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Colon Parasite Cleansing

Colon parasite cleansing products are an ongoing problem for the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission, who issue warnings to and injunctions against colon parasite cleanse marketers when they overstep the boundaries of the law. Consumers are urged to avoid colon cleansing products to treat nonexistent parasitic infections.

  1. The Parasite Myth

    • Colon parasite cleanse marketers appeal to consumers by convincing them that their colons are infected with parasites and their eggs. Cleansing products typically consist of any array of homeopathic ingredients that you can find at your corner health food store, including extracts of herbs, flowers, vegetables and other vitamins and nutrients. Often, such products come with laxative capsules or teas which cause consumers to experience frequent bowel movements. Consumers who experience the side-effects of "parasite cleanse" products are convinced that they are ridding their colon of unhealthy parasites that they never had to begin with. How do you know if a colon parasite cleansing product is a scam? Usually--but not always--it includes a disclaimer that everything the marketer states about the product is not substantiated by the FDA. This essentially states that the product has no scientific evidence to prove its efficacy.

    FTC & FDA Involvement

    • The law provides legal protection for marketers who wish to compete against other marketers by allowing them use of hyperbole to prop up their products. However, puffery is weighted against Section 12(a) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 52(a), which "prohibits the dissemination of any false advertisement in or affecting commerce for the purpose of inducing, or which is likely to induce, the purchase of food, drugs, devices or cosmetics."

      Colon parasite cleansing marketers have been known to make blatantly false medical assertions in violation of the FTC Act, such as that the products purportedly cure cancer, HIV/AIDS and other serious ailments that marketers claim are caused by "parasites." Certain colon parasite cleansing products have posed an inordinate headache for the FDA and FTC, which take actions to protect consumers when parasite cleanse marketers overstep their boundaries.

      The FTC and FDA have taken stringent action against misbranded herbal products such as Dr. Hulda Clark's ParaZap Parasite Cleanse, the Complete Herbal Parasite Program and the Anti-Para Parasite Cleanse. The FTC revoked the license of a medical practitioner named Walter Stoll who marketed a parasite cleanse to consumers who, through proper medical testing, discovered that they never had intestinal parasites.

      Because parasite cleansing products are often sold by foreign corporations, it is difficult for the FDA and FTC to monitor their entry into the U.S. Additionally, as soon as federal entities shut down one parasite cleansing website, another springs up in its place. For a listing of colon parasite cleansing products that have been discredited by the FTC and FDA, see the Resources link below.

    Medical Treatment for Parasites

    • What marketers of colon parasite cleansing products don't want you to know is that parasitic infections such as hookworms and tapeworms are endemic to developing and third-world nations where water quality and sewage treatment is problematic--not the U.S. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the three parasitic infections found in the U.S. are trichomonas, which is sexually transmitted and the most common parasitic infection; giardia and cryptosporidium, which affect campers who do not appropriately treat drinking water; and toxoplasma, caused by food-borne parasites.

      A parasitic infection can only be identified by your doctor after taking samples of stool, blood or in the case of trichomonas, samples from the genitals. All of the above parasitic infections require medical intervention and use of oral antibiotics to effect a cure and will not be remedied by a colon parasite cleanse. If you've been scammed by a colon parasite cleansing marketer, the FTC wants to know. You can file your complaint at: ftccomplaintassistant.gov.

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