Eating cabbage soup for two weeks. Exercising three times day. Drinking water with lemon juice and cayenne pepper for 10 days. We can all admit to going to great lengths, even if just once, to lose those unwanted pounds. But the Tapeworm Diet has to get as extreme and desperate as the world of dieting tricks and methods come. The good news is that importing or selling tapeworms in the U.S. is illegal. Tapeworms though, do occur in undercooked beef or raw meat dishes which are prone to contamination.
So what does a tapeworm in your gut actually do? It secretes proteins in our intestinal tract that make our digestion of food much less efficient. A less efficient digestive systems means that you can consume more calories through your food since your "body guest" is also noshing on them for his own growth purposes. Some scientists estimate that those infected with a single tapeworm can lose up to one or two pounds each week. Certain tapeworms can be downright lethal like a pork tapeworm, but for beef tapeworms, you can clear up an infection by taking a dose of antibiotics.
Some diet gimmicks have created tapeworm pills but since then the FDA has intervened and banned these unsubstantiated and dangerous products.
A scientist in Japan believes that tapeworms can also help clear up allergies like hay fever
CON
Can be deadly
Banned by the FDA
Medical intervention may be needed to get rid of the tapeworm
There are side effects to having a tapeworm
Can't purchase or import one
Once you get rid of the tapeworm, you risk putting weight back if you continue eating like you have a tapeworm
DIET and NUTRITION
The Tapeworm Diet is anything but a diet. Since a sizable percentage of what you eat goes to the tapeworm, it's a virtual dieter's dream: eat whatever you want and lose weight. Taking extra vitamins during an infection might help to prevent the massive nutrient loss. Following an infection, all those lost pounds can be easily put back on if you don't follow a healthy eating plan for just you and not your parasite.
TREATMENT
Treatment for getting rid of a tapeworm varies from grotesque to the less grotesque. A strong course of antibiotics is prescribed to get rid of the tapeworm.
CONCLUSION
Let us truly be thankful for the great strides in the hygienic practices of our farms and slaughterhouses and in our water supply. Even though our bodies have evolutionarily become used to being hosts to a myriad of parasites, our modern day ways have no doubt helped us to stay healthier and live longer. Voluntarily ingesting a tapeworm to lose weight is legally a difficult thing to pull off, not to mention dangerous. Your safer and less uncomfortable way to shed some pounds is probably heeding the advice of science and research: Consume less calories and stay active. Needless to say, this is one approach to weight loss that is not smart nor safe and should not be persued by anyone.
I did this diet, I had to travel to brazil and watch them slaughter an infected cow, it cost me 1670.00 they then took the worm pods and cleansed them and out them under some irradiated light. Game me some pilles to kill the worm after 90 days and I came back to the states. I dropped from 300 lbs to 190 in 90 days.
The worm died and I started a regular excersize regime and have stayed at 190 lbs for three years.
posted Sep 1st, 2008 8:32 am
Kristin
Yes, I need to lose weight, but not badly enough to ingest a tapeworm!! Has anyone ever heard of eating right and exercise? That works just as well without the pesky parasite.
posted Aug 20th, 2008 5:10 pm
concernedelectron
Some misinformation here. Weight loss is not guaranteed. Antibiotics do not kill tapeworms. Legal issues are more complicated than presented. Otherwise, pretty good.
posted Jul 24th, 2008 10:13 am
rachel
People are so friggin unwilling to just stop being such a fat and get off the couch! Instead they put deadly worms in their bellies!
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(Page 8 of 8, 146 total comments)Joe
I did this diet, I had to travel to brazil and watch them slaughter an infected cow, it cost me 1670.00 they then took the worm pods and cleansed them and out them under some irradiated light. Game me some pilles to kill the worm after 90 days and I came back to the states. I dropped from 300 lbs to 190 in 90 days. The worm died and I started a regular excersize regime and have stayed at 190 lbs for three years.
posted Sep 1st, 2008 8:32 amKristin
Yes, I need to lose weight, but not badly enough to ingest a tapeworm!! Has anyone ever heard of eating right and exercise? That works just as well without the pesky parasite.
posted Aug 20th, 2008 5:10 pmconcernedelectron
Some misinformation here. Weight loss is not guaranteed. Antibiotics do not kill tapeworms. Legal issues are more complicated than presented. Otherwise, pretty good.
posted Jul 24th, 2008 10:13 amrachel
People are so friggin unwilling to just stop being such a fat and get off the couch! Instead they put deadly worms in their bellies!
posted Jun 23rd, 2008 4:58 pmAnisah
This sounds so yuck to me.
posted Jun 14th, 2008 8:34 amjones
this just seems absolutely absurd!
posted Jun 1st, 2008 12:26 pm