Tapeworm & Weight Loss

The tapeworm, a parasite that lives in the intestine, can grow up to 30 feet in length, according to the Merck Manual. Tapeworm infection in humans can cause diarrhea, abdominal pain and release of tapeworm egg sacs in excrement; but because it can also lead to weight loss, dieters purchase and ingest tapeworm cysts in an effort to shed extra pounds.

History

In 2007, the Los Angeles Times reported that rumors of tapeworm's weight loss power have persisted for a century and that druggists supposedly sold them in pill form during the 1910s. Tapeworm pills were sold and advertised throughout the early 20th century, but according to Snopes.com, there's no verifiable evidence that the pills actually contained tapeworms. The "poster girl" of the tapeworm diet, opera singer Maria Callas, supposedly lost 66 pounds from intentional ingestion of tapeworms, though it's more likely that she was infected from her love of eating raw meat.

Ingestion

Ingestion of a tapeworm may be intentional or accidental. Websites devoted to the tapeworm diet offer advice and instructions for obtaining and ingesting tapeworm cysts; they offer this as an "experimental therapy" but note that it's illegal to ship them within the United States. Accidental ingestion can come from food, soil or water that is contaminated by tapeworm-infected feces, but the beef tapeworm is the least harmful to humans, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Weight Loss

A tapeworm absorbs nutrients from the intestine of its host, which can lead to weight loss or loss of appetite. The L.A. Times reported on the case of a woman who lost weight from a tapeworm while eating 6,000 calories per day, which may appeal to proponents of the tapeworm diet, but the New York Times reported that tapeworms can also cause a fluid buildup that leads to a distended abdomen.

Dangers

Tapeworm infection can lead to serious health complications. The beef tapeworm is less dangerous than others, because it lives in the intestine only, but the pork tapeworm can migrate within the human body and can affect the central nervous system. A tapeworm infection contributes to malnourishment along with weight loss because it absorbs vital nutrients from the human host. Intentional ingestion of a tapeworm may ultimately lead to poor health and undesirable side effects.

Treatment

Tapeworm dieters use a dose of anti-parasitic medication after a few months of infection. Physicians treat intestinal tapeworm infestations with anti-parasitic drugs, such as Praziquantel; however, they are unable to use anti-parasitic medications if tapeworm cysts have infected the eye or spinal cord, because this can lead to inflammation and tissue damage. These medications dissolve the adult tapeworm but they do not kill tapeworm eggs, so recurring infection is possible without proper precautions.