EDITOR’S SUMMARY: Parasites in your intestines, and other areas of your body, including your bloodstream, can make you sick. It’s more common than you might imagine to be the host of such critters. On top of that, it’s likely you wouldn’t know they’ve taken residence inside you. If you have your suspicions, perhaps due to symptoms that linger on without reason, you can get tested. Another option is to “act as if,” and get started on a natural deworming protocol.
By Jennifer Wolff-Gillispie HWP, LC
From the minute you are born (and arguably even before while in utero), you begin embarking on a lifelong health journey. Your body must learn to navigate coming in contact with bacteria, viruses, and fungi, as your immune system matures and modulates, developing a way to appropriately meet these intruders. During your voyage, you will likely sift through loads of information from health providers, friends, and media when you fall ill, to help you get better equipped to contend with (or even thwart) these microbes. However, if you live in the Western world, the knowledge, recognition, and treatment of human parasitic infections as a cause for disease largely goes undiscussed.
Parasites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), impact the health of more than 60 million Americans and are classified in three main categories: Protozoa—microscopic one-celled organisms, such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium; Ectoparasites—“blood-sucking” arthropods like mosquitos, fleas, and ticks; Helminths—(Greek word for worms) including tapeworms, hookworms, flukes, and roundworms that live in the intestinal tracts of their hosts.
These unwanted guests survive solely at the expense of the organism they take over (you). They create sickness and disease, yet rarely cause death, as that would mean their demise as well. While some parasites in nature may be beneficial, when they control your body, they surely are not. In modern medicine, parasites are rarely considered a source of illness in “clean” and developed countries. However, around the globe, ancient (and not so ancient) civilizations documented, or traditionally passed down verbally, knowledge regarding the treatment of parasites.
History of the Critters and Traditional Treatments
Beginning in ancient Egypt, the Ebers Papyrus (around 1550 BCE), one of the oldest documented medical writings, discussed using garlic for the treatment of intestinal parasites. In ancient Greece, the Hippocratic Corpus (written in the 4th to 5th century BCE and attributed in part to Hippocrates) discussed using herbs such as wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) for parasitic infection. In age-old China (circa 200 BCE to 200 CE), the Shennong Ben Cao Jing, an early Chinese pharmacological text attributed to the mythical Emperor Shennong, categorized numerous herbs and their medicinal properties. While not explicitly mentioning deworming, it provided a foundation for understanding the use of herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, where deworming practices were likely embedded. Around the same time, Ch’ao-Yuan-Fang composed writings on the causes of disease entitled “Ch’ao-Scih-Ping-Yuan.” The text was the first to describe nine worms that were responsible for a plethora of diseases:
“Fu-Ch’ung (hidden worm); Yu-Ch’ung (long worm); Pai-Ch’ung (white worm); Jao-Ch’ung (fleshy worm); Fei-Ch’ung (lung worm); Wei-Ch’ung (stomach worm); Jom- Ch’ung (weak worm); Ch’ih-Ch’ung (red worm); Jao-Ch’ung (writhing worm).”
Classical Indian writings, such as the Charaka Samhita (400-200 BCE) and Sushruta Samhita (arguably dated to around the time of Charaka Samhita), are foundational works in Ayurvedic—”knowledge of life—medicine. In the text of the Charaka Samhita, it classified organisms as either normal (sahaja) or pathogenic/invading (agantu). It goes on to further classify the pathogenic/invading parasites as external (lice, mites) and internal, which thrive on fecal matter, mucus, and blood. The three-fold approach the Charaka Samhita offered to guide individuals who were suffering from parasitic infection is as follows:
“Apakarsana—extraction or removal of the pathogenic organisms; Prakrtivighata—creating unfavorable environment for the pathogenic organisms; Nidanaparivarjana-—avoiding the causative factors.”
The treatment offered for the parasitic infections included medicinal plants such as Tulsi (holy basil), Haridra (turmeric), Vidanga (false black pepper), and Guggulu (Indian myrrh). They were believed to have krimighna (to kill pathogens) qualities. These herbs are commonly used in Ayurvedic medicine today. Many communities in Sub-Saharan Africa have traditional deworming practices rooted in the use of local herbs. For instance, neem and papaya seeds are commonly employed for their potential antiparasitic properties. In countries such as Thailand and Indonesia, local plants such as ginger, turmeric, and various aromatic herbs are incorporated into their remedies. In both cultures, traditional healers, known as herbalists or shamans, may aid in administering treatments.
The native and other indigenous cultures in the Americas have traditional knowledge of herbal remedies as well. Local plants such as black walnut, creosote bush, yerba buena, and wild tobacco mixed with lime (from burned shells) were known to be used by local tribes as a cure for intestinal worms. In the United States up to the mid-20th century, it was believed that all children had parasitic worms, such as roundworms (Ascariasis), threadworms (Trichuris), and tapeworms (Taenia solium). Since children frequently ran around barefoot, swam in streams and ponds, and handled animals without washing their hands, it’s not hard to see why this conclusion was drawn. Parents chose to treat the parasites with either patented medicine or folk remedies. According to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas regarding deworming practices:
“The most oft-cited (treatment for worms) was making molasses candy and adding Jerusalem Oak (Chenopodium botrys), colloquially known as wormseed, goosefoot, or American wormseed. (Chenopodium was one of two deworming medicines dispensed by the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission between 1910 and 1914 in an effort to eradicate hookworms.) Other home cures included making teas from pumpkin seeds, peach leaves, wild sage, rue, horsemint, senna, homegrown tobacco, or pokeroot, all readily available in Arkansas.”
In Current Times …
Today, the Amish put to use yearly deworming within their communities for their children. Garlic, sauerkraut juice, and pumpkin seeds taken orally are often administered. Sitz baths in whole, raw milk to lure tapeworm out of the body are also given. With trade and travel, parasitic infections inevitably spread across the globe. It seems that every culture around the world uses, and has been using for millenia, antiparasitic plant botanicals of some kind to deworm themselves. Every region and climate has plants specific to that area that are consumed by the local people. Throughout history, Helminths have likely been the most-treated intestinal worms using herbal medicine. Sporozoans like malaria also respond well to natural remedies. Author Steven Magee in his book, “Hypoxia, Mental Illness & Chronic Fatigue,” confirms this approach today:
“If you are having mysterious sickness for years that doctors have had little success in treating, an intestinal parasite cleanse is always worth a try.”
During the 20th century, advancements in pharmaceutical medicine were made, producing ivermectin and fenbendazole—drugs created to treat parasitic infections. Paired with the belief that the modern, Western world was somehow devoid of parasites, and now had all the answers with these new treatments, the utilization of herbal medicine for this application became nearly obsolete. Ironically, these powerful, yet safe herbs are what scientists today often extract from to formulate their potentially toxic medicines. Paul Ehrich (1854-1915), a German Nobel prize winning scientist who specialized in bacteria and immunology spoke on this concept:
“In order to pursue chemotherapy successfully we must look for substances which possess a high affinity and high lethal potency in relation to the parasites, but have a low toxicity in relation to the body, so that it becomes possible to kill the parasites without damaging the body to any great extent. We want to hit the parasites as selectively as possible. In other words, we must learn to aim and to aim in a chemical sense. The way to do this is to synthesize by chemical means as many derivatives as possible of relevant substances.”
You can live for years with parasites without ever realizing it, but there are signs you can look for. A non-exhaustive list of red flags include the following symptoms: Diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, gas or bloating, dysentery (loose stools containing blood and mucus), rash or itching around the rectum or vulva, stomach pain and tenderness, fatigue, and sudden weight loss. Of course passing a worm in your stool would be an overt signal of infection, but you can indeed have worms without seeing them.
Parasites rob you of nutrients as they feed themselves, lay eggs, and take over territory inside you. They do not stick to one area or organ; rather, they migrate around your body and can cause further damage, such as lung disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and miscarriage. Eliminating these intruders will allow your body the opportunity to heal without interference.
The most common sources of parasitic infection come from raw or undercooked meat and fish, improperly handled/cleaned fruits and vegetables, contaminated water and soil, and coming into contact with infected animal feces.This is a grim reminder that you could have been exposed anytime during your life, and may still be infected now. If you love sushi, it is best to find a well-established restaurant with qualified chefs who are trained in how to spot signs of parasites. In addition, confirm their fish has been flash-frozen (colder and quicker than typical freezing) to ensure any worms or larvae that could have infected you have been killed.
In order to determine if you have a parasitic infection, a competent M.D. can order tests: An ova (egg) and parasite stool sample, a GI pathogens panel (looks for disease causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites), a stool culture (tests for bacteria, viruses, and germs) or a stool antigen test. However, more progressive doctors are now using a test called GI-MAP (Microbial Assay Plus). This test is unique and effective because it uses qPCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction) technology which enables doctors to pinpoint the exact infection based on its DNA. Dr. Laura Brass, from Toronto, Ontario, who specializes in functional medicine and naturopathy recommends the GI-MAP test to many of her patients:
“Understanding your gut health can increase your quality of life, and I’m a big proponent of this! Your gut is powerful and holds the key to your overall health and wellness. This is why the GI-MAP™ test is so valuable. It helps us understand your overall gut health. It’ll tell you if you have beneficial bacteria (the “good guys”) in your gut or harmful bacteria – and it’ll tell you how much of each type of bacteria is present in your gut.”
Benjamin Franklin was quoted as saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This is sage advice for all aspects of health, and specifically in regards to parasitic infection, as they are often hard to identify and treat if an infestation has begun. Karl Georg Friedrich Rudolf Leuckart, a 19th century German zoologist who was lauded for his work in parasitology was more specific:
“Nowhere is it more true that ‘“prevention is better than cure,”’ than in the case of Parasitic Diseases.”
Paying homage to the myriad of knowledgeable cultures across the world, you may have noticed many of the treatments for parasites happen to be delicious culinary ingredients. When you are looking to prepare meals at home, consider going heavy on herbs and spices. Oregano, thyme, cumin, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cayenne, fennel seed, bay leaves, cinnamon, and clove can all be used regularly to preemptively inhibit parasitic infection.
Indian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Southeast Asian recipes readily use these ingredients in their dishes. You can make soups, stews, and teas quite easily. Fruits and vegetables such as raw pumpkin seeds, carrots, beets, pomegranates, and papaya seeds, also have incredibly powerful antiparasitic compounds. For active infections, or to thoroughly cleanse your body, tinctures or supplements that include black walnut, wormwood, pau d arco, goldenseal, grapefruit seed extract, and clove—all powerful natural antiparasitics—are often used.
Dr. Hulda Clark, Ph.D., Canadian naturopath and alternative medicine practitioner, advises using the green hulls of black walnuts, wormwood, and clove together to effectively destroy all stages of parasite infection. While clove is effective at killing parasite eggs, the wormwood and black walnut work on the adults and larvae, killing all stages of the life cycle of the parasite. Dr. Clark believes so strongly in the link between ill health and parasitic infection, and in the power of herbs, she had this to say:
“We are heavily parasited beings! Our bodies are large enough to provide food and shelter for lots of these freeloaders. If they were settled on the outside where we could see them, like lice or ticks, we would rid ourselves in a flash… But what about IN our flesh? We cannot see inside ourselves, so we mistakenly assume that nothing is there…. I have seen that eczema is due to roundworms. Seizures are caused by a single roundworm, Ascaris, getting into the brain. Schizophrenia and depression are caused by parasites in the brain. Asthma is caused by Ascaris in the lungs.
Diabetes is caused by the pancreatic fluke of cattle, Eurytrema. Migraines are caused by the threadworm, Strongyloides. Acne rosacea is caused by a Leishmaina. Much human heart disease is caused by dog heartworm, Dirofilaria. And the list goes on. Getting rid of all these parasites would be absolutely impossible using clinical medicines that can kill only one or two parasites each…Yet three herbs can rid you of over 100 types of parasites! And without so much as a headache! Without nausea! Without any interference with any drug that you are already on! The herbs are: Black Walnut Hulls (from the black walnut tree), Wormwood (from the Artemesia shrub) (and) Common Cloves (from the clove tree).”
Research validates that parasitic infections may be the cause of a host of problems within your body. Autoimmune conditions, epilepsy, diabetes, and cancer, are scientifically linked to parasites. Adopting the attitude that deworming is only for your animals or people living in third world countries, vastly underestimates its role in turning your health around. It is estimated that 80% of all people have intestinal parasites, reinforcing the fact that it’s time to take this seriously.
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Published on May 23, 2024.
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