Parasites— 12 Week Cleanse

Like many health issues, the signs and symptoms of being infected with a parasite can mimic other illnesses or health issues such as IBS, blood sugar disregulation, SIBO, candida, adrenal fatigue, thyroid disorders, etc. Research reveals that 99.9% of Americans actually have parasites and some live asymptomatic. After picking up a parasite, I followed this 12 week protocol— herbs such as black walnut, wormwood, clove, and mimosa pudica, garlic and pumpkin seeds, coffee enemas and specific cycling of nutrients to get rid of them for good.

This post was published August 30, 2018 and updated February 2023. This post structure has stayed the same since day 1; the only thing that has changed is the anti-microbials due to products no longer being available. For example, liquid CT minerals was discontinued.

This post is NOT sponsored; this is solely a post to guide people towards healing. Since I am currently in practice, I will update this post as needed based on things that help/work.

"A parasite is an organism that lives on or in a host organism and gets its food from or at the expense of its host." There are three classes of parasites: protozoa, which are tiny, one-celled organisms that typically live in the intestines, blood, or tissue; helminths, which are parasitic worms such as tapeworms, roundworms, and thorny-headed worms; and ectoparasites, which are ticks, fleas, lice, and mites that attach or burrow into the skin.

Like many health issues, the signs and symptoms of being infected with a parasite can mimic other illnesses or health issues such as IBS, blood sugar disregulation, SIBO, Candida, adrenal fatigue, thyroid disorders, etc. Believe it or not, parasite infections are far more common than you might think. Dr. Timothy Ray research reveals that 99.9% of Americans actually have parasites and of that:

~1 billion people have nematodes (roundworms)
~1 billion people have protozoa (such as amoebas)
~1/2 billion people have athropod (insects)
~300 million have cestatodes (tape worms)
~300 million have trematodes (liver flukes)

These numbers are not limited to third world countries. Autopsies, too, confirm that virtually every tissue of the body show traces of visitation by parasites.

There are a number of ways to contract a parasite. First, parasites can enter your body through contaminated food and water. Undercooked meat is a common place for parasites to hide, as well as contaminated water from underdeveloped countries, lakes, ponds, or creeks. However, meat is the not the only culprit. Unclean or contaminated fruits and vegetables can also harbor parasites. Some parasites can even enter the body by traveling through the bottom of your foot. - Mind Body Green

Out of more than a thousand species that can effect humans, labs only test for about 50. That is only 5%. Additionally, most doctors fail to test for parasites and most medical labs show at least a 50% false negative rate.

Dr. Amy Myers relayed that "Conventional stool tests can identify parasites or parasite eggs in your stool, yet this test comes with many limitations. The problem with this test is that it is only conditionally successful. This test requires three separate stool samples that must be sent to the lab for a pathologist to view under a microscope. Parasites have a very unique life cycle that allows them to rotate between dormant and alive. In order to identify them in this conventional test, the stool sample must contain a live parasite, the parasite must remain alive as the sample ships to the lab, and the pathologist must be able to see the live parasite swimming across the slide. While these can certainly be useful tests for some people, they are unable to identify dormant parasites, and therefore I often see a high number of false negatives with this type of stool test." - Source

Signs and Symptoms of Parasites

There are tons of posts out there that discuss different warning signs. I really like the picture below from Mind Body Green.

Some other signs you may have a parasite:

Dark circles under eyes*
Foul-smelling stool
Foul-smelling sweat*
High night time cortisol*
Insomnia*
Irritation, itching or picking of nose
Joint pain and muscle exhaustion*
Moodiness/Nervousness*
Mucous covered stool/floating stools
Night sweats*
Pale complexion*
Pruritis ani (itching of anal region)*
Vomiting*
None - some people are asymptomatic for years

Prior to finding out I had a parasite, my symptoms were subtle. I occasionally had digestive problems and some headaches here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary. What ultimately led my doctor to test for parasites was a low white blood cell count, out of range eosinophils and elevated liver enzymes. However, during the actual parasite cleanse, I experienced a ton of the symptoms above, indicated by the (*) sign.

How to Test for Parasites

A few people have asked me how I found out I had a parasite and how to go about testing for them. Do not make the mistake I made and order a 1 day stool test. Mine came back negative (even though I had them) and sadly many tests reveal a false negative. If testing, the best option is a comprehensive 3-day stool test where someone is actually looking under the microscope (and even then you risk a false negative). Keep in mind, not all pathogens are tested. Not to mention, parasites in the brain or ones buried in organs will not show up. If you still choose to test, your best option is most likely a 3-day comprehensive stool test but be aware, it can come back negative and you may still have them (if symptoms present themselves).

Clues for Parasites

This is tricky. Clearly, stool tests are not accurate. I discovered I had parasites through blood work analysis and symptoms; some key markers include:

High Eosinophils (Eos) >3% which is an abbreviation for eosinophil. This white blood cell is primarily involved in fighting allergies or parasites. High eosinophil counts indicate an allergy or parasite causing illness. These cells are responsible for destroying parasites and they are part of an allergic response
High Basophils or Baso >1%
Low or high WBC (5-8 is normal)
Ferritin < 40
Globulin < 2.4
ALT or AST above 26 or below 10 (liver markers)

I want to make clear that I am not a doctor. The information provided in is this post is based on my personal experience and that of my clients’ experiences. The information in this post is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure disease and should not be a replacement for medical advice. Always consult your doctor before trying a new diet, lifestyle or supplement protocol.

Food

Cleansing parasites through your food is natural, safe, and easy. Parasites live off of certain foods and certain foods eliminate and kill them.

F O O D S T O I N C L U D E

Garlic: The allicin in garlic is potent against bacteria, but also viruses and fungus too. To reap the benefits, I recommend eating a raw, minced garlic cove every day, preferably on an empty stomach.

Reference: Ankri, Serge, and David Mirelman. "Antimicrobial Properties of Allicin from Garlic." Microbes and Infection 1.2 (1999): 125-29. PubMed. Web. 7 Dec. 2017.

Pumpkin Seeds: Pumpkin seeds contain an amino acid called cucurbitin, which can paralyze parasites, and could prevent them from attaching to the intestinal wall. They are one of the greatest foods for natural parasite cleansing; aim to consume 1 oz of raw, organic pumpkin seeds every every day.

Reference: Plotnikov AA, et al. “Clinical trial of cucurbin (a preparation from pumpkin seeds) in cestodiasis.” Med Parazitol (Mosk) 41 (1972): 407–11. PubMed. 8 Dec. 2017.

Papaya Seeds: These seeds have been shown to have anthelmintic effects on parasites in trials performed on rats.

Reference: Sapaat, A., et al. "Anthelmintic Activity of Papaya Seeds on Hymenolepis Diminuta Infections in Rats." Tropical Biomedicine 29.4 (2012): 508-12. PubMed. Web. 7 Dec. 2017.

Coconut: Coconut is suspected to help kill Protozoa, Tapeworms, Guardia Lamblia, and Ringworm.

Fennell Seed Tea: I did not drink fennel tea, but this is something easy you can add in that is believed to help cleanse.

Supports

The protocol lasts 3 months filled with 3 (30) day cycles. Parasites live in different stages, and are most active during certain times of the month, specifically around the times of the full moon, so doing full moon cleanses after these first 3 months will help clean up any leftover and lingering bugs. Protocol has been updated to reflect herbs with least die-off reactions, no need to take breaks and altered to accommodate for supplements no longer being made from original protocol.

Cycle 1 (~30 days)

Melia Supreme - 1 capsule 3x day (learn all about Melia)
Mimosa Supreme - 1 capsule 3x day (learn all about Mimosa)
Takesumi Supreme - 3 capsules 1x day (learn all about Takesumi) *Be sure to take Takesumi at least 30 minutes before or 2 hours after food, supplements, or any prescription medication.
Continue any additional organ support or drainage support based on symptoms/labs

Cycle 2 (~30 days)

Changes for this phase:

Replace Melia Supreme and Morinda Supreme with the following:
- Golden Thread Supreme - 1 capsule 3x day (learn all about Golden Thread)
- Vidanga Supreme - 1 capsule 3x day (learn all about Vidanga)
Replace Takesumi Supreme with Smilax Supreme - 3 capsules 1x day (learn all about Smilax)
Continue any additional support as needed

Cycle 3 (~30 days)

Changes for this phase:

Replace Golden Thread Supreme and Vidanga Supreme with the following:
- Artemisia Supreme - 1 capsule 3x day (learn all about Artemisia)
- Morinda Supreme - 1 capsule 3x day (learn all about Morinda)
Alternate Takesumi Supreme and Smilax Supreme as binder in this phase (ex. 1-2 capsules of each morning/afternoon)
Continue any additional support as needed

HERXING

When you cleanse your body, the toxins dislodge and the bacteria die off and release endotoxins, meaning you may experience mild detox symptoms, called a Healing Crisis or “detox reaction.” This is a normal response to detoxing, as parasites and pathogens die, releasing their toxins into your system for elimination. This sudden circulation of toxins can temporarily impact your well being and symptoms of illness (sweating, fever, discomfort, etc.) may occur.

The indications that you are experiencing a healing crisis typically resemble symptoms you may feel during illness. Symptoms of a healing crisis vary from one person to another and may include: