Tapeworm eggs may not only infect a dog’s coat but also their bedding as well a play area.

Walking barefoot through soil or sand can risk an infection of dog hookworms. Soil can be contaminated by dog hookworm larvae which has been shed through the stool of an infected dog.

Whipworm can also set up infection if a person absorbs the eggs when eating foods which have been grown in soil which has been contaminated with whipworm eggs.

When it comes to natural remedies for a parasite cleanse, most will contain the herb wormwood. Wormwood, which is a very apt name when it comes to getting rid of worms. Wormwood, it seems causes the worms to lose consciousness, thereby loosening their jaws, releasing them from the intestinal wall, enabling them to be flushed from the body.

There are many other herbs such as Black Walnut which may be beneficial in a parasitic cleanse. This herb has been used for centuries as a parasite treatment. Clove oil contains a compound known as eugenol which can help kill harmful organisms. Oregano Oil is helpful because of its anti-parasitic and antibacterial properties.

If you wish to undertake a parasite cleanse, our naturopath and nutritionist both offer guidance in this area and in fact include a parasite cleanse in their general detox programmes. If you just wish to simply purchase a parasite formula from the store, you can pop in and chat to the staff about your best options.

For more information call down to the store at 5 North St, Batemans Bay of phone on 0244729737. Don’t forget to tune into Bev on 2EC every Wednesday at 12.45pm.