I believe that the reason why this works is because the bodies immune system fights the hookworms rather than wasting energy fighting allergens. The basic reas

I believe that the reason why this works is because the bodies immune system fights the hookworms rather than wasting energy fighting allergens. The basic reason why allergy suffers like me have such adverse reactions to common things such as pollen and cat dander is because the immune system over reacts. From How Things Work: As amazing as the immune system is, it sometimes makes mistakes. Allergies are the result of a hypersensitive immune system. The allergic immune system misidentifies an otherwise innocuous substance as harmful, and then attacks the substance with a ferocity far greater than required. The problems this attack can cause range from mildly inconvenient and uncomfortable to the total failure of the organism the immune system is supposed to be protecting. So hookworms give the immune system something else to fight rather than allergens. For that matter contracting AIDS would probably also limit or stop your allergies. (I'm not completely positive on that, just a theory.)