Quick Facts

• Infectious disease doctors report increased patient inquiries about parasites following celebrity endorsements like Heidi Klum’s cleanse
• Parasitic infections affect fewer than two people per 100,000 in the general U.S. population, making cleanses unnecessary for most
• Medical experts warn these unproven treatments could delay diagnosis of serious conditions like Crohn’s disease

Social media influencers are promoting unproven parasite cleanses to millions of followers despite strong warnings from medical professionals about potential health risks.

Infectious disease physicians report a surge in patient inquiries about parasites. Dr. Abhay Satoskar, a pathologist and immunologist at Ohio State University, says inquiries increased last summer after supermodel Heidi Klum discussed her parasite cleanse publicly.

The trend gained momentum when Klum told the Wall Street Journal she was doing “a worm cleanse and parasite cleanse” with her husband. She claimed hearing “you’re supposed to do this once a year.”

Influencer Kim Rogers, who has one million followers across TikTok and Instagram, makes unfounded claims about parasite prevalence. “I think 95% of us have parasites,” Rogers said on singer Jordin Sparks’ podcast in January. Her website sells cleanse kits for $125.

Medical experts strongly dispute these claims. Dr. Marc Schwartz, a gastroenterologist at UPMC in Pittsburgh, says parasites rarely cause unexplained digestive issues like bloating or nausea in patients.

“Hearing that someone is advocating a ‘worm and parasite cleanse’ is alarming because it is a medically unfounded practice that could potentially be harmful,” infectious disease expert Choukri Ben Mamoun told MedPage Today.

Data shows parasitic infections are uncommon in the general population. Nearly two people out of 100,000 have delusional parasitosis, a condition where people believe they have parasites, according to research in the British Journal of Dermatology.

Dr. Ihab Ahmed, an infectious disease physician at Northwestern Medicine, says patients often email photos of their stool seeking parasite diagnoses. “Not once has that person had a parasite,” Ahmed says. Patients mistake mucus, undigested fiber, and intestinal lining for parasitic infections.

The cleanse trend concerns doctors because it may delay proper medical treatment. Digestive symptoms can indicate serious conditions like Crohn’s disease that require different treatments than what influencers promote.

“The recommendation that people do multiple cleanses a year is bad medical advice,” Ahmed says. “If they’re doing this every six months, you’ve got to imagine that whatever they’re doing isn’t effective.”

When parasites are present, doctors have accurate diagnostic tests and FDA-approved treatments. The medication mebendazole, for example, treats pinworms by preventing glucose absorption.

Medical professionals recommend evidence-based prevention: good hand hygiene, avoiding undercooked meat, and properly handling raw fish to prevent parasites like Anisakis simplex.

Rogers’ team declined NPR’s interview request for the investigation published Monday.

Read more: Influencers push ‘parasite cleanses’ but doctors say to steer clear