What would it be like if someone told you tiny worms roam inside your body, suck nutrition from it and lay eggs? Many would call it the most disgusting and creepy thing they ever heard of.
But it is true!
There are all kinds of parasitic worms inside the human body that live in our stomachs, kidneys, livers, and where not!
And they are not so tiny either…
But no need to worry. Scientists have long since discovered these and gave us various vaccines as the gifts of modern technology. We have been presented with the opportunity to get rid of these harmful bringers of maladies.
Although… now scientists are not quite as confident declaring all these harmful “parasites” harmful. In fact, some of them have been proved to be the opposite. Studies have shown that some of the so-called parasites even help us fight some nasty diseases, instead of infecting us.
Intestinal worms, properly called “helminths”, in mother rats, research has unrevealed, protect the brains of babies from inflammation. One other helminth has even shown signs of helping people fight cancer!
There had been a test where 21 people, who had no way left to get cured, were given eggs of one type of helminth as capsules. They took regular doses for a certain period of time. The particular species used in this experiment was chosen because of several reasons: they could not live inside the human body for long, their reproduction is controlled, and they do not penetrate the skin.
After some days, all but one of them started showing signs of getting better!
This miraculous discovery has inspired scientists — this has opened up a completely different sector of research. For far too long people have believed these “parasites” to be the cause of diseases. Just imagine what possibilities have opened up now that we know they can be used for treatment! Who knows what might humans discover from this…!
Who knew worms can be of so much use?
