MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Some wellness influencers say people need to get dewormed, like a dog or a cat. They recommend a parasite cleanse and sell herbal supplements to do it. Sarah Boden reports that there is little evidence those treatments work, and doctors warn they could be dangerous.
SARAH BODEN, BYLINE: Kim Rogers goes by the moniker The Worm Queen on TikTok. She’s one of the more prominent influencers talking about parasite cleanses. Here she is on the singer Jordin Sparks’ podcast back in January.
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KIM ROGERS: I think 95% of us have parasites. We’ve never dewormed.
BODEN: Rogers declined NPR’s request for an interview, but her website recommends that people do a parasite cleanse three to four times a year. She says the signs that a parasite is living in your body include sugar or salt cravings, bloating, headaches, insomnia.
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ROGERS: Grinding the teeth is usually the biggest one that you just know you’ve got major infestation.
BODEN: Rogers, who is not a doctor, sells a parasite cleanse kit for $125. It’s one of many you can find online. They’re mostly supplements which have not been evaluated by the FDA for this use. That concerns Dr. Abhay Satoskar, a pathologist who studies parasites at the Ohio State University.
ABHAY SATOSKAR: You’re basically experimenting with yourself without even knowing whether you have a parasite or not, right?
BODEN: Satoskar says you don’t need to self-diagnose parasites. There are accurate tests your doctor can give you and safe, effective treatments. And he worries these unproven supplements might contain toxic molecules or compounds.
SATOSKAR: Or even systemically, they can affecting organs like kidneys and liver and all this thing because some of those things will be absorbed.
BODEN: Satoskar is one of several doctors who told NPR that more people are contacting them because they think they have a parasite. He says this really picked up last summer after Heidi Klum said she had done a cleanse.
SATOSKAR: And I get a lot of inquiries through my emails with pictures of – presume their parasites and all that stuff.
BODEN: People send you…
SATOSKAR: You know?
BODEN: …Pictures of their poop?
SATOSKAR: Yes.
BODEN: Like, just random…
SATOSKAR: And…
BODEN: …People?
SATOSKAR: Yes.
BODEN: Dr. Ihab Ahmed at Northwestern Medicine near Chicago also gets these kinds of unsolicited photos.
IHAB AHMED: And personally, I’ve never actually had one that was convincing to me of a worm. When we’ve gone ahead and asked them to bring in the specimen, they’ve never confirmed that.
BODEN: Ahmed says some of these messages are sent by people with a mental health disorder called delusional parasitosis. Basically, they’re convinced they’re infested with parasitic organisms, including those that live in the blood, skin and organs. But influencers seem most concerned with parasites in the gut, especially worms. Ahmed is worried how this trend is encouraging people, including those with mental health issues, to do cleanses.
AHMED: A lot of these cleanses will lead to diarrhea. And then the diarrhea will then lead to dehydration, malabsorption, nutrient deficiencies, electrolyte imbalances.
BODEN: It’s not like people never get parasites. Pinworm infections are common among kids. Other parasites are found in undercooked meat or raw fish. Also, don’t drink water from places like lakes and creeks. But overall, sanitation in the U.S. is pretty good. And if you are having tummy issues, Ahmed says the best thing to do is talk to your doctor.
For NPR News, I’m Sarah Boden.
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