Rise in parasite infections triggers epidemic of fatigue

Up to 80% of women harbor parasites that act as ‘energy vampires,’ asserts Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., author of Guess

What Came to Dinner? “Parasites damage the gut, steal nutrients from their host and pump out toxins, causing GI distress, fatigue and more.” “And parasites aren’t just a problem for travelers to exotic places,“notes Gordo Crozier, D.O., an integrative physician in Orlando. “Because they’re spread by pets, contaminated water and improperly handled food, they’re becoming an increasingly common health threat in the U.S.”

Complicating matters: Parasites not only thrive on sugar, they lower brain levels of serotonin, says Gittleman. This creates sugar cravings that trap women in a spiral of symptoms.

Stool tests can diagnose an infection. But testing is far from perfect, so doctors often treat based on symptoms. And while medication is often needed, parasites have become resistant to many drugs. Luckily, the steps below can help eradicate infections.

Avoiding sugar helps starve parasites, so Gittleman advises cutting out sugary foods and drinks and loading up on leafy greens, carrots, cantaloupe, mangoes and chicken, which deliver vitamin A and zinc. “Parasites can’t hold on to the gut when the body has an adequate supply of these nutrients.” Also key: Cook with coconut oil. The body converts its monolaurin into lauric acid, a compound with potent antiparasitic activity.

Enjoying 2 cloves of garlic and 1 to 2 tsp. of ginger a day can eradicate parasites, suggests research in the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious

Diseases. Both boast compounds that have antiparasitic action.