I deliberately let a two-metre long tapeworm live in my gut for two months, writes DR MICHAEL MOSLEY. Here’s what it felt like… [Video]

08:44 EDT 17 May 2024, updated 09:06 EDT 17 May 2024

Parasites, such as leeches and tapeworms, often get a bad press, but I find them fascinating. So much so, a few years ago, I deliberately infected myself with some tapeworms to see what would happen (more on that in a moment).

In the years since that rather grisly self experiment, there’s been mounting evidence that worms such as hookworm and tapeworm may hold the secret to reducing chronic inflammation. This is linked to many of the diseases we associate with old age, including dementia and cancer, but also to autoimmune conditions such as asthma and ulcerative colitis.

Indeed, recent research has shown being infected by a tapeworm can extend an animal’s life.

That said, I wouldn’t recommend it, not least because getting infected with tapeworms can have a considerable downside.

There was an extraordinary story in the US press recently. Robert F. Kennedy Jr, a prominent anti-vaxxer and a …