Parasites and Weight Gain

January 4, 2022 Jaban Moore

Are you unable to lose weight despite a healthy diet? Are you exercising but not seeing results? You may have a parasitic infection.

Parasites are an overlooked root cause for chronic illnesses. These sneaky infections have the intelligence to potentially hide from lab testing; therefore, being overlooked as a root cause for peoples’ health problems. A parasite’s goal is to live a life undetected and unharmed, so they succeed at this by causing symptoms such as: chronic fatigue, thyroid problems, nutritional deficiencies, acne, gastrointestinal issues, mental disorders, and all sorts of conditions that are deemed as incurable illnesses by conventional medicine. In fact, conditions such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, bipolar disorder, eczema/psoriasis, POTS syndrome, and irritable bowel syndrome may be caused by a parasitic infection.

Click here to read our article on fibromyalgia!

Additionally, parasites can live within us for years without causing significant symptoms. A 2006 study even stated that “amongst the various infectious agents, helminth parasites are regarded as master manipulators of the host immune system, often inducing a long-lasting asymptomatic form of infection.” Not every person with a parasitic infection may have life-altering conditions or debilitating symptoms. In actuality, many people experience “random” symptoms that sound unrelated to a parasitic infection - weight gain being a major symptom.

Weight gain is common amongst people with chronic illnesses as it is correlated with a greater risk in the diagnosis of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and heart attacks. In fact, as chronic illness rates rise in the United States, weight gain does as well.

According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), “more than 2 in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or have obesity.” Although diet, genetics, physical activity, medications, and accessibility to healthy foods and services are major contributing factors to the rise in weight gain across the United States, parasites are often not included in these lists despite their relevance in the discussion of unexplained weight gain and obesity.

How Do Parasites Cause Weight Gain?

Parasites have many mechanisms that contribute to weight gain:

Sugar & Carbohydrate Cravings: Cortisol, the primary stress hormone, is responsible for regulating metabolism and immune responses. When cortisol is released, it creates sugar, fat, and carbohydrate cravings for energy. This stimulates an insulin release and maintenance of blood sugar levels. However, this normal process is exaggerated by parasitic infections as parasites have the ability to increase cortisol levels.

A chronically-high level of circulating cortisol increases fat storage, so when our bodies are overproducing it, our bodies hold onto weight. Additionally, nutrient deficiencies caused by parasitic infections may trigger sugar and carbohydrate cravings.

Nutritional Deficiencies: Parasites cause nutrient deficiencies by creating gastrointestinal malabsorption. According to a 2015 study, “a parasite is an organism that takes its food from another organism.” Essentially, parasites consume the nutrients that its host ingests, causing nutrient deficiencies. A 2017 study states that “parasitic infections have been shown to impair micronutrient absorption. Several of these micronutrients, including vitamin A, selenium and zinc, play critical roles in immune function and resistance to parasitic infections.”

Parasites also damage the tight junctions and gut barrier (creating leaky gut). Research shows that parasites “are adept at manipulating immunity in their hosts to meet their own needs, and do so via the release of molecules that may need to gain access to target cells in the mucosa – a leaky epithelial barrier would facilitate this.” A hyperpermeable gut allows for malabsorption of nutrients to occur. This is a major reason why non-gastrointestinal symptoms such as: chronic fatigue, anemia, brain fog, hair loss, weight gain, etc. are common amongst individuals with parasitic infections.

Nutrient deficiencies are correlated with both weight gain and weight loss. In the instance of weight gain, malabsorption creates hunger, making the infected person continually eating without feelings of fullness. Additionally, vitamin and mineral deficiencies are shown to alter thyroid functions and hormone levels, causing weight gain. For example, iodine deficiencies are common amongst parasitic infections. Iodine deficiencies are commonly associated with hypothyroidism and miscarriages.

Inflammation: Chronic low-grade inflammation is a common cause of weight gain. A 2013 study states that “obesity is associated with a chronic low-grade inflammation characterized by increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines that are implicated in disrupted metabolic homeostasis.”

A 2000 review defines cytokines as “regulators of host responses to infection, immune responses, inflammation, and trauma. Some cytokines act to make disease worse (proinflammatory), whereas others serve to reduce inflammation and promote healing (anti-inflammatory).” In the case of parasitic infections, an improper cytokine response causes systemic inflammation. This may lead to water retention, malabsorption, and inability to engage in physical activity - all associated with weight gain.

Gut Infections: Parasitic infections often lead to additional gastrointestinal infections (H. pylori, C. difficile, etc.). Eradicating bacterial gut infections without addressing parasitic infections may lead to no changes in your symptoms - including weight gain. Research shows that “gut bacteria may alter inflammatory factors by modulating inflammatory cytokine secretion. High levels of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and C-reactive protein are biomarkers for inflammation and appear to be associated with obesity.”

Additionally, “gut dysbiosis (an imbalance of gut microbiota composition) due to dietary or environmental changes can promote overgrowth of pathogenic organisms that cause chronic inflammation, thereby playing a major role in the pathology of chronic metabolic and intestinal diseases” These diseases include: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and stroke - all associated with overweightness/obesity.

Gut infections may also alter hormone and neurotransmitter secretion. Increased bacterial infections “has been linked to alterations in gastrointestinal peptides (gastrin, cholecystokinin, somatostatin, and ghrelin). Eventually, these changes may result in decreased satiety and increased appetite and food intake.” Ghrelin, the ‘hunger hormone,’ has hallmark functions that are known for its stimulatory effects on food intake, fat deposition and growth hormone release. This hormone may be affected by certain bacterial infections, making the infected person hungrier.

Parasites are often the missing piece of the puzzle to solving a person’s battle with chronic illnesses.

Click here to read our article on parasitic infections!

If you believe you are dealing with chronic illness, please contact a functional provider. Dr. Jaban Moore, a functional medicine provider, can help you if you are experiencing chronic symptoms.

Please reach out if you are interested in taking your health back! You can give our office a call at (816) 889-9801.

References:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/13590849009003131

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2042018820907013

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15559182/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12561678/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5680167/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1618732/

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538239/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5863236/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4403024/