Guess What Came to Dinner: Parasites and Your Health. - book reviews

Nutrition Health Review, Wntr, 1995

Despite common belief, parasites are solidly established in our modern society; no longer an exotic problem of only the Third World countries, parastic infections threaten to become epidemic.

"Parasites are the missing diagnosis in the genesis of many chronic health problems, including diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and endocrine system," Hermann R. Bueno, M.D., declares in the preface to this remarkable work. Dr. Bueno is an eminent British researcher in tropical medicine.

"This book is purposefully designed to open a can of worms," Ms. Gittleman admits. "I know that the subject matter will not be the most pleasant reading material, but parasites are allowed to persist precisely because we revile the idea of housing worms."

The author is convinced that some health problems, such as chronic fatigue, hypoglycemia, food allergies, spastic colon, and respiratory disorders, could be alleviated by eradicating parasites from the body.

The author ranges even further in her indictments: diarrhea, constipation, and many digestive problems may have as their source parasite growth in gastrointestinal system.

Ann Louise Gittleman comes to the discovery of this medical problem through her own experiences as a nutritional counselor. She writes: "In my own nutritional practice, I have observed that many unexplained health conditions often disappear when parasites are eliminated. Painstaking examination of my clients' food habits, favorite ethnic restaurants, lifestyle, and travel records often revealed the source of infection. I was amazed to find that a patient's travel history was often the missing key to unlocking the underlying cause of persistent flu-like symptoms... Frequently, symptoms started shortly after a vacation to tropical islands..." Today, parasites and diseases they cause are no longer found just in faraway places like the tropics, she notes. "These organisms ... have become more prevalent in America because of a number of modern-day factors..."

From where and how parasites are most often contracted comprise a trail fraught with everyday contacts. Contaminated food or water, whether harbored in the home or restaurants are high on the list. Sexual contact with an infected person is seldom suspected. Most attention is concentrated upon the more infamous viruses and bacteria. Infected pets are a virulent source, so is dust laden with parasite eggs.

Ms. Gittleman also charges that immigration, seldom recognized for its outpouring of parasite infected newcomers (who often become handlers of food or baby sitters), contribute to spreading the epidemic. She is also convinced that the overuse of antibiotics and immunosuppressant drugs play a major part in the public's vulnerability to parasitic infection.

The book serves as a guide to the avoidance of parasites. Don't eat undercooked food (especially microwave ovens that heat unevenly, leaving parasites and their eggs unharmed); practice basic hygiene; keep pets clean and healthy; don't drink water from unknown sources; seek out medical help when parasite infection is suspected; when traveling, choose well-cooked foods.

Ann Louise Gittleman writes with the authority of an expert who has mastered the subject in every respect: the cause, the condition, and the solution. The book is abundant with technological information that should also satisfy the research professional.