The Tapeworm Diet

A Little About Tapeworms:
According to the Merck Manual, Tapeworm eggs may be ingested through food, water, or soil that is contaminated with feces.  Once the eggs are consumed, they develop into larvae which may migrate and form cysts in other tissues such as lungs, brain, or muscle.  Cysts in the brain can result in headaches, seizures, confusion, or other neurologic symptoms.  Cysts in the eyes may cause blindness and cysts on the spinal cord may cause muscle weakness or paralysis.  Cysts in other tissues can be found via MRI or CT scans but are usually not treated.  If there are symptoms related to cysts in the brain, corticosteroids may be given to reduce inflammation.  These drugs are not used to treat cysts in the eye or spinal cord because they can trigger severe inflammation that can damage nearby tissues. 

Tapeworm larvae can also be ingested by eating raw or undercooked meat.  The larvae develop into adult tapeworms in the intestines and can measure up to 50 feet and survive as long as 20 years as a result of consuming foods you eat.  Tapeworms in the intestines cause weight loss of 1 to 2 lbs per week but usually cause no other symptoms.  However, they may cause upper abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, or loss of appetite.  Fish tapeworms can cause anemia because they absorb vitamin B12.  Intestinal tapeworms are diagnosed by testing stool samples and are treated with praziquantel.  

Can you say easy diet plan?

The Tapeworm Diet:
The tapeworm diet was recently featured on an episode of the “Tyra Show.”  Here’s a clip from the show where two women talk about their willingness to ingest a tapeworm to lose weight and a man who sells tapeworms shows off his wares. 



The Plan:
Ingest a tapeworm cyst which will grow inside the digestive tract absorbing calories from your body causing you to lose 1 to 2 lbs per week.  Once you hit your target weight, you take an antibiotic to get rid of the tapeworm.

Pros:

• Easy weight loss
  

Cons:

• Not FDA approved
• Cannot be legally purchased or imported in the US
• Nutrient deficiencies and anemia as a result of the tapeworm stealing the host’s nutrients
• Potential upper abdominal discomfort, diarrhea, loss of appetite, death
• Medical intervention needed to get rid of the tapeworm
• Weight regain once the tapeworm is killed
• Yuck
  

Alternatives:
Healthy diet and physical activity as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid.  See a Registered Dietitian for help in developing a personalized weight loss plan.