The Role of Helminths* in Restoring Our Internal Ecosystem + Speaking Announcement - MAPS Conference Sept 5-7, 2024
The Role of Helminths* in Restoring Our Internal Ecosystem
When we think about our internal environment, we often overlook the tiny creatures that have coexisted with us for millennia. Among these crucial organisms, helminths are especially important. Though they’ve mostly been eradicated, I believe it’s time to bring them back. Re-worm, if you will. But why? Why would a person ever put a worm in their body willingly?*
Well, the importance of helminths is likened to the importance of a keystone species. A keystone species is one whose impact on its ecosystem is disproportionately large relative to its numbers. Removing a keystone species often leads to significant changes and even collapse of the ecosystem. The gray wolf is a well-known example of this. When it was eradicated from Yellowstone in the late 1920s, the absence of this predator caused a cascade of environmental changes. Herd animals, no longer threatened, overfed on plants, disrupted habitats, and drove various species from the park. However, when the gray wolf was reintroduced in 1995, the ecosystem quickly began to recover. Species returned, dwindling populations grew, and the natural balance was restored—all because one keystone species came back.1
Helminths function similarly within our internal ecosystems. Their presence helps regulate and balance our immune systems, contributing to our overall health. However, with the development of antiparasitic drugs in the 1970s, helminths were nearly eradicated in industrialized nations. Since then, we’ve seen chronic illnesses, allergies, and autoimmune diseases sky-rocket—a trend best explained by the Hygiene Hypothesis.2,3
The Hygiene Hypothesis suggests that our modern, sanitized lifestyles have deprived our immune systems of the regulatory influences these organisms once provided. Meaning, these organisms, when they inhabit our gut, actually teach the immune system how to function properly. Epidemiological data supports this idea, showing that autoimmune and allergic diseases have risen sharply since the 1970s. For example, conditions like Type 1 Diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel disease are much more common in regions with higher sanitation and lower exposure to helminths.4 Notably, areas with poorer hygiene, such as the Russian part of Karelia, have much lower rates of autoimmune diseases compared to their more sanitized neighbors, like Finland.2
In my clinical practice, I’ve seen many chronic/autoimmune conditions go into remission with microbiome restoration techniques like dietary changes, reducing pesticide exposure, and self-infection with human hookworm.* Reintroducing helminths can restore a critical keystone species to our internal ecosystems. Just as the gray wolf restored Yellowstone’s balance, helminths can help restore our health. They increase microbial diversity, create a safe space for other beneficial organisms, and help our immune systems cope with the daily stresses of our industrialized world.2,3
Helminths may not be a cure-all. And we surely need a broader solution for the continuous damage done by pesticides—that’s a challenge we have to address through sustainable practices like permaculture and biodynamic farming (a topic for another day). However, helminths do help reduce the inflammatory responses that are part of our daily lives. These organisms are our sweet symbionts, and their presence in our ecosystems is becoming more essential than ever.
There is so much more to share about this incredible therapy* and its potential for addressing some of the most prevalent chronic conditions in modern healthcare. Inflammation underlies many chronic illnesses, and knowing that repopulating our microbiome could be the solution we’ve been seeking is transformative.
Speaking Announcement
I hope you’ll join me at the MAPS conference, September 5-7, in Scottsdale, Arizona, where I’ll dive deeper into the science and share some profound patient cases that have kept me incredibly excited about working in this fringe space.
Interested in learning more for yourself? Schedule a consultation today!
References:
How reintroducing wolves saved this ecosystem | The Earthshot Prize. www.youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFHmtVNu97E
Versini, M., Jeandel, PY., Bashi, T. et al. Unraveling the Hygiene Hypothesis of helminthes and autoimmunity: origins, pathophysiology, and clinical applications. BMC Med 13, 81 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-015-0306-7
Akdis, C.A. Does the epithelial barrier hypothesis explain the increase in allergy, autoimmunity and other chronic conditions?. Nat Rev Immunol 21, 739–751 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41577-021-00538-7
Why Are Autoimmune and Allergic Diseases Rising? Internal Medicine. Published February 7, 2024. Accessed August 22, 2024. https://medicine.yale.edu/internal-medicine/news-article/why-are-autoimmune-and-allergic-diseases-rising-andrew-wang/
Photo credit: By Jasper Lawrence - I took the photograph using a Nikon E200 Trinocular microscope, an M99 microscope adaptor from the Martin Microscope Company (S/N3734), a D10NLC C-Mount manufactured by Diagnostic Instruments and a Sony HDV-A1U HD digital video camera., CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4335265
*FDA Disclaimer: Helminthic therapy, a self-infection approach, is not FDA-approved. Patients and clients interested in pursuing this therapy often work with distributors outside of the United States for support. While some have found benefits, side effects are common and must be well understood before beginning a self-infection journey. To ensure informed decisions, Dr. Piper Dobner offers helminthic therapy counseling in her office, helping patients explore this option with the proper knowledge and guidance.
