Jonathan Steedman (00:01.026)

Hey food groupies, we're gonna dive into parasite cleansers. How fun. I get a lot of questions about these slash. There's just a lot of content out there about them, because they're a really good way to make money. So I wanted to explain what you're seeing, explain what they are, explain why maybe I don't recommend them. As I always do, I've already kind of given up the game, haven't I? So yeah, no, I'm not gonna end this podcast by recommending that some of you do a parasite cleanse, but anyway.

I'm going to explain why. I think first and foremost, the reason they're appealing is because they love to, you'll notice that the things that they claim to improve or the symptoms of having a parasite tend to be things like fatigue, stress, bloating, brain fog, which are all very real things. But like who doesn't feel stressed sometimes? Who doesn't feel brain foggy sometimes? Who doesn't?

you know, feel fatigued sometimes. So sure, that might be because all of us are riddled with parasites, or it could just be that our modern living has a number of things working against us in that department. We've got blue screens, we've got crappy sleep, we've got, you know, financial stress, we've got like all of these things, right? And so that's one way in which the parasite cleansers can seem really appealing because they give you this list of really broad, really vague symptoms that it would be really easy for you to go like,

I have like all of those, right? Because you probably do. Or well, hopefully you don't have all of them, but you know, can probably, you know, what's the word, relate to most of them, right? So that's what they do, because that's a good way to get you. But the reality is actual parasite prevalence is super low, right? Particularly like if you live in a first world country with good sanitation, we're very lucky in that actual parasite infestation is really low.

Now, if you work with livestock or you've traveled overseas recently then to certain locations and yeah, potentially you do have a parasite. They're very real. I'm not saying for a second that you don't have one. I'm just saying we're not all walking around infested with parasites. And so if you feel like you are, if you do have a parasite, then go to your doctor, get a stool test. I mean, they'll tell you what to do, but you'll probably get a stool test. They'll test for these parasites and they will, you know.

Jonathan Steedman (02:25.057)

give you the right anti-parasitic medication to deal with that thing. So don't just go off, I've got these symptoms, I must have a parasite, right? Because it's also like the clue, not just red flag number one is this big list of vague symptoms that could be due to a lot of things, right? Red flag number two is just parasite. This all encompassing word, it's a bit like I will balance your hormones. like which ones? Like how? Like what levels are gonna change?

You know, these big claims around, yeah, broadly, we will cleanse all parasites. There are so many different types of parasites that you can contract in so many different types of ways. The idea that one cleanse, like there's not even one anti-parasitic medication because you have to base it, you have to, you know, use the right medication for the right parasite. And so the fact that some vitamin supplements and a diet detox is going to cure you of all quote unquote parasites.

is, you know, again, another really big red flag. So hopefully, you're with me here that, maybe these aren't legit. But what you can see, there's two other bits of, I guess, supporting evidence you'll see on social media. And the first is that people report to feel heaps better. And I'm not surprised by that. Because for a lot of people, what they're doing is they are reducing their intake of overly processed high fat, high sugar,

foods, which you know, I'm not against you can absolutely include some of them. But if the large majority of your diet is built on these foods, and you shift over to something that's a lot more, you know, whole food plant based lots of fiber, lots of vitamins, lots of minerals, you essentially increase the nutrient density of your diet. Of course, you're going to feel better. It's not because you've gotten rid of your parasite. It's just because you've improved your diet quality. The good news is you can do that while still including some fun, joyful foods and not, you know, pooping your pants.

And so oftentimes if someone's claiming they feel so much better, A, I tend to believe them because like I said, they've probably improved their diet quality or B, they're lying, which if anyone's been watching Apple Cider Vinegar or remembers Bill Gibson, like that's actually a you know, realistic explanation. They don't feel better or worse. They're just telling you that just to move some product. Okay. So that's the first thing.

Jonathan Steedman (04:51.69)

The second bit of supporting evidence I see online is the people that show footage or photos of the parasites that they have passed after these cleanses, which is like, I can't even, I don't know how they got that, well, I do, they dog through the toilet and they're yeah, so they're nothing if not committed, I guess. anyway, so you've seen this and you're like, wow, okay, well, here is clear physical evidence of this person excreting.

disgusting word excreting parasites and you're trying to tell me this cleanse doesn't work what are those things then well they're typically digested food sometimes they can be like mucous strands or I'm in really severe cases they can be parts of their small of their large intestine it can be like literally the lining of their bowel which is wild and so yeah they are getting rid of something but that again is not the parasites

Or sometimes they just have like, or maybe you have done a parasite cleanse and you're like, man, everything came out of me. I had like extreme diarrhea. Yeah, you probably did, but that doesn't mean that any parasites were harmed in the making of that diarrhea. Right. And so please, if you're considering a parasite cleanse, don't. There is a different explanation. Well, it could be a parasite, go to the doctor, get a stool test, see what those results say. If they come back negative or if you're like, oh, I don't want to go to the doctor.

Chances are it's not a parasite. Chances are the symptoms you're experiencing are real, but they're due to something else. So please don't waste money and effort and potentially disrupt your gut microbiome and potentially physically injure your bowel by doing something as extreme and as completely on evidence-based as a parasite cleanse. All right, hope that helped. Chat to you guys next time.