By Rustina, Contributing Writer
You’ve heard the horror stories. A squiggly worm when you look into the porcelain abyss. A white thing in the diaper. Something crawling out of your eye. Eeew! That one had me cringing when I heard the story. She was terrified to look in the mirror after that, but also couldn’t stand not being able to check every 5 minutes!
Detoxing Parasites
In Everything You Need to Know About Parasites, we talked about some of the different parasites and the reasons why (and when) one may want to do a parasite cleanse. We also mentioned that not all parasites cause harm.
It isn’t necessary to do a detox every day. But it can help keep things balanced to occasionally do one. I like to use one once every 3 months, and yes, it could be argued that is too often. I use a ready-made one called Gut Health Oil right now because life is just busy, and it’s affordable. It is made with 4 of the items mentioned below: coconut oil, cloves, pumpkin seed oil, and calendula.
Here are some herbs and food items with antiparasitic properties:
- Coconut oil
- Cloves
- Peppermint (Some nursing moms may find mint reduces their milk production so be cautious if nursing)
- Pumpkin Seed
- Usnea
- Calendula
There are some other herbs that can be used, but they are stronger and can be accompanied with side effects. These are also not recommended for pregnant or nursing women.
- Black Walnut
- Wormwood
Detoxing while pregnant or nursing, if done, should be gentle and with a lot of support for liver, kidneys, and lymphatic system. Those are the natural detox pathways. If symptoms of parasite infections are low, then it may be best to wait until nursing is finished. Personally, I didn’t use a gut detox until my youngest was about 2 years old (he nursed until he was 4). I used the Gut Health Oil and Liver Love tincture.
Some foods have enzymes that help support the process of breaking down food which helps support hydrochloric acid for good food digestion and killing parasitic infections.
- Papaya (papaya has papain a proteolytic enzymes to help breakdown proteins)
- Pineapple (pineapple has bromelain a proteolytic enzymes to help breakdown proteins)
DIY: Parasite Detox
Options are always helpful. Different things work for different people and for different parasites. Not to mention some things are easier to sneak in on pickier little ones!
Option #1 Parasite Detox Oil
Great for all food-eating toddlers and adults.
Ingredients:
- about a 1 cup of Coconut Oil
- ¼ cup of crushed whole Cloves
- ¼ cup of crushed Usnea
Directions:
Step 1: Put both crushed herbs in a half pint jar.
Step 2: Cover to the top of the jar with coconut oil and tighten a lid on it.
Step 3: Gently turn up and down a few times to be sure the oil covers all of the herbs.
Step 4: Place in a cool, dark location with low moisture for 6-8 weeks.
Step 5: After the 6-8 weeks, strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh and pour the infused oil in a dark glass jar with a dropper.
How to Use:
Take 5-20 individual drops a day, progressing from 5 up to 20 for older kids and adults or 1 drop up to 5 for younger children. Take daily for 6 weeks, and then discontinue for at least 6 weeks.
Option #2 Parasite Detox Tincture
Great for all food-eating toddlers and adults.
Ingredients:
- About 2 cups of Vodka
- ¼ cup of crushed Pumpkin Seed
- ¼ cup of crushed Calendula
- ¼ cup of crushed Peppermint
Directions:
Step 1: Put both crushed herbs and seeds in a pint jar.
Step 2: Cover to the top of the jar with vodka and tighten a lid on it.
Step 3: Gently turn up and down a few times to be sure the vodka covers all of the herbs.
Step 4: Place in a cool, dark location with low moisture for 6-8 weeks.
Step 5: After the 6-8 weeks, strain through cheesecloth or a fine mesh and pour the infused tincture in a dark glass jar with a dropper.
How to Use:
Take 5-20 individual drops a day, progressing from 5 up to 20 for older kids and adults or 1 drop up to 5 for younger children. Take daily for 6 weeks, and then discontinue for at least 6 weeks.
Option #3 Parasite Smoothie
Great for all food-eating ages.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup of cut up Papaya and seeds
- ½ cup of cut up Pineapple
- ½ cup of cut up Peaches
- 1 cup of Plain Yogurt
- ¼ cup of Pumpkin Seeds
- ¼ cup of pure Coconut Water
- ½ tsp of powdered Cloves (yeah – I just didn’t want to interrupt the “p” pattern going on)
Directions:
Step 1: Put all ingredients in a blender and mix.
Step 2: Pour into cups of the desired size.
Step 3: Enjoy!
How to Use:
Drink daily. Freeze for up to a month or refrigerate for 3-7 days if not consumed right away. For kids, try to aim for a ¼ cup or more. For adults, drink a ½ cup to 1 cup. If drinking daily, you can omit the pumpkin seeds and/or cloves every so often to all the body to rest between detoxes.
Disclaimer: This post is not intended as medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and nothing in this post is intended to diagnose, treat, or cure anything. If you have questions, please do your own research or seek advice from a health professional.
