Are Parasites Driving Your Autoimmune Or Gut Issues? with Dr. George Papanicolaou

Are Parasites Driving Your Autoimmune Or Gut Issues? | This episode
is sponsored by Thrive Market and Rupa Health You may be surprised
to learn that having a parasite, in and of itself, is not
necessarily a bad thing. In fact, our gut microbiome is made up of
more than 500 different species of microbes, including various
types of bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses. Some of them help
us, but others are harmful. Parasitic infection can result in an
individual experiencing a range of symptoms from digestive issues
to muscle ache, joint pain, skin rashes, and more; it can also
signal issues with a weakened immune system. In this episode, Dr.
Hyman sits down with Dr. George Papanicolaou to discuss how
parasites can influence our overall health, and why they sometimes
trigger autoimmune disease, gut imbalance, and much more. George
Papanicolaou is a graduate of the Philadelphia College of
Osteopathic Medicine and is Board Certified in Family Medicine from
Abington Memorial Hospital. He is also an Institute for Functional
Medicine Practitioner. Upon graduation from his residency he joined
the Indian Health Service. He worked on the Navajo reservation for
4 years at the Chinle Comprehensive Medical Facility where he
served as the Outpatient Department Coordinator. In 2000, he
founded Cornerstone Family Practice in Rowley, MA. He practiced
with a philosophy centered on personal relationships and treating
the whole person, not just not the disease. He called that
philosophy “Whole Life Wellness”. Over time as the healthcare
system made it harder for patients to receive this kind of personal
care Dr. Papanicolaou decided a change was needed. He began
training in Functional Medicine through the Institute of Functional
Medicine. In 2015, he established Cornerstone Personal Health – a
practice dedicated entirely to Functional Medicine. Dr.
Papanicolaou joined The UltraWellness Center in 2017. This episode
is sponsored by Thrive Market and Rupa Health. Thrive Market is
offering all Doctor's Farmacy listeners an extra 25% off your first
purchase and a free gift when you sign up for Thrive Market. Just
head over to thrivemarket.com/Hyman.  Rupa Health is a place
for Functional Medicine practitioners to access more than 2,000
specialty lab tests from over 20 labs like DUTCH, Vibrant America,
Genova, Great Plains, and more. You can check out a free live demo
with a Q&A or create an account at RupaHealth.com.  In
this conversation, Dr. Hyman and Dr. Papanicolaou discuss: The
connection between the immune system and parasitic infection The
most common parasites and how you get them Patient cases they have
treated When parasites can be helpful Common symptoms of having a
parasite Testing and diagnosing for parasites Treating parasites
with herbs and pharmaceuticals  The possible role of
over-sanitization and parasitic infection, autoimmune issues, and
other chronic health issues Using parasitic worm therapy (i.e.
helminth therapy) to treat autoimmune issues, asthma, allergies,
and more Additional Resources: Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of
Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues
https://www.amazon.com/Missing-Microbes-Overuse-Antibiotics-Fueling/dp/0805098100
An Epidemic of Absence: A New Way of Understanding Allergies and
Autoimmune Diseases
https://www.amazon.com/Epidemic-Absence-Understanding-Allergies-Autoimmune/dp/1439199388
Fixing The Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
https://drhyman.com/blog/2020/08/10/podcast-hc22/ The Power Of Food
To Heal Everything From Autoimmune Disease To Traumatic Brain
Injury https://drhyman.com/blog/2019/12/18/podcast-ep85/