Oh joy! Promising new treatment for ulcerative colitis: Worm eggs!

[Liberal Veteran]

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Ingesting the eggs of Trichuris suis, an intestinal worm, appears to be a safe and effective treatment for active ulcerative colitis, new research shows.

Ulcerative colitis is a common inflammatory disease of the colon that causes bloody diarrhea and heightens the risk of colon cancer.

Treatment with parasitic worms or "helminths" seems to work by altering the body's immune system, according to the report in the journal Gastroenterology. Animal studies have shown helminth therapy to have a beneficial effect on colon inflammation.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=751&e=1&u=/nm/20050415/hl_nm/worm_eggs_dc&sid=84439559

[Spinzonner]

1. The human gut is home to trillions of hangers-on

who perform various functions, both helpful and harmful and even innocuous.

What's a few more ...

[Goathead]

2. If you could only see the look of disgust on my face right now. n/t

[Spinzonner]

3. Why knock it if you haven't tried it

I think people faced with persistent bloody diarrhea and pain would have a different view about the alternatives,

[Goathead]

5. You know the treatment is bad when being splayed open

on an operating room table as the alternative looks infinitely better.

[demosincebirth]

4. Thats why people in the third world countries don't have have

that condition. They ingest the worms eggs in their water and food and never suffer from colitis, IBS or crohn disease.


on edit

I you know someone with Crohns or have it yourself, you'd be willing to do or ingest anything to releive that condition