Mind & Matter
Whether food, drugs or ideas, what you consume influences who you become. Learn directly from the best scientists & thinkers alive today about how your mind-body reacts to what you feed it.
The weekly M&M podcast features conversations with the most interesting scientists, thinkers, and technology entrepreneurs alive today.
Not medical advice.
At M&M, we are interested in trying to figure out how things work, not affirming our existing beliefs. We prefer consulting primary rather than secondary sources and independent rather than institutional voices. If we encounter uncomfortable truths or the evidence suggests unfashionable ideas may be valid, so be it.
As the host, my aim is to help you better understand how the body & mind work by curating & synthesizing information in a way that yields science-based insights that you can choose to use or disregard in your own life. Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
I am motivated to connect the dots and distill general principles from what I learn, preferring to ask questions and play devil’s advocate to debating or incessantly pushing my own viewpoint.
My beliefs:
- Taking ownership of your health starts with taking ownership of your information diet.
- All knowledge is provisional and we must work hard to prevent ourselves from becoming attached to our favorite ideas & preferred conclusions.
- Wisdom comes from an iterative, trial-and-error process of learning and unlearning. Letting go of pre-conceived notions can be painful, but pain is information.
Sometimes modern discoveries teach us we must unlearn received wisdom. Other times, modern information overload & historical chauvinism cause us to forget ancient wisdom which stills applies. The framework for learning that I embody is inspired by three Ancient Greek maxims inscribed in the Temple of Apollo at Delphi:
- “Γνῶθι σεαυτόν” (Know thyself)
- “Μηδὲν ἄγαν” (Nothing in excess)
- “Ἐγγύα πάρα δ Ἄτα” (Certainty brings insanity)
Mind & Matter
Appendix, Gut Worms, Allergies & Autoimmunity | William Parker | 246
The appendix's hidden role and how "good" parasites like helminths shape immune health.
Episode Summary: Dr. William Parker discusses gut anatomy, the appendix's role in harboring beneficial bacterial biofilms and immune tissue, and how modern hygiene depletes helminths (intestinal worms), causing immune overreactions like allergies, autoimmunity, and psychiatric conditions. He explores helminth self-therapy for treating relapsing MS, depression, and allergies; challenges in clinical trials due to patent issues; and why COVID-19 was milder in low-income, helminth-rich regions.
About the guest: William Parker, PhD conducted research at Duke University for over 27 years on immunology, appendicitis, and the hygiene hypothesis. After retiring from Duke, he serves as a visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, leading efforts on biome reconstitution via helminths.
Discussion Points:
- Appendix is not vestigial; it concentrates immune tissue and biofilms to cultivate good gut bacteria, preventing pathogens via mucus and IgA antibodies.
- Hygiene hypothesis: Soap, toilets, and clean water reduce helminths/protozoa, leading to untrained, hyperactive immunity and rising allergies/autoimmunity since the 1800s.
- Helminths (worms) stimulate immune "exercise," training immunity; biohackers use hookworms (cheap, skin-entry), porcine whipworms, or rat tapeworms orally for relief from allergies, MS flares, depression/anxiety.
- Effects are temporary; need ongoing exposure (e.g., replenish every 6 months); immigrants from helminth-rich areas develop Western diseases within a few years.
- COVID-19: Hyper-immunity caused severe reactions in hygienic West, but helminth presence in low-income Africa/Asia prevented cytokine storms, leading to empty clinics.
- Therapy barriers: Non-patentable organisms require $100M+ trials; push for open-source, government-funded biome restoration over crude immunosuppressants.
Related episode:
- M&M 144: Inflammation, Innate Immunity, Allergies & Allergens, Immune System Evolution, Fasting & Metabolism | Clare Bryant
*Not medical advice.
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