Herbal Medicine for Stomach Parasites

The human digestive tract is one of the prime sites for infestation by parasites. Since the dawn of human history parasites have entered our bodies through the food that we eat and the water that we drink and have caused illnesses from mild abdominal discomfort to death. Fortunately, herbal allies have been used throughout human history to deal with parasitical invaders and now, here in the information age, the accumulated knowledge of our diverse ancestors is at our fingertips.

Types

• The most common parasites that infect the human stomach are worms, such hookworms and round worms or amoebic, such as giardia, which is actually the most common stomach parasite on Earth. The types of herbs that are traditionally used to treat parasites of the stomach usually contain strong bitter or aromatic compounds that aim to kill off the invaders. In fact, herbal remedies for parasites attempt to use the very properties of the plant that keep the plant itself free from parasites to rid them from the human body.

Garlic

• Garlic is one of the most common folk remedies for parasites of the stomach. Garlic is used to destroy and flush out both worms and amoebas and contains hundred of different compounds that are believed to be active against parasitic lifeforms. In 2008, a study was done at Uludag University in Bursa, Turkey evaluating garlic's effect on mice infected with parasite nematodes of the stomach. Crushed garlic was found to be significantly effective as a treatment and the authors recommend its use as an alternative therapy for both humans and animals.

Wormwood

• As the name implies, wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), has derived a folk reputation of being a lethal enemy to parasitic worms. Wormwood is extremely bitter as well as aromatic and is closely related to mugwort and tarragon, both of which also have been traditionally used as parasite fighters. A 2008 study done at the University of Kashmir in India tested wormwood on gastrointestinal nematodes in sheep. They found that wormwood was just as effective as the prescription pharmaceutical that is commonly used and conclude that wormwood is a promising herbal alternative to commercial preparations.

Myrhh

• Myrrh is an extremely aromatic and bitter resin that is the natural product of a tree that grows in the middle east. Myrrh has used throughout human history as remedy for many different ailments and especially to purify one's body from diseases such as parasites. In 2004, the Egyptian government sponsored a clinical trial that was published in the Journal of Egyptian Social Parasitology that evaluated myrrh as a natural treatment for the parasitic infection Schistosomiasis. They concluded that myrrh is a safe and effective treatment for Schistosomiasis in humans.

Potential

• Garlic, wormwood and myrrh are just three of the literally hundreds of natural herbal substances that have been used world wide for the treatment of stomach parasites in humans. Many of the herbals medicines used for treating parasites have not been studied or evaluated yet by the medical community, but hopefully, in the light of the successful trials of these herbs, more studies on herbal medicines for stomach parasites will be done