Tag Archives: Parasites

Questions & Answers

Lessons Learned from Years of Stool Testing

There’s lots to learn from stool testing.

In my opinion, it’s a big mistake not to get a comprehensive stool analysis if you have a gut problem.

In my opinion, trying to fix your gut without getting a stool test is like trying to fix your car without knowing the problem. You’ve got to take the car to someone who knows cars. The same is true for fixing your GI tract.

High-quality results from stool testing require using accredited labs with years of experience. I have had excellent working relationships with both Doctor’s Data out of Chicago and Genova Diagnostics out of North Carolina.

The best way to assess the microbes in your gut is to do a comprehensive stool analysis (CSA). A CSA also allows us to look at digestion and immune functions. Stool testing gives us measures of the levels and balance in the gut flora. We’re going to get information about pathogens, parasites, yeast, and beneficial bacteria.

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The only way you’re going to detect parasites, and yeast and bacteria in your gut is through proper laboratory testing. Colonic cleansing, hydrotherapy, and electronic machines that claim to be the answer aren’t going to give the snapshot of your gut flora that you need as a starting point.

Stool testing is helpful at the beginning of treatment to get a baseline. You can re-test after a period of treatment to see if your gut is responding. It’s a process. My approach has always been to test first, put a treatment protocol in place, and then test again later – several times if necessary – to ensure treatment is generating the intended results.

I’m absolutely, 100% convinced that stool testing is the most effective, definitive way to move forward if you have a gut problem. Stool testing removes the guesswork from diagnosis and treatment planning. Don’t rely on self-diagnosis or Google to determine what’s going on in your gut.

Make sure that you work with a practitioner who has expertise and experience when it comes to stool testing. Naturopathic physicians have a high level of training, but you still have to avoid the bad apples.

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Questions & Answers

Why You Should Keep Your Gut Flora Balanced

What’s the difference between good and bad bacteria?

It wasn’t that long ago when scientists thought that most bacteria were bad and needed killing. The importance of bacteria to human digestion and health hadn’t been recognized. But now we know very differently.

Bacteria help keep us alive. An imbalance in bacteria causes problems, but bacteria are vital to human well-being.

There are many species of bacteria in the gut. Some have the potential to cause a lot of problems. Some even have the potential to kill you.

All bacteria need to be kept in balance. Even bacteria that are generally beneficial can cause problems if there counts go to high.

Scientists have done enough research to recognize the difference between the good, bad, and the ugly bacteria in the gut. For example, Clostridium perfringens can cause severe problems when it grows too fast. Antibiotics can trigger the imbalance that allows Clostridium to get out of control, sometimes to the extent of being fatal.

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Salmonella is another bacterium that lives in the gut but, through food poisoning, it can increase in numbers and make a person very, very sick.

Parasites and viruses can upset the bacterial balance in the gut. Remember that most of these microorganisms live in the body in tiny amounts in normal circumstances. They don’t cause any problems until their numbers increase and they shift the balance in the gut.

Imbalances can be triggered by medication, stress, traveling, or a poor diet. One of the reasons I recommend eating cultured or fermented foods is that it helps keep the gut flora balanced. One of the best things you can do to keep your gut balanced is to avoid taking antibiotics if at all possible.

If you go back in time, you’ll see that people have been eating cultured and fermented food as far back as we go. They knew that these foods settled the tummy.

You shouldn’t have to fear bacteria. Most people tend to keep a good balance in their gut. Do your best to keep it that way.

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Questions & Answers

What You Need To Know About Dientamoeba Fragilis And Blastocystis Hominis

Parasites are one of my favorite topics. I think it’s worth knowing something about both Dientamoeba fragilis and Blastocystis hominis.

Blastocystis is very common. With air travel being so cheap, it’s probably one of the most common parasites in the Western world. Up to 23% of people in the USA have got Blastocystis.
Where does the “hominis” part come from? Several years ago, it was discovered that this protozoan was found a lot in humans, hence the term “hominis.”

However, since that time, they found similar Blastocystis in the intestines of snacks, amphibians, rats, and gorillas. All sorts of creatures can have Blastocystis. In fact, there are over ten RNA variants of Blastocystis.

One of the reasons Blasto is so hard to treat effectively is because of the number of strains. Interestingly, in some people, Blasto causes significant problems, and in others, it’s basically benign. In other words, some people who are infected by Blasto, don’t get sick at all, others get mildly ill, and others get quite sick. People who are immunocompromised are the most likely to be severely impacted by Blasto.

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That’s why if you have an impaired immune system, it’s not a great idea to handle animals or travel widely. You also need to be much more careful with handwashing because the main route of Blastocystis transmission is fecal-oral.

There is a high chance that you have Blasto if you have irritable bowel syndrome that you can’t shake. The possibility of a Blastocystis infection is one of the main reasons I so strongly recommend having a comprehensive stool analysis.

As for Dientamoeba fragilis, note the word “fragilis” on the end, which refers to the organism’s inability to last very long outside of the body. Dientamoeba dies very quickly, which is one reason I find it much easier to treat than Blasto. Dientamoeba is also linked to irritable bowel syndrome, but it is nowhere near as prevalent as Blastocystis.

Dientamoeba tends to be more common in affluent communities for some reason. It also impacts younger people most commonly, particularly those under the age of 8.

I have seen Dientamoeba in adults, and nearly every time, it disappears in four to six weeks while the Blasto persists.

In both cases, you don’t have to fear these parasites. Improve your health and gut, and over time, your parasite levels should drop.

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