Worms good for bowels, research shows

Scotsman ^ | Wed 7 Apr 2004 | JOHN INNES

[nickcarraway]

A SPOONFUL of worms may not go down as delightfully as sugar, but it is highly effective against inflammatory bowel disease, research has found.

Following the success of trials, a drinkable potion containing thousands of pig whipworm eggs could be launched in Europe as early as next month.

The tests, carried out in the United States, involved 100 people with ulcerative colitis and 100 with Crohn’s disease. Both are incurable and potentially serious disorders collectively known as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

In many of the volunteers, symptoms such as abdominal pain, bleeding and diarrhoea disappeared after the worm treatment.

Half the patients with ulcerative colitis and 70 per cent of the Crohn’s disease patients went into remission.

Dr Joel Weinstock, of the University of Iowa, who devised the medicine, told New Scientist: "A lot of researchers couldn’t believe this treatment was effective."

He came up with the idea after noticing that a sharp rise in western rates of IBD in the past 50 years coincided with a fall in infections by parasites, such as roundworms and human whipworms.

The disorder is still rare in developing countries, where parasitical infections remain common.

Human immune systems evolved to cope with invading worms, Dr Weinstock believes. Without the parasites to work on, the immune system could become overactive and trigger inflammation in the gut.

[esquirette]

So putting that pacifier back in the kid's mouth really does build up the immune system. Moms in shopping malls everywhere know best.

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[MainFrame65]

Follow the 5-second rule -- if it's been on the floor less than 5 seconds, it hasn't collected enough germs to worry about.

[Savage Beast]

I'll never forget a man who dissolved in tears and sobs because his son had inflammatory bowel disease, at the time not yet diagosised and the differential diagnosis included carcinoma. I was able to be of help.

Many years later--quite unexpectedly--I consulted a woman about a problem that I had. She helped me. Afterward, she told me that she was this man's daughter, the sister of his son. She said that her family had never forgotten how I helped them.

I almost broke down in tears and sobs.

I was merely a conduit.

[nickcarraway]

ping

[Dog Gone]

This is not a drink I'll be rushing out to buy.

[N. Theknow]

This is not a drink I'll be rushing out to buy.

This will be very popular in Minnesota for keeping bait warm when ice fishing.

[Dog Gone]

LOL

[mtbopfuyn]

No, thanks. I get my daily dose of germs from furbaby kisses and school kids.

[Canticle_of_Deborah]

no thank you!