Doctors Alert: Why Some Popular Foods May Carry Parasite Risks pssss

A striking image circulating online shows a raw seafood item opened up, with red circles highlighting what appear to be worm-like organisms. Paired with the warning, “Doctors Alert: Stop Eating These Four Foods Right Away; They’re Often Linked to Parasites,” the post has sparked anxiety—and many questions—about which foods may contain parasites and how to stay safe.

While the headline is dramatic, the underlying issue is real: parasites can be found in certain foods, especially when they are eaten raw or undercooked. The good news is that safe handling, proper cooking, and trusted sourcing can greatly reduce the risk.

  What the Image Suggests  

The photo appears to show seafood with visible parasite-like strands. In many cases, these may be nematodes (roundworms) or other organisms found in marine animals. Parasites occur naturally in ocean ecosystems, and fish or shellfish can become hosts during their life cycle.

However, an image alone cannot confirm the exact species. What it does highlight is an important point: food can look normal and still contain parasites, and sometimes parasites can be visible if the product is heavily infested.

  The Four Foods Most Often Linked to Parasites

Health experts commonly warn that parasites are more likely in certain types of foods—particularly those eaten raw, lightly cooked, or improperly processed.

1) Raw or Undercooked Seafood

Sushi, sashimi, raw oysters, and lightly cooked squid or crab are popular in many cultures. But raw seafood carries a higher risk of parasites such as anisakis. Symptoms can include stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, and allergic reactions.

 

Safer choice: Eat seafood fully cooked, or choose reputable restaurants that follow strict freezing standards for raw fish.

2) Raw or Undercooked Freshwater Fish

Freshwater fish can host parasites that affect the liver or intestines. In some regions, dishes made with raw freshwater fish have been linked to serious infections.

 

Safer choice: Cook freshwater fish thoroughly and avoid raw freshwater dishes unless they meet verified safety standards.

3) Undercooked Pork

Pork is associated with parasites such as tapeworms and, in rare cases, trichinella (depending on farming and food safety controls). Most modern pork is safer than in the past, but undercooking still increases risk.

 

Safer choice: Cook pork to a safe internal temperature and avoid tasting meat before it is fully cooked.

4) Unwashed Produce (Especially Leafy Greens)  

Parasites are not only in meat and fish. Fruits and vegetables can be contaminated through soil, untreated water, or handling. Leafy greens and herbs are common culprits because they are eaten raw and can trap dirt.

 

Safer choice: Wash produce well, soak when appropriate, and buy from trusted sources.

Signs of Possible Parasite Infection

People may experience different symptoms depending on the parasite and the immune system. Common warning signs can include:

 

Persistent stomach pain or cramps

Nausea and vomiting

Diarrhea

Unexplained weight loss

 

Fatigue

Itching or rashes (sometimes allergic-type reactions)

 

If symptoms appear after eating raw or suspicious food, seek medical advice—especially if symptoms are severe or last more than a day or two.

How to Protect Yourself: Simple Food Safety Steps

The most effective protection is not fear—it’s prevention.

  Cook Thoroughly

Heating food properly kills most parasites. This is especially important for seafood, pork, and freshwater fish.

Freeze When Needed

Many parasites in fish are killed by proper freezing. Reputable restaurants and suppliers typically follow freezing guidelines for fish served raw.

    Buy From Trusted Sellers

Choose suppliers with good hygiene and quality control. Avoid seafood that smells unusual, looks slimy, or comes from unclear sources.

Clean Your Kitchen

Wash hands, boards, and knives after handling raw meat or seafood, and keep raw foods separate from ready-to-eat items.

  Bottom Line: Don’t Panic—Be Smart

The viral message may be exaggerated, but the risk is real in certain situations. Parasites are part of nature, especially in marine and freshwater environments. Instead of avoiding entire food groups forever, focus on safe sourcing, proper cooking, and good hygiene.

Food can still be delicious and safe—when prepared correctly.

NBC Asks Epstein Survivors for ‘Dirt’ on Trump — It Backfires Spectacularly  

Six women who say they were trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein or his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell made a public appeal on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., demanding the federal government release more investigative files. They also urged former President Donald Trump to publicly rule out a pardon for Maxwell. The women appeared alongside family members of Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Epstein accuser who died by suicide in April, and criticized what they called a long-standing failure to deliver justice.

 

Jess Michaels, who alleges Epstein raped her in 1991, described him as a “master manipulator” and said his behavior followed a calculated strategy that left young women and teenage girls defenseless. Michaels cited a “severe miscarriage of justice” and delays in accountability as her motivation for speaking out. Her remarks echoed the sentiments of other survivors who say they were also groomed and abused.

 

Wendy Avis and Jena-Lisa Jones, both of whom say they were 14 when Epstein abused them, condemned the silence of adults who may have witnessed the abuse. Jones stated that many people around Epstein “very clearly knew what was going on” but have refused to speak up. Avis, speaking publicly for the first time, stressed that victims like her still haven’t received justice, calling for broader recognition of the everyday people affected.

 

All six women, including Marijke Chartouni, Lisa Phillips, and Liz Stein, expressed deep frustration with the Justice Department. Stein accused officials of failing to protect or inform survivors and backed bipartisan efforts in Congress to force transparency. Their statements came just before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee released over 33,000 pages of Epstein-related documents.

Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie are leading a legislative push to investigate alleged mishandling of the federal probes into Epstein and Maxwell. Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year prison sentence, continues to deny wrongdoing. Phillips warned that if the system continues to fail them, survivors are prepared to take justice into their own hands: “We’ll compile our own list.”

  ‘I’M NOT SLEEPING — I’M BLINKING.’ JIMMY KIMMEL TORCHES TRUMP WITH A BRUTAL VIDEO MONTAGE AFTER THE PRESIDENT DENIES DOZING OFF DURING WHITE HOUSE MEETINGS   Jimmy Kimmel; Donald Trump.Credit : Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube

 

NEED TO KNOW Jimmy Kimmel is poking fun at Donald Trump for appearing to fall asleep during meetings The president claimed in a new interview with The Wall Street Journal that cameras have captured him “blinking” In response, Kimmel shared a video montage of Trump shutting his eyes while conducting official White House business  

Jimmy Kimmel has a new nickname for Donald Trump: “Teddy Dozevelt.”

 

At the end of his Wednesday, Jan. 7, monologue for Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the late-night host shared a 40-second video montage of the president appearing to doze off during meetings. Kimmel introduced the bit by claiming that Trump, 79, has “enough trouble staying awake.”

 

“Teddy Dozevelt told The Wall Street Journal that… You know those many videos of him nodding off during meetings? He says he’s not sleeping, he’s blinking,” Kimmel told his audience. “That’s right, he has the rare ability to hold a blink for minutes at a time.”

 

He added, “To showcase that ability, we put together this video montage of some of the many times he most definitely wasn’t falling asleep on live TV.”

 

The comedian then proceeded to present a clip of Trump shutting his eyes during a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed bin Salman, sitting at a table next to Marco Rubio, while apparently dozing off and looking out of it during a handful of other meetings and press conferences.

    Donald Trump attends a meeting at the White House.Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube

 

Indeed, the president recently opened up about his health to The Wall Street Journal, denying that he sleeps during White House meetings. In the interview, published on Jan. 1, Trump said photographers have taken photos of him where it looks as if he’s sleeping, yet “sometimes they’ll take a picture of me blinking.”

 

“And they’ll catch me with the blink,” he said, noting that closing his eyes is “very relaxing to me” during meetings.

 

Elsewhere in the phone call, Trump told the outlet that he was not interested in regular exercise. “I just don’t like it. It’s boring,” he said. “To walk on a treadmill or run on a treadmill for hours and hours like some people do, that’s not for me.”

 

Susie Wiles, the White House chief of staff, also previously denied that Trump was sleeping during meetings. She told Vanity Fair in an interview published on Dec. 16 that “he’s got his eyes closed and his head leaned back … and, you know, he’s fine.”

After footage from a Dec. 2 cabinet meeting showed the president apparently nodding off, press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended Trump’s “amazing” performance in a statement shared by the White House with PEOPLE. “President Trump was listening attentively and running the entire three-hour marathon Cabinet meeting,” said Leavitt, 28.

 

She added, “In all of these historic meetings, the President and his incredible team highlight the exhaustive list of accomplishments they have delivered on behalf of the American people to Make America Great Again.”

Wednesday’s show was not the first time Kimmel, 58, has poked fun at the president’s shut-eye time. On Dec. 2, Kimmel did the same, sharing clips of Trump appearing to doze off while at an official White House meeting.

The latest episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! marks the host’s third of 2026, following a contentious 2025 full of attacks from Trump on social media. Kimmel, a vocal opponent of the president, actually gave Trump a shoutout while accepting the award for Best Talk Show at the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards on Sunday, Jan. 4.

During his speech, he referenced the challenges his show faced when Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended for six days. “Thank you to all the writers and actors and producers and union members, many of you who are in this room, who supported us, who really stepped forward for us, and reminded us that we do not take free speech for granted in this city or this country,” he said, before giving a nod to Trump.

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“And most of all, I wanna thank our president, Donald Jennifer Trump, without whom we would be going home empty-handed tonight,” he added. “So thank you, Mr. President, for all the many ridiculous things you do each and every day. It’s been a banner couple of weeks, and we can’t wait to get back on the air tomorrow night to talk about them.”

JUDICIAL TAKEDOWN: JUDGE FORCES T.R.U.M.P TO CHANGE KENNEDY CENTER NAME BACK TO ORIGINAL?!   Judge Steps In as Trump’s Kennedy Center Rename Triggers Legal Revolt and Artist Boycotts

 

A sweeping political and cultural backlash has erupted after Donald Trump moved to attach his name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, igniting a legal firestorm and prompting urgent questions about presidential authority, historical preservation, and the rule of law. Legal experts say the move may directly conflict with federal statutes governing the memorial.

The controversy intensified after the Kennedy Center’s board—reshaped during Trump’s tenure—approved a name alteration despite a longstanding law requiring explicit congressional authorization for any change. Within days, large metal lettering bearing Trump’s name appeared on the building, a move critics described as unprecedented and deliberately provocative given the Center’s status as a memorial to an assassinated president.

 

Legal scholars and former government officials quickly pushed back. Norm Eisen, now leading the Democracy Defenders Fund, argued that the action fits a broader pattern of defying both norms and statutes. He noted that courts have repeatedly intervened to halt similar actions, citing hundreds of lawsuits that successfully constrained executive overreach in recent years.

 

The fallout was immediate and visible. Protests erupted outside the Kennedy Center, while prominent artists began canceling scheduled performances. Representatives for musicians slated to appear at the venue confirmed withdrawals, citing concerns about politicization and respect for the institution’s historical mission. Cultural leaders warned that the controversy could permanently damage the Center’s reputation as a neutral space for artistic excellence.

 

Members of Congress also entered the fray. Lawmakers emphasized that only Congress—not the White House, and not a board vote—has the authority to rename the Kennedy Center. Several representatives called the move a “sacrilege” and an insult to President John F. Kennedy’s legacy, stressing that the original name was established by statute and signed into law after Kennedy’s assassination.

Beyond the naming dispute, analysts framed the episode as part of a larger pattern. Critics pointed to simultaneous controversies involving judicial defiance, public health policy, and executive unilateralism, arguing that the Kennedy Center episode symbolizes a growing “imperial presidency” operating with few internal checks.

 

Political strategists believe the optics could carry electoral consequences. While the renaming has dominated Washington media, polls suggest voters are increasingly concerned about cost-of-living issues, raising questions about why symbolic battles are taking precedence. Opponents argue the issue provides Democrats with a powerful populist narrative: Americans do not have kings, and public institutions are not personal branding tools.

As legal challenges advance and pressure mounts, the future of the Kennedy Center’s name remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that the attempted rebranding has transformed a cultural landmark into a national flashpoint—one that intertwines law, history, and power. Whether the lettering remains or is removed, the episode has already reignited a fundamental debate about who controls America’s public symbols, and how far presidential authority can truly extend.