An Intro to the Full Moon
The full moon has a unique link to nature — to animal mating habits, to the ocean tide, to certain plants’ pollination. For Australia’s Great Barrier Roof, the full moon every November is crucial. Beneath the full moon, more than 130 coral species spawn together. (1, 2)
It’s not only nature that answers the call of the full moon. Humans also have special responses to the full moon. For centuries, scientists and naturalists alike have studied and hypothesized the moon’s effects on humankind. Horror films have leaned on certain full moon legends — from increased violence amongst psychiatric patients to werewolves. (xx)
There are twelve different full moons a year:
- January — Wolf Moon
- February — Snow Moon
- March — Worm Moon
- April — Pink Moon
- May — Flower Moon
- June — Strawberry Moon
- July — Buck Moon
- August — Sturgeon Moon
- September — Harvest Moon
- October — Blood Moon
- November — Frost Moon
- December — Cold Moon
Once you pay attention to the lunar calendar, you may notice certain behavior and mood changes every month around the full moon. You suddenly are crankier than usual, or spend a restless night tossing and turning in bed.
What could be the cause for sudden changes in your body?
Serotonin, Melatonin, and the Full Moon
The full moon has an interesting impact on your hormones and chemical balance.
Melatonin levels naturally drop every full moon. Melatonin is a neurotransmitter that sends critical messages within your brain and nervous system. It impacts both your sleep and your immune system. During this time, you may experience a dip in immune defense. (xx, xx)
While melatonin naturally decreases, your serotonin levels increase during the full moon. Low levels of serotonin are normally associated with anxiety, depression, and insomnia. But a sudden spike in normally healthy levels — like during a full moon — might also offset your behavioral and mental state. (xx)
Serotonin also impacts parasitic behavior. Parasites have serotonin receptors. An increase of serotonin during the full moon helps increase parasites’ mobility. Parasites can also use this neurotransmitter to communicate with each other. (xx, xx, xx)
When the Critters Inside You Come Out to Play
When you hear “parasites,” you may think of traveling. World travelers are frequently warned to watch what they eat and drink, depending on their location.
But parasites are not only a concern when you’re traveling. Parasites exist all around us. You could pick up an unwelcome critter from cuddling your dog, eating sushi, swimming in a lake, walking barefoot outside, and more.
The truth is, we all have parasites. But if our immune systems are working properly, we may not even notice anything. Overtime, however, more and more parasites can build up in the body. And a full moon is the perfect time for these insidious critters to come out to play.
As already mentioned, melatonin levels decrease and serotonin levels increase in your body during a full moon. Since parasites thrive off serotonin, they become more active. While you may not have noticed these unwelcome house guests before, you may notice sudden symptoms spikes.
Here’s some of the additional ways the full moon — and parasites — could affect you and your health:
Emotional and Mental Health
While research has yet to find a direct connection between the full moon and human behavior or mental health, plenty of people have given personal examples over the years. In one study, 81% of mental health workers shared anecdotal evidence of a connection between human illnesses and the full moon. (xx)
Researchers have also studied bipolar disorder and its link to the full moon. They found that during a full moon, patients with bipolar disorder will switch rapidly from depressive state to mania. The participants in the study synchronized with the lunar patterns, which impacted their sleep and their current symptoms. (xx)
Changes in emotional and mental health may be tied to the hormonal changes during the full moon, like melatonin and serotonin. Or, the root cause may not be your body but the critters inside you. Since parasites become more active during this time, your body in turn will feel their effects more.
Parasites are looking out for themselves. To survive, they need to inhibit your body’s essential functions. As part of this, researchers have found parasites can interfere with your neurotransmitters like acetylcholine, dopamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and serotonin production. All of these neurotransmitters impact essential areas, including mood and mental health. (xx, xx, xx, xx, xx1, xx, xx)
For example, GABA calms your body and helps prevent anxiety. While its a calming agent for you, it paralyzes parasites. To protect themselves, parasites release chemicals to hinder your GABA production. Low GABA levels can trigger anger, anxiety, depression, headaches, panic attacks, and more. (xx1, xx)
So why might you feel suddenly anxious, down, or irritable during a full moon? The answer could very well be parasitic infections.
Sleep and Insomnia
Insomnia is another hot topic when looking at the full moon. Individuals have often reported disturbed sleep, less sleep, or a harder time falling asleep during a full moon.
In one study of 319 people in a sleeping center, researchers found a connection between the full moon and less deep sleep. Deep sleep is the sleep stage where your body recovers and supports memory. With less deep sleep, you may feel more fatigued or sluggish.
Researchers also found an association with increased rapid-eye-movement (REM) latency. This is the time it takes you to hit REM after falling asleep. Those in the study took more time to reach REM during the full moon. REM is important for mood and memory. (xx, xx)
Much like your emotional and mental states, parasites can also interfere with sleep. While more active during the full moon, you may experience an uptake in general symptoms like stomach upset. These symptoms may keep you up at night.
Plus, these neurotransmitters parasites can influence also play essential roles in sleep. For example, low levels of acetylcholine may lead to less REM sleep. This can contribute to fatigue, as well as learning and memory issues. (xx, xx)
What could be keeping you up at night when the moon is big and bright? Again, parasites are a key factor.
The Full Moon Challenge and Detox Tips
Since parasites are active during the full moon, it’s also an opportune time to detox them. The Full Moon Challenge is a monthly challenge, centered around the full moon, to cleanse parasites from the body.
The Full Moon Challenge starts shortly before a full moon and completes shortly after, ranging from 3 to 7 days depending on your sensitivity level. During this time, you take parasite-killing botanicals, which may include:
- Black walnut hulls
- Clove
- Holarrhena (kutaj)
- Holy Basil
- Mimosa pudica seed
- Neem
- Sage
- Tansy
- Thyme
- Triphala
- Vidanga
- Wormseed (epazote)
Alongside parasite-killing herbs, you may also want to take a binder to help effectively remove these critters and their toxins from the body. BioActive Carbon-based binders pair especially well with parasite-killing herbs. BioActive Carbon is made of specially-formulated fulvic and humic acids. It acts like a super powerful magnet to grab and hold onto toxins to safely remove them through your stools.
Besides parasite-killing herbs and binders, you may also want to use bowel-moving herbs. These will help increase your drainage and detox, making it easier to clear unwanted critters and toxins from your body. It can also help minimize parasite die-off symptoms and other detox side effects.
For additional information on a Full Moon Challenge, go here.
Other Natural Tips
Besides taking botanicals or supplements, you can also try to adjust your diet, physical activity, and sleep to support your body during a full moon.
Diet
Parasites depend on you for nourishment. And their fuel of choice? Sugar. Parasites love sugar more than anything. So during a cleanse, you may want to avoid foods with high sugar content. Depriving them of their fuel source will help you clear them out more easily and lessen die-off symptoms. So check food labels and watch your sugar amount during this time. (xx, xx)
Here’s some common high-sugar foods to avoid:
- Applesauce
- Bagels and muffins
- BBQ sauce
- Chocolate
- Dried fruit
- Flavored coffee
- Flavored oatmeal
- Frozen meals
- Fruit juice
- Ketchup
- Granola bars
- Jams
- Processed meats
- Protein bars
- Smoothies
- Sports drinks
Physical activity
Along with diet adjustments, certain physical activities may help with symptoms during a full moon. As mentioned earlier, you may experience emotional or mental upheaval every month with the full moon. Some mindful movement practices — like yoga — can help support balanced mood. In one study, yoga helped improve GABA levels in participants, which plays a big role in mood. Yoga may be a helpful tool for lessening stress and mental illness symptoms. (xx)
Physical movement can also support drainage, including your lymphatic system. When your body is draining well, it helps lessen uncomfortable detox symptoms or reabsorbing toxins in the body. Even something as simple as a walk can boost your detox efforts.
Sleep
The last essential area during the full moon — and detox — is sleep. Sleep helps your body recover and support vital detox functions. Unfortunately, your sleep is often affected during a full moon. You may consider taking melatonin supplements to help fall asleep. You can also practice good sleep hygiene habits like keeping to a consistent sleep schedule or avoiding screens before bed. Certain essential oils, like lavender, can also encourage healthy sleep. (xx, xx)
Conclusion
The full moon is a mysterious monthly visitor that can influence nature and your own personal health. Its effect on chemicals like melatonin and serotonin may influence your emotional and mental health, as well as sleep. It can also help parasites power up and wreck more havoc in your body.
So when the moon is big and bright, you may consider detoxing parasites. You may also want to make certain lifestyle changes — like diet, physical activity, and sleep — to best support your body. Keep a close eye on your calendar, and watch for that full moon. You may end up surprised how you start feeling, and how making certain adjustments helps with your overall health journey.
