‘Parasite Cleanses’: What Are They, And Should You Get One?

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Panic over parasites is spreading. On online platforms such as TikTok, an increasing number of influencers are warning that all manner of ills, from headaches and insomnia to sugar cravings and teeth grinding, could be caused by parasites (organisms like tapeworm that must live on or inside a host and at the expense of the host’s health). The proposed solution is a ‘parasite cleanse’ – some kind of remedy, often in the form of herbal supplements, that they claim can rid your body of these troublesome intruders. Some influencers go further, suggesting that most people have parasites and that everyone should be getting a ‘parasite cleanse’ multiple times a year in order to keep themselves worm-free. This concern over parasites has spread to the point that some doctors have even reported an uptick in ‘unsolicited poop pics’ from patients asking if they have worms.

Do you really need to ‘deworm’ yourself regularly in order to remain parasite-free, or are parasite cleanses complete snake oil? Let’s talk about parasites, the nature of the claim, and why ‘parasite cleanses’ don’t really make a lot of sense.

What Are Parasites

Parasites are organisms that need to live on or inside a host as part of their life cycle, drawing nutrients from them and often causing harm. In humans, parasites range from microscopic, single-celled protozoa (like Plasmodium, which can cause malaria) to multicellular worms (helminths) such as roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes. There are also ectoparasites (ecto- meaning outside, so external parasites) like lice, ticks, and mites. Parasites infect various parts of the body – most commonly the intestines and skin, though they can sometimes reach other organs (especially in the case of rarer, more exotic parasites or parasites that are not usually supposed to infect humans) leading to a wide array of symptoms, from digestive issues to skin irritation.

Parasitic infections are typically identified by laboratory tests, such as stool, blood, or tissue samples examined under a microscope, or advanced techniques like PCR for genetic detection. Treatment depends on the type of parasite but often includes antiparasitic medications (that is to say, medicines that kill parasites or make it harder for them to survive). It is important to highlight that an antiparasitic drug designed to treat one type of parasite (such as worms) isn’t necessarily effective against other types of parasite or even all parasites of a given type (for example, a drug that kills nematodes like roundworms may not be effective against cestodes like tapeworm).

Intestinal parasitic infections, which are what most influencers are warning about, are typically acquired by consuming contaminated water or food, or through animal faeces. As such, infections are usually related to poor sanitation or hygiene. However, while good farming practices greatly reduce the probability of contaminated meat, it is advisable that meat is properly cooked to ensure that any parasites present are killed. Ectoparasites, meanwhile, are spread primarily by direct contact with another infected organism or with the parasite itself.

What Is The Claim?

Online wellness influencers are claiming that most people are infected by parasites, and that many health complaints and behaviours with no obvious single origin (such as teeth grinding) are a sign of significant parasitic infection. They claim that rather than waiting to be diagnosed with a parasitic infection, people should simply take measures to rid themselves of parasites on a regular basis, sometimes advising multiple ‘cleanses’ per year. These measures include herbal remedies to induce bowel movements and thereby expel parasites from the gut, or immersing the body in water mixed with baking soda, claiming that the high pH of the baking soda will draw parasites out of the skin. Testimonials from people using these techniques sometimes report seeing worms in their stool after using the product.

What Is The Evidence?

Are parasitic infections common?
Let’s break these claims down one by one. Firstly, the claim that parasitic infections are common. There is a lack of recent, large scale studies investigating the prevalence of various parasites in many developed countries. Therefore, it is technically possible that the prevalence of parasites could be higher than we realise. However, the lack of data simply means that any claims that parasitic infections are frequent enough to warrant regular treatment are completely unfounded. The claims by some influencers that over 9 in 10 people have a parasitic infection are entirely unrealistic for developed countries. Since intestinal parasites are spread primarily via animal faeces or contaminated water and food, you are unlikely to be exposed to them in places with developed sanitation infrastructure. And while yes, it is possible to have a parasitic infection and not experience any obvious symptoms, it is not plausible that 90% of the population could be chronically infected without anyone realising.

There are a few specific, non-intestinal exceptions to this such as headlice, which are relatively common among schoolchildren in the UK. There is also the case of Toxoplasma gondii, a single-celled parasite that is spread by cats and can mind-control rodents – yes, you did read that correctly. Some studies have produced extremely high estimates for T.gondii infection rates in developed countries (in excess of 50% of the population in France). However, since this parasite is usually harmless and asymptomatic (and impossible to get rid of anyway) it’s not really the type of parasite most people are worrying about when looking into parasite cleanses.

Should you take regular precautionary treatments for parasites?
We’ve kind of answered this one already, but just to reiterate: most parasitic infections are rare in developed countries. If you don’t have any symptoms, there is no reason to suspect you have a parasitic infection, and there’s certainly no reason to take any kind of antiparasitic medication ‘just in case’. If influencers feel the need to rid themselves of parasites multiple times a year, one really does have to wonder what they are doing to infect themselves on such a regular basis. They should probably stop drinking dirty river water, eating uncooked game, or maybe they need to pay closer attention to their hygiene around animals.

Is it reasonable to treat a parasite you don’t know you have?
OK, so you don’t need regular, precautionary parasite cleanses in order to keep yourself healthy. But what if you have a specific health problem with no clear cause, such as persistent abdominal pain or headaches? Could parasites be responsible? Perhaps you forgot to wash your hands one time after cleaning up after your pet, or maybe that pork you had a few days ago was a little undercooked. Why not take some antiparasitic medication and see if the problem goes away?

Firstly, as we highlighted earlier, different parasites require different types of medication. Even if you did have a parasitic infection, you wouldn’t necessarily be taking the correct medicine. Taking, say, ivermectin (which does kill many worms, but not tapeworms) because you have abdominal pain makes about as much sense as taking a random antiviral drug because you feel a bit unwell. Even if you did correctly guess you had a viral infection, you might end up taking tamiflu (which is effective specifically against influenza) when you actually have Covid. You’re taking a shot in the dark with your health, potentially delaying the treatment of something more serious. The reason we have doctors is to identify the specific problem and assign the correct treatment. There is no need to self experiment when accurate tests for parasitic infections exist.

Are parasite cleanses effective?
But what about the holistic treatments advertised online, such as herbal remedies? Do these have broad effectiveness against parasites? The answer is unfortunately not. Laxatives alone are not effective for expelling parasites from the gut, as they are capable hanging on to the gut wall. As for baking soda and essential oil baths to get rid of skin parasites, there is simply no scientific evidence to support these practices. Parasites take shelter in the skin partly because it is an effective barrier against the outside world. Furthermore, some of these ‘parasite cleansing’ baths can cause skin irritation and damage, which can actually make it easier for some parasites to infect the skin.

Some ‘parasite cleanses’ contain ingredients that are claimed to kill parasites, such as garlic, oregano and wormwood. However, the link is somewhat tenuous: these ingredients do contain compounds with antiparasitic properties, but many of these have only been tested in vitro (that is to say, the parasite was exposed to the purified chemical in the lab). In animal studies, the effects of these compounds tend to be weaker and less consistent than established antiparastic drugs (they may reduce the length or egg count of the parasites but fail to actually get rid of the infection). There is no quality evidence to suggest that any of these compounds are capable of eliminating parasitic infections in humans, whereas antiparasitic drugs have been rigorously tested for safety and efficacy in large human trials. Furthermore, when these natural compounds are tested in the lab or in animals, they are tested on a specific parasite. So if you wanted to take evidence based self-medication, you’d still need to know which parasite you were infected by in order to know if your natural remedy was going to be effective or not.

What about seeing parasites in stool?
Parasites in stool are not always as easy to identify as you might think. Some parasites don’t get passed in the stool as fully formed worms, while others are very small and easily confused with undigested food (something you are more likely to see in your stool if you take laxative ‘parasite cleanses’). Some parasitic infections can only be confirmed by examining samples under a microscope. For these reasons, it is recommended to visit the doctor if you suspect you have parasites.

The Take-Home Message

The parasite cleanse is a treatment that doesn’t work, for a disease you probably don’t have. It’s a tale as old as time: people with no medical training claim to have identified an under-appreciated cause of a common ailment, and offer a simple solution. That’s right, when the doctor with over a decade of medical training can’t help you, fear not: the Instagram star has all the answers! Sometimes they’re even kind enough to sell them to you…

It’s easy to look down on both the snake oil salesman and the people who fall for their claims. Yet anyone who has had a recurring health problem with seemingly no solution will tell you that things aren’t quite so simple. If the medical establishment can’t provide a fix for your problem, then you’re not just going to give up – you’re going to search for that solution somewhere else. After all, your problem’s not going away by itself, so when someone offers you an alternative remedy, why not try it? The problem is that these remedies are untested and could potentially make the problem worse or delay the identification of the actual cause.

In the case of parasites, there is an added ‘yuck factor’. People really don’t like the idea of having other organisms living inside them, and so once an algorithm starts feeding them videos of people suggesting they need a parasite cleanse, it’s natural to become a bit paranoid. They might even start to experience other symptoms mentioned in the videos or imagine seeing things in their stool. It doesn’t help that influencers usually believe what they’re saying and may claim credentials that they do not actually posses. They often prey on those who are already paranoid about their health, those mistrustful of the medical establishment due to bad experiences, and those with mental health conditions (such as delusional parasitosis, where a person falsely believes they have parasites).

It isn’t the patient’s fault that they have been misled – the blame lies entirely with the people propagating misleading health claims. That said, you can safeguard yourself against deceptive claims by learning how to think critically about health information you see online.