The gut-health of the average person doesn’t make pretty reading, but good old remedies can come to the rescue
‘PARASITES are only a serious problem in Third World countries, aren’t they?’ queried one of my neighbours just recently. She’s been suffering with gas and bloating, joint pain and mild depression. I thought she might have a candida overgrowth, which could be treated immediately and then, if not improved, parasites could be the cause.
Parasites! The word creates visions of unsanitary conditions, but conditions don’t have to be abnormally unhygienic for parasites to thrive. Everyone’s aware that tapeworms can be picked up from undercooked pork, but other parasites are acquired from poorly washed vegetables or playing with pets. They may be transferred from an infected person by a mere hand-shake, while sexually transmitted parasites are more common than venereal disease. So yes – food for thought!
There are over 300 types, including pinworms, whipworms, flukes and Giardia lamblia – which affects waterways even in developed countries. “I believe the single most undiagnosed health challenge in the history of the human race is parasites,” states Dr Ross Anderson, one of America’s foremost parasitic infection experts.
Parasites know no boundaries, are oblivious to income, nationality or age; some US specialists believe as much as 80 per cent of the world’s population is infected. Parasites produce toxins, damage mucous membranes; get into the blood and infect major body organs. Frighteningly, because symptoms develop fully only when the immune system is compromised, we can all unknowingly harbour parasites. So what to do?
Try an effective herbal programme: Intesti-Clenz and Liva-Clenz use herbs like coriander, cumin, rosemary and sage in oil solutions. They’re easy to take and are especially suitable for children who bring little free-loaders home from school.
The most effective remedy is undoubtedly good old-fashioned castor oil. New research suggests that frozen castor oil capsules, when taken before meals, pass immediately through the stomach before dissolving in the ileum – the last part of the small intestine. Here it’s hydrolysed into recinoleic acid, which is deadly to parasites living further down the tract. Freezing means you don’t get the reflux (terrible tasting burps!) and the poison is delivered to both parasites and colonic plaque. Result? Stay by the loo!
Suggested dosage is between two and six frozen capsules every 12 hours – continuing for up to 21 days. Not every oil capsule withstands freezing: best brand Healing Within from Tigon GB Ltd by mail-order (www.oliveleaf.co.uk or call 0044 116 235 5020). Tigon also distributes the ‘Clenz’ series.
Limassol-based Dr Igor Cetojevic treats parasites with ‘energetic medicine’, zapping the infection wherever it infests the body. He says May is a common time for parasitic infection; I’d guess perhaps from water supplies and from increased raw vegetable intake. His post-treatment purgative is the juice of three raw carrots and one clove of garlic – daily for a week! (www.drigor.com or call 25 342904)
This is too small a space to combine two intestinal complaints, but earlier I mentioned candidiasis and, as it has so many similar symptoms – bloating, IBS, joint pain and depression – it’s worth a short mention here, with more to come next time.
Candida albicans is a yeast-like fungus, which should exist in small amounts in the human body. It’s when it gets out of control – often through taking antibiotics – and is fed sugars, yeasts and processed foods, that it becomes known as candidiasis. It isn’t just a female complaint either.
Double blind clinical trials have shown that d-Lenolate TM, extracted from olive leaves, was effective on 100 per cent of the test subjects. A study by Dr Bernard Mizock MD., FACS., for US-based East Park – whose trade-marked Eden [olive leaf] Extract was used in the studies – recommends six 500mg capsules daily over two months.
Finally, with all of the above herbal alternatives, you must drink at least two litres of bottled water daily and try to modify your diet to exclude sweet/processed foods. Do e-mail me with queries: [email protected]
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
My daughter’s doctor prescribed Lactulose for her constipation. She believes she may be lactose intolerant – does this matter?
In a word, yes! The BMA Concise Guide is unambiguous.
Briefly, it’s paramount to find the cause of the constipation, whether it’s constant or occasional. Lactose and wheat intolerance can both cause it.
She should try an exclusion diet – no wheat/dairy – for a month; eat more vegetable fibre like psyllium husk, linseed, prunes and oatbran and drink at least two litres of water daily. Bioforce (www.bioforce.co.uk) produce Linoforce – granules of linseed, senna and frangula.
If constipation is severe and long-term, I’d recommend the frozen castor oil remedy (main article) twice a week, for one month: once the bowel is ‘unbunged’, improvements naturally follow. Flax oil (Viridian Nutrition: www.nutriglow.com) or flax/linseed oil capsules (FSC brand from local healthfood outlets) maintain bowel health thereafter. Nutriglow also supply the Lepicol products: I recommend the Bowel Benefit Formula.
A consultation with Dr Igor (main article) can identify food intolerances if the exclusion diet has not made huge improvements. (E-mail me for diet!).
Nikki’s column appears every four weeks. Please address your questions to [email protected] PO Box 21144, Nicosia. Tel: 22818585
