‘I think I have parasites’

It’s one of the most common gut health concerns we hear in-store.

The reality is that when we perform comprehensive microbiome testing, parasites are actually far less common than many people expect.

More often, we find general gut dysbiosis, an imbalance between beneficial bacteria and opportunistic bacteria or fungi. This imbalance can contribute to symptoms such as bloating, excessive gas, abdominal discomfort, irregular bowel habits, food sensitivities, fatigue, and even changes in mood and immunity. Many gut issues can be improved by restoring balance rather than assuming parasites are the cause.

If your gut symptoms have only recently started, your first step is simply to come in and have a chat with our team. We stock a range of practitioner-quality over-the-counter remedies and can often recommend an appropriate starting point.

If your symptoms have been ongoing, keep returning, or are affecting your quality of life, we often recommend a naturopathic consultation along with comprehensive microbiome testing. This allows us to identify exactly what is happening in your gut, rather than guessing.

Treatment is rarely about one magic supplement. Instead, we focus on:

• Supporting and repairing the gut lining

• Reducing inflammation

• Replenishing beneficial bacteria

• Addressing overgrowth where required

• Using a strategic rotation of herbs to help create a more stable, resilient gut environment

What can you do yourself to support a happy gut?

An often-overlooked part of gut health is feeding your beneficial bacteria. Beneficial gut microbes ferment a wide variety of dietary fibres to produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) such as butyrate, acetate, and propionate.

These compounds nourish the cells lining your bowel, help maintain the integrity of the gut barrier, regulate inflammation, support immune function, and create an environment where beneficial bacteria can thrive. This is why diversity matters.

Eating a wide variety of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, and other fibre-rich whole foods provides the different fibres your gut microbes need to produce these beneficial compounds and keep the gut happy.

Every gut is different. Understanding what is happening beneath the surface allows us to create a treatment plan that is personalised, targeted, and designed to restore long-term gut health.

So instead of guessing, take the guesswork out of it. Understand what is really happening in your gut before embarking on extreme protocols that may not be appropriate for your individual situation.

In some cases, unnecessarily restrictive diets or aggressive gut-cleansing regimens can actually disrupt your microbiome further and delay healing.

The right treatment starts with the right diagnosis.

Have a gut health question? We’re hosting a live Gut Health Q&A on 23 July at 1:30 PM. Come in to 43 Brantome St, Gisborne or join online via Zoom.