Human Intestinal Parasite Cleanse Remedies

Given the ease with which parasites are transferred, it is a good thing to have a human intestinal parasite cleanse regularly, particularly if you notice parasite remnants in your stools. And if you have pets, or have done some traveling recently, especially to some parts of the world, a cleanse can be a good precaution.

There are a number of safe, herbal and food parasite remedies that are effective against tapeworms, roundworms, and threadworms. These are discussed below, as well as some that are common ingredients in human intestinal parasite cleanses that are not as effective, or safe, as others.

Wormwood - Artemesium Absinthium

Wormwood should not be used by pregnant women as it's a uterine stimulant. Wormwood is an:

• anti parasitic, so sometimes used in the treatment of intestinal parasites
• promotes gastric secretions, which are sterilizing, and hence used in other gastrointestinal tract infections
• specific for ascaris and enterobius infestations
• needs to be used in larger doses to be effective as a human intestinal parasite cleanse, but it should not be used long term at larger doses.

Wormwood is a bitter herb, which means it promotes digestion. But if this is the only thing it is required for, other bitter herbs are recommended in its place - such as gentian. It is considered a tonic for the upper digestive tract, being both calming to it whilst stimulating digestive juices.

Wormwood can cause insomnia, nightmares, vomiting, and convulsions, as well as causing damage to the central nervous system. This is why it should not be used for long periods, and neither should the human intestinal parasite cleanse supplement recommendations be exceeded without first consulting a qualified herbalist, if they contain wormwood.

Interestingly, Weiss says that wormwood is not as effective against worms as others in  the human intestinal parasite cleanses he recommends below. So, if this is the main ingredient in a parasite supplement, find a better one, or try a remedy yourself using Weiss' recommendations below.

Garlic - Allium Sativum

Amongst garlic's many medicinal uses, it is also effective against intestinal parasites. Whole garlic cloves are also very good at reducing serum cholesterol levels, by 10 to 12%. This is as effective as orthodoc drugs. On top of that, it moves the ratio of triglycerides away from the harmful ones towards more of the good ones. And it reduces the amount of cholesterol the body makes naturally.

Garlic is good at treating all types of gastrointestinal infections. A few fresh cloves are a good thing to have in the kitchen cupboard! It is used to treat worms, dysentery, and food poisoning, amongst other things. Garlic is believed to have a normalizing effect on the good colon bacteria. It can also help in the absorption of vitamin B1, and is very safe.

It is best to take garlic fresh, within 15 minutes of crushing or breaking open the clove, as its most potent constituent, allicin, breaks down into other products after that. This would be the best homemade human intestinal parasite cleanse remedy. It can be taken in a hot water with honey to make it a bit more palatable. Garlic's benefits for cholesterol however, are still there when it is cooked. Just don't breathe on a loved one unless they've also eaten the same meal!

Garlic is specifically recommended by Weiss for threadworms or pinworms. He suggests a garlic enema combined with a worm tea. To make the garlic enema, chop up one clove of fresh garlic and boil it for 10 minutes in 250ml of water or milk. When it is cool, apply it as a retention enema. Take a worm tea or human intestinal parasite supplement at the same time.

Carrots

The humble vegetable, the carrot, is recommended by Weiss for threadworms. He says it is particularly good for children. Give children nothing but carrots that are grated or coarsely chopped for 1 or 2 days, as much as they like.

Weiss differentiates between an active and inactive threadworm infestation, saying they need treatment only if they're present in large numbers. Having a few in the stools is not considered a problem, according to him. He says it is nearly impossible to remove all threadworms from the colon.

Pineapple Mayweed - Matricaria discoidea or matricariodes

This is another safe herb for the treatment of threadworms. It is more a treatment that stretches over 4 to 6 weeks. A tea can be made with 2 teaspoons of the flowers, infused for 10 minutes with hot water, then strained and sipped slowly. It should be taken morning and night as part of a human intestinal parasite cleanse. A laxative can also be added.

When there is a bad infestation, a retention enema of the same tea, using about 50 to 100ml, should be used. The enemas can be taken once the infestation starts to clear, but the tea should still be taken for 4 to 6 weeks.

The threadworms are only damaged by the tea, not killed, so that is why a laxative is recommended.

Male Fern - Aspidium Filix-mas

Male fern is the herbalist Weiss' remedy of choice for a human intestinal parasite cleanse that targets tapeworms. The roots are used, and they must not be more than a year old. It loses its effectiveness after that. Large doses should not be given, as it can cause toxic liver damage with jaundice. However, it needs a large enough dose to be effective in expelling tapeworms, hence it should only be given by professionals.

Weiss says that the person taking male fern like this will need to stay in bed for the day, and have a diet rich in carbohydrates of a porridge like consistency, and a lot of glucose, to protect the liver. This diet will also be repeated on the day after.

He suggests taking 8 to 10g of fresh male fern extract, in two portions in the morning, 15 minutes apart. He says that a laxative can be taken at the same time, such as castor oil. Two hours after taking the male fern, 2 tablespoons of castor oil are recommended. The male fern should be taken on an empty stomach.

But he also says: "Of course, one cannot hand the patient a prescription for male fern extract and leave him to his fate. This is a major treatment and should be treated as such, with considerable care being taken." (Weiss)

The risks he talks about are damage to the liver, and so the herb should not be taken by those with liver damage.

Male fern should not be used as part of a human intestinal parasite cleanse:

• in pregnancy
• in those not of good health
• in those with liver problems, or a history of it
• for those with hepatitis
• in children

Pumpkin Seeds - Cucurbita pepo

Pumpkin seeds are another tapeworm remedy, although less powerful and reliable (though very safe), than male fern. It is recommended for those who are pregnant, not in good health, for children, or those with a history of liver problems and hepatitis.

Pumpkin seed, like most parasite treatments, need to be taken in sufficient amounts to be effective. Weiss recommends taking 200 to 400g of unpeeled pumpkin seeds and ground in a food processor or food mill until they are a pulp, and mixed with milk and honey (manuka honey is good). The consistency should be like porridge. This is taken on an empty stomach in two portions. 2 or 3 hours later, castor oil, which acts as a laxative, is taken to help expel the parasites. This is especially important for pumpkin seeds as they only paralyze the tapeworms, and don't kill them outright.

The amounts above can be greater, even doubled in adults, as this is quite a safe approach to a human intestinal parasite cleanse.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is an interesting and non-traditional potential helper in a human intestinal parasite cleanse. Researchers have found that it increased the number of immune cells that differentiated into T2 helper cells. Whilst that sounds a little abstract, T2 helper cells are part of the immune system that responds to some bacteria, and intestinal parasites like roundworms. So, taking vitamin A, within the recommended safe amount, can help your body fight parasites.

As vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin it is stored in the body, so it's recommended not to exceed the maximum amount suggested for each person's age and sex.

Interestingly, food sources of vitamin A include pumpkin, which may explain why pumpkin seeds are an effective parasite remedy. Other food sources include beef, chicken, turkey, carrots, spinach, collard greens and tomatoes.

Pao d' arco is another great human intestinal parasite cleanse remedy. More information here. 

References:
1. C Fisher and G Painter, Materia Medica of Western Herbs for the Southern Hemisphere
2. Rudolf Weiss, Herbal Medicine
3. http://www.nutraingredients.com/news/ng.asp?id=37606