Natural Remedies for Intestinal Parasites

Becoming infected by intestinal parasites can be an unpleasant condition. In some cases there may be no symptoms, but more often than not people will experience common symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, fatigue and weight loss. The majority of intestinal infections are caused either by one cell parasites called  protozoa or parasitic worms called helminths (Greek for worms). Parasites can enter the body if we eat uncooked or unwashed food, drink contaminated water or if our skin comes into contact with larvae infected soil. If you do have worms, fear not. There are some great natural remedies for intestinal parasites you can try.

1) Dietary changes. Avoiding sugary foods and stimulants can help to kill off intestinal parasites. Such parasites just love sugar, so it is a good idea to cut out any form of sugar or refined carbohydrates from your diet. Stimulants such as coffee and some soft drinks cause the body to release stored sugar as energy. So it is advisable to hold back on these drinks until your clear.

2) Eat vitamin A rich foods such as carrots, squash, papayas and other orange colored fruits and vegetables. Vitamin A is useful natural remedy for intestinal parasites because it is needed to build and strengthen the mucous membranes of the colon wall. This makes it harder for the parasites to permeate or remain attached to the colon wall.

3) Take probiotics such as acidophilus and bifidobacteria. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that strengthen the digestive system and intestinal tract providing protection from disease and infections like parasites.

4) Use high fiber cleaning foods. Ground flax seeds, psyllium husks and citrus pectin all help to bulk up the feces to help remove foreign invaders and promote overall intestinal good health.

5) Wormwood and wormseed are herbs that have been used effectively for centuries to treat intestinal parasites. Wormwood contains sesquiterpene lactones which are believed to weaken the membranes of intestinal parasites. Both wormseed and wormwood can be taken in tea, capsule or liquid form, but don’t ingest the oils of these herbs because they are toxic.

6) Drink homemade pineapple fruit juice recipes. The importance here is that the pineapple juice is taken fresh before its natural enzymes die off. One such enzyme is called bromelain and is believed to kill off tape worms.