Is there research?
I was reading an article on Facebook the other day from someone selling a combination of parasite herbs, and got the idea to review this on the site, as many people seem interested in ridding their body of parasites! Parasites have been part of the human story for thousands of years, and herbalists have an equally long history of using plants to support the intestinal environment. Among the traditional herbs most often associated with parasite cleansing are clove, black walnut hull and wormwood.
But what does modern research actually tell us about these plants—particularly clove?
Parasites Are More Complicated Than We Sometimes Think
One reason parasitic infections can be challenging is that parasites have different life cycles. Depending upon the species, these may involve eggs, larvae and mature organisms.
However, there isn’t one universal parasite life cycle.
Some parasite eggs leave the human body in the stool and mature in the environment. Others hatch after being swallowed. Certain larvae migrate through body tissues before eventually reaching their adult stage.
Dr. Hulda Clark, in her book THE CURE FOR ALL DISEASES tells us that the eggs can be dissolved and hatch in the body when we use alcohol based products such as household cleaners or rubbing alcohol, perfumes and after shaves.
The Interesting Story of Clove
Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) has traditionally been included in many herbal parasite formulas. One of its most interesting natural constituents is eugenol, the aromatic compound responsible for much of clove’s distinctive scent and biological activity.
Recent research is particularly interesting because eugenol shows effects against the egg and larval stages of parasites in laboratory studies.
This clinical research helps explain why herbalists have been interested in cloves for generations.
What About Black Walnut and Wormwood?
Traditional herbal parasite programs frequently combine:
Clove — traditionally used for digestive and antimicrobial support.
Black walnut hull — historically used by herbalists in intestinal and parasite preparations.
Wormwood — another bitter herb with a long history of traditional use for digestive complaints and intestinal worms.
The combination is interesting because traditional herbalism rarely looked at one isolated constituent. Herbs were commonly combined to address the intestinal terrain as a whole.
Modern science is beginning to investigate some of the constituents in these plants along with some pharmaceutical antiparasite medications.
And What About Pharmaceutical Antiparasitic Drugs?
Prescription antiparasitic medicines remain extremely important. Different drugs work against different organisms and different stages of their life cycles.
For example, medications such as fenbendazole (animal health) mebendazole, and ivermectin l are used for particular parasitic infections—and are beginning to show promise in treatment of certain cancers. But as I mentioned above, they do not kill parasite eggs. Here is where our herb friends come in!
Where Traditional Herbalism and Modern Research Meet
Traditional Herbalists repeatedly selected certain plants—including clove, wormwood and black walnut—for intestinal preparations. These three together are tried and true, if not double blind studied.
Today researchers can isolate the chemical constituents of those plants and begin asking why they may have produced certain effects and whether or not they really do help to kill the eggs and clean up stem cells from cancer.
So do your research, and remember that parasites have life cycles. You may kill the parasite with Ivermectin, but not the stem cells or the parasite eggs. Maybe in the future, our medical professionals, doctors and NP’s, will have the information they need to understand how this works. For now, be cautious, avoid alcohol (especially if you think you have parasites or even cancers), and do your homework. These proven herbal remedies are designed to be used in cycles … time on and time off! Some companies such as Nature’s Sunshine or Desbio have anti-parasite programs that have been used effectively by 1000’s of users…good choices.