Frequently Asked Questions
What is the history of this treatment?
Humankind has evolved, and helmiths have also done so along with it. Modern society has eliminated most of the bacteria, viruses and parasites that have accompanied mankind throughout evolution. People’s immunological systems do not find those who have been their partners throughout evolution and attack their own bodies.
One of our “partners,” which he have eliminated in advanced societies, is the helminth, a kind of intestinal parasite.
Helminths have a very important biochemical characteristic: they generate enzymes which are capable of regulating the human immunological system. And it is this characteristic which makes them so important in the fight against diseases of the immunological system.
While in the civilised world intestinal parasites have practically disappeared, in less developed countries they are endemic. However, as many studies show, in these less developed countries, diseases of the immunological system practically do not exist.
Medicine, veterinary medicine and Biology have tried to cipher the mechanism used by helminths and other intestinal parasites to survive. They discovered that what these parasites do is regulate the response of the immunological system in the beings they inhabit.
These processes of regulation were pefectly documented decades ago, but no usefulness for them had been found as regards human beings. What started out as a fact of interest to the scientific world has become an important field of research that aims at applying the mechanisms helminths use to the development of a solution for autoimmune diseases.
What is the Hygienic Theory?
This theory, on which Helminthic Therapy is based, claims that the society we live in and the impact of the extremely sanitary conditions we are exposed to from birth, causes an alteration of our immune system, ultimately causing the appearance of allergic or inflammatory diseases.
There are two subtypes of cells T CD4+: Th1 lymphocytes and Th2 lymphocytes, which perform different immunological functions. Th1 lymphocytes’ most important function is the regulation of the cellular immune response, while Th2 lymphocytes regulate the humoural immune response. The mechanisms activated given a certain immunological response inhibit those of the second type.
Strachan has proposed that that balance is broken from the moment we are in the womb, so that the placenta has a positive Th2 imbalance. This means to say, the mother and the baby are protected from what could be a rejection of organs between them. When the baby is born, the natural exposure to the environment and to infectious agents (the same that would trigger a response of the Th1 type) would cause a gradual return to balance between the 2 types of reactions.
According to this theory, the problem arises when, owing to the sanitary systems prevalent in economically prosperous societies, the baby is given excessive protection. As a reaction to this overprotection against infectious agents, there is a decrease in Th1 responses (precisely destined to fight infectious agents), which causes an increase in Th2 responses. This means to say that, as a reaction to the smallest amount of pollen or dust, asthma, dermatitis or more complex diseases ensue.
All told, if the diseases prevalent in the past were diarrhea or pneumonia, today we must deal with allergies, asthma, dermatitis, psoriasis and autoimmune diseases.
What does traditional medicine say about this therapy?
Basically, what prevails is the financial criteria of the pharmaceutical industry. Researchers are focussing on discovering the specific enzymes produced by helminths and on analising their processes in order to manufacture medications.
However, these processes are slow, and it will be some time before we can see results.
Our proposal is that it is a well-known fact that Helminthic Therapy works, if used in the way Mother Nature intended. That is, directly in the human body.
Can this treatment be reverted? Can I easily eliminate helminths from my body?
“Of course”, in 5-7 years the helminths are naturally eliminated by the body. However, if you wish to eliminate them before that time, “you will be able to do it in just a few days taking a certain medication…”
What type of helminths do you use?
This is an important question. We use “Necator Americanus” L3 larvae.
- This is basically the helminth that has been studied the most by different universities and research centres for the following reasons:
- They cannot reproduce in the human body.
- The quantity of blood they consume is very low.
- According to reports by the WHO, it is not necessary to treat mild parasitism with Necator americanus in the countries where it is endemic, since its side effects are mild.
- They adapt very well to modulating the immunological response in humans, since they are parasites that are 100% adapted to humans.
Can these helminths reproduce inside my body?
No. Te helminths we work with cannot reproduce inside the human body.
The number of helminths that make up one dose is calculated on the basis of scientific research, so that they cannot produce significant side effects.
The helminths inoculated with the initial dose of the therapy are the ones which will stay in the body for years.
Can this therapy cause anemia?
To begin with, the number of helminths used is very small, and since they cannot reproduce, this number will not increase. In such small doses, it is very unlikely that they will produce anemia. However, this is an aspect to keep an eye on.
The parasitism thus produced is mild, and anemias produced by parasitism appear when infections are severe.
According to different reports, anemias can begin to appear with doses 10-30 times larger than the ones we are using.
Carriers of Necator Americanus did not present anemia as long as the egg count was not more than 6,600 e/gr of feces in men and 10,200 in women..
World Health Organization, Series Technical Reports, Soil-transmitted Helminths nº 277, page 18.
What does therapy consist of?
The inoculation process is not painful. A piece of gauze, with a few drops of water is placed on the arm, along with some larvae. This is covered with a patch and bandages. Twenty-four hours later, the bandages, the patch and the gauze are removed.
This simple process will allow the helminths to cross the skin and be in your intestines, which is where they will live, within a week.
Therapy consists of introducing L3 larvae of “Necator americanus” in the human body to make use of the advantages that they offer as regards the natural regulation of the immunological system.
There are two ways in which helminths can be inoculated:
• in a single session
• gradually in three sessions
The advantage of the second option is that it reduces unpleasant side effects (diarrhea and stomach ache).
Therapy includes initial physical examination and blood tests and the inoculation of helminths.
Can it help me?
It can if you suffer from a disease brought about by an attack of your own immunological system.
The diseases it has been shown to be effective in are:
• Crohn’s Disease
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Seasonal Allergies
• Asthma
• Colitis, and
• Irritable colon.
How long will the beneficial effects of the therapy last?
It depends on each individual case, but one inoculation should allow the patient to enjoy the benefits of Helminthic Therapy for an average of between 3 and 7 years, although in some cases helminths have been able to survive for up to 15 years.
After this space of time, the inoculation process should be repeated.
How much does the treatment cost?
Contact IMMUNOLOGICA.
In published research papers and articles, they mention therapies using TSO, and Necator americanus. What is the difference?
These are two different lines of research and two different helminths. TSO are eggs belonging to a non-human parasite from pigs. This parasite cannot live in the human body and dies within three weeks, which is why doses every three weeks are used. This therapy uses high doses of parasite eggs. It has been studied mainly by the University of Iowa.
Studies with Necator americanus are mainly carried out by the University of Nottingham and Cambridge University. Very small doses of a human parasite are used (between 10 and 50 larvae). This therapy only needs inoculations every several years. This is the therapy used by IMMUNOLOGICA.
Another thing to point out is that studies on animals rely on different types of helminths, which are specific to those animals.
How long is it before I experience the improvements the treatment provides?
It depends on each individual person, of the disease and the state the person is in at the moment of inoculation.
Although in some cases improvements have been noticed two weeks after inoculation, you will normally notice improvement from week 10 or 16, and in most cases symptoms of the disease disappear as from week 45.
How long will the positive effects of the treatment last?
Generally between 3 and 7 years.
Is there any contra-indication to this treatment?
Yes. IMMUNOLOGICA carries out certain analyses to verify the possibility of carrying out Helminthic Therapy in each individual case.
If after the analyses we consider you are not fit to receive treatment, we will not provide it.
The situations that make it impossible for us to administer this treatment are: Pregnancy, Anemia, Cancer or Stenosis.
Is the treatment approved by the European medical authorities?
No. It is considered a natural therapy or an alternative therapy, not a medical treatment.
Where do the helminths come from?
These helminths undergo several processes in the laboratory, in which larvae are treated and disinfected. The origin is a healthy human being who has been monitored for all the main infectious diseases.
Which are the possible side effects?
Most carriers do not notice symptoms in the long-term.
However, some patients feel the effects during the first 9 weeks after inoculation. These symptoms can be:
• Slight itching of the skin in the place of inoculation.
• Temporary intestinal discomfort. This includes nausea, diarrhea and gas.
Symptoms depend on each individual and on the dose. Symptoms increase as the dose increases.
In theory, it is possible to develop anemia as a result of this treatment, but the risk is minimal and, owing to the small number of parasites inoculated, very unlikely.
Can I infect other people with the helminths?
Not if you live in the first world. Helminth eggs (present in feces) take 10 days to become infectious larvae. If the person defecates at least once or twice a week, this risk disappears.
In the civilised world the use of toilets eliminate these risks. If you had to go to the countryside to defecate among the trees, the best thing would be to use a plastic bag.
What does the World Health Organization say about this parasitism?
The report published by the WHO in 1981 entitled “Infections by Protozoa and Helminths” mentions, on page 83, that in countries in which these parasites are endemic, it is only worth treating moderate to severe infections.
We must take into account that the one caused by this treatment is mild.