Toxoplasmosis - The Return of the Puppet Masters

[TylerDurden]

Hi TD,

Welcome to the forum. :) We recommend all new members to post an introduction in the Newbies section telling us a bit about themselves, and how they found their way here. Have a read through that section to get an idea of how others have done it. Thanks.

Hey Vulcan, Thanks for the welcome! I was still reading through the "important threads to read for newbies" section threads and am yet to make my introduction but I'll be sure to do that promptly.

 

[WIN 52]

Just read some of this thread for the first time.

I have experienced this mind control issue, firsthand.

I will mention Betaine Hydrochloride to you. How many of you feel threatened by that product, or consider this to be a load of crap?

Now I will say try the product if you have any feelings that you do in fact have parasites. Take note of how hard starting to take it can be.... and, in my case I felt a resounding Nooooo from within when I did in fact start and continue taking it.

Till now I could not but imagine that it was my parasites who were in control of what I take. This does confirm my suspicions about my reluctance to rid my body of undesirables using a product that does work. I have tried all of the things discussed, with mixed results. They seem to work for a while, then the condition seems to overcome the effects of the treatment being used.

I was on 1,000mg/day for a couple of years. I have now increased the dose to 2,000/day for a month. That has sped up the cleansing process with no signs of a reduction in effectiveness. They say you can take up to 4,000mg/day with your food.

By writing this, I understand this information does threaten certain factions. Now, how long before this product becomes banned worldwide? It seems the world is placing little importance on the product now. I do have a few months worth of supplies.

 

[FrankM4326754]

Looks like the zapper is a worth while investment! Thanks Laura for sharing.

 

[Gaby]

On a slightly related note:

Thinking With Your Gut Bacteria

http://perfecthealthdiet.com/?p=918

Is your personality really yours – or is it your bacteria’s?

What prompts this thought is a new paper that studied mate preference in fruit flies. It turns out that the gut bacteria in fruit flies influence their mate preference. [1]

It’s been known for 20 years that fruit flies raised on one type of food prefer to mate with fruit flies raised on that same food. Now, researchers have proven that the preference is dictated by gut bacteria. When fruit flies are given antibiotics, they forget their mate preference and will mate with fruit flies that eat different diets. [2]

Mating preference seems to be dominated by a single species: Lactobacillus plantarum. This species is common in probiotic supplements and in fermented vegetables. So if you find yourself developing an attraction to starch-fed fruit flies, your probiotic could be to blame.

Personality-Altering Pathogens

Personality-altering pathogens may not be that rare. In the book we mention that Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoal parasite, infects 20% to 60% of the population in most countries, forms cysts throughout the body including the brain, and makes its victims behave recklessly:

Rats infected with T. gondii lose their fear of cats. [3]

Humans infected with T. gondii are 6 times more likely to get in traffic accidents. [4]

Conclusion

If people seem to be behaving increasingly oddly lately, perhaps it’s not your misanthropism. It might be a bug going around.

References

[1] “Gut Bugs Affect Mating,” The Scientist, Nov 2, 2010, http://www.the-scientist.com/news/display/57793/.

[2] Sharon G et al. Commensal bacteria play a role in mating preference of Drosophila melanogaster. PNAS, www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1009906107, 2010. http://pmid.us/21041648.

[3] Webster JP et al. Parasites as causative agents of human affective disorders? The impact of anti-psychotic, mood-stabilizer and anti-parasite medication on Toxoplasma gondii’s ability to alter host behaviour. Proc Biol Sci. 2006 Apr 22;273(1589):1023-30. http://pmid.us/16627289.

[4] Flegr J et al. Increased incidence of traffic accidents in Toxoplasma-infected military drivers and protective effect RhD molecule revealed by a large-scale prospective cohort study. BMC Infect Dis. 2009 May 26;9:72. http://pmid.us/19470165.

 

[WIN 52]

Thanks for those links, Psyche.

It has been in my thoughts that this is a fairly common thing in humans, and it seems all physical/organic life. It does seem of late that my thoughts are more mine......

I have increased the dosage of Betaine Hydrochloride to 2 640mg capsules, 3 times a day with meals. Have been on that dosage for about 10 days now. I do get sensations that I am starting to have more control. It seems that this would mean the influence of whatever I have is diminished.

My life was pretty messed up for a time. Now it seems to be reverting back to more sane times, for lack of a better expression.

I will carry on with the treatment for 90 days, as long as there is no burning sensation there is no need to reduce the dosage. I am already confident that these things, bacteria, whatever are under stress.

I am continuing with the Acai capsules 3 in the morning. I use "Now" brand the same as with Betaine Hydrochloride. The Acai works well with elimination and blood pressure issues. In 2007 I was 130+ Kg now I am 93Kg. In 2007 an elderly man told me about the benefits of using Betaine Hydrochloride. It has taken me till 10 days ago to start the full dosage. I did start taking it on and off as Parazyne, a renewlife product, in 2007.

I will post here again and let people know my results, from using these products.

 

[Gaby]

I am continuing with the Acai capsules 3 in the morning. I use "Now" brand the same as with Betaine Hydrochloride. The Acai works well with elimination and blood pressure issues. In 2007 I was 130+ Kg now I am 93Kg. In 2007 an elderly man told me about the benefits of using Betaine Hydrochloride. It has taken me till 10 days ago to start the full dosage. I did start taking it on and off as Parazyne, a renewlife product, in 2007.

I will post here again and let people know my results, from using these products.

Thanks for the update WIN 52, keep up the good work!

Just a heads up with the Acai supplement, some of us has had very inflammatory reactions to them. So I'm not sure about their benevolence.

 

[WIN 52]

I have noticed that some brands have other ingredients with the Acai cleanse. The Now brand is straight Acai and is said to be beneficial with blood control issues, which seems to be what it is helping me with.

Going off for a week causes me to start having some elimination issues and going back on seems to have the reverse effect of causing things to move along through my digestive tract. For me, the straight Acai seems to help. I did try some of another Acai product with other ingredients mixed in. This made me feel a bit uncomfortable, like if I was drinking a lot of coffee.

 

[Gaby]

Here is another relevant article:

Toxoplasma gondii: Cat parasite may affect cultural traits in human populations

http://www.sott.net/articles/show/228188-Toxoplasma-gondii-Cat-parasite-may-affect-cultural-traits-in-human-populations

A common parasite found in cats may be affecting human behavior on a mass scale, according to a scientist based at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

While little is known about the causes of cultural change, and biological explanations often stimulate social and scientific debate, a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey published in the August 2 issue of the Proceedings of the Royal Society, Biology, indicates that behavioral manipulation of a common brain parasite may be among factors that play a role.

"In populations where this parasite is very common, mass personality modification could result in cultural change," said study author Kevin Lafferty, a USGS scientist at UC Santa Barbara. "The geographic variation in the latent prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii may explain a substantial proportion of human population differences we see in cultural aspects that relate to ego, money, material possessions, work and rules."

Although this sounds like science fiction, it is a logical outcome of how natural selection leads to effective strategies for parasites to get from host to host, said Lafferty. Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite of cats, both domestic and wild. While modern humans are a dead-end host for the parasite, Toxoplasma appears to manipulate personality by the same adaptations that normally help it complete its life cycle. The typical journey of the parasite involves a cat and its prey, starting as eggs shed in an infected cat's feces, inadvertently eaten by a warm-blooded animal, such as a rat. The infected rat's behavior alters so that it becomes more active, less cautious and more likely to be eaten by a cat, where the parasite completes its life cycle. Many other warm-blooded vertebrates may be infected by this pathogen. After producing usually mild flu-like symptoms in humans, the parasite tends to remain in a dormant state in the brain and other tissues.

Evidence for subtle long-term effects on an individual's personality, reported by researchers in the Czech Republic, inspired Lafferty to explore whether a shift in the average, or aggregate, personality of a population might occur where Toxoplasma has infected a higher proportion of individuals. Infection with Toxoplasma varies considerably from one population to another; in some countries it is very rare, while in others nearly all adults are infected. To test his hypothesis, Lafferty used published data on cultural dimension and aggregate personality for countries where there were also published data on the prevalence of Toxoplasma antibodies in women of childbearing age. Pregnant women are tested for antibodies because of the serious risk posed by toxoplasmosis to fetuses, which lack their own immune systems.

The results of previous work suggested that Toxoplasma could affect specific elements of human culture. Toxoplasma is associated with different, often opposite, behavioral changes in men and women, but both genders exhibit guilt proneness (a form of neuroticism). Lafferty's analysis found that countries with high Toxoplasma prevalence had a higher aggregate neuroticism score, and western nations with high prevalence also scored higher in the 'neurotic' cultural dimensions of 'masculine' sex roles and uncertainty avoidance.

"There could be a lot more to this story. Different responses to the parasite by men and women could lead to many additional cultural effects that are, as yet, difficult to analyze," said Lafferty.

Lafferty suggested that because climate affects the persistence of infectious states of Toxoplasma in the environment, it helps drive the geographic variation in the parasite's prevalence by increasing exposure risk. The parasite's eggs can live longer in humid, low-altitude regions, especially at mid latitudes that have infrequent freezing and thawing. Cultural practices of food preparation such as rare or undercooked meats, or poor hygiene, can increase exposure to infection, as can having cats as pets. Lafferty added, "Toxoplasmosis is one of many factors that may influence personality and culture, which may also include the effects of other infectious diseases, genetics, environment and history. Efforts to control this infectious pathogen could bring about cultural changes."

"This is not to say that the cultural dimensions associated with T. gondii are necessarily undesirable," noted Lafferty. "After all, they add to our cultural diversity."

You'll find the list of countries from Lafferty's analysis as an attached image.

 

[Lycan]

Here is interesting point of view on Toxo from Robert Sapolsky, a Stanford University professor and scientist. Here, as he say they did experiments with Toxo and came to interesting observations. There is also mentioning of US Army being highly interested on Toxo's effect when in human body... http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/sapolsky09/sapolsky09_index.html

 

[anart]

Here is interesting point of view on Toxo from Robert Sapolsky, a Stanford University professor and scientist. Here, as he say they did experiments with Toxo and came to interesting observations. There is also mentioning of US Army being highly interested on Toxo's effect when in human body... http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/sapolsky09/sapolsky09_index.html

Interesting, thanks. Wonder why France has really high rates of infection...

 

[rrraven]

Interesting, thanks. Wonder why France has really high rates of infection...

maybe cats???
--http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/countries-with-most-pet-cat-population.html
France is no 5.
http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/maps/countries-by-pet-cat-population.jpg

 

[anart]

Well, the U.S. has a low percentage of infection, and they're at the top of that list. Is the map a per capita ranking or total cats?

 

[Approaching Infinity]

Well, the U.S. has a low percentage of infection, and they're at the top of that list. Is the map a per capita ranking or total cats?

Looks like it's just totals. I tried searching for per capita figures but couldn't find anything. Using the figures in the map, US is .25 cats per person. France is 0.15, so still lower...

 

[Keit]

What about the influence of climate? Toxoplasma thrives in warmer temperatures. Also, one of the factors than may explain France, is that a person can be infected not only by cats but also by eating raw meat. And raw meat dishes are probably more common in France than in US.

 

[mic5]

thank you, i am surprised with all this.
During my last pregnancy, i was said i had no toxoplasma, and i couldn't eat some things. they told me it was due to eat raw meat (sausages), or stay near the animals.
Today, when i read all this, i remembered that i read once, the seven biblical plagues were a intentional maneuver.
I had the feeling that something fit.
things change behaviour. ¡ and sometimes i don't understand why people behave so, and even i get angry"