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90 Vegetarian Capsules
Elsewhere:
$22.00
Our Price:
$17.00
International orders:
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Digestive problems comprise the number
one health problem in North America.
These concerns, encompassing
everything from hemorrhoids to colon
cancer, result in more time lost—at
work, school, and play—than any other
health problem. They also appear to be
occurring with much more frequency—
while many of them were almost
unheard of in our grandparents’ times,
they are cropping up more and more
and at an earlier and earlier age.
A digestive concern we should all be
aware of is the increasing prevalence of
parasites. We need to understand the
effect parasites may have on the digestive
system and what we can do to
maintain a parasite-free system.
Parasite frequency
Although North Americans often consider parasites
something to only worry about when traveling, this is
not true. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention carried out a nationwide survey that
showed that one in every six people selected at random
had one or more parasites. It is quite possible that we
are hosting a dinner party for many types of parasites.
An Internet homepage, Parasites of Vertebrates, by
the Department of Nematology, University of
California at Davis, states that 900 million people
worldwide and some 4 to 15 percent of the population
in the southeastern United States are infected with
hookworm. Some one billion people (one-sixth of the
world’s population) are infected with roundworm, and
500 million people worldwide are infected with pinworm.
In the United States, estimates of those infected
with pinworm range from 10 to 35 percent of the population.
Globally, the picture is alarming.
Climate and sanitary conditions breed parasites worldwide
especially in developing countries where clean
water sources and sanitation services are scarce or nonexistent.
Parasites enter your body in one of four ways:
through food and water intake; through a transmitting
agent, such as a mosquito; through sexual contact; and
through the nose and skin. They are also
carried by household pets and livestock,
and spread through daycare centers and
international travel.
What are parasites?
Parasites are organisms that grow,
feed, and are sheltered on or in other
living organisms, known as “hosts,”
without contributing anything to the
survival of the host. According to
Murray (1998), there are two broad
groups of parasites, protozoa (onecelled
organisms) and helminths
(worms). Parasites can be transmitted
from animal to animal, animal to man,
and in some cases, man to animal (FSIS
2001). Some parasites are larger than
bacteria and viruses but they are usually
so small that you cannot see them without
a microscope. Others, such as worms, can grow
quite large and can be seen with the eye.
Several parasites have emerged as significant causal factors
in foodborne and waterborne diseases, including
Giardia duodenalis, Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium
parvum, Trichinella spiralis, Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm),
and Taenia solium (pork tapeworm).
Parasites live within the organs and tissues of the
body and are often harmful. Any number of them can
infect your gastrointestinal tract. Eventually, they are
excreted in the feces; however, they are one of the
major causes of diarrhea and as such may be seen as the
greatest single cause worldwide of illness and death
(Murray 1998).
How do I know if I have parasites?
According to Skye Weintraub, a naturopathic physician
and author of The Parasite Menace (1999), a parasitic
infection could be manifested by any number of
signs. These include constipation, diarrhea, gas and
bloating, irritable bowel syndrome, joint and muscle
aches and pains, anemia, allergies, skin conditions,
nervousness, sleep disturbances, teeth grinding, and
chronic fatigue.
Many health practitioners believe that parasites may
also be responsible for a number of other health problems.
Weintraub says, “Many parasites go undetected
because they are not producing serious symptoms. It is
easy to attribute feeling ill to other causes because parasitic
infections look like lots of other conditions. I
have seen other health problems disappear once the
body has become parasite-free.”
How can parasites hurt you?
Parasites can damage the host’s body in a number of
ways. They can
- cause nutrient malabsorption by eating the nutrients
we ingest.
- produce toxic substances.
- depress immune system function while activating
immune system response.
- destroy cells faster than cells can be regenerated.
- irritate body tissue.
- invade body tissue, including the skin and intestinal
lining.
- put pressure on body organs.
- cause tissue and organ deterioration.
Treatment
If you suspect you have parasites, a health practitioner
can arrange a number of tests. These include
stool tests, blood tests, tissue swabs, and others.
However, these tests are often inconclusive as parasites
can reside in tissues and organs and in the blood and
will not be found in fecal samples. Often, only parasite
eggs will be passed in the stool.
Treatment options include:
- Conventional medications. Drugs are unique to
the parasite and can have side effects. With severe
and prolonged diarrhea, replacement fluids may
also be necessary,
- Herbs
Many herbs, including those in AIM Para
90®, have helpful properties. For example, garlic is
useful against amoeba and hookworm, and pumpkin
seed is useful against tapeworm. Sweet Annie,
black walnut, and the male fern root were used in
traditional medicine as far back as the early 1800s.
- Natural therapies
The digestive enzymes in AIM
PrepZymes® will help ensure that foods are more
completely digested, helping to eliminate potential
problems due to toxins. The fiber and herbs in
AIM Herbal Fiberblend® will help cleanse the
colon. Probiotics, such as in AIM FloraFood™, will
recolonize the helpful bacteria in the intestines
and create a hostile environment for parasites.
Colonics also help cleanse the colon.
- Dietary changes
Avoid eating uncooked foods or
foods from doubtful sources. Even undercooked
meat, fish, and poultry can present problems.
When camping, do not drink stream water.
- Pet care. Ensure regular deworming and maintain
good hygiene when handling your pet.
Prevention
The magnitude of parasites makes prevention of
them essential. There are a number of things you can
do to avoid picking up parasites:
- Wash your hands with soap and water before handling
food and after going to the bathroom, handling
pets, and changing diapers.
- Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly before
eating them and cook meat thoroughly.
- Do not walk barefoot, especially on warm moist soils.
- Keep your fingernails short and clean.
- Institute the dietary changes recommended
above.
- Have regular parasite checkups, especially if you
travel frequently.
- Maintain a regular AIM Para 90® regime.
- Use AIM PrepZymes®, AIM Herbal Fiberblend®,
and AIM FloraFood® regularly to ensure digestive
health.
AIM Para 90
AIM Para 90® is an herbal cleansing dietary supplement.
It combines a number of herbs with cleansing
properties plus bromelain, a digestive enzyme.
Following are some of the classifications of the herbs
in AIM Para 90®:
-
American Wormseed Chenopodium ambrosioides
vermifuge, anthelmintic
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Black Walnut Hulls Juglans nigra
vermicide, antiseptic, antiparasitic
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Boldo Leaves Peumus boldus
alterative, antiseptic, vermifuge
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Butternut Bark Juglans cineraria
alterative, laxative, anthelmintic
-
Clove Caryophyllus aromaticus
carminative, antiseptic
-
Cramp Bark Viburnum opulus
antispasmodic, astringent
-
Garlic Allium sativum
antibiotic, alterative, antiseptic, vermifuge, anthelmintic
-
Grapefruit Seed Citrus paradisi
antibiotic, antiparasitic
-
Kamala Mallotus philipinensis
taeniafuge
-
Male Fern Root Dryopteris filix mas
vermifuge, anthelmintic, alterative
-
Neem Azadirachta indica
alterative, anthelmintic
-
Peppermint Mentha piperita
carminative, antiseptic, antispasmodic
-
Pumpkin Seed Cucurbi
vermifuge, anthelmintic, taeniafuge
-
Sweet Annie Artemisia annua
vermifuge, alterative, anthelmintic
-
Thyme Thymus vulgaris
carminative, antiseptic
-
White Oak Bark Quercus alba
antiseptic, anthelmintic
Herb classifications
Herbs can be classified a number of ways. The classifications
are generally based on how the herbs affect the
body. Following are a number of herb classifications.
- Alterative: Alters (purifies) the blood.
- Anthelmintic: Destroys or causes the expulsion of
parasites. There are two types: vermicides and vermifuges.
- Antibiotic: Inhibits the growth of or destroys
bacteria or other organisms.
- Antiparasitic: Destroys or inhibits parasites.
- Antiseptic: Prevents or inhibits the growth of bacteria.
- Antispasmodic: Used for muscular spasms,
convulsions, and cramps.
- Astringent: Increases tone and firmness of tissue;
lessens mucus discharge.
- Carminative: Stimulates expulsion of gas from the
gastrointestinal tract.
- Laxative: Promotes bowel action.
- Taeniafuge: Expels tapeworms.
- Vermicide: Destroys worms without necessarily
expelling them from the bowel.
- Vermifuge: Expels worms from bowels.
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