Many of us don’t think twice about parasites, especially here in the United States, but parasites are still quite a big issue here whether we realize it or not.
It’s gross but true!
In fact, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) states that 60 million Americans are infected with parasites, and most don’t even know they have them!
Parasites can cause all types of health issues, from digestive complaints and skin rashes to teeth grinding, fatigue, and brain fog, so it can be easy to overlook them. You can also pick them up easily by walking on the ground barefoot, touching an infected animal or being bitten by one, eating raw foods that haven’t been properly washed or cooked, or coming into contact with body fluids from an infected person.
Pinworms, tapeworm, roundworm, hookworm, and threadworms are all intestinal parasites that can be seen with the naked eye. Then there are the microscopic parasites — the ones that can’t be seen with the naked eye, such as amoebas (like giardia that come from drinking bad water and give you diarrhea), flukes (snail-like worms that survive in your bloodstream and burrow into the tissue of your liver), and spirochetes (that cause Lyme disease and syphilis).
Since parasites can be found in the tissue, stool, blood, and saliva, it’s easy to test for them. Unfortunately, most modern medical doctors rarely test for parasites right away, and instead, save parasite testing as a last resort. Alternative and holistic practitioners, on the other hand, tend to test for parasites first thing, and thankfully, getting rid of most of them is fairly easy.
Every type of alternative therapy will have a method for removing parasites from the body. Sometimes it’s fairly straightforward and quick, as is the case with most digestive parasites, and sometimes it’s a bit more complicated and time-consuming, as is the case with parasitic infections like Lyme’s disease.
In Southern Appalachian herbalism, a vermifuge made with broad-spectrum anti-parasitic herbs is often used with good results. This concoction is used off and on for a series of weeks to remove any parasites residing in the body. In fact, it’s one of the more common annual cleanses you’ll find recommended here in the south. It’s basically tradition!
Herbal Parasite Cleanse Protocol
As I mentioned, herbal parasite cleanses are traditionally used every year, either in the spring or fall, as a way to keep the body clean and healthy. This particular herbal parasite cleanse contains a mixture of herbs that kill parasites in every stage, and it is for adults only. I’ll share an herbal parasite formula for children at the end of this post.
What You Will Need:
- 2-ounce bottles of a black walnut (Juglans nigra) tincture (fresh hull — 1:2, 95% / dried hull — 1/5, 50%)
- 2-ounce bottles of a clove (Syzygium aromaticum) tincture (1:5, 70%)
- 2-ounce bottles of a wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) tincture (1:1, 25%) or sweet Annie (Artemisia annua) tincture (1:2, 50-60%)
This will result in a 6-ounce bottle, which totals to approximately 177 mL.
Herbal Parasite Cleanse Steps
First things first, get your calendar out and mark the first new moon of spring or fall as this will be the day you will start this herbal parasite cleanse. I’ll tell you why in a second, but trust me, it’s important.
Next, combine all three 2-ounce tinctures bottles into a glass canning jar, cap, and shake to combine them well. Transfer the mixture to an 8-ounce bottle with a dropper top, or you can transfer the mixture back into the three 2-ounce tincture bottles you started with and re-label them for use. It’s up to you.
When the date of the new moon comes around, you will take your herbal parasite tincture blend 4 times a day on an empty stomach, each dose 4 hours apart, for 14 days. For example, if you take your first dose at 7 am, you will also take doses at 11 am, 3 pm, and 7 pm.
On day 1 (the new moon), your dosage will be 1 drop, 4 times a day. You will increase your dosage by 1 drop each day until you get to day 14. At day 14, you should be taking 14 drops of tincture for each dose, 4 times a day.
At this point, it should be right at the full moon — a time when parasites are more active. No, I’m not getting woo-woo or quacky on your here. It’s a scientifically proven fact. Since parasites are mostly water organisms, and moon cycles affect changes in water (hello, ocean tides and more), parasites are more active when the moon is full. This is why it’s important to have reached the full dose of your herbal parasite cleanse protocol by this time. Once you have reached your full dosage, you will maintain it (14 drops, 4 times a day) for another 14 days.
Once you’ve used the herbal parasite cleanse for 4 weeks, you will take a 5-day break before starting the dosing again at 14 drops, 4 times a day for another 14 days. You will continue this on again, off again dosing for 3 full months, and then you will have finished your cleanse.
Cleansing Safety
Before using any new herbs, it’s always wise to research them thoroughly for safety and dosage information to see if they’re a fit for you. These are STRONG herbs, so it’s really important to monitor yourself carefully when doing this type of cleansing. Titrating your dose up when beginning this cleanse and alternating time on and off when using these herbs is very important for safety’s sake.
Also, herbal parasite cleanses are not for pregnant or nursing individuals. It’s also important to test herbs for any allergic reactions before using large doses.
Let’s look at some safety considerations for each of the herbs in this herbal parasite cleanse.
Black walnut contains jugone, the chemical responsible for its antimicrobial and antiparasitic action in and on the body. However, at high doses, jugone can be deadly for plants, animals, and humans. While black walnut tincture is considered a full spectrum extract and contains many different phytochemcials found in black walnut hull as opposed to jugone only, it is safe to use but with a few cautions. The suggested adult dosage for a black walnut tincture (fresh hull — 1:2, 95% / dried hull — 1/5, 50%) is 1-9 mL (20-180 drops) a day. Most experienced herbalists also recommend taking black walnut tincture for no more than 2 weeks before taking a break to allow the body to rest from it for a time.
Clove buds have a high concentration of volatile oils, which gives them their antimicrobial and vulnerary action. Clove is a fairly safe herb when used within its dosage guidelines. Large doses of clove can be irritating to the gastrointestinal tract, particularly for those with ulcers or other inflammatory digestive issues, as well as the kidneys. The suggested adult dosage for a clove tincture (1:5, 70%) is 2-10 mL (40-200 drops) a day.
Wormwood is one of the bitterest herbs we know of due to the presence of absinthin, and this bitter action is what gives it the ability to rid the intestines of parasites. When used within dosage guidelines, wormwood is a potent, but safe herb. However, there are some individuals that should avoid this herb, such as those with gallstones, those with ulcers, inflammatory conditions, or hyperacidity in the gastrointestinal tract, individuals who are pregnant or nursing, children or the elderly, and caution should be used for those using prescription blood thinners. The suggested adult dosage for a wormwood tincture (1:1, 25%) is 3-12 mL (60-240 drops) a day. Most experienced herbalists also recommend taking wormwood tincture for no more than 3-4 weeks before taking a break to allow the body to rest from it for a time.
Taking the parasite cleanse protocol into consideration alongside the above safety guidelines, you can see that 2-ounces of each tincture equals just under 60 mL, or 2 mL a day, which is on the low side of the dosing suggestions for all of these herbs. When you reach the full dosage of 14 drops, 4 x day, you will be taking just under 3 mL a day — again on the low side of the dosing suggestions.
How To Make An Herbal Parasite Cleanse More Effective
When doing any type of cleanse, it’s important to help flush the parasites from the body for the cleanse to be most effective, as well as to relieve the burden of accumulating waste products (dead parasites) from the body.
Flushing the body can be achieved through drinking plenty of water, eating a high fiber diet, and using alterative herbs that open various channels of elimination in the body so waste materials can be removed. As the primary channel of elimination for parasites is the colon, the bitter herbs used in this formula work to open this channel as bitter herbs often have a mild laxative effect.
What About Children?
Like adults, children are perfect hosts for parasites, but due to the strong nature of these herbs and the accompanying safety concerns, I personally would feel safer using them under the guidance of an experienced clinical herbalist. With that said, I would not feel comfortable using them on children younger than 6-years-old even with support from an experienced herbalist as there are safer herbs available that can be used, so I would only use this formula with older children.
When using this formula for children, keep in mind that their dosages will be much smaller than adults. To figure out a child’s dosage, I recommend following the children’s dosing formulas in this post. This will help you to reduce the daily adult dose to an appropriate child dose based on their weight.
If you want to use an herbal parasite cleanse with a child and a clinical herbalist isn’t available to guide you in your local area or online, there are other well-known, effective herbs that can safely be used to help remove parasites from the body, the most gentle being garlic.
Yes, garlic is considered a vermifuge which is the herbal action associated with removing parasites from the body. For adults, 3 cloves a day is suggested for active infections. Obviously, this would be less for a child. Again, use the dosing formulas linked above. My favorite way to administer garlic to my kids is a garlic syrup given just before each meal to prevent stomach irritation.
In Closing
While parasites are gross to think about, they are a reality we have to face. Thankfully, seasonal herbal parasite cleanses can help keep our body clean and, thus, help us to avoid any negative health effects as a result.
If you have any questions or comments about this herbal parasite protocol feel free to leave them in the comment section below.