I’ve dealt with a lot of “Crypto” cases over the last half-decade or so. It’s a tiny parasite – one of the smallest, in fact.

It is a lot more common than your doctor will tell you, but it’s very hard to find in standard stool testing.

The specific DNA testing I use in the Hompes Method Digestive Health MOT has enabled me to detect far more Crypto infestations.

The name “Cryptosporidum” means “hidden spore”, which kind of describes Crypto’s sneaky little trick, in which it hides in the nooks and crannies between the cells of your intestine.

Crypto really came into the limelight after the advent of AIDS in the 1980s because people with a weakened immune system are especially prone to developing diarrheal disease from this bug.

A massive 1993 outbreak in Milwaukee, which affected some 400,000 people, was also a pretty good advertisement for Crypto.

In fact, the sheer number of people who fell ill during the Milwaukee outbreak illustrated the degree to which Crypto can cause major problems!

Cryptosporidium symptoms

Crypto infections often cause watery diarrhea, which may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, urgency to take a dump, abdominal cramps and discomfort.

In these situations, doctors may request patients to take a stool test, especially if the symptoms last more than a few days.

The part the doctors don’t tend to tell you is that Crypto can establish persistent infections that don’t necessarily result in continuous diarrhea.

Instead, Crypto can cause mild to moderate digestive symptoms such as bloating, excess gas and loose stools. I’ve even seen people develop constipation, which is the opposite symptom to what you’d expect with Crypto.

In these cases, doctors rarely, of ever, test their patients. Instead, folk are just told they have irritable bowels.

Crypto can affect the other six areas of health within Hompes Method:

• Energy
• Mood
• Skin
• Sleep
• Sex
• Aches and pains

It’s an invasive parasite, meaning that not only can it get in between the intestinal cells, but can also literally invade the gut cells, killing them from the inside out.

Crypto and nutrient deficiencies

It’s not surprising that Crypto can trigger a whole bunch of symptoms around the body given the fact it has the ability to destroy intestinal cells by literally invading them.

Not only does it trigger an immune response in the gut, it can damage the gut to such a degree that the body can’t absorb nutrients properly.

Crypto can prevent the absorption of proteins dietary fat, and along with it, the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K and co-enzyme Q10.

If you look at the number of roles played by these nutrients in the body, it’s easy to see how depletions might lead to symptoms outside the gut.

For example, vitamin A is needed for proper thyroid function, CoQ10 is needed for energy production, vitamin E is a primary antioxidant and vitamin D is needed for bone health, energy, immune function and gut health.

Is it any wonder Crypto can cause body-wide problems?

Crypto in children

I’m very concerned about the state of children’s health.

All the bad foods they’re eating are wreaking havoc on their digestive and immune systems, leaving them open to acquiring chronic infections.

Crypto can be passed around rapidly in daycare centers and I’ve had the opportunity to work with children who had been in orphanages. These children had a number of digestive invaders, but the most common was Crypto.

Studies cited in my huge parasitology book state have shown that Crypto has the potential to cause stunted growth in kids and it may even compromise sexual development, even if it is not causing obvious digestive symptoms:

“It is of note that, impaired growth occurred whether or not the (Crypto) infections were symptomatic and the impact on linear (height) growth was persistent, lasting at least 1 year. Additional data indicate that cryptosporidiosis depresses nutritional status and growth.”

– Principles and Practice of Clinical Parasitology, page 151.

I urge all parents whose kids struggle with chronic symptoms to get their guts tested – the body only gets one chance to develop.

How is Crypto transmitted?

Like most of the microscopic parasites that infect the intestine, Crypto infects people when they swallow its cyst form, which has a durable outer casing that enables it to survive in the environment.

Crypto has two active phases to its lifecycle, known as a trophozoite and sporozoite. They come to life when the cyst is dissolved, once the Crypto gets into the intestine.

Four major modes of transmission are known to occur: person-to-person, animal-to-human and from contaminated food and water.

I always recommend that family members be tested when we identify Crypto in one member. In one study, transmission within families was found in 19% of family contacts

The risk of Crypto infection from food is estimated at 8-62 million cases a year (ISSI Consulting Group, 1999). I’m sure you’ll agree, that’s a LOT of cases.

Food-borne infection is thought to occur most often from fresh fruits and vegetables, which are contaminated by the food handler, rather than at the farm. Other implicated foods are fresh sausages, raw milk and potato salad.

Recreational water outbreaks from swimming pools, lakes and rivers are relatively common and are frequently reported in news articles.

Crypto cysts are not killed by chlorination, which means drinking water and swimming pools can be sources of infection virtually anywhere.

Confusion over symptoms

As you’ve seen, Crypto can cause a lot of common, every day symptoms.

But so can other things, like the food you eat (e.g. gluten, soy, cow’s milk), and other bad bugs such as different parasites, bacteria and Candida.

Thus, you can’t possibly know what’s causing your individual symptoms unless you take action to change your diet and get a comprehensive digestive health work-up.

Of course, I’m biased, but I wouldn’t be here teaching you this information had I not gone through the Digestive MOT process myself way back in 2007 with my functional medicine doctor.

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If you’re struggling with your digestive health, take action today.

Your digestive system is the gateway to the rest of your body and it’s going to be very tough for you to sustain an acceptable level of health (and quality of life) if your digestive system isn’t working properly.

Let me hold your hand through a simple but powerful program to help you restore proper digestion and all the benefits it brings.

Click here for details of my Digestive Health MOT program.