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Parasites? Yikes! Enzymes to the rescue to bust up biofilms

Content reviewed by Donna Gates
Written by Body Ecology on September 23rd, 2020

Parasites are more common than you may think. Actually, it would be hard to find anyone who doesn’t have them. They’re part of living on the earth. Some parasites living naturally are thought by some to be harmless, but at Body Ecology, we disagree. All parasites eliminate their waste products into your bloodstream.

A probiotic diet, like we recommend, helps support a parasite cleanse and keep parasites to a minimum. Fermented foods, like cultured vegetables and our probiotic liquids, are brimming with friendly microorganisms. They are “watchdogs” for any parasites, as well as their eggs and larva that can colonize the gut unless they eliminate them. The good guys don’t want them living in their space either.

Parasitic infection often coexists with allergies — increasing risk for allergies and asthma by up to 400 percent.

Parasites (from tapeworms to Candida albicans, a fungal parasite) have been associated with chronic disorders ranging from mental confusion and neurodegeneration to autoimmune diseases like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and reactive arthritis.1-4

A 2020 Scientific Reports study showed that parasites could make an existing health condition even worse — for example, aggravating symptom severity in adults with attention-deficit disorder.5

EcoOxyZyme

Kissing your pet can leave you at risk for parasitic infection. So, stay protected. Use advanced enzymes proven to help detoxify biofilms for twice-a-year deep cleaning and everyday maintenance.6,7

7 (or more) ways to pick up a parasite, including kissing your pet

If you’re living in an industrialized country, you may think parasites are horror stories from developing nations. Or, maybe you think the closest you’d come to experiencing a parasite is traveler’s diarrhea. But even in the U.S., you can get a parasite from just about anywhere — like a restaurant or a tick bite.

Other ways to acquire a parasite include:

  1. Drinking your city’s tap water.
  2. Drinking untested well water.
  3. Eating pork.
  4. Eating sushi and fish, especially cod.
  5. Forgetting to wash fruits and vegetables.
  6. Kissing your pet.
  7. Sharing a bed with your pet.

But not all authorities think parasites are bad. “Parasites are actually a sign of an intact, unstressed ecosystem, and the opposite, as strange as it may sound, is true: If the parasites disappear from a habitat, it’s probably in trouble,” science writer Carl Zimmer explains in Parasite Rex.8

“Bugs,” whether bacteria, viruses, fungi, or even larger critters, are thought to naturally be a part of every living plant and animal. The body can deal with a certain number of them, but when the pathogenic microbes increase and disturb the balance, expect trouble.

EcoPhage

You’re probably very aware of the importance of beneficial bacteria, but did you know that there are good viruses too? These are called phages. There are ten phages for every bacterium on the planet. Our EcoPhage is programmed to kill E. coli bacteria that have become pathogenic.9-12

Usually, E. coli are a normal part of the inner ecosystem and cause no trouble, but they can easily become pathogenic and thus become a parasite too.

You can pick up E. coli from eating out in restaurants. One study showed that 80 percent of the time, E. coli is the cause of SIBO.13 Phages are like police officers standing watch for the bacteria they’ve been assigned to kill if they step out of order.

Because:

  • Parasites traveling through the mesenteric artery may end up in the liver. From this point, they can circulate through your entire organ system, moving to the pancreas, heart, kidneys, and other organs.
  • Parasites are constantly defecating and excreting their own waste into your bloodstream.
  • Parasites can activate an inflammatory cascade and wreak havoc on your immune and endocrine health.

You can be sure that our earliest ancestors were infected with parasites as they foraged for food, and this contributed to their short lifespans. But today’s lifestyle and diets make us very attractive to parasites too.

Many times, carriers are asymptomatic, meaning they show no signs of infestation. Other times, a person can become dramatically ill from an infection that can range from weeks to years.

Besides secreting toxins, parasites inflame the intestinal walls. Inflammation opens the gut lining, and microbes, toxins, and undigested food particles that should have passed out of your body enter the bloodstream. This leaky gut is often the root cause of chronic and autoimmune disease.

Good to know:

  • We see a strong correlation between parasitic infection and autoimmune disorders.14
  • Parasitic infection often coexists with allergies — increasing risk for allergies and asthma by up to 400 percent.15
  • Parasitic gut infection oftentimes deeply affects a person’s mental peace of mind, showing up as depression, anxiety, and even schizophrenia.16
  • Inflammation in the digestive tract will eventually lead to inflammation of the brain.17

Essentially, parasites hijack healthy cells, a 2020 mBio study concluded. This helps them to get where they need to go and spread quickly, reaching as far as the brain.18

Do you need a parasite cleanse? Why eliminating parasites isn’t easy

Strong, anti-parasitic drugs may be successful in removing parasites from the digestive tract; however, these drugs have side effects. Plus, parasites are difficult to destroy because they cleverly form a sticky wall around themselves for protection called a biofilm.

Watch this — Get answers about gut health, candida, cleanses, and more on Body Ecology’s YouTube channel.

Biofilms are made up of a group of free-swimming microorganisms that end up sticking together and forming a coordinated functional community. They don’t seem to be too picky about who they stick around with, though, and a biofilm can be composed of just one kind of microbe or a mix of bacteria, fungi, and parasites.

Once in a biofilm, a microorganism gives over much of its independence and undergoes changes in the expression of its genes for the wellbeing of the community. They share nutrients, helping each other survive. Sheltered from the immune system and harmful substances in the environment, like antibiotics and toxins, they thrive.

Because biofilms are slimy, a microbe living inside them greatly benefits from this protection that it would not have on its own. One of the most common places to find a biofilm is on your own teeth.

Good to know:

  • Many microorganisms can embed themselves into a biofilm.
  • Working as a barrier, the biofilm protects microorganisms from the immune system.
  • The biofilm also helps bugs evade the effects of anti-parasitic substances.
  • Since biofilms successfully hide bacteria, tests trying to detect them can often come up negative.

Good bacteria also create biofilms around themselves, and their presence in our digestive tract is gut-protective. Populating the digestive tract with friendly bacteria every day ensures that the biofilms in your intestines are mostly beneficial.

Probiotic bacteria can disrupt biofilms’ growth and attachment.19 Therefore, probiotic-rich foods and drinks can help degrade and control pathogenic biofilm. A parasite cleanse can help maintain the health of the digestive tract too.

Periodically cleansing your internal environment with an herbal parasite cleanse interrupts their movement and keeps your body functioning at optimal levels. Biofilm-busting enzymes like beta glucanase, hemicellulase, and protease can also be used for a powerful periodic parasite cleanse, as well as supporting heightened immunity when taken daily during cold and flu season.6,7

While human research is limited, there are several commonly reported benefits that may happen with a parasite cleanse, along with stronger immunity:

  • Balanced mood.
  • Better digestion.
  • Decreased aches and pains.
  • Enhanced nutrient absorption.
  • Fewer cravings.
  • Improved energy.
  • More restful sleep.
  • Relief from itchiness and rashes.
  • Sharper focus/mental clarity.

Though parasites are commonplace and naturally present even in a healthy inner ecosystem, you still must keep them to a minimum. It’s a good idea to go through a parasite cleanse at least twice a year. At the same time, making delicious lifestyle choices, such as eating fermented foods, can create harmonious communities of beneficial microbes that support each other.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we, their hosts, followed their way and were as wise?

REFERENCES:

    1. Daré, L.O., Bruand, P., Gérard, D. et al. Associations of mental disorders and neurotropic parasitic diseases: a meta-analysis in developing and emerging countries. BMC Public Health 19, 1645 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7933-4.
    2. Chou, C., Lee, Y., Liao, C. et al. Enhanced expressions of neurodegeneration-associated factors, UPS impairment, and excess Aβ accumulation in the hippocampus of mice with persistent cerebral toxocariasis. Parasites Vectors 10, 620 (2017).
    3. Jadallah KA, Nimri LF, Ghanem RA. Protozoan parasites in irritable bowel syndrome: A case-control study. World J Gastrointest Pharmacol Ther. 2017;8(4):201-207. doi:10.4292/wjgpt.v8.i4.201.
    4. Bülent Alım, Sinan Çetinel, M. Alperen Servi, Fahrettin Bostancı, Mehmet Ozan Bingöl, “The Case of Reactive Arthritis Secondary to Echinococcus Infestation”, Case Reports in Rheumatology, vol. 2017, Article ID 3293060, 4 pages, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/3293060.
    5. Lam, A.P., de Sordi, D., Müller, H.H.O. et al. Aggravation of symptom severity in adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder by latent Toxoplasma gondii infection: a case–control study. Sci Rep 10, 14382 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-71084-w.
    6. Valeria Borszcz, Taisa P. Boscato, Juliana Flach, Karine Cence, Jamile Zeni, Rogério Luis Cansian, Geciane Toniazzo Backes, and Eunice Valduga. Industrial Biotechnology. Dec 2017.311-318. http://doi.org/10.1089/ind.2017.0021.
    7. Mukherji R, Patil A, and Prabhune A. Role of Extracellular Proteases in Biofilm Disruption of Gram Positive Bacteria with Special Emphasis on Staphylococcus aureus Biofilms. Mukherji, et al., Enz Eng 2015, 4:1 DOI: 10.4172/2329-6674.1000126.
    8. Zimmer, Carl (2000-09-21). Parasite Rex (Kindle Locations 3853-3855). Free Press. Kindle Edition.
    9. Cieplak T, Soffer N, Sulakvelidze A, Nielsen DS. A bacteriophage cocktail targeting Escherichia coli reduces E. coli in simulated gut conditions, while preserving a non-targeted representative commensal normal microbiota. Gut Microbes. 2018;9(5):391-399. doi:10.1080/19490976.2018.1447291.
    10. Dissanayake U, Ukhanova M, Moye ZD, Sulakvelidze A, Mai V. Bacteriophages Reduce Pathogenic Escherichia coli Counts in Mice Without Distorting Gut Microbiota. Front Microbiol. 2019;10:1984. Published 2019 Sep 10. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2019.01984.

Additional References:

    11. Bruttin A, Brüssow H. Human volunteers receiving Escherichia coli phage T4 orally: a safety test of phage therapy. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2005;49(7):2874-2878. doi:10.1128/AAC.49.7.2874-2878.2005.
    12. Chibeu A, Lingohr EJ, Masson L, et al. Bacteriophages with the ability to degrade uropathogenic Escherichia coli biofilms. Viruses. 2012;4(4):471-487. doi:10.3390/v4040471.
    13. Abedon ST, Kuhl SJ, Blasdel BG, Kutter EM. Phage treatment of human infections. Bacteriophage. 2011 Mar;1(2):66-85. doi: 10.4161/bact.1.2.15845. PMID: 22334863; PMCID: PMC3278644.
    14. El-Zawawy HT, Farag HF, Tolba MM, Abdalsamea HA. Improving Hashimoto’s thyroiditis by eradicating Blastocystis hominis: Relation to IL-17. Ther Adv Endocrinol Metab. 2020;11:2042018820907013. Published 2020 Feb 21. doi:10.1177/2042018820907013.
    15. Nils Oskar Jõgi, Cecilie Svanes, Silver Peeter Siiak, Erin Logan, John W. Holloway, Jannicke Igland, Ane Johannessen, Michael Levin, Francisco Gomez Real, Vivi Schlunssen, William G C Horsnell, Randi J. Bertelsen. Zoonotic helminth exposure and risk of allergic diseases: a study of two generations in Norway. Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2017; DOI: 10.1111/cea.13055.
    16. Emese Prandovszky, Elizabeth Gaskell, Heather Martin, J. P. Dubey, Joanne P. Webster, Glenn A. McConkey. The Neurotropic Parasite Toxoplasma Gondii Increases Dopamine Metabolism. PLoS ONE, 2011; 6 (9): e23866 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023866.
    17. Carlessi AS, Borba LA, Zugno AI, Quevedo J, Réus GZ. Gut-microbiota-brain axis in depression: the role of neuroinflammation [published online November 30, 2019]. Eur J Neurosci. doi: 10.1111/ejn.14631.
    18. Leonardo Augusto, Jennifer Martynowicz, Parth H. Amin, Nada S. Alakhras, Mark H. Kaplan, Ronald C. Wek, William J. Sullivan. Toxoplasma gondii Co-opts the Unfolded Protein Response To Enhance Migration and Dissemination of Infected Host Cells. mBio, 2020; 11 (4) DOI: 10.1128/mBio.00915-20.
    19. Smith A, Buchinsky FJ, Post JC. Eradicating chronic ear, nose, and throat infections: a systematically conducted literature review of advances in biofilm treatment. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2011;144(3):338-347. doi:10.1177/0194599810391620.
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