Hookworm infection isn’t something anyone would want to do, but the health of patients who can accept it may be improved.
The first The clinical trialA team of scientists at the James Cook University, Australia, inoculated volunteers using human hookworm larvae.Necator americanus(to see if the parasites could improve their metabolic health.
Each participant had a higher insulin resistance level at the beginning of the two-year trial.
The researchers concluded that hookworm infection resulted in a significant decrease in insulin resistance scores when compared with those who received a You can also find out more about the following:.
The findings are not enough yet to endorse the practice, but they join the findings of another pioneering Study of the LanguagesIn 2021, a study published that exposed participants to hookworms found that it improved their microbiome.
Researchers Say this:Their trial provides “proof-of-principle that hookworm treatment can stabilize or improve metabolic health, such as insulin resistant.”
Hookworms and other parasitic worms have been found in the past. Living inside human beingsThroughout the history of mankind, some infections have been more dangerous than others.
It’s possible that parasitic worms can be beneficial. Scientists have observed that people in areas where parasitic worms occur often report illnesses. Fewer It is a metabolic disorder.You can also find out more about the following: inflammatory .
What’s more, recent studiesWhen people are “dewormed”, their insulin resistance increases. It is important to maintain blood sugar levels. This can lead to metabolic disorders like type II diabetes. DiabetesHeart disease and other cardiovascular diseases.
The James Cook University’s current trial is among the first to intentionally infect participants for a limited time with hookworms.
The first group of volunteers consisted of 40 adults with relatively high insulin resistance. The 24 adults that completed the study were either inoculated by a placebo or with 20 or 40 infectious human hookworm larvae. The researchers and patients were not aware which treatment was administered to whom.
Hookworm infections can cause mild to moderate stomach problems, including bloating and nausea. They may also lead to constipation or diarrhea. Only three people quit the course because of discomfort.
After a year’s worth of regular mental and physical health checks, participants who were infected by hookworms scored significantly lower on HOMA-IR (an assessment of insulin resistance).
After receiving 20 hookworm larvae, the scores dropped from 3.0 units down to just 1.8.
The scores of those who had even more larvae infected them only dropped from 2.4 down to 2.0.
In contrast, the placebo group experienced a median improvement of 0.8 points in their scores.
“These lowered HOMA-IR values indicated that people were experiencing considerable improvements in insulin sensitivity – results that were both clinically and Statistically significant,” explainsDoris Pierce is a bioscientist, author and the lead author.
There are still many unknowns. What impact do hookworms have on human metabolism, for instance? And why does a higher dose hookworm not improve insulin resistance in an linear manner?
This first trial’s sample size is too small to answer these questions.
To investigate the issue further, the team is now preparing to conduct a large-scale international study.
The study was published by Nature Communications.
