Natural deworming methods that work and are safe for eliminating parasites from the gut. Effective for both children and adults with intestinal parasites.
We have loved and cared for a number of foster children. One of the most rewarding aspects is that we have seen many of these foster children recover their health quickly based on positive dietary changes.
However, there is a topic relating to childrenās health that is not usually discussed and is even considered hush-hush in open circles. We talk about it openly in our home. And with knowledge comes responsibility.
With many of our foster children, we have experienced illnesses where the symptoms were caused by parasitic worms that required a thorough deworming in order to heal.
It makes complete sense that people (including medical doctors) donāt talk about worms living inside our bodies because itās downright disgusting!Ā However, it needs to be discussed more openly because we all get them!
In fact, my MD friends are finding worms and other parasites in more and more patients than ever before.
Why?
Is it the diet? The highly processed and genetically modified foods?
Is it other factors that weaken the immune system and disrupt beneficial gut flora like environmental toxins and excessive antibiotics? The average child has 17 rounds before adulthood.
Probably all are contributing factors.
The London OB&GYN Press reports that when children suddenly experience diarrhea, it is most likely an enteric infection (infection of the intestines). These infections are viral, bacterial, and/or pathogenic. This happens to all of us, but mostly in children under 5.
Think about it. Who is closest to the ground and who puts everything in their mouth?
Children 5 and under!
So the issue is truly about how well we are eating and living.
Is our immune system strong enough to deworm and flush out parasites naturally or do the worms have a toxic environment to easily take root within us and thrive?
Fortunately, not all worms are bad! Ā There are beneficial worms too just like there are beneficial bacteria and yeasts that guard our gut from pathogenic strains.
However, the bad worms are badĀ ā¦ really bad.Ā But no need to panic! Ā Itās fixable.
First, let me share just a few of the experiences we have seen.
Parasites like worms can cause crazy things: cravings to eat obscene amounts of sugar, constant hunger pangs never abated, headaches (read #4 below), desire to eat things like dirt, laundry powder, stool or boogers (caused by the nematode), seizures, cramping in the abdomen, and head sores (lice are parasites).
Some children we have seen complain of very itchy bottoms from pinworms. One child we fostered had moving worms in his stool that could be easily seen in the toilet.
Our goal is not to create fear, but rather awareness so that our families can find health through prevention, remedies, and diets that are natural (with no harmful side effects).
Deworming Prevention We Follow in Our Home
- Wash hands, especially before eating and coming home from school.
- Keep good hygiene, bathroom, and shower time.
- Teach children (every day I repeat to my children, āwash your handsā).
- Keep a relatively clean house and kitchen (does not need to be magazine clean).
- 5-minute Soak (wash your food) with water. Squeeze in a lemon, a bit of vinegar or 1 drop of lemon oil.
- Donāt share utensils, cups, straws or toothbrushes. Pathogenic microbes including those that cause cavities are contagious!
Whatever you do, donāt start looking at parasite videos online. We had nightmares from all the wriggling, menacing-looking creatures! Instead, focus on the positive ways to keep your family strong and mostly free of these nasty critters.
It is important to qualify that we are constantly taking in parasites and constantly eliminating parasites. The goal is to simply maintain a body with the least bad worms and pathogens.
A Brief Deworming HistoryĀ
It seems that every generation prior to modern times made deworming a regular part of their lives. Even grass-based dairy farms use deworming herbs and plants for the cows grazing in the pasture.
Our generation chooses to ignore this basic practice. We recognize that people in third world countries have parasites. We also recognize that we eat animals that have parasitic worms. Somehow we disconnect and think because we live in an industrialized nation, these worms do not live within us. When I pried and asked my family, here is some information I got. Did your ancestry do any of this?
My Great-Grandfather passed down his knowledge to my Grandfather who passed information to my Dad. One story went like this:
Three days before school, all the children would take castor oil. Within a few hours, the bowels begin to empty. We did this for 2-3 days.
It reads like a section in Little House on the Prairie!Ā People and society, in general, were more connected to their bodies and the earth around them 50-100 years ago than we are today.
Our gut flora is filled with bacteria. It is amazing! Our guts need a plethora of good bugs in order to process and digest food. But we want the good guys, not the bad guys! Thus, here are methods that we know are very effective, quick, and natural. My grandparents did not have to use toxins and chemicals to remove worms, so we shouldnāt either.
Effective Ways for Deworming the GutĀ
Warning: some of these deworming methods are controversial, but they work!
- Bone Broth from organic, pastured animals. The marrow and fat in the bones are superb for deworming!
- Ferment, ferment, ferment! Get those good bugs in the gut. Let them fight the pathogens and parasitic worms.
- Green Juice. Mix spinach, garlic, apples, and more. Eliminate or reduce your solid food intake and drink juice for some of your meals for a day or two. This will starve and flush out the worms.
- Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth. Iāve heard mixed reviews, but this stuff works for us. We take 1 Tbsp of the Food Grade DTE powder and pour 2 ounces of clean water on top to mix. Drink fast, it settles at the bottom of the glass.
- Castor Oil: If we want to boost the Diatomaceous Earth to be more effective, we take 1 Tbsp of Castor Oil along with it and within a few hours, we are completely empty and clear.
- Herbs in capsules or tincture form. We use wormwood, black walnut hull, and common clove. Years ago, I read some German research that recommended this. Today itās all over the web. You canāt take this for months (or when pregnant/nursing) but once a week or 3 consecutive days a month (around the full moon) is effective for our family. The herb combination is apparently good for killing the parasite eggs, young, and adult stage.
- Anti-parasitic essential oils (which are plants and herbs condensed into a volatile form that can pass through cell walls quickly): Cinnamon, Peppermint, Clove, Lemon, Melaleuca, Oil of Oregano, Roman Chamomile, and Thyme.
- Enemas:Ā This is by far the fastest way to clean the bowel. Think clean, not sterile. We do these often and I get so many questions that I wrote it down for a step by step guide. For an upgrade, we periodically enlist a Colon Hydrotherapist. Colonics are a very effective flush performed by a licensed professional. Just be sure to continue the first 3 steps noted above so you keep good flora in your gut.
- Fresh Pumpkin Seeds (with the hulls): The fiber in the white hulls of pumpkin seeds contains a chemical called cucurbitacin that causes paralysis in worms such as tapeworms and roundworms. This allows them to be more easily expelled by the body via the stool.
Note: With all of the above options except 1-3, we take supplemental minerals and amino acids. This is super important because we want our bodies to be supported nutritionally as we detox. Weak bodies can go into seizures and dehydrate without enough minerals.
Also, we have found that doing a cleanse once a month is extremely effective, strangely enough, if done during the full moon. Try it yourself and see if you notice a difference.
A Word of Caution Regarding Natural Deworming
One thing to keep in mind. Sometimes parasites can become very entrenched within the digestive system and become highly resistant to even natural methods of elimination particularly if this has been an ongoing problem for a long time. If you find this to be your situation, donāt hesitate to consult a holistic physician who can prescribe the proper, short term use medications as necessary!
May your good bugs outnumber your bad and may you and your family be strong enough to reach out and help other children who need a loving home!
References
(1) NICE Clinical Guidelines, No. 84 National Collaborating Centre for Womenās and Childrenās Health (UK). London: RCOG Press; 2009 Apr. ISBN-13: 978-1-906985-14-1
(2) Human Gastrointestinal Nematode Infections
More Information
7 Ways to Avoid Detox Symptoms on a Cleanse
How to do a Coffee Enema
DIY Seaweed Wrap
Best Detox Baths
Top 4 Cleansing Myths to Watch Out For
How to Gently Detox Before Getting Pregnant
How to Use a Castor Oil Pack
DIYĀ Hair Detox
How to Detox by Rebounding
Juicing 101: Why Do It, Which Juicers are Best, Recipes to Try
What about papaya seeds? When I was looking into getting rid of parasites I found many aritcles talking about the effectiveness of papaya seeds. There have been studies that confirmed this. Here is a link to one: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17472487
From the above study found on PubMed:
“….Thus, air-dried C. papaya seeds are efficacious in treating human intestinal parasites and without significant side effects. Their consumption offers a cheap, natural, harmless, readily available monotherapy and preventive strategy against intestinal parasitosis, especially in tropical communities. Further and large-scale intervention studies to compare C. papaya with standard antiparasitic preparation are desirous.”
Jen, you are so smart. yes! And while in Costa Rica, they showed us how to use the medicinal seeds in food. See my post on papaya seeds.
Woweeee ! another great topic to share. Thanks for your
good knowledge Mandy.
Always enjoy reading others experiences and what they have learned.
Very beneficial..
Thanks, All …..
Turpentine.
dosage, timing etc?
I didnt like this article. Very weak. The title was very strong. Its just a summary of everything out there for deworming. But its just a list. Its not an effective way. Parasites serve a purpose in the body when eliminated, the heavy metals they were chelating will now go in our tissues. She barely brushes over that when she says they take minerals and supplements to support them nutritionally during that period.
Id like it better if it addressed how to do what when. And conditions that attract parasites. And even if its neccessary so much deworming. After all she mentioned how some are indeed beneficial.
Liliana, not everyone has the knowledge that you do. Although I respect your opinion, just the list is controversial. There have been arrests and children removed in the last few months over some very effective methods. The goal was more to open the window for awareness and give insights to some effective techniques that work to cleanse the body. Clinically, there is an abundance of pathogens of late. Unfortunately, this article was turning into a book, LOL, so maybe a follow-up article could address the chelation and how to’s. Basically, I have found that weakened immune systems attract parasites. Hence the chelation you mention. Many people believe that only 3rd world countries have an abundance of parasites. This should be “re-thought”.
I find this very fascinating Liliana. With the past demonization of all bacteria and now us finding out their importance, even such as H. Pylori, I have to wonder the same about parasites. Do you have any links or suggestions for further reading? I got the opportunity to meet and listen to Sandor Katz this past weekend. He briefly suggested the same, that parasites might not be all the evil they are made out to be. He didn’t expound but I found it fascinating.
When it is in season, we eat obscene amounts of papaya for a couple of days for deworming. My kids arenāt crazy for papaya so I make smoothies with banana, yogurt/kefir and honey. They happily drink it. Papaya season is June through September, but you can usually find it in stores all year round though with a hefty price tag sometimes.
I have read it is papaya seeds, not just the fruit, that can get rid of parasites. I do wonder why it’s not on the list – I believe there have been studies that showed papaya seeds actually do work to remove parasites when I was looking into it.
All very good guidelines/steps except for the praying before and after eating part. Don’t know why you had to put that point in. Weird and irrelevant. Stick to the science to be taken more seriously.
Anna, thank you for going ahead and giving me the response I was expecting. LOL. It is something that we do on top of my “science and schooling” that gives peace to those of us who appreciate it.
Oddly enough, one of my instructors shared a study showing that meditating and prayer actually put the body into a parasympathetic state. As you well know, this enables our bodies to digest better and function well in order to handle pathogenic materials inevitably ingested.
So what is your point Anna? You want to make sure evvvvverrrrrryyybody knows you are an Atheist and you feel enlightened and superior in your knowledge? If you don’t agree with one option just move on and try one of the others and leave that one to those who know the power of prayer. We are all guests on this blog. If you are a guest at someone’s house for dinner and they pray before they eat are you so rude there too?
actually praying is a part of the science, a part that many over look but it falls into the whole mind over matter portion that amplifies your body to be more receptive to what you are doing. thoughts can be powerful enough to cause you to have a chemical reaction to produce tears. Powerful enough to help with the healing of your body too.
Thanks so much! My little 1-yr-old had a disgusting worm (live) in his diaper. We’ve been working with a Dr. to do things naturally, but it’s so reassuring to see this info also! Question about the DE – I’m assuming children should take a smaller portion based on weight (rather than the full Tablespoon)?
Thanks again! š
You can put black sesame seed oil in his belly button. It is safe and effective. Also you can grind pumpkin seeds and add it to his pureed food. Babies usually get it from parents so deworming whole family members works. Good luck.
You are welcome, Emily. Ask your Doc, but I wouldn’t put more than a tsp in bottle. Last night was a full moon, so these are the best days, in our experience, to try a good cleanse. I love Sum’s ideas too. Agreed, I would engage the whole family in a cleanse. Here’s a post noted above on something we do regularly “in season” with papaya.
Does DE work for erosive gastritis? Or would it irritate it too much? Thank you!
If we were to use the DE, do we use it a few days a month?
That’s all we do, Anne, for maintenance. When there is an abundance, check with a naturally minded doctor in your area. It could take longer.
Anne, that’s what we do. Just to make sure we are in balance. We alternate methods and administer just a few days a month…unless we are working on a real issue. Then it requires more and there are some amazing holistic doctors out there to help guide you.
Also look into chlorine dioxide (it isn’t chlorine). Kerri Rivera has a fantastic parasite program that is healing children and adults from the symptoms of autism using it.
Alyssa, yes, I have heard great stories of the effectiveness of this protocol. Unfortunately, this one is so effective that there is tremendous controversy around it.
Mandy, thanks for this article. One quick question, when you wrote “headaches (read #4 below),” which of your lists are you referring to?
Oops. Thanks Beth. #4 is on this article which gives more information and reference.
Can any of these be done while nursing?
Hi- DE can be used while pregnant and nursing. My midwives have no problem with me taking it internally.
Ok thank you!!