Dear Human: Don't Forget To Deworm

`"And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it" Exodus 12:8

"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live b bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Matthew 4:4



These are powerful statements. Notice that it mentioned bitter herbs being eaten with the flesh. Animal flesh tend to be contaiminated with bacteria, viruses, worms, and their eggs. You would be amazed at how vital the two biblical verses above are to your health.

What am I talking about? Let's talk about worms. I am not talking about your dog (if you have one). I am talking about you. You may have heard that worms is something that only happens in so-called "third world countries", however we live in the same world they do, the chances that you are a worm carrier is extremely high. In fact, it is estimated that 90% of Americans are infested with parasites. Many of us have been infested our entire life, beginning from when we were children. You may have never actually seen the worm. But if you eat the eggs, which are very tiny, they will grow into something much bigger, and they will grow inside of you. The eggs can be found everywhere, from the soil to the playground, to the daycare center to the restaurant, at your job, in other peoples homes, from the dog who rubbed his butt on your carpet, and that cat that licked in places we will not describe. They are spread mostly by people not washing their hands, after coming in contact with their anus, or from leftovers from someone elses hand. The tiny eggs and parasites lie quietly, waiting to be picked up by a host (that means you), and once they are swallowed, the parasites just keep on growing. They thrive on sugar, dairy, carbohydrates, chemicals and are fascinated with meat.

If you are wondering about the possiblity of whether or not you have worms, ask yourself these questions: Have you ever eaten undercooked meat? Dairy? Beef from a fast food restaurant? How about raw food such as a salad that you did not clean yourself? Have you ever had sushi without the wasabi? Ever had raw eggs? Ever had cooked eggs as even though the eggs are cooked, there is still egg on the utensil you used that is undercooked. Do you eat pork, which like chicken and their eggs are a huge parasite carrier. The same can be said for ground beef. Have you ever eaten at a buffet? Have you ever eaten dirt? Does your child, or have you, ever attended daycare? Did you suck your thumb as a child? Do you own a dog or a cat? Ever played with a kitten or puppy that hadn't been 'wormed'? Changed diapers, or washed someone elses rear end without washing your hands? Do you have a ferocious appetite, or always just never seem to get enough to eat? Have you ever had digested problems? Circulation problems? How many times have you eaten a meal without properly washing your hands? Did you even wash your hands? Do you eat while driving at the same time? The more "yesses" you answer to these questions, the higher the probably that you have some breadsnatchers living within you. Now you can see why it is estimated that 90% of the people living in the United States is infected with parasites, especially worms. The other 10% are obviously doing something (or not doing something) to keep themselves clean, as no one is invincible to them. Once they are in you, it can be difficult to get them out if not done properly. To even get some of them out would be a boost to health for many of us.


Many people don't feel sick from the worms in them and they tend to just live with them, while others have "mild symptoms". Still, in others, they have so many worms in them that the worms and other parasites are in fact, the problem. Many of the same problems that worms create for dogs, also create for humans, especially when it comes to the intestines, lungs, and heart. I find it curious that many times we will come across an old dog with arthritis and breathing problems, and they say all dogs will eventually die of heartworms. Worms can indeed, migrate to the lungs of both dogs and humans, as well as the joints. Parasites love the liver and intestines, and is usually the number one organ where the majority may be found. However, they can live quite comfortably anywhere in the body, including the brain and eyes, causing great distress to the host. If you have chronic digestive complaints, have tried everything else, including elimination diets and know you are getting the proper nutrients, consider that you still stand much to gain from killing off the worms. It can really can free up a great deal of your immune system as you will no longer have to fight off these very large organisms. Simply put, its like telling the worms "I cannot afford to have you live off me anymore. I can barely make it myself."

I remember from my adolescent years, we had a dog in our home named Tina. One day, Tina was found "expired" in the backyard, all 4 legs in the air. Cause? Turned out, she had "heartworms". We had no idea. We (children) were given castor oil periodically however, so that may have covered some bases for us. No amount of nutrition could have stop the devastating effect the worms had on our dog, and most vets know this. The worms must be killed. The same can be said for humans, if a problem exists. As a child, I periodically received a dose of castor oil, however I never knew the reason behind the castor oil. Therefore, when I became an adult, that is a practice I did not continue. Let me tell you, it is for the same reason some people take garlic everyday. Sometimes, a particular parasite in a person is immune to garlic, or has grown so large, not even garlic can kill it. That's where herbs and other remedies come in. It makes me wonder about the 98 year old grandmother someone spoke to me about, who never grew anything...but she did grow 3 herbs on good soil in her backyard, including thyme and mint (both worm killers), obviously eaten fresh, and she did this for years.

On a separate occasion, I remember visiting some family members years ago and they were complaining about the water. One day, the mother of the home turned on the water and some little green worms came out. The water company explained they were having "treatment" difficulties, and to boil all the water. Water can most definately carry parasites, including worms too small to see with the naked eye. That is why parasites and larvae is found on all fish. This is highly probable for water coming from a river or lake, and so called "surface" water given to people in some cities. If a city is using surface water, better hope their treatment killed all the eggs, because if not, they will hatch and grow in you if your stomach or digestive system is compromised in any way.

Do not expect your doctor to talk about, or even make a deal about worms and other parasites. If you are an adult, the chances are even more slim because the attitude is adults and worms don't go together. And yet, it is this attitude that many adults suffer. Also, doctors do not go to "herbal school". They are mostly taught which herbs and drugs don't go together and this is valuable knowledge if you are on drugs. Now, some of the most toxic herbs are losing favor as doctors have discovered some of their serious side effects simply by people using them the wrong way, or simply using them. This topic however is not about highly toxic herbs. People who are most prone to complications from worms are those living with chronic disease, autoimmune illness, cancer, digestive illness, drinking water of poor quality, and retroviral infections. When it comes to infection, in the doctor's office, the focus is mostly on bacteria. Most of us are never examined for parasites, or if we do give for instance, a stool culture, it comes up negative. There are a some drugs aimed for parasites, but the side effects tend to be greater in them than for the better herbs. Also, doctors will not prescribe anything to treat parasites unless they have evidence, and that is good because they would not know what to treat. Most parasites will hang on tight and many will not pass their eggs at the time a stool culture is taken. If you give a person the right treatment, most of the time, worms will suddenly appear in the stool of a person who cultured negative by their doctor, but with many digestive complaints, some still alive and squirming like mad. If you talk to an elderly who knows the power of worms, they'll tell you "If you suspect your child has worms and they're causing trouble, wait til the night, after following asleep. Get a flashlight several hours after the child has fallen asleep and shine it suddenly to the anus, as the worms will have come out to "rest" and you'll see them. Look for small white threadlike things. " Still some others prefer the "tape" method-that is, placing some clear tape on the anus so they can get caught on it.


The same heartworms that infect your dog or cat can in fact, in certain instances, infect humans. Some may not have ever heard of this, but is has happened. People tend to especially pick up parasite infections from animals, children, and food. If the children or an animal is a carrier, if they are not treated, they can easily reinfect you as some parasites are very contagious. As a matter of fact, any one who owns a dog or cat, or children, and especially if the animal is kept indoors, should consider using herbs twice a year to deworm themselves. When it comes to small children especially, they go out and come into contact with many other children, which tend to be high carriers as they do not "wipe" themselves correctly, and tend not to practice good hygiene. With animals, we give special care to our pets but we don't think that such a phenomenom could ever happen to us. If there is a single individual, human or animal, with a contagious parasitic infection living in your home, they can reinfect you over and over again. Many times, it may not cause them any distress, but that does not mean it will bring no harm to you.



Where do worms live in humans? If we are lucky, they live in the intestines in small numbers and stay there without causing much harm. However, in a good number of us, for whatever reason, the worms will leave the intestines and begin to crawl around in the body, get into the lymph system, or their eggs will get carried somewhere else in your body by your bloodstream. Note that if you have parasites in the lymph system, it'll make every disease much worse because now you cannot defend yourself properly, and it will also cause inflammation as the antibodies are constantly trying to kill off a bacteria or virus that is actually living on something much bigger---a worm. Additionally, for someone with cancer or a dysfunctional immune system, you especially want to keep the lymph system clear, else you will be prone to infection. In the case of a parasite infection, the worms can go to the lungs causing problems, the heart and cause distress, endocrine organs and make them malfunction, and even the brain, causing mental symptoms. At any rate, since worms live in just about all of us, why not purge the little boogers? You eat food, they eat your food, hey that's where part of your vitamins and minerals are going. When we fast, they begin to starve. They only want to do one thing in you: eat and reproduce.

Most doctors and most parents for that matter, are not trained on how to properly treat worms, and many wrongly assume that its only something to be concerned with in other countries, or in children. If you put 10 doctors in a room however, the chance is, 9 of them will have worms in them. That does not mean that is it making them sick, just simply that they co-exist with them. Remember, we were all children at one time. If you picked up worms as a child and was never treated, the chances are extremely high that they are still in you. This may be a reason behind so called "it runs in the family". Although genes may be involved somewhat, if your parents never taught you how to prevent or treat illness outside of the doctor's office, this habit will be passed on from generation to generation. Thus, the chance of being infected again and again will be passed on from generation to generation. Thus the real phrase, instead of a genetic cause, is "it is in the lack of being informed", not the genes. Also, many infections are picked up while we were children, only to give us major problems later when we become adults. This has nothing to do with genes. It has to do with not being treated on a periodic basis, and many times, such parents are only doing what they were taught. To think health is only about eating the right foods is setting oneself up for possible trouble. It is also about how to kill those things on food or in your body that you do not want to eat, even though you may not know what they all are. Even the healthiest vegetable can cause major trouble if it is infected with something. I suggest for starters, take a "cook all" or "properly clean all" attitude if suffering from any chronic disease. Also, by cutting back on meats, you cut back on a ton of viruses, bacteria, and parasites, especially worm eggs. This is where they are especially found in high numbers. All vegetables need to be treated properly as well, and even if it came out of a can--heat kill. If someone asks you how you like your eggs cooked, say "scrambled hard". If someone asks you how you like your steak cooked say "cremate it". If you order a salad after eating out, remember, you didn't wash it. If you order sushi, don't forget the wasabi. Its best to takes some kind of herb behind those sunny side up or runny eggs, or that medium rare steak, or that mouth-watering sushi because if you have eaten them, you've just swallowed some parasites. Parasites, can cause serious or chronic illnesses, all of which can be handled with the right remedy.


If you have a great number of worms in you, you may even see some in you stool, which in certain varieties sometimes appears like grains of white rice. The longer worms tend to stay put however, and in some people these things can grow up to several feet long and still live in their gut. If you give them a taste of the right herb however, even the long ones will come running out, or die on the spot.

What is the proper way to treat worms? Well, worms have a life cycle. If you kill the adults but not the eggs, the eggs will grow into adults again. If you kill the eggs but not the adults, the adults will lay more eggs, thus you have a vicious cycle.

Do you kill them suddenly? No. That will be very uncomfortable, to have the worms in you suddenly die off. Your body will also have a huge mess to clean up and you can feel like you're getting quite ill from killing them that fast. Large doses of black walnut oil for instance, would kill a huge amount of worms very quickly. It is very powerful, which is why if you put black walnut oil in soil where worms live, you can rest assure they will come running out like they were on fire. A more gentle approach is warranted, and black walnut has been used in smaller and safer doses to treat everything from worms to cancer. When it comes to herbs, it is the oils from them that are extremely potent. That is why you can cook with sage, thyme, and other herbs, but you cannot consume the oil of these herbs, as it is too potent. This can be said for a great number of herbs we cook with everyday. However, when grown and prepared properly, they make great medicines. If you cannot grow them, you still can buy them fresh. Many of the herbs that serve dual purposes--for eating and as medicine, that are found in the grocery store aisle have been treated, and many have lost their medicinal potency , and will not be as effective, especially for expelling parasites. It is the freshness of herbs that seems important when used as medicine.

Is there any benefit to having the worms in you? If you think having something eat your vitamins and minerals, crawl around in your gut, and in some people, make their way around in your bloodstream with the motto "eat and reproduce" is beneficial then perhaps so. There was one case however of someone with Crohn's disease who felt better after becoming infected with pinworms. Besides the fact that the worms are freeloaders, history has taught us that people who take the right herbs for their health (many of which kill worms) tend to be healthier and live longer.

What are some of the herbs that have been used to kill and expel worms? Killing and expelling are two differnt things. If you use an herb or regime that expels but don't kill, you run the risk of it crawling back up into the intestine. If you kill but don't expel, you run the risk of the eggs left behind hatching in you and serving as food for those left behind. A regime that only expels will do nothing to kill worms and eggs that have relocated to organs higher up in the torso and head. Herbs can indeed, be divided into ones that expel, and ones that kill. Herbs used to treat worms are black walnut, wormwood (the prima donna of worm killers), garlic, sage (yes, the same herb used in your Thanksgiving dressing), ginger, castor oil, Pau D' Arco, thyme (another herb found in your cabinet), bitter lemon (actually, this is a vegetable found in indian markets that looks like an ugly cucumber), milk thistle herb to support the liver (but doesn't kill anything but can protect the liver during a killoff), ginger, peppermint, and the list goes on. There are many products on the market, that combine worm killers in different ways, including ones for kids, but since I do not know the efficacy of any of them through personal experience, i cannot say what works best for you. After all, no one knows which worms you have. Some dewormers, like castor oil, will only expel them. Others, like blackwalnut, and Pau d' Arco will kill them outright. Worms like Ascaris, and flatworms, pinworms, are commonly found in humans. If wanting to kill worms within the body, it is better to have an understanding of the proper ways to do it if wanting to kill them outright. Some people simply take a tablespoon of castor oil each month and don't bother to go beyond. Still others will really get into it and will take an herb until they see the worms come running out of them, sometimes up to a fool long. I do not know what the "best" product is, and what may work for one person may not work for another. There should be no harm however in occasionally including some herbs like thyme, garlic, ginger, or peppermint, pau d' arco, or taking a tablespoon of castor oil, etc. in your diet, because these kill worms. For a more powerful course, or you are unsure about the course you may have purchased, I suggest contacting someone trained in the arts of herbs, or that practices alternative medicine and knows how to deworm a human properly. Many people treat themselves at home however, killing some, but not all the worms.

What are the symptoms of a worm or parasite infection? People with a persistent parasite/worm infestation tend to have blood problems, esp. anemia, muscle and joint complaints, mood problems, bloating, itchy anus at times, digestive complaints, heart and lung problems if it has spread, discomfort in the stomach or liver area, or they may not have any symptoms at all. They strongly resemble the symptoms of allergies. Stomach acid, which is suppose to kill worm eggs, will set you up for it if it is low, and can also give you asthma symptoms. Know that the symptoms of having too much stomach acid is exactly the same as not having enough. When it comes to a major worm problem, I suggest to really pay attention to the symptoms at night, which can include tooth grinding and clenching, and lots of drooling. The latter are also symptoms of being under stress while sleeping but if they coincide with digestive complaints beware. Remember, if we wait until we had symptoms for everything that afflicted us, then we would surely be aflicted every time. This is called "reactive medicine". The wise indian and even doctors know it is easier to prevent than to treat, and that is why vaccinations exists. This is called "preventive medicine". On the other hand, if you have never had a "preventive" attitude, there's no telling what you've collected along the way, and taking garlic, or castor oil, or pau d' arco periodically may not be enough even though it may make you feel better. Some people cannnot tolerate something as common as garlic but do very well on something not so common, such as pau d' arco. Still further, some things can even be taken while pregnant, such as castor oil.
One may correctly assume that if you rarely consume something that kills worms and other parasites, however have been eating their eggs, yours should be in greater number and larger than those who do. If your immune system ever beccomes compromised in any way, they can very well begin to give you trouble. If many years have passed, and you are suffering from a suspected worm infection that has spread, a more aggressive treatment is needed. Some herbs will simply put them to sleep and if you can keep them asleep long enough they will starve to death. Other herbs will put them asleep temporarily, in which they would then eventually wake up with a ferocious appetite and will make you very hungry. Some types, you do not want to put to sleep, you just want to starve and kill them as they are great troublemakers. From then on, a mild but regular regime can keep the problem from growing out of hand again. A good number will fall into this category.


The bigger picture: Why not just take antiobiotics? If you take an antibiotic, it'll only target bacteria, and in some instances the right antibiotic can be life-saving. Antiobiotics however do not kill worms. Antiobiotics do not kill viruses either. Some drugs exists specifically for certain types of worms, but the different types of worms that plague humans is well into the thousands. Worms actually "like" chemicals and will eat them like food, unless it a chemical in the form of a drug, that's specific to that parasite. Many times, the viruses or a bacteria living on a worm is harmful. This may not cause you many problems if you are "healthy". However if you're already having problems, it can be a burden. If you get a a bacterial or viral infection, for some reason, your immune system did not protect you from this tiny pest. I think much progress has been made in the way of bacteria and viruses, however we have taken our eyes off the bigger pest that tend to carry tons of these things--the worms and the other large parasites that live within us. Sometimes they can make their way out of the gut completely and live between the organs, where our immune system can't reach. Consider a virus, something we can only see with some of the most powerful microscopes available, to a worm, something so large we can see it with the naked eye. Worms tend to be infected with a huge load of viruses and bacteria. If you only kill the virus or the bacteria, the worm is still there, and more bacteria and viruses will grow on it again. If you kill both the worm and their eggs you will kill a huge organism that is housing where many of them are living. It could be that the worm in you simply attract the wrong kind of bacteria and viruses (such as Ascaris). If you have a chronic gut problem that isn't relieved by antibiotics, you begin to realize something down below just isn't right. I'd say aim for the humongous worms first, then the smaller bacteria and viruses, unless you highly suspect a specific virus or bacteria is causing you trouble. Keep in mind however, that if you kill off worms, your immune system no longer has to protect you against this huge parasite.

All said, I think everyone, and especially those who have suffered a chronic illness should give the issue with worms some thought. If you decide to follow a formal deworming protocol from a product you've purchased, the best information you can have is how often do you need to use it, how much, and the components safety profile. You want to know at all times what is in the ingredients. There are many that are experienced in the herbs. If unsure, contact an herbalist. If you come across a product on the net, ask their opinion about it. Take heed to the testimonies of others (the ones that appear real at least) that are on the net, aw well as the elderly who never use the net. A company would a good profile may stand out. From what I've seen , many old people take common herbs without asking their doc or telling anyone...they grow it or buy it and eat it. I am not saying you should do it, but this is what I've seen many of them do. You have to have a certain amount of control over your own health. If you try something and it doesn'tt feel right then stop taking it, and have this same attitude towards drugs. If you take pharmaceutical drugs, you have additional considerations, at least for deworming, such as drug-herb interactions. Many of the herbs used to kill worms however are "food" and when the right one is used properly, can do more good than not for your health. Many dewormer products sold can be too dilute to work. There are a few if you did an internet search that has many claims to work quite well, even with details of exactly how they did it. It is said a true herbal dewormer--you'll see the worms come out. You can also go to the nearest pharmacy and ask for a human dewormer without a prescription. This may be the first step for some. But these tend to target only certain types of worms.