Gut worms may be healthy – research
Having worms in your gut may sound unpleasant, but New Zealand scientists have good reason to believe they could benefit your health.
The research, published in Mucosal Immunology, found that the presence of intestinal parasites provides long-lasting protection against infection from other species of parasites in other organs.
The Malaghan Institute of Medical Research’s Dr Kara Filbey, said worms had evolved to manipulate their host’s immune system, to prevent it from killing them.
“They need a healthy host to live in, but they also need to survive themselves.”
