Symptoms

Many people with intestinal tapeworm infection have no symptoms. If you do feel the effects, your symptoms will depend on the type of tapeworm you have and its location. Invasive tapeworm infection symptoms vary depending on where the larvae have migrated.

Signs and symptoms of intestinal infection include:

Nausea

Weakness

Loss of appetite

Abdominal pain

Diarrhea

Weight loss and inadequate absorption of nutrients from food (most common sign)

The most common types of tapeworm infections in humans are:

Pork tapeworm (Taenia solium)

Beef tapeworm (Taenia saginata)

Dwarf tapeworm (Hymenolepis nana)

Fish tapeworm (Diphyllobothrium latum)

A tapeworm infection starts after ingestion of tapeworm eggs or larvae.

Ingestion of eggs

If you eat food or drink water contaminated with feces from a person or animal with tapeworm, you are ingesting microscopic tapeworm eggs. For example, a pig infected with tapeworm will pass tapeworm eggs in its feces, which gets into the soil. If this same soil comes in contact with a food or water source, it becomes contaminated. You can then be infected when you eat or drink something from the contaminated source. Once inside your intestine, the eggs develop into larvae. At this stage, the larvae become mobile. If they migrate out of your intestines, they form cysts in other tissues such as your lungs or liver. Invasive tapeworm infection is more common with pork tapeworm than with the other kinds.

Ingestion of larvae cysts in meat or muscle tissue. When an animal has a tapeworm infection, it has tapeworm larvae in its muscle tissue. If you eat raw or undercooked meat from an infected animal, you ingest the larvae, which then develop into adult tapeworms in your intestines.

Adult tapeworms can measure up to 50 feet long and can survive as long as 20 years in a host. Some tapeworms attach themselves to the walls of the intestine, where they cause irritation or mild inflammation, while others may pass through to your stool and exit your body.

 Factors that may put you at greater risk of tapeworm infection include:

Poor hygiene. Infrequent washing and bathing increases the risk of accidental transfer of contaminated matter to your mouth.

Exposure to livestock. This is especially problematic in areas where human and animal feces are not disposed of properly.

Frequent travel to developing countries. Infection occurs more frequently in areas with poor sanitation practices.

Eating raw or undercooked meats. Improper cooking may fail to kill tapeworm eggs and larvae contained in contaminated pork or beef.

If you do think that you’ve been infected with a tapeworm, a stool sample is the best method of diagnosis. Eggs and sometimes tapeworm segments are passed in your stool, where they can be identified via a stool sample.

Please note that the medications or herbs that are used often target the adult tapeworm, not the eggs, so take care to avoid reinfecting yourself. Always wash your hands after using the toilet and before eating.

Stool samples are generally checked at one month or three months after you’ve finished taking your medication, depending on what species of tapeworm you have. Successful treatment should render your stool free of tapeworm eggs. The success rate is high in people who receive appropriate treatment.

How many calories have you eaten today? And how many should you consume if you’re trying to maintain your current weight or lose those last 10 pounds? If you’re like most Americans, you probably don’t know the answers to these calorie-counting questions, according to a new survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation, a not-for-profit health education organization. Read more here

MCT oils are absorbed in the bloodstream, passing the digestion process that longer chain fats go through. MCT oil provides quick energy for the body and therefore is less likely to be stored as body fat. MCTs are such an easy source of fuel, they are even more likely to be burned off than low-fat fare. When MCT is metabolized in the body, it behaves like a carbohydrate not a fat.

Unlike other fats, it does not go through the lymphatic system. Instead, it is transported directly to the liver where it is metabolized and released like a carbohydrate and then is used for fuel. MCT has a thermogenic effect in the body, helping you to stay slim by keeping your body fat levels down while keeping energy levels up. MCT oil is easily absorbed by the body and is therefore ideal for individuals with digestive problems. For those with Crohn’s and irritable bowel syndrome, the healing effects of MCT oil could be beneficial. MCT promotes intestinal health by killing troublesome microorganisms that may cause chronic inflammation.

Diabetics could benefit from using MCT oil as it helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Supplementation of MCT oil began as a fat source to help treat diseases such as cystic fibrosis, obesity and fat malabsorption. Bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts have used MCT for its fat burning and energy-sustaining powers. It has been found that MCTs burn three times more calories for six hours after a meal than other fats. It is thought that MCTs stimulate production of thyroid hormone, improving thyroid function boosting metabolism.

Athletes benefit from the use of MCT oil for both weight gain and weight loss. Bodybuilders must consume incredible volumes of food to put on size. We have found that adding MCT oil to their diets is an easy way to increase the caloric intake of their food without increasing the volume that they must eat. Since MCT acts like a carbohydrate and not a fat, athletes do not increase their body fat percentages while increasing their calories with this product. Since MCTs are thermogenic, not only are athletes increasing their muscle mass, but they are decreasing their fat percentages at the same time.