Archives for 2019
How to Deal With Black Mold and Recover From Mold Poisoning
- Black mold is extraordinarily toxic, and more common than you might think. An estimated 22 percent of people and half of all buildings in the U.S. have a mold problem.
- The good news is that the word about mold is spreading, and it’s becoming easier and easier to deal with black mold and mycotoxins (the toxins mold produces).
- This guide will tell you how to test for black mold, permanently remove it from your home, and flush mycotoxins from your body and repair the damage they do.
- Mold can make you feel hopeless and like your health is out of your hands. Don’t worry; with these steps, you can take control of your body and brain and get rid of mold for good.
Black mold is nasty stuff. It causes chronic fatigue, mood swings, allergies, asthma, unexplained weight gain — even cancer.
Mold contamination is also more common than you might think. In a recent Podcast episode [iTunes], geneticist and mold researcher Dr. Andrew Heyman explains why.
“We estimate that 22 percent of the population is vulnerable to [black mold exposure],” says Heyman. “Forty million people and at least half of all buildings in the U.S. have a mold problem.”
Heyman goes on to say that people frequently overlook black mold, partly because it often shows up in hard-to-reach places, like ventilation systems in commercial buildings or apartment complexes.
The good news is that, thanks to researchers like Heyman, people are more aware of mold than ever before. It’s easier to detect than it was in the past, and once you know you have it, there’s plenty you can do to address the issue. Let’s take a look at the three steps you can take to get black mold out of your life and help your body get back to full strength after mold exposure.
1. Test for black mold and mycotoxins
Mold can grow in your home for a variety of reasons. If you notice any of these things, you may want to test for mold:
- Musty smell
- Water damage, soft/wet walls, bubbling paint
- Leaking pipes
- Discolored wood or walls
- Unexplained fatigue
- Trouble concentrating
- Sudden mood swings
And a few common places to check for mold are:
- Bathtub or shower caulking
- Window sills (they sometimes collect condensation in the winter, which causes mold to grow in the wood)
- Under the bathroom/kitchen sink
- Toilet tanks
The different black mold tests
The first thing to do is verify that you have black mold. Symptoms of mold exposure are almost identical to other fatigue issues, like Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. And because mold can grow behind walls as a result of burst pipes or water damage, it’s often hard to pinpoint where mold is in your home.
If you can see black mold — in the caulking around your bathtub or below your kitchen sink, for example — and you have no reason to suspect it’s elsewhere in your house, you may be okay skipping a formal test. Otherwise, you have a few different options when it comes to testing for mold in your home:
- Mold culture test. This test includes a petri dish with a swab. You expose the petri dish to either the air or, through the swab, a specific area in your home, and then you cover it and let it sit for 48 hours. If you get lots of growth in the petri dish (particularly black growth), you have a mold problem. If you get little to no growth, you’re okay. Mold culture tests are fast and cheap (under $10, plus a little extra if you want to send the culture to a lab for analysis). A mold culture test is a good option if you suspect mold in your workplace or school. The downside is that the test won’t tell you where mold is — only if mold is present.
- ERMI test. Environmental relative moldiness index (ERMI) testing will tell you with much more specificity what mold is in your home and how big of a problem it is. ERMI tests will run you $200-$300.
In addition to testing for environmental mold, you may want to test your own body for mycotoxins — the damaging compounds that mold spores create. Mycotoxin contamination is what causes serious health and performance problems. It’s good to know if you have mycotoxins in your system.
- GENIE test. The Genomic Expression by Nanostring: Inflammation Explained (GENIE) is the best way to tell whether you have mycotoxicity or something else (it also tests you for Lyme). The GENIE test looks at 215 genes that turn on in a particular pattern in response to mold. GENIE is the most accurate mold test on the market.
2. Clean black mold and get rid of it for good
Once you know how bad your mold problem is (both in your environment and in your body), it’s time to get rid of the problem.
- Clean mold yourself. If your mold problem is small and visible, like caulking around your bathtub, you can get rid of it yourself. You just want to make sure you use the right cleaning solution. Bleach won’t kill mold entirely, and as the chlorine in bleach dissipates, the bleach turns into water, which creates the perfect environment for new mold to grow. Cleaning vinegar (stronger than kitchen vinegar) will kill mold, as will industrial chemicals like Moldex. Always wear a P100 respirator so you don’t inhale mold spores while you clean. Goggles are a good idea too, and a full body suit for larger mold infestations.
- Get rid of mold-contaminated items. Clothing, carpet, drapes, caulking, and paper goods like books and files will all absorb mold spores and can cause new mold growth. If they’ve been in an area with black mold, get rid of them, or in the case of cloth goods, get them professionally dry-cleaned. Throwing out belongings is a bummer, but it’s better to be safe than to have to deal with a new mold problem all over again.
- Professional mold remediation. If you have water damage or major mold contamination in hard-to-reach places, hiring a professional is your best bet. Mold remediation can be expensive, but professionals have the tools to find and eliminate all the mold in your entire home.
Put the time, effort, and money into handling your mold problem fully. It’s better than having the mold return in a few weeks, and you can rest easy knowing you’ve gotten rid of it entirely.
3. Help your body get rid of mycotoxins
Note: you have to get rid of mold in your environment (that includes the foods you eat, particularly coffee) before you can hope to successfully detox from mycotoxins. If you don’t, you’ll just keep accumulating new mycotoxins as you get rid of old ones. You may stall mold poisoning, but you won’t start to get rid of it — especially considering that it takes 35 days for your kidneys and bladder to flush out the more stubborn mycotoxins.
Once you’ve gotten rid of the source of mold, it’s time to get your body back into fighting shape. Mycotoxins mostly target your mitochondria, which explains why mold poisoning affects brain and heart function more than anything else (they’re the two parts of your body that are most mitochondria-dense).
To recover from mold toxicity, you want to boost your mitochondria as much as possible, while also clearing out lingering mycotoxins. These mold recovery therapies will help:
- Phosphatidylcholine: Your brain mitochondria incur a lot of inflammation and damage from mycotoxins. Phosphatidylcholine is an essential component of mitochondrial membranes; it helps your mitochondria build up their defenses and get back to functioning properly after serious damage. Dr. Heyman notes that you want to make sure you get oral phosphatidylcholine; some people go for an IV, and while an IV won’t hurt, it doesn’t contain related phospholipids that you get from a phosphatidylcholine supplement. Take 1-2 grams (1000-2000 mg) of phosphatidylcholine per day, with food. You can also eat a few pasture-raised egg yolks, which are packed with phosphatidylcholine. Make sure the yolks are runny so you don’t destroy this precious nutrient.
- Glutathione: Known as your body’s master antioxidant, glutathione is particularly good at protecting your mitochondria from the damaging effects of oxidative stress. Glutathione will help your mitochondria ward off damage enough that they can begin to repair themselves.
- Synapsin: Synapsin is a prescription nasal spray made of Rg3, a component of ginseng that supports glial cells, special cells in your brain that clean up toxins and protect your neurons from damage. Synapsin also contains nicotinamide riboside, which further protects your brain from toxins and stress. You’ll need a doctor to prescribe you Synapsin; here’s a list of doctors who specialize in treating mold poisoning.
- Cholestyramine and activated charcoal. These toxin binders are the central part of the military’s protocol for mold poisoning. They adsorb mycotoxins and remove them from your body. Cholestyramine is particularly effective, but you’ll need a prescription for it. Make sure to take these toxin binders at least 60 minutes away from other supplements. They’ll bind to good stuff as well as bad.
- Ozone therapy. This is less well-studied for mold recovery, but can make a big difference in recovering mitochondrial function and clearing out mold. It’s important to do ozone therapy with a doctor’s supervision; it can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Here’s a more detailed guide to ozone therapy, and exactly how it helps with mold.
Mold exposure can be incredibly frustrating. It can make you feel like you have no control over your environment, your health, your weight, your emotions — your life in general. If you’re dealing with mold, don’t despair. These tools can help you get rid of mold and mycotoxins and return to your healthy, high-performing self.
It’s Not Lyme, It’s Mold – Dr. Andrew Heyman
30 Ways to Avoid Decision Fatigue (So You’ll Stop Eating Fistfuls of Twinkies)
[tldr]
- Your brain is tired. Making decisions all day saps your energy and willpower. It’s called “decision fatigue,” and it’s exhausting.
- When you have to decide what to eat, where to go, and how you’re going to spend your attention, you have less energy to focus on the things that truly bring you joy.
- Save your brain power. The most effective way to avoid decision fatigue is to reduce your decision load to begin with.
- With the Bulletproof 30-Day Decision Fatigue Challenge, you’ll be equipped to make better choices with iron-clad willpower.
- Once you’ve checked everything off, what else can you do to streamline your life?
[/tldr]
Your brain is tired. You want to eat clean, exercise more often, and stop feeling like a raging stress monster at the end of the day. But from the moment you wake up to the moment you fall into bed, every decision you make saps your willpower.
It doesn’t have to be that way. You have the power to take control of your life. You just have to start saying “no.”
That’s where the Bulletproof 30-Day Decision Fatigue Challenge comes in. With this checklist, you’ll be equipped to make better choices in the new year. Save your brain power so you can be a better, more productive person with stronger willpower. Keep reading to find out how.
Related: How To Strengthen Your Willpower Muscle
How decision fatigue makes you weak
The term “decision fatigue” refers to the burnout your brain feels after making choices all day. It sounds like a first-world problem, but decision fatigue is a studied issue. People who avoid chocolate chip cookies all day are less able to resist other temptations.[ref url=”https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/21/magazine/do-you-suffer-from-decision-fatigue.html “] Physicians become increasingly more likely to prescribe antibiotics as their workday progresses.[ref url=”https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/1910546″] And if you ever end up in court, try to have your trial scheduled early in the day: You’re more likely to get a favorable decision from the judge.[ref url=”https://www.pnas.org/content/108/17/6889″]
What gives? When you have to decide what to eat, where to go, and how you’re going to spend your attention, you have less energy to focus on the things that truly bring you joy. In “Game Changers: What Leaders, Innovators, and Mavericks Do to Win at Life,” Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey says that every time you avoid making a choice, you save a little bit of willpower that you can then put toward something that will have a greater impact.
Think about it: After a stressful day at work, you reach for the closest pint of ice cream, even though you swore off sugar. You snap at your kids because they’re demanding your attention and you have zero cares left to give. You collapse on the couch instead of going to the gym because your brain and body are tapped.
The most effective way to avoid decision fatigue is to reduce your decision load to begin with. Decluttering your wardrobe and planning your meals might seem small, but these choices add up. Instead of losing precious minutes picking an outfit, figuring out what to eat for breakfast, or searching for your car keys, you’ll have more energy to focus on yourself and your goals.
It’s an ounce of pre-planning with major payoff: a happier, more productive, more awesome you.
30 ways to streamline your life and make better decisions
Below, you’ll find 30 easy ways to reduce decision fatigue. Every day, try something new on this list. You can go in order, or jump around. Check off these items as you try them.
Here’s how you can tell if you’re effectively reducing decision fatigue: You feel less stressed, more focused, and like you’re actually working toward your goals. You’re saying “no” to things that don’t bring you joy and “yes” to the things that do. You know exactly what you need to do to set yourself up for success the next day.
Think of this checklist as your starting point. Once you’ve checked everything off, what else can you do to streamline your life?
The Bulletproof 30-Day Decision Fatigue Challenge
1. Set your goals
The first step in this challenge is arguably the most important: Identify what you want to accomplish. Maybe you’ve always wanted to save up for a big trip, learn a new language, master the art of meal prepping, or meditate a little bit every day. To keep things simple, pick three. Learn how to set fail-proof goals and resolutions.
2. Create realistic deadlines
OK, you probably won’t be able to learn a new language in 30 days. Instead, focus on intention — “I’m going to study Spanish every day for the next 30 days.” That mindset is much more sustainable, realistic, and forgiving. It’s also tied to a clear action you can stick to every day.
3. Schedule everything
Look at your goals and deadlines, and make them fit into your life. Schedule the immovable things first, like your work hours and the time it takes to drop your kids off at school. Then, pencil in the things you want to accomplish.
Here’s an example: If you want to exercise more often, schedule your workouts into your week (these quick workouts are a great place to start). Be realistic. If you aren’t a morning person, don’t say you’re going to work out at 4 a.m. every day. Instead, schedule a 15-minute HIIT routine after work two or three times a week. Treat it like an appointment.
3. Say “no”
This is your permission to say “no” to the activities and obligations that eat up your time and energy. If you really don’t want to grab lunch with a friend-of-a-friend, say no. If your coworker wants you to bring something for the office potluck and you don’t have the time, turn them down. And if you’re tired of replying to messages all day, say “no” to notifications — work in “Do Not Disturb” mode for up to an hour, and then check your alerts. Odds are, you’ll get a lot more done.
4. Become a meal planning ninja
Meal planning is a great way to minimize waste, save money, and reduce decision fatigue in one fell swoop. Plan your meals based on what you like to eat, what you like to cook, and what you have available. Prep your meals a few days in advance, or pick out go-to recipes to cook during the week. When you go grocery shopping, you’ll know exactly what you need to buy because you’ve picked out your recipes ahead of time. Make a little extra so you have an easy lunch the next day. Boom. Click here for a downloadable meal plan and easy recipes.
5. Master a few delicious meals
It’s the end of the day, and you want to cook dinner. What’s your go-to meal? Pick five or six recipes you love, and keep them in your rotation. Instead of wondering what to cook for dinner (and then eating out instead), you’ll have a selection of favorite recipes you can feel good about eating. They don’t have to be fancy. Even something as simple as chicken and rice can be elevated to new levels when you’ve mastered it — transform it into an Indian-inspired dish with some turmeric and curry, or add a bed of salad greens and cilantro for a quick burrito bowl. Magic. These weeknight dinners take 30 minutes or less.
6. Keep a running grocery list
Keep a notepad by your refrigerator. Any time you start to run low on everyday essentials — like eggs, grass-fed butter, or coconut oil — write it down. When it’s time to hit the grocery store, you won’t forget something you absolutely need. Instead, you’ll have a stocked kitchen, which means you’ll have an easier time preparing your meals.
7. Drink Bulletproof Coffee
Your breakfast should fuel you up for hours so you can focus on your day, not your hunger. Instead of loading up on sugary carbs or running out of time to prepare breakfast in the morning, drink a cup of Bulletproof Coffee. It’s tasty, buttery, and frothy like a latte. It’s also way easier to prepare than a traditional breakfast, but it’ll keep you satisfied for hours because fat is an amazing energy source.
8. Eat more fat
Want to stop thinking about food and dealing with hanger pains? Eat more fat with every meal. High-quality fat is good for you — it keeps you full, boosts your mood, regulates your hormones, and helps you lose weight.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166432816302571″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4763493/”] And unlike carbohydrates, fat won’t spike your blood sugar and make you crash. When you’re fueled by fat, you’ll enjoy stable energy all day long. That way, you can focus on being awesome all day, not wondering what you’re going to have for lunch. Learn more about
9. Eliminate obstacles
Want to read every night? Leave a book and reading lamp on your nightstand. Want to stop eating out as often? Set aside one or two days per week to prep your lunch and dinner. Identify the obstacles that hold you back. Find a solution that works for you. Then, smash that obstacle to pieces.
10. Identify your sleep chronotype
According to sleep expert Michael Breus, PhD, your sleep chronotype determines when you are the most energetic — and therefore the most productive. Some people are naturally night owls, while others are naturally morning people. Use that information to inform your schedule. If you’re a Bear, push your intense meetings to mid-morning. If you’re a Wolf, you’re most productive in the evening. Learn more about your sleep chronotype here. Listen to Breus in conversation with Asprey on this episode of the Bulletproof Radio podcast.
11. Go to sleep
Want to have enough energy to power through your decisions throughout the day? Go to sleep at the same time, no matter what. It establishes a healthy bedtime routine, which helps train your brain into recognizing that it’s time for shut-eye. Don’t fall into the temptation of another Netflix binge: Irregular sleep patterns are so detrimental that they directly impact your mental health, happiness, and overall performance.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170605085336.htm”][ref url=”https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170612094045.htm”] Do you have trouble winding down at the end of the day? Download the Bulletproof Sleep Roadmap here to identify why you’re not sleeping — and get personalized solutions that really work.
12. Pick a workout plan
Take the guesswork out of exercise by following a workout plan. The Bulletproof Body Workout Plan is a great resource — you exercise just three days per week, and every workout is designed to push your entire body in less than 20 minutes.
13. Downsize your closet
There’s a reason why CEOs wear the same thing every day. Having a uniform frees up your brain to focus on more important tasks at hand. Donate or give away old clothes you haven’t worn in a year. Put away seasonal items so they don’t clutter up your closet. For hardcore mode, try a capsule wardrobe. Pick a handful of tops, bottoms, jackets, and shoes that complement each other. Get rid of all your other clothes (or just put them out of sight for now). Your goal is to have less than 30 items in your closet that work well together.
14. Automate what you can
Most utilities offer automatic payments so the bill is automatically deducted from your account. Try a subscription to minimize the amount of time you spend at the store — ButcherBox will deliver meat directly to your door, and other services will deliver basic essentials like razors and toothbrushes on a customizable schedule.
15. Put things in their place
The junk drawer is the scourge of every home. Designate a space for items like your keys, your phone, your wallet. Leave them in the same place every day. That’s less energy wasted looking for lost items, and more attention you can place elsewhere.
16. Delegate your decisions
Stop shouldering everything — it’s killing your willpower. Instead, at work and at home, find opportunities to delegate decisions so you can make fewer choices throughout the day. If you’re stressed because of a big project, reach out to your supervisor to see about delegating other tasks. If you’re drowning in laundry every time you go home, ask your partner (or recruit your kid!) to wash a load.
17. Identify barriers
Once you’ve spent some time actively streamlining your life, take a step back and look at the places you keep hitting a wall. Are you having a hard time waking up early enough to make it to the gym? Try a quick home workout instead, or try working out later in the day. Can’t stick to your new diet? Change your approach and find out how to stop sugar cravings for good. Your goals and decisions aren’t set in stone; they can and should evolve over time. Identify what’s holding you back and find solutions to create change.
18. Practice self-care
Having trouble clearing up brain space? Spend some time taking care of yourself to feel recharged and refocused. Take a meditative walk, hop in a bath, or try this guided meditation to get back in touch with yourself and restore focus.
19. Pack your bags
This is a simple way to set yourself up for success the following day. At night, prep your bags for the gym, work, lunch — whatever you’re planning for the day ahead. In the morning, you can focus on enjoying your routine, drinking a cup of coffee, and starting your day the way you want — not rushed and stressed.
20. Do the most important thing first
Whether it’s an important project for work or a personal task you’ve been putting off for ages, take care of it as soon as you start your day. You’ll have all the mental clarity and energy you need to power through. Double up your focus by turning off notifications on your phone and laptop, even if it’s just for 20 minutes. Try these five fast hacks to improve focus and concentration.
21. Donate, recycle, or give something away
When you have fewer possessions, you can appreciate the things that truly bring you joy. Pick one item to get rid of. Once you get rid of one thing, see how it feels when you get rid of something more — odds are, you’ll enjoy the way it feels to live with less clutter in your cabinets (and in your life).
22. Master the mid-day recharge
Embrace the power nap. If you usually hit a wall halfway through the day, you’re going to have a harder time making decisions later on. Take a coffee nap, exercise, or meditate to replenish your energy in no time. Learn how here.
23. Delete apps you never use
Decision fatigue extends to your phone, too. Delete apps you haven’t opened in ages. This is especially true if they send you annoying notifications because you haven’t used them. Try to reduce your phone to one screen of essential apps you use all the time.
24. Simplify your desktop
Tired of searching for files? Clean up your desktop. Create nested folders for the files you use all the time, and delete everything else or store it in a cloud system like Dropbox or Google Drive.
25. Go on a digital detox
Overusing technology is stressing you out. Deciding to scroll through social media is stealing your attention away from more important things, like spending quality time with loved ones. Pick a day to abstain from social media and screens after dark. If you want to go big, ditch all technology for a full day. (It’s just as challenging as you think.) Learn more about the benefits of disconnecting.
26. Create a morning routine you enjoy
Whether you start your day with a workout or a big mug of coffee (or both), find a routine that works for you and stick to it. Routines are important because they create habits over time. Fill your morning with habits you want to make a part of your lifestyle, like 5 minutes of meditation.
27. Keep your bedtime routine sacred
Two hours before bedtime, stop eating and don’t exercise two hours. Limit your screen time after dark. Go to bed around the same time every night. Life may get in the way sometimes, but stick to your bedtime routine as much as possible — it’ll help you fall asleep and stay asleep, so you can tackle the next day with properly renewed energy and focus.
28. Be picky with your social time
You don’t have to say “yes” to every happy hour, family reunion, or dinner date. Say “yes” only when you genuinely want to spend quality time with someone else. It’s okay to be picky — your time is valuable, and the way you spend it determines how much energy you have to make decisions with the rest of your day. For the ultimate social hack to avoid decision-making, set up a recurring date with your friends. Pick a day and time every week or month that generally works with your schedules, and stick with it — that way, you won’t have to deal with trying to cram a brunch date last-minute into your already busy schedule.
29. Adjust as needed
Life happens. If you weren’t able to stick to your schedule, don’t take it as a failure — just adjust accordingly. It’s already Saturday, and you weren’t able to work out twice this week — so do a quick workout at home today.
30. Practice gratitude
Gratitude literally rewires your brain by strengthening neural pathways to make you happier and more productive.[ref url=”https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1052562911430062″] Write down your gratitudes daily to reinforce what truly brings you joy. Learn more about how to practice gratitude here.
Helminthic Therapy for Autoimmune Disease (Or, Why I Gave Myself Parasites on Purpose)
[tldr]
- Infecting yourself with parasites on purpose, known as helminthic therapy, is a cutting-edge treatment for autoimmune conditions.
- You have to know what you’re doing — I consulted experts and did the research before I went for it. Certain parasites can cause major problems, and some are fatal.
- Parasites used in helminthic therapy reduce autoimmune disease flare-ups.
- These types of parasites cannot reproduce in humans, so if you do it right, you don’t have to worry about a full-blown infestation.
- Sourcing your parasite eggs is crucial. You want them to be active, and more importantly you want to make sure you’re receiving what you think you’re receiving.
- Here’s how to determine whether helminthic therapy is right for you.
[/tldr]
I downed a bottle of rat tapeworm larvae on stage once. I’ll be the first to admit I did it to get a reaction out of the audience.
It wasn’t my first time ingesting parasites. Before that, I ate pig whipworm eggs from Thailand to see what would happen.
I didn’t make the informed decision to grow worms in my body just for the winces and gasps from the crowd, even though that was fun. I also did it because infecting yourself with parasites on purpose, known as helminthic therapy, is a cutting-edge treatment for autoimmune conditions. That is, if you know what you’re doing.
As with all of my biohacks, I consulted experts and did the research before I went for it. Turns out, certain parasites reduce autoimmune disease flare-ups. The ones used for helminthic therapy cannot reproduce in humans, so if you do it right, you don’t have to worry about a full-blown infestation.
You have to know what you’re doing, and you can’t get your eggs from just anywhere. Certain parasites can kill you. Other ones can mess you up. For example, I ended up with a brain-eating amoeba that caused dry mouth, bizarre dreams, and a bunch of digestive problems.
I picked that up from a restaurant, not a pill bottle. Still, you don’t want something sketchy mixed in with the parasites that the label says are in the bottle. Run your self-experiments by your functional medicine doctor.
In case you’re curious, I’ll share my own research on helminthic therapy, and my experience with it.
What causes autoimmune diseases?
To understand how intestinal worms affect autoimmune diseases, it helps to understand how the immune system works when it’s working well, and how it gets confused.
Here’s the quick-and-dirty on how autoimmune diseases start. A healthy immune system will activate when there’s an invader, and reset when the job is done. In modern society, things like stress, pollution, chemicals in food and personal care products, moldy houses, and sub-clinical infections (viruses and such that don’t cause symptoms) trigger your immune system, or keep it in attack mode longer than it should be.
When your immune system is in attack mode, it marks foreign cells as invaders and goes on a search-and-destroy mission for those specific cells. When your immune system is active for too long, it starts making mistakes, marking healthy cells as invaders and attacking them, too. Over time, it breaks down tissues.
How does helminthic therapy help with autoimmune diseases?
The relationship between your immune system and parasites gets an “it’s complicated” status. The short answer is, they tell your immune system to chill out.
Intestinal worms are invaders. If your immune system activates, the critters come under attack. Over time, they’ve adapted ways to escape surveillance, and a handful of those mechanisms benefit you.
What the science says about helminthic therapy
Research has shown strong potential of specific parasites, commonly pig whipworms and human hookworms, as part of treatment plans for:
- Autism[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23597946″]
- Ulcerative colitis[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20054982″]
- Crohn’s disease[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1774382/”]
- Inflammatory bowel diseases[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4015520/”][ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1471492212000360″]
- Multiple sclerosis[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17230481/”]
- Lupus[ref url=”https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/pim.12175″][ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896841115000396″]
There’s a lot of room for more research on helminthic therapy. So far, researchers have been able to pinpoint a few things that parasites do while they’re hanging around in your intestines.
Strengthen the barrier function of the gut lining
Your gut lining is always permeable — you wouldn’t get anything out of your food if your intestines were made of vinyl. A lot of autoimmune disorders and inflammation stems from a gut lining that’s too permeable. Certain microorganisms, especially certain strains of yeasts, take root in the intestines by drilling a hole in the lining. A few of these holes are okay, but a lot compromises its gatekeeper function.
Over time, you can develop sensitivities to undigested food particles, which activate the immune system. Scientists found that pig whipworms enhanced the function of the gut lining.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4015520/”]
One possible way they do that is by strengthening the layer of mucus that coats the intestines (think the lining’s lining). A study showed that certain nematodes like the pig whipworm increases the size of mucus-producing cells in the intestine, which in turn increases mucus production.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19079187″]
Make your gut younger and stronger
Another study showed that certain nematodes stimulated cell turnover in the gut lining.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19079187/”] That means, the weak or damaged cells die off and get replaced with strong, healthy ones, sewing up damaged tissue along the way.
Helminthic therapy parasites can cause other symptoms
Parasites in your intestines are foreign bodies that can give you symptoms, even if you put them there yourself. Everyone’s constitution is different, and scientists observed that you can experience any combination of symptoms like:
- Flatulence[ref url=”https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0022346″]
- Diarrhea[ref url=”https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0022346″]
- Abdominal pain[ref url=”https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0022346″]
- Skin rashes[ref url=”https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0022346″]
- Itching[ref url=”https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0022346″]
- Anemia[ref url=”https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19640800105″]
- Neurological symptoms, and more[ref url=”https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0022346″]
Did it work, and is helminthic therapy for you?
You’re probably wondering if parasites worked for me. The types of parasites I used can only live in humans for four months or less, so for me, it was a short-term experiment. Personally, I saw a reduction in my hashimoto’s symptoms and some other issues I was having.
Everyone is different. A lot of factors go into whether helminthic therapy will reduce your autoimmune disease flare-ups or put you into remission. Lots of people are experimenting with helminthic therapy, sometimes as a biohacking experiment, other times as a desperate last resort. There are lots of success stories out there. Your functional medicine doctor can help you weigh the pros and cons, and help you decide whether it’s worth giving parasites a go.
If you’re going to go for it, source is everything. Don’t order from the most convenient or cheapest source. Get the best you can find.
Solving the Problem of Aging with Dr. Robert Goldman #556
