How to get rid of Brain Worms found in Vegetables

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Brain Worms found in VegetablesYes it is true that some worms found in Vegetables can land into your brain through your dining table. While most of the vegetables can have these tapeworms but cabbage and cauliflower are the best place for them to hide due to their uneven and tightly packed structure. The most dangerous of these worms that can travel to your brain is pork tapeworm known as Taeni solium. These worms are usually too small to be observed by naked eye and their eggs are hard-shelled which can survive even the cooking temperature. Then how to save yourself from this deadly creature ?

How long can this Pork tapeworm grow ?

To make you a little nervous, some tapeworm species can grow up to a length of 25 meters (82 feet) inside the human intestine(according to health.com). However some other sources say that it can grow beyond 12 feet. Both of these lengths are enough to make anybody fearful of them.

How this tapeworm can land into your brain ?

Very first thing you should know is that IT IS VERY RARE ! So don't remain afraid of this concept that a tapeworm from cabbage will land into your brain. If a tapeworm larvae is ingested raw, only then there are certain chances of it. Larvae can invade our intestinal wall and travel to different organs, which is called cysticercosis. If the tapeworm succeeds to reach our brain then it is called neurocysticercosis, which is a fatal condition with symptoms like seizures and paralysis. Usually people misunderstand such symptoms as stroke.

Know a little more about Pork Tapeworm


  • It is a ribbon like worm that can attach itself to intestinal walls.
  • It can hatch eggs and become larvae inside intestine.
  • Its larvae is found in human feces. Pigs often feed on feces of other animals and this tapeworm can easily infect them and find its way to their muscles. Those who eat pork (pig meat) are more prone to ingesting tapeworms, especially if they eat raw or under-cooked meat. That's why this tapeworm is named "Pork Tapeworm".
  • These tapeworms usually live for a few years and human GI track is their favorite place to survive as there they get free food and good warmth.
  • Eggs of tapeworm are 1000 times smaller than a millimeter, so can't be observed through naked eye.

How to get rid of Brain Worms found in Vegetables

Now we know that these brain worms are actually tapeworms. There are certain way to keep yourself safe from this tapeworm infection. Instead of abandoning a particular vegetable due to presence of this tapeworm, it is better to use some precautionary measures.

  • Most common cause of tapeworm infection are human feces. So always wash your hands after using your toilet. This way you can save yourself from auto-infection. Tapeworm eggs can continue its life-cycle in human feces for months and may land back into our plates through flies or under-cooked pork. 
  • Take care of proper hygiene in your kitchen, bathroom and toilet. Most common cause of tapeworm infection are unhygienic conditions. 
  • Always wash the vegetables properly to wash away any possible tapeworm or its eggs.
  • Cook the vegetables and meat properly before eating. No tapeworm or its larvae can survive the cooking temperature i.e. beyond 65 degree Celsius . Even if some eggs of tapeworm survive the cooking temperature, they can't attach themselves to our intestines as the head portion is necessary to attach itself.
  • If cases of tapeworm infection are increasing in your locality then it is better to avoid eating raw vegetables as salad, that can land live tapeworms into your body.
  • According to some experts potassium permanganate is the best to wash away cabbage worms. Add a few crystals of potassium permanganate in a bowl of water and soak vegetables in it for 5 minutes, then rinse the vegetables with running water before cooking them. It will wash away any parasites, bacteria or pesticide residue from vegetables. 

Instead of living in fear of pork tapeworm, it is better to take care of hygiene and proper cooking, which is the best way to save yourself from tapeworm infection. 

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