Fighting Back Against Parasites
Sunshine Sharing - Vol. 14 No 4

We tend to think of parasites as something people pick up when they travel in some third world country, but parasites are far more common in the "civilized" world than people imagine. Many of us with chronic health problems may be surprised to discover that they have parasites.

Parasites can be very hard to diagnose. A stool analysis may or may not reveal the existence of parasites because, even if parasites are present in the bowel, they may or may not be present in any particular stool sample. Parasites may also be in other body tissues and not show up in the bowel.

Parasites are not just worms, either. Harmful microbes including giardia, candida and amoebas can also be classified as parasites. When organisms like these are included, it is likely that two-thirds of all Americans have at least one type of parasite in their body.

Even when diagnosed correctly, parasites can be very hard to eliminate. It takes very powerful medications to kill parasites and typically, those medications are toxic to healthy tissue as well. Even some of the stronger antiparasitic herbs have some toxicity. However, our approach to parasites is going to be only partially effective if we focus only on trying to kill them.

While parasites may be present in many chronic diseases, they are not really the root cause. All parasites require a supportive host environment in order to survive. If the host environment is not conducive to its growth, a parasite will have a difficult time gaining a foothold.

So, we also need to change the host environment to make it unfriendly for the growth of parasites. This is where herbs can excel over chemical drugs. While they may not be as strong at directly killing the parasites, they are exceptionally good at helping to alter the host environment and making it unfriendly to parasites.

This issue will introduce you to some nasty but common fungi, worms and other bad characters, and the potent parasite products you need to deal with them.




Natural Therapies for Getting Rid of Parasites

Know the Enemy

Parasites are difficult to diagnose and even medical doctors miss them. However, if you have vague health problems that have not been resolved after much effort, one possible cause may be parasites. Some parasites attach themselves to the intestinal lining with suction or teeth. If they migrate out of the intestine into other parts of the body they can cause unexpected serious health problems. Some researchers are discovering direct relationships between parasites and diseases like cancer and AIDS.

Some of the symptoms that may point to a possibility of parasites include constant hunger with an unsatisfied appetite, itching rectum, severe health problems that develop after travel, especially gastrointestinal problems (nausea, diarrhea, sensitive bowels). Parasites can also cause fatigue, continual weakness with no specific diagnosed cause, persistently elevated temperature, bad breath, and anemia.

Roundworms (including protozoa and flukes), ascarids, and hookworms are contagious intestinal parasites. They are shaped like earth worms but smaller. Hookworms can also infect the feet and cause itching there. The smaller roundworms can infect muscles and also damage the heart and nervous system. Large roundworms and whipworms can cause respiratory problems and may crawl up into the throat and, in extreme cases, exit through the mouth or nose.

Pinworms show up as short white threads less than half an inch long. Pinworms can cause severe anal itching and trouble sleeping. They may leave through the rectum at night to lay eggs. They are the most common worm problem for young children.

Tapeworms range from one inch to thirty feet (yes, feet) long. They are believed to live up to 25 years and can cause weight loss, abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Candida albicans produces a common fungal/yeast infection. Although many of the herbs that are used for other parasites are also helpful with candida infections, the topic of yeast infections alone has occupied entire issues of Sunshine Sharing.

Ringworm is actually a fungal infection of the skin and can often be treated topically.

Giardia is a single-celled organism that can be picked up by drinking contaminated water. It causes diarrhea.

Amoebas are another intestinal parasite that cause severe diarrhea (amoebic dysentery).

Choose Your Weapons

Herbs that work against parasites are classified as anthelmintics/vermifuges (expel or destroy worms) or parasiticides (kill parasites). Some herbs are directly toxic to parasites. Some "stun" or relax them so that they can't stay in place and are eliminated with regular bowel movements. Other herbs clean up the host terrain, making the environment unfriendly to parasites, encouraging them to leave. Effective herbal therapy for parasites involves a combination of all of these strategies.

Garlic, especially if taken raw (so that it still has plenty of the stinky allicin), is antimicrobial against bacteria, fungi, and worms. "Odor free" aged garlic products from some companies do not have the same potency against parasites as raw garlic.

As an alternative to aged garlic, High Potency Garlic uses a chlorophyll coating to reduce odor and prevent the tablet from breaking down until it reaches the small intestine. Each tablet has a total allicin potential of 1,200 mg. This is about the same as a full clove of fresh garlic.

Black walnut is a reliable general herb for parasites. Tourists in tropical climates should take black walnut frequently to avoid diarrhea due to unclean water. Black walnut is an effective astringent and helps tighten tissues. It is also used to tighten gums and to reduce hemorrhoids. Black Walnut Extract (liquid) is especially easy for children to take.



Herbal Pumpkin is a reliable formula that has been used successfully for many years against a wide variety of parasites. It is especially well-balanced and contains some cascara sagrada as a stimulant laxative, plus mullein, marshmallow, and slippery elm to help heal irritated bowel tissue. Pumpkin seeds are also high in organic zinc which is needed for tissue repair.

Artemisia Combination contains a variety of aromatic herbs plus two species of Artemisia: mugwort and wormwood. Plants in the Artemisia genus include some of the strongest antiparasitic herbs available. They are slightly toxic and have bowel cleansing and powerful anthelmintic effects.

Wormwood is very bitter and aromatic. It contains thujone, an oil that can stun roundworms. Artemisia Combination also contains Olive Leaf Extract which is widely used against fungal infections, the malaria parasite, and other parasitic infections. As a "good side effect," olive leaf extract can dramatically improve immune system function and is used to fight viruses and prevent bacterial infections.

Artemisia Combination is probably NSP's best formula for use against parasites. Due to its warming properties, Artemisia Combination can stimulate both digestion and menstruation.

Elecampane Combination is no longer available separately but is still part of the Chinese Para-Cleanse package. Elecampane contains a chemical that helps expel parasites and kills some bacteria and fungi. It is also a source of inulin, a compound that helps feed the friendly flora of the bowel.

And speaking of friendly flora, Acidophilus and Bifidophilus Flora Force provide live healthful bacteria to repopulate these species in the gut after a candida - or general parasite cleanse. Having a healthy intestinal environment helps us to resist these and other organisms.

Goldenseal is an excellent remedy for giardia. Activated Charcoal is also helpful for severe diarrhea associated with parasites.

Getting Them All

Some parasites reproduce through a multi-stage life cycle. Eggs may be protected in a durable shell, so that even if you take an antiparasitic product now, those eggs will survive and hatch, and the larvae will promptly create a reinfestation. The solution is to use a program that repeats the treatment several times. (See box, "Putting it All Together" below.)


What about Essential Oils?

Consuming essential oils is generally not advisable. They are very concentrated, and it is easy to overdose. If you take too much, sometimes just a few drops, it's not uncommon to vomit them right back up. Some commercial essential oils for candida and other parasites are on the market, but they are packaged in enteric-coated soft gel caplets so that they do not open in the stomach.

External application of essential oils, on the other hand, can be very helpful. Deep Relief oil blend contains narcotic oils that relax or "knocks out" parasites that may have attached themselves to the bowel walls. One clinical herbalist interviewed for this issue said, "Have you seen the teeth on some of those!?" Rubbing Deep Relief on the abdomen during a parasite cleanse helps reduce the tearing, bleeding, and cramping that can occur while the parasites are coming out.

Note from Four Winds NC... Do not forget to carry with you a bottle of homeopathic product called "PARASITES".

What About Candida?

Caprylic Acid Combination is intended for yeast/fungal infections such as candida. Caprylic acid is a fatty acid which is antifungal. This combination also contains some black walnut and elecampane.
Yeast/Fungal Detox is designed to inhibit the growth of Candida albicans in all three of its life cycle stages. The essential oil in oregano is an especially powerful agent against candida. It is combined in Yeast/Fungal Detox with other traditional antifungals including caprylic acid, garlic, and pau d'Arco.
Many of the ingredients also support immune system function to resist candida and other infections.

Sodium propionate and sorbic acid are Generally Recognized As Safe by the FDA when used in foods as antimicrobial (preservative) agents.

About Tissue Building and Colon Cleansing

Parasites thrive best when their host is weak and their environment provides plenty of human waste to live on. Both of these situations can be remedied nutritionally. The bottom line is that when cells throughout the body have the nutrients and environment that they need to generate energy efficiently, they are healthier (and so are you).

A variety of programs and products, including fiber for bulk and/or stimulant laxatives such as LBS II and LB-X are available for intestinal cleansing. Ask your Natural health consultant or the person who gave you this newsletter for more information.

Distributed by: Four Winds Nutrition Club