That Bug in Your Gut: Can Parasites Cause Weight Gain?

woman trying to button pants over chubby gut

Scientists now know how the gut affects our mental health, by way of the enteric nervous system (ENS). The gut is the center of our concern with weight and illnesses. It’s important to watch what you eat, there are hidden dangers beyond fats, salts, and sugars.

Parasites are particularly concerning because they can lay hidden in our digestive systems. Tapeworms, for example, cause an insatiable appetite, while stealing nutrients from the host. It is because of this that people may ask “Can parasites cause weight gain?”

To find out, let’s learn more about how stomach parasites come about.

Picking Up a Parasite

It’s very hard to detect the presence of a parasite before serious complications like malnutrition, weight gain, and sudden illnesses. Parasites can come from unwashed produce, infested meats, or unsanitary surfaces. Parasites either come from ingesting infected food or touching hands to face.

Raw meats and veggies are some of the biggest carriers of parasites. Cooking kills 99% of foreign contaminants. Removing this step removes this safety buffer. 

Pets can also traffic parasites into the home. The surfaces they touch may become highways for parasites to enter your body. 

How Can Parasites Cause Weight Gain?

Some parasites are harmless, while others can cause immediate illness and immune response. You probably have countless parasites living in your gut right now, but those are neutral and serve to help with digestion. It’s the parasites that fall into the gray area of not enough to make you fall ill, but enough to affect your weight.

Especially when you’re already dieting, following every step to lose weight, but nothing works. Most will never suspect the problem is inside their gut. Parasites are very taxing on the body. 

They sap your body’s energy and steal nutrients in two big ways. First, they steal nutrients directly from the food you ingest. Second, they cause inflammation, which slows down the absorption of nutrients.

There are many natural herbs out there that will kill and rid your body of parasites. Learn about these 5 Top Herbs to Kill Parasites Naturally that you can easily incorporate into your diet.

When your body is lacking proper nutrition, the metabolism slows down. That makes fat production increase and thus increasing your weight. Parasites are truly a silent killer in this sense.

Kill Parasites with Natural Herbs

Your traditional doctor may not know how can parasites cause weight gain. This is not something they check for with people concerned about weight gain. If you haven’t traveled overseas recently, then you can’t say for sure you have parasites.

You can, however, treat yourself for gut parasites without needing a prescription. Natural extracts from herbs and spices like cloves, oregano oil, black walnut, wormwood, and bromelain from pineapple are a few examples of medicine used around the world. Whenever trying any new supplement, always do a small sample test to avoid possible allergic reactions.