No single vegetable causes worms, but raw or unwashed vegetables (like leafy greens, cabbage, watercress) can carry parasite eggs or larvae from contaminated soil/water, leading to infections like Ascariasis, Cysticercosis, or Giardia if consumed, especially if grown in soil with animal feces. Thorough washing, cooking, and proper hygiene prevent these, but the risk comes from contamination, not the vegetable itself, though some studies show higher parasite detection on lettuce and watercress.
Here's a breakdown of some of the most common food sources of parasites:
Several common vegetables can be harmful raw (cassava, raw kidney beans, rhubarb leaves, green potatoes, raw bamboo shoots, some wild yams). Many other vegetables are safe but unpalatable or mildly irritating raw.
Foods that may help in deworming include pumpkin seeds, garlic, papaya seeds, and carrots, as they contain natural anti-parasitic properties. Incorporating these foods into your diet alongside proper hygiene practices can support deworming efforts and promote gastrointestinal health.
Most often, people get ascariasis when they swallow food or water tainted with stool that contains the worms. For example, eating vegetables or fruits that have not been washed, peeled or cooked can cause infection in places where ascariasis is common.
Symptoms of other worm infections
Strawberries are a member of the “dirty dozen” foods that are recommended to never eat until they have been washed. This is why. The suds are from a produce wash called Biokleen.
Knowing if you have parasites involves recognizing symptoms like digestive issues (diarrhea, bloating, pain), unexplained weight loss, fatigue, skin rashes, or muscle aches, but often infections are subtle or asymptomatic, so a doctor's diagnosis through stool samples or blood tests is crucial for confirmation, especially if you have persistent symptoms like fever, extreme fatigue, or blood in your stool.
Albendazole and ivermectin are taken once. Mebendazole is taken once in a large dose or twice a day for three days in smaller amounts. Side effects can include mild stomach pain, headache and diarrhea. Pregnant people may take an anti-parasite medicine called pyrantel pamoate.
For adults and children over the age of 2, it is recommended to deworm 2 to 3 times a year, approximately every 4 to 6 months. For children under 2 years old who are suspected of having a worm infection, it is advisable to consult a doctor and adhere to their recommendations for appropriate deworming.
Starchy vegetables (e.g. potatoes, corn) and acidic vegetables (e.g. tomatoes, bell peppers): this combination is believed to lead to digestive discomfort and potential acid reflux.
5 Foods Which May Be Healthier Eaten Raw
EWG's 2025 “Dirty Dozen,” or the 12 fruits and vegetables were most contaminated with pesticides, are:
Food
1. What do worms hate the most? Compost worms, such as tiger and red worms, are sensitive creatures that thrive in reasonably specific conditions. Dry conditions are one of the worst things as worms have very little capacity to withstand dehydration.
Humans become infected with tapeworms when they eat raw or undercooked beef or pork containing infective cysticerci. Once inside humans, Taenia cysticerci migrate to the small intestine and mature to adult tapeworms, which produce segments and eggs that are passed in feces.
Berries- Berries are rich in a particular type of antioxidants known as polyphenols. They also have a compound called ellagitannin which stops the spread and growth of the intestinal parasite Giarda. Add strawberries, blackberries and blueberries in your diet to keep your intestines healthy.
1. Pumpkin Seeds. Pumpkin seeds are an extremely effective deworming agent because they contain an amino acid called cucurbitacin.
What Foods May Support the Body's Defense Against Parasites?
find a large worm, a piece of worm or worm eggs in your poo. have a red, itchy worm-shaped rash on your skin. have sickness, diarrhoea or a stomach ache for longer than 2 weeks. are losing weight for no reason.
Some infections clear on their own, but most people need prescription antiparasitic drugs to get rid of intestinal parasites.
Roundworms and tapeworms typically appear as long, spaghetti-like, or segmented flat worms in stool, whereas hookworms and pinworms are smaller, thread-like worms. Stool tests, particularly the Ova and Parasite (O&P) test, along with blood tests and imaging, are effective for assessing parasitic infections.
"Blueberries should be washed because they [can] carry dirt, debris, bugs, parasites, and other contaminants," says Bryan Quoc Le, Ph.
While many people believe Tom Brady's eating habits are “ultra-strict” (even though – as you'll see below – the truth is very different) the real reason Brady doesn't eat strawberries has nothing to do with nutrition. He just doesn't like the smell.