Parasites: Do you need a cleanse?
Parasite cleanses have gotten a bit trendy lately, and there's a lot of misinformation floating around.
The internet might make it seem like everyone has parasites, but in reality, they aren't quite as common as social media might suggest. Yes, they do happen especially in cases of immune dysfunction or significant gut issues but not everyone needs to jump into a cleanse.
In functional medicine, we don’t guess, we test. When there are signs that parasites might be the root cause (like chronic bloating, nutrient deficiencies, or symptoms that flare with travel or food exposures), we use stool testing to confirm whether parasites are actually present.
Some symptoms that might be a red flag:
Teeth grinding or restlessness at night
Itchy skin, especially around the anus or scalp
Nutrient deficiencies despite a good diet
Feeling worse around the full moon (yep, really)
Need a test? Let’s do it!
Many herbal "parasite cleanses" contain antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory ingredients that can temporarily help gut symptoms but that doesn’t mean they've cleared a parasite. And doing a cleanse without knowing what's really going on can sometimes make symptoms worse, especially if the root cause is something else entirely, like:
Bacterial overgrowth (like SIBO)
Fungal overgrowth (like candida)
Mold exposure
Autoimmune-driven inflammation
All of these can present with similar symptoms but require very different approaches.
That’s why a personalized, root-cause-based plan matters so much. If you're curious about whether parasites are part of your health picture, the first step isn't to cleanse it's to understand your body through proper testing and work with a practitioner who can guide you through a safe and appropriate plan.
Gut health is complex, and your symptoms deserve more than a one-size-fits-all cleanse.
If you’re ready to get real answers about what’s going on in your gut, I offer personalized consultations and can help you get started with advanced stool testing. You don’t have to guess… let’s figure it out together.
Book a free consultation so we can chat 1:1 about your gut stuff!!
