Worms and IBD - Mythbuster

The Myth: “Eating worms will cure IBD”

The Truth: This sounds like a really odd and gross one but you might to surprised to hear there is something behind it. We will just get one thing clear to start with – worms won’t cure IBD. But there is a very small amount of initial evidence showing that helminth therapy (worms) could have an impact on inflammatory bowel disease.

Helminths are worm-like parasites that can take up residence in our intestines. Although ingesting worms sounds gross, they may actually have an impact on our immune system when they live inside us, including altering our immune systems responses to foreign invaders and reducing the immune response, which could potentially be beneficial in IBD with immune dysregulation thought to be one of its causative factors.

But before you go thinking about eating worms just hold up! The types of worms investigated for this use are very specific and not like the ones we find in our gardens! There have only been a couple of small trials in humans with IBD and there is deficiently not enough evidence for it to be considered as a therapy yet. Additionally, there is a question mark over safety as they may cause infection and unwanted side effects. Also, I’m not sure about you but the thought of drinking anything that contains 2500 live eggs (what was used in the trial) is enough to put me off!

More information:

Garg SK, Croft AM, Bager P. (2014) Helminth therapy (worms) for induction of remission in inflammatory bowel disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2014, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD009400. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009400.pub2

Maruszewska-Cheruiyot, M., Donskow-Łysoniewska, K., & Doligalska, M. (2018). Helminth Therapy: Advances in the use of Parasitic Worms Against Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and its Challenges. Helminthologia, 55(1), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1515/helm-2017-0048

I have written a free e-book to help you find a way forward for your everyday life with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Whether you are right at the beginning of your journey with IBD or have been living with your condition for years and feel like you have tried almost everything, there are things you can do everyday, beyond the medication you are taking, to help you take back control.

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We are all wonderfully unique and what works for one person may not work for another so please seek help and advice before changing your diet to work out the right way forward for you.