Last month saw Dr Omar Amin, a world-renowned parasitologist, founder of the Parasitology Center Inc, Arizona (PCI) and author of over 180 articles and books on human and animal parasites, visit London.

Dr Amin presented a two-day seminar, Understanding Parasites, on behalf of Parasite Testing Europe (PCI Europe) and in collaboration with Integrative Health Education. The event was attended by nutritionists, doctors, naturopaths, colon hydrotherapists and physiologists.

Dr Amin’s seminar started with an introduction to the world of parasites, the procedures at PCI and the common misdiagnoses and mistreatments encountered by practitioners.

According to PCI test results parasites are proliferating, with 32% of the American and European populations being infected. Dr Amin’s estimates, however, are closer to 50%, meaning that one in two of the general population has a parasitic infection that could result in wide-ranging symptoms and a variety of health consequences. Practitioners learnt that not all tests deliver reliable results and that analysis by experienced lab technicians is key.

Most practitioners recognise that parasitic infections disrupt digestion, causing IBS and colitis symptoms such as diarrhoea, cramps, bloating, flatulence, nutrient malabsorption and headaches. However, Dr Amin emphasised that skin problems, such as dermatitis, are also common due to the toxic allergenic nature of the parasite’s metabolic byproducts. Fatigue and insomnia often occur as some parasites are active at night.

The presented cases demonstrated that infections do not only occur in third world areas as is commonly perceived. People travelling to popular holiday destinations such as Mexico, Thailand and Turkey were at higher risk, especially if exposed to contaminated water, unwashed produce, uncooked meat or skin contact with insects. Everywhere, though, danger is present if there is poor hygiene, contact with contaminated pets, or even barefoot walking. Therefore, Dr Amin advised to always use appropriate tests if digestive symptoms or skin disorders manifest and especially if patients have a history of travel, often eat out or handle food.

The first day finished with an analytical review of patients’ sample tests, provided by PCI Europe (parasitetesting.co.uk) which performs the most accurate, comprehensive parasite, fungus and bacteria stool analyses in Europe. Dr Amin follows a strict control as he has seen other lab results showing misdiagnosed parasite infections, either from misinterpretation or unfamiliarity with parasite types. The importance of sample analysis by lab technicians specially trained in identifying parasites from all seven continents was emphasised.

He showed how undigested plant tissues could be mistaken for parasites, such as tomato skins for tapeworms. His knowledge also helped him create The Freedom Cleanse Restore regime – an anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal botanical remedy that defends and cleanses the body of toxins and pathogens while promoting regularity and tissue repair.

The second day started with a view of PCI patients who over the years had gastrointestinal symptoms but after testing were free of parasite infection. These cases were explained by pathogenic bacteria being present in the gastrointestinal system, such as E. coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, Enterobacter, Candida and H. pylori, amongst others. Dr Amin found Klebsiella to be the most common in the UK, leading to diarrhoea, cystitis, pneumonia and prostatitis. Often transmitted in hospitals among low-immunity patients, Klebsiella was linked with autoimmune diseases such as Ankylosing Spondylitis and Myasthenia Gravis.

Dr Amin noted its antibiotics resistance – common among other bacteria, which is why PCI’s tests show bacterial sensitivity and resistance for treatment purposes. The link between Candida and autistic children was also covered with a warning that in the presence of mercury fillings, Candida shouldn’t be treated as it metabolises the heavy metal.
Dental materials exposure was then introduced by analysing Morgellons (Neuro-cutaneous Syndrome; NCS) – a new neurological and dermatological disorder caused by incompatible dental materials. It is characterised by neurological (pin-prick) sensations similar to those caused by parasites, pain, anxiety, depleted energy, memory loss and itchy cutaneous lesion and is often misdiagnosed as ‘delusional parasitosis’.

Dr Amin presented over 20 cases, showing components in the calcium materials, along with zinc oxide and titanium, amongst others, as sources of the symptoms. He advised practitioners to thoroughly examine patients’ dental history and photograph skin symptoms which they can compare to PCI’s case histories and use the Morgellons assessment questionnaire on the PCI website. A new NCS test is also available to European practitioners via PCI Europe.

The event finished with a question-and-answer session with Dr Amin which will soon be available on PCI Europe and Integrative Health Education’s social media channels. Due to the huge interest in the information, there will be a film of the seminar available to purchase after 20th July. Practitioners can now pre-order via Integrative Health Education.

Practitioners can also register for trade test prices with PCI Europe (parasitetesting.co.uk) while those looking to take their CPD further can join the IHE’s most popular courses – Holistic Approaches to a Fully Functional Gut and The World of Parasites, Fungus and Bacteria (BANT accredited) in October and November, both taught by Emma Lane – a leading expert in digestive health who specialises in pathogens. Early bookings are recommended!

Emma Lane recently visited Parasitology Centre Incorporated in Arizona, USA to spend time with world-renown parasitologist, Dr Amin. She was able to review the testing process in more detail and meet with the lab’s highly trained and specialised lab technicians.

Emma also asked Dr Amin a number of questions about parasites which had been sent in from practitioners who have attended Emma’s World of Parasites, Fungus & Bacteria training course or via the PCI Europe website.

Q: Is it common to get nausea while taking Freedom Cleanse Restore and should you stop using it if you experience that symptom?

Dr Amin: Any symptom like nausea or related symptoms can occur depending on what other issues are going on, aside from the patient’s parasite issue.

So you need to examine what is happening systemically with the person that is taking the Freedom Cleanse Restore remedy to decide what else is going, but the remedy itself does not cause nausea.

Q: What foods, if any, does Dr Amin recommend avoiding whilst doing the cleanse?

Dr Amin: Instead of listing what to avoid, I’d like to say something about what is recommended. We have found in our experience that the Mediterranean diet is the best thing to follow with the remedy

Many of the herbs used in the remedy come from the Mediterranean area and there is no limit on the length of time used. This makes Freedom Cleanse, Restore very unique and many of the ingredients used are not found in other remedies that are available on the market today.

Q: I would like to know if it’s true that 90% of the world’s population has a parasite and / or fungal infection.

Dr Amin: I would not be surprised if there were some pockets in the world populations which are heavily exposed to parasite infections that could show 90% infection rates.

One result suggest that at least 32% of populations in United States and Europe, in cross-sectional studies, are infected with parasites but those are only the ones who get to be tested. There are many people that have parasites who do not get to be tested. Our estimates are closer to 50%, on average, one in two people will have a parasite, some will have a serious pathological impact, and some will have minor impact.

Q: Do you believe parasite infections are due to poor diet and lifestyle factors and are these factors the leading cause for most chronic diseases?

Dr Amin: Parasite infection is a by-product of the relationship between the parasite, the host and the environment. If a patient is susceptible, perhaps because of fatigue or chronic issues outside the parasite issue, they will be more susceptible to contract a parasite infection or it can be more readily established. If a patient is more immune competent and does not have those deleterious factors they will be much more resistant to the same parasite infection at the same dose.

Q: I’d like details on what pathological amounts of bacteria are, compared with normal levels, how these are determined and whether it is possible to find out the degree of pathology.

Dr Amin: The answer is simple as there is no such thing as pathological amounts because in some cases just very small amounts of certain bacteria can cause a serious infection and in some other cases it takes a large amount of organisms to cause similar symptoms from another infection.

The important thing is to be able to define what infections there are and that is what the sensitivity test results are based on.

Every species has its own dose that is sufficient to cause a serious infection and do not forget that in the parasite / human relationship it mostly also depends on the patient’s susceptibility. Some people will be susceptible to small doses and others are very resilient to larger doses so the factor of the host resilience and susceptibility is more important. You cannot ignore the host factors.

Q: Any details on Klebsiella bacteria and its association with inflammatory disorders?

Dr Amin: Well all bacterial infections will cause inflammatory disorders because basically when you have an acute infection it’s going to cause inflammation. The inflammation is a by-product of the white blood cells rushing to the infection site, this will cause a collection of body fluids and blood which will cause inflammation. Most chronic diseases are diseases of an inflammatory nature.

Q: I’d love to know more about treating babies who can’t swallow pills or struggle to take bitter tasting tonics.

Dr Amin: Babies should not be treated with anything, because that is well beyond our call of duty. The younger the child is, the faster the metabolic rate is, the faster to accumulate or metabolise remedies that could be too strong for them.

So as a rule the Freedom Cleanse Restore is not recommend for children less than 4 years old and if they are above 4 years old and of good girth they can take the remedy in smaller doses and also with an increased amount of time between doses. This must be taken on a case-by-case basis but generally you want to avoid giving any remedy, herbal or antibiotic, to any child under 4 years old.

Q: Do parasites travel across the placenta during pregnancy?

Dr Amin: Some parasites do and that can cause congenital problems and some parasites don’t. It varies and depends on what parasite we are talking about.

Q: I’d like to hear Dr Amin’s opinion on the emergence of these bio-frequency machines that claim to detect parasite infections.

Dr Amin: I have seen a few different bio-frequency machines and none of them impressed me, because the frequency picked up by the machines can be tagged to anything, even physical abnormalities, dysfunctions by the organ systems or toxicity issues but they are not biologically tagged to specific species even if this is claimed, so I cannot trust them.

Want to learn more about parasites from a world-leading expert and have the opportunity to have your questions answered by Dr Amin?

Exclusive seminars from world-leading parasitology professor
Dr Amin will be discussing the world of parasites in more detail at the Understanding Parasites seminar series, hosted exclusively by PCI Europe and Integrative Health Education.

Understanding Parasites
4th – 5th July 2015
Honourable Artillery Company, London
Two day ticket: £125
Single day ticket: £80
www.integrativehealth.co.uk
email courses@integrativehealth.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1924 242 851

A series of articles by Omar M. Amin, M. Sc., Ph. D., D. N. M.

Relationships in parasitology and gestalt¹

My personal perspectives about parasitology are not much different to my perspectives on jogging, swimming, painting, playing music and writing. It is always a journey or hobby that brings meditative inner-consciousness together with correct action.

Recognising the temporal and spatial relationships between parasitic infections and physical and psychological trauma is parasitology viewed through a “gestaltic perspective”. Those relationships may, in many cases, be operative at the sub-clinical level since early childhood years. Progressive or sudden overt disease may occur later on in life. The reactivation of infection is usually associated with depressed immune status. Age, hormonal changes and physical or psychological stresses are important contributors to immune system suppression. Compromised immunity in adults renders the body wide open for many opportunistic infections that may become established in the adult stage and not only during earlier years of life.

Inter-relationships of this nature have not been the usual preoccupation of the traditional scientific or academic community. Rare exceptions, however, exist. The impact of major parasitic diseases on the immune system, as well as the subsequent effects of the latter on other parasitic infections, have been recently considered by Kirszenbaum (Parasitic Infections And The Immune System). Short term studies on the direct impact of acute parasitic infections on human or animal health are, however, more frequently reported in the literature. In addition, the inter-relationship between host immune system and concurrent parasitic infections needs to be more seriously considered. For instance, suppressed cell mediated immunity in patients with invasive amebiasis makes it possible for the opportunistic Candida albicans to develop frequently in those patients.

My particular interest in “holistic parasitology” is one facet of my overall philosophy on relationships which has its roots in Zen Buddhism. We have come of late to recognise that it is not the nature of the beast that matters but rather how that beast interacts with other beasts. Observe for instance the working relationships in quantum mechanics.

Einstein recognized the nature of atomic behavior and relationships as did Heisenberg in his initial work on the Principle of Uncertainty, (see Fritj or Capra) for interesting perspectives on these concepts. Capra (The Tao of Physics) also coined this paradigm shift in physics in his eloquent exposition of the relationship between physics and Taoism. Paradigm shifts have also been recently recognised in such fields as psychiatry, diplomacy and health care.

Few in the clinical field recognise that a malfunctioning organ does not exist in a void but also interacts with the total physical, mental, emotional and intuitive entities of the patient. While parasites can adversely impact their host’s immunity, a compromised immune system often issues an open invitation for increased parasitic invasion and invasiveness. In my practice in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, those relationships, for example, between chronic fatigue and parasitic infection, were clearly evident. In immune compromised patients, certain intestinal parasites, for example, Blastocystis hominis, were observed to be associated with marked gastro-enteric symptoms. Immune competent patients may not experience such pathologies.

Health is an expression of balance between one’s physical, mental, emotional and spiritual entities; see Ouspensky’s In Search of the Miraculous. When that balance is disturbed by pressures, for example in the case of acute or chronic parasitic infections and/or non-physical factors, it needs to be restored. Homeopathic physicians understand these relationships. They also respect parasites. I now realise why I developed such an appreciation for this community of practitioners. To me, it is the 21st century expression of what I always related to intuitively, in other words, the native doctor of the tribal culture in Central Africa that understood and dealt with the body and soul of his patient as one. I have been trained to research and publish in medically credible scientific journals with readerships not extending beyond the specialised professionals. One of the major features of the new paradigm shift in the sciences is the enlargement of the scope of coverage and treatment to address the non-specialised professional and the public. See for example recent popular works by Steven Hawking, for example, A Brief History of Time.

Certain relationships in the parasitological field need to be more fully explored, e.g. those between parasitic infections and host physical-mental-emotional states as well as environmental variables. The latter include direct or indirect animate (human, wildlife, or domestic animals) and inanimate sources. Here, one should stress again the fact that behavior of the same parasite species will not be the same depending on host innate and external variables.

Exclusive seminars from world-leading parasitology professor
Dr Amin will be discussing the world of parasites in more detail at the Understanding Parasites seminar series, hosted exclusively by PCI Europe and Integrative Health Education.

Understanding Parasites
4th – 5th July 2015
Honourable Artillery Company, London
Two day ticket: £125
Single day ticket: £80
www.integrativehealth.co.uk
Email: courses@integrativehealth.co.uk or call +44 (0) 1924 242 851