How To Recognize and Treat Parasitic Infections

Parasitic infections, which often occur as a result of drinking or eating contaminated water or food products, are more common than you might think–-even if you’re careful with what you consume. 

But the good news is there are many holistic methods for eliminating parasites, if they’re causing problems.

Yes, I said “if”! Some parasites are actually not harmful (and as we’ll see below, can even be beneficial). Other infections may clear up on their own, but many do require treatment. 

Anti-parasitic drugs may be prescribed in conventional medicine, but these can be really hard on the body and they don’t always solve the problem. However, there are a number of natural solutions that can help to clear out parasites or their eggs, prevent them from growing, aid the body in detoxification, and importantly, support a healthy gut that is less susceptible to future infections.

Below, I review some of the most effective natural treatment options beyond the parasite cleanses that are always trending on social media, including simple dietary strategies and herbs with powerful anti-parasitic properties. I’ll also touch on how to recognize an infection, whole-person focused testing strategies, and the most common types of parasites we see. 

How To Recognize A Parasitic Infection

Before trying any remedies, you will want to know if you actually have a parasitic infection! When we’re figuring this out, we always consider your symptomatic profile and health history alongside testing. 

Some of the most common symptoms of a parasitic infection include:

• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever
• Anxiety 
• Fatigue
• Weight loss
• Anemia
• Skin rashes
• Itching
• Cough
• Muscle pain
• Joint pain
• Constipation
• Bloating

Several chronic health conditions and concerns are also associated with a higher prevalence of parasites, including mental health conditions, chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmunity or immune system dysregulation, and dysregulation of the neuroimmunoendocrine axis. (1, 2) 

The symptoms of parasitic infections are nonspecific, meaning that they can indicate any number of imbalances or conditions of which parasites are just one possibility. That’s why testing and ruling out other likely conditions is so important. 

What if parasites show up in your stool? This is another reason why I recommend working with an experienced practitioner: while it’s definitely possible to see certain kinds of parasites in your stool, mucous strands related to inflammation and autoimmunity can also look like intestinal worms. I can tell you that at our functional medicine telehealth center, we’ve seen enough poop pictures to tell the difference, but it isn’t easy! 

LISTEN: Parasite Deep Dive: Symptoms, Labs, Cleanses + Treatments For This Gut Health Problem (+ Emotional Parasites That Damage Your Health!)

Lab Tests

If you suspect your symptoms are due to a parasitic infection, there are a few conventional and specialized functional medicine tests that can be run to get a clearer picture of what’s going on. 

Stool Testing for Parasites

The standard conventional testing option for parasites is a stool test that looks for the ova, or eggs, of a parasite to determine the presence of an infection. We also run these tests, but I like to do more comprehensive stool testing: rather than just looking for parasites, I want to get a detailed picture of what’s going on in the gut microbiome, including yeast overgrowths, bacterial overgrowths, and other imbalances. 

While stool tests provide the best option for detecting parasites, there are a few challenges associated with them. Parasites are not always actively shedding, and a stool test is just one snapshot in time. Multiple day collections can help with this, but still don’t guarantee detection even if parasites are present. 

This is one reason why I like to do more comprehensive testing. If we see general dysbiosis and inflammation in the gut, we’re going to work to heal that, and probably address most low grade parasitic problems naturally in the process. 

There are also a couple of things that can be done to increase the odds of drawing out parasites when stool testing. One, which sounds a little out there but can make a difference, is collecting around the full moon, when parasites are theorized to be more active. Another is to consider a gentle biofilm disruptor, such as serrapeptase, which can theoretically improve the likelihood of detecting parasites especially if someone is constipated.

Blood and Urine Tests To Complete the Picture

Serology tests can look for antibodies produced when the body is infected with common parasites including giardia and blastocystis hominis. 

I also generally run blood tests to look at general immune system function, white blood cell count, and markers of inflammation. These tests aren’t directly screening for parasites, but they can again help us get a more complete clinical picture of how the body is reacting to a suspected or confirmed parasitic infection. 

This, along with assessing symptoms, also helps to make sure we’re not overtreating someone’s labs. Some parasites such as blastocystis hominis show up regularly on tests, but don’t always cause symptoms or problems. They can actually be living in harmony with someone’s immune system, and we don’t need to kill the parasite just to kill the parasite. 

In certain cases, I’ll also run additional panels which may include tick-borne infection panels for Lyme and co-infections, mold testing, or an organic acid test (OAT) to get more information about what’s going on in the body. 

3 Common Types Of Parasites

Helminths

These parasitic worms live inside the digestive tract. In some cases, they can deplete the body’s resources and contribute to long-term, sometimes severe, chronic health problems. Some of the most common helminths are tapeworms, roundworms, flatworms, flukes, hookworms, and whipworms. Pinworms, whipworms, and hookworms are all types of roundworms. 

Protozoa

Protozoa are microscopic, single-celled parasites that can multiply in your body and contribute to acute health issues. (3) They target the blood, digestive system, brain, liver, and skin. These parasites can find their way into our bodies through contaminated food and water, undercooked meat, or insects. Protozoa come in various forms, cause various symptoms, and appear in various areas of the body. 

Although most people picture helminths (worms) when they think of parasites, microscopic protozoa are the kinds of parasites we see most commonly, by far, in our telehealth functional medicine practice. 

Ectoparasites

Ectoparasites are the insects and arachnids that don’t live inside of us. (20) This category of parasites includes ticks, mites, fleas, lice, and bed bugs, which all attach to our skin.

These parasites can all cause itching, allergic reactions, skin irritation, or infection. Ectoparasites can usually be taken care of through good hygiene, pest control, and cleanliness in the living environment.

Conventional Treatments And Side Effects

Before we get into more holistic options, here’s a quick overview of the conventional medicine approach to parasite treatment.

Anti-parasitic drugs are the first line of defense in conventional medicine. (4) The most common drugs to kill parasites are:

• Chloroquine
• Atovaquone-proguanil
• Metronidazole
• Tinidazole
• Ivermectin
• Albendazole
• Praziquantel
• Mebendazole
• Pyrantel pamoate
• Nifurtimox
• Benznidazole
• Pentamidine
• Eflornithine
• Suramin
• Sodium stibogluconate

These drugs can cause many uncomfortable side effects that can be almost as bad as the parasitic infection itself. Adverse effects of some of the most common antiparasitic drugs include (4):

• Fatigue
• Gastrointestinal disturbances
• Headaches
• Nausea
• Rashes
• Insomnia
• Diarrhea
• Flu-like Symptoms

Some anti-parasitic drugs are known for their high failure rate during treatment. These treatments also don’t support the gut, immune system, or the body’s detox pathways. And if you are treating a parasitic infection in a way that removes the parasites quickly, there is a possibility of a Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction (5).

Parasites release toxins as they die off. Without proper liver support during detox, your body may respond to this elevated toxin load with symptoms like headaches or the worsening of current symptoms. Basically, your symptoms can get worse before they get better. 

This can also happen with more natural treatment. To avoid or reduce this reaction as much as possible, it is important to remember to start with a low dosage of either pharmaceutical or herbal anti-parasitics (I would recommend the more natural approach whenever possible) and gradually work your way up. Talk to your doctor to figure out what’s best for you.

Natural Treatment Options

There are plenty of natural remedies or defenses against parasitic infections, many of which have fewer or less severe risk factors than conventional treatments. These options also provide a more whole-person approach to healing from parasites and any effects they may have had on your body.

1. Dietary Changes

Parasites feed off of what you eat, which is a big part of why upgrading your diet could help solve your parasite problem. Certain diets that improve the microbiome may reduce the severity of parasitic infections and make them less likely to happen again. (6)

Diets rich in fiber, antioxidants, prebiotics, and probiotics are beneficial in promoting gut health, balancing the microbiome, and potentially enhancing the body’s natural defense mechanisms against parasites. Microbiome diversity is critical for a resilient immune system, which plays a key role in fighting parasitic infections. And of course, focus on whole, unprocessed foods. 

More About Your Microbiome’s Health: Bacterial Dysbiosis: Why This Insidious Gut Problem Could Be The Root Of All Your Health Problems

Alongside supporting the microbiome and immune system more generally, some foods can help to kill parasites. These anti-parasitic foods include:

• Papaya seeds (7)
• Pumpkin seeds 8)
• Raw garlic (9)
• Onion (9)
• Oregano
• Ginger (10)
• Pomegranate (10)

It’s also important to drink lots of clean water to stay hydrated, especially when working to clear out pathogens. 

Will fasting get rid of parasites? Fasting can help fight parasitic infections. (11) Although fasting alone may not be able to eliminate parasites, it can be an option to go alongside other natural remedies. Fasting also offers numerous benefits for metabolic wellness and gut health, which may help you ward off future infections.

Related: My Favorite Tool For Restoring Gut Health Naturally

2. Specific Herbs And Supplements

Many natural herbs possess powerful anti-parasitic properties. Keep in mind that before introducing these, it’s important to run tests and determine whether you actually have a parasitic problem to treat. 

Some of the best herbal treatments for parasites I like to use with my patients include:

• Wormwood (12)
• Oregano oil (13)
• Black walnut (14)
• Goldenseal 
• Berberine (15) (You can order my product, The Berberine, here)
• Grapefruit seed extract (16)
• Curcumin
• Papaya seed 
• Pumpkin seed (17)
• Garlic extract (18)

There are also a number of powerful medicinal, indigenous plants from South America, including palo santo bark, that I rotate with my patients for really great antimicrobial effects. 

To make this simpler, I’ve put together all of my favorite herbs and supplements for parasitic infections, including the South American plant extracts I mentioned, into a collection that you can look at here. 

I will sometimes add in a binder to help bind to parasites and get them out of the body. The gut microbiome should also be supported with probiotics and postbiotics to help rebuild a robust, healthy environment. 

3. A Parasite Cleanse

What is a parasite cleanse? Well, a good one is really a combination of what we have already talked about. It involves using parasite-fighting natural treatments (diet, herbal supplements, etc.) in a strategic way to rid the body of parasites and other toxins, and support the body’s natural detoxification processes. Adequate hydration and stress management or nervous system support are also important features of a cleanse.

There are all kinds of trendy parasite cleanses online that are less comprehensive or holistic. I would generally look at parasite cleansing not as a quick reset where you flush everything out over the weekend and you’re instantly healed, but as a longer term strategy for both treating the infection and restoring the health of your gut and immune system. 

Is There Such A Thing As A Beneficial Parasite?

The very word “parasite” sounds dangerous and destructive, but believe it or not, in some cases, parasites can actually be beneficial.

The hygiene hypothesis theorizes that the significant reduction of exposure to parasites in industrialized nations is a major reason why the incidence of autoimmune conditions continues to rise. Many of these conditions are virtually nonexistent in developing nations where parasites are more common. (19)

More sanitary conditions that reduce exposure to microorganisms increase the likelihood of the immune system becoming over-reactive, which increases the likelihood of developing autoimmune diseases in response to exposure to toxins, a poor diet, and other environmental factors. (20)

The simple fact is that humans have co-evolved with helminths for thousands of years. Since the goal of any living thing — parasites included — is to stay alive, these parasites have evolved to tolerate and modulate the human immune system to avoid being eliminated. If a parasite can sidestep immune system attacks but not suppress the immune system to the point of compromising the health of the host (that’s you), then the parasite and human can co-exist.

The presence of helminths can actually increase good bacteria in the gut. (21) Since around 75% of your immune system is located in your microbiome, helminths contribute to healthy functioning in multiple ways. There is some really compelling evidence to support this, and helminthic therapy is on the rise for many people struggling with autoimmune and other inflammatory conditions.

Related: 4 Inflammation-Busting Therapies You Won’t Believe (Hint: Poop Transplants!)

Studies have shown that this therapy can greatly reduce the symptoms of autoimmune conditions such as multiple sclerosis (MS), asthma, inflammatory bowel conditions (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis), rheumatoid arthritis, and type 1 diabetes. (22)

Dealing with autoimmune conditions? Try my self-directed course to learn more about how to reverse autoimmunity naturally.

Helminthic therapy is not widely available in the United States but is an emerging therapy in holistic and functional medicine. If you are interested in trying this therapy, working with a reputable doctor or in a research setting is essential. Never buy helminths over the internet, as there are many possible side effects, and this should only be done under the supervision of a knowledgeable healthcare provider. 

It’s also not a first line treatment for anything, but something that may benefit some people who have essentially tried everything else. 

Treating Parasitic Infections Through Functional Medicine

We regularly see patients who are struggling with parasitic infections or wondering if parasites might be at the root of their symptoms. For personalized guidance and a comprehensive, holistic, functional medicine treatment plan that works for you, schedule a consultation today.

As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people worldwide. 

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