Hormones and Parasites, the link.
All disease begins in the gut.
-Hippocrates
I’m sure you’ve heard that one by now right? It’s caught quite a bit of popularity over the last few years…and rightfully so. Or what about, "A healthy gut is the cornerstone of good health" - Hippocrates? I mean, the examples are endless- even dating back years and years, good ol' ancient wisdom strikes again!
But really, the gut (or the digestive system in general) is home to so many important processes of our body, including the creation and processing of many hormones, digesting food (obviously), and regulating the immune system. When the digestive system is healthy, we are much more likely to thrive.
But what happens when we have unwanted houseguests (or "gut guests", if you will) that get a little out of control?
The answer: as the gut guests get out of control....so do our symptoms and our hormones!
The connection between, specifically parasites and hormones isn't something you hear too often but let's break it down.
What do parasites have to do with hormones?
Parasites irritate the gut lining, causing inflammation and poor absorption of nutrients. Those same nutrients are the building blocks of your hormones! Remember: just like us as humans, our bodies aren't exactly talented at creating something out of nothing. We need adequate nutrients in order to create and process hormones, as well as play out the function those hormones are signaling.
The inflammation and effect on the gut will throw off bacterial harmony. I'm sure you're familiar with the fact that our gut microbiome needs to be diverse and balanced. Unfortunately, when inflammation is present and that balance is thrown off kilter, certain bacteria overgrow that may only be meant to be in smaller amounts. For example, a bacteria called β-Glucuronidase has the ability to re-activating estrogen that your body was trying to get rid of through the large intestine- which just causes more imbalance (like bringing your giveaway pile back into your closet. ugh!)
Just like bacterial and viral infections, parasites are an infection that your body is reacting to by triggering the immune system to respond. The immune response increases cortisol and adrenaline (your stress hormones) as it rushes around to try and take care of the threat. Additional stressors, on top of the multitude we deal with daily, do not play nicely with hormonal balance.
Because most hormones come from the same precursors (think, a family tree but all coming from one parent -Pregnenolone), your body may shuttle more nutrients (because it is prioritizing) down the cortisol route (or, "family line" in our analogy). This is commonly referred to as the "pregnenolone steal" or "cortisol steal". As more resources go towards the cortisol route, your body struggles to balance the other family lines, like estrogen and testosterone.
(see the image for a simplified hormone chart- if you're visual) *Please note there are a lot more moving parts than what is shown, this is the broad overview*
As we talked about before, parasites have a direct effect on neurotransmitters. And in a typical "everything is connected" fashion, estrogen plays a role with neurotransmitters. Meaning, as parasites create a home in our gut and manipulate neurotransmitters...our hormones are taking a hit as well. This alteration results in miscommunication/ or additional triggers to the endocrine glands. (if you missed the parasite and neurotransmitter chat on Instagram, check it out here)
Parasites release substances that resemble hormones that potentially block receptors and make your body’s hormonal communication difficult, (then you feel the effects of those messages not being heard by your cells)
Because parasites don't ONLY have to live in the gut itself, it's possible for a parasite(s) to go systemic through the blood a find a new home in an organ or gland. For example, if a parasite affects the thyroid, it can interfere with the hormones produced by the thyroid because its function is impaired.
Once hormones are affected, the hormones then also have an impact on the immune system, which can affect the body's ability to fight off parasites in the first place. Annnddd.. not to add insult to injury BUT, parasites live for YEARS, and reproduce rapidly, so the compounding effect of having an ongoing parasitic infection, depletes and worsens your hormonal and gut health state over time. A cycle, like most health-related factors.
The cascade of pain in the butt that parasites bring is why we prioritize parasite cleansing at Foundationally Nourished with ALL clients.
But let's be honest... parasite cleansing can seem overwhelming on your own.
That's why we are offering this 4-day LIVE workshop to make you feel confident in your cleansing!
Yep, all you need to do is snag your products from Cellcore and send us a screenshot of your confirmation and you're in!
How to grab your spot:
Create an account using our Patient Direct Code: QxZaGqW8.
Purchase the "Para Kit".
Send us a screenshot of your purchase with your email address.
You'll receive our Parasite Cleanse Guide for free to help you get started ($20 value).
You'll receive a welcome email with all the details, and viola you're on your way to evicting your worm friends!
If you already have a "Para Kit", you can still join! Head to our website and simply purchase our Full Moon Parasite Cleanse Guide and send us a screenshot of your purchase.
Dates & Details:
February 7th Live Call @ 6:00pm
We will be discussing the importance of cleanse prep! We will be addressing the prep points on the guide so that you re well prepared for a smooth cleanse next month!
March 5th Live Call @ 6:00pm
CLEANSE KICK OFF! Whether you are doing a 3 day cleanse or a 5 day cleanse, here is what you need to know going into it!
March 7th (FULL MOON) Live Call @ 6:00pm
Check in! We want to make sure everyone's cleanse is going as smooth as possible! New symptoms arising? Learn about what those symptoms mean and troubleshooting tactics to get you through the the rest of your cleanse!
March 9th Live Call @ 6:00pm
How did it go?! We will be discussing what you need to know after stopping your cleanse and ways to prevent adding to your parasite load moving forward. How often can you do this cleanse? How how often SHOULD you cleanse? We will be ending our workshop with all the details!
* all times listed in MST *
