Dr. Craig Reese, DC, PC
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PARASITES
In addition to the flowers and the new leaves, spring also brings us our yearly infusion of parasites in the drinking water. Usually from April to June, they can be found off and on in our water supply. The spring run-off causes these little friends to be carried into our water in greater numbers than usual. Cryptosporidium is one of nearly a hundred parasites that may be transmitted by direct contact with feces or by water contaminated with fecal waste. Infection may result from person-to-person or animal-to-person contact, ingestion of fecally contaminated water or food, or contact with contaminated surfaces. The symptoms of cryptosporidiosis include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headaches, nausea, vomiting, and low grade fever. Onset of symptoms varies from two to twelve days after ingestion of the oocysts. These symptoms may lead to weight loss and dehydration.This is why I recommend drinking only water that has been filtered by some method. Reverse osmosis or carbon block filters work to remove these parasites and other nasties from the water supply. I have found that the pitcher-style filters are not effective in removing the parasites from the water. They work fine in the fall and winter to remove the chemicals and organic matter from the drinking water, but I don't recommend these types of filters in the spring and early summer.
It is also a misconception that parasitic infections are a problem only in Third World countries or Europe. Parasites are epidemic in this country as well. According to the doctors at www.anti-parasites.com:
Parasitic infections, in association with nutritional deficiencies, are the primary cause of death in the world. The majority of more serious infections occur in tropic zones of the earth. However, the populace of the United States is not free of parasitic infections. In the United States, poorer populations are most commonly affected with native-born infections; however, no one is immune. For example, raccoons or possums can use playgrounds as nocturnal pathways, leaving behind ascarid eggs that can later infect children. The increase in immigration and world travel has complicated regional parasitic infections. Today, it is not unusual for the general practitioner to be confronted with an exotic disease. Both domestic and wild animals may act as reservoirs for parasites, and some can transmit infections to humans. A disease caught by a human from an animal is called a zoonosis. Examples of zoonotic diseases include hydatid disease or Toxomplasma gondii. Hydatid disease is caused by larval tapeworms that hatch from eggs ingested from dog feces (handling an infected dog and/or its feces, then touching the mouth). Toxoplasma gondii is normally a parasite of cats and rodents. It can be transmitted to humans, and it is known to cause birth defects. Parasitic infections cause damage by physical trauma. They also cause damage by destroying cells, tissues, or organs by mechanical or chemical means. Parasites also divert the host's nutritive substances. Some parasites also produce toxins that further damage the host.
I'm sure the last time you took your kids to the park you never thought about a raccoon wiping its butt on the playground equipment! Also, anything that poops in your house (cats, mice, birds, dogs, hamsters, etc.) can put parasites into the air.
Restaurant food is another
common source of parasites. Improper handling of raw meat can contaminate
salads and vegetables. Unsanitary personal bathroom habits of food handlers
can also put parasites in our food. Eating restaurant food is a major part
of most of our lives, but it is akin to playing Russian Roulette. You never
know when you are going to get parasites from the food you eat.
That's why I recommend taking one dropperful of Jug/Art or one Clear (natural
anti-parasitic herb formulas) each day that you eat restaurant food. This
also goes for any food you eat that you didn't prepare (potlucks, parties,
catered food, salad from salad bars, and possibly even store-bought salad
mixes). Any time you travel you should take Jug/Art or Clear with you and
take some everyday.
Dr. Hulda Clark brought the dangers of parasites to the public's attention with her books, Cure for all Cancers and Cure for all Diseases. Although I have not seen her program cure cancer in 3 weeks as she claims, she did make us aware of the prevalence of parasites in this country and the dangers of leaving these infections untreated. She also cleared up the misconception that parasites are only found in the bowel. Over 60% of all parasitic infections are outside of the bowels in areas like the lungs, liver, brain, muscles and blood. Testing a stool sample for parasites is only 5-10% accurate at best. Most of the time the stool test comes back negative even though the patient really does have a parasitic infection. In addition to the symptoms listed above, fatigue, recurring infections, weight gain, brain fog, anxiety and depression can also be from a parasite in your body. Remember the old saying "What's eating you?" Well with parasites in your body, something really is eating you! The good news is that they are easily treated usually in about 3-6 weeks.
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