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Worms and Parasites: Holistic Prevention and Treatment

The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies parasites as among the six most dangerous diseases that infect humans. Parasites outrank cancer as the number one global killer, and account for many of the digestive woes from which people suffer. Dr. Oz, the now famous Oprah Winfrey guest says..."ninety percent of humans will have a problem with parasites in their lifetime." Worm parasites are more common than most people expect, and they are listed as the Center for Disease Control's #1 Health Risk. According to numerous studies, nearly 85% of Americans have parasites in their bodies. But be also aware that the secret to good health lies in the friendly bacteria in the intestinal tract


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Infection by Pathogenic Parasites

New research shows that parasites not only control the behavior of their hosts, they can change entire ecosystems to suit their needs. "Hookworms sink their teeth into the intestinal walls of more than a billion people every day to drink their fill of blood." Human parasites are divided into endoparasites, which cause infection inside the body, and ectoparasites, which cause infection superficially within the skin.

According to the World Health Organization, 3.5 billion people suffer from some type of parasitic infection. Not all of these people live in third world countries; many in the developed world have any number of parasitic infections, some of which are so highly contagious that extremely casual contact with something that has been handled by an infected person can infect another person. Symptoms may vary depending on the type and amount of infestation. The worms may go undetected for years with no apparent symptoms, or they may be seen in the stool.

It's Not a Tumor - It's a Brain Worm


It's Not a Tumor - Doctors Find Worm In Man's Brain Instead - Doctors in Arizona thought a man had a possible brain tumor, but it turned out there was something else penetrating his brain – a worm. (watch the video)

Dr. Hulda Clark - " I have seen that eczema is due to roundworms. Seizures are caused by a single roundworm Ascarts, getting into the brain. Schizophrenia and depression are caused by parasites in the brain. Asthma is caused by Ascaris in the lungs. Diabetes is caused by the pancreatic fluke of cattle, Eurytrema. Migraines are caused by the threadworm, Strongyloides. Acme rosacea is caused by a Leishmania. Much human heart disease is caused by dog heart worm, Dirofilaria. And the list goes on and on."

Clay is an excellent vermifuge attracting and binding internal parasites and packaging them for disposal. Knishinsky’s research suggests that the regular intake of liquid clay (typically one to three tablespoons daily, in divided doses) can produce other benefits including parasite removal from the intestines, allergy and hay fever relief, and elimination of anemia and acne. For example, clay helps anemia because it contains both types of dietary iron (ferrous and ferric) in an easily assimilated form; it reduces discomfort from allergies by quickly neutralizing allergens that would otherwise produce allergic reactions; and it reduces heartburn and indigestion by absorbing excess stomach acids.

Dr. Cohen - "In addition to the role it plays as a potent detoxifier, Calcium Montmorillonite Clay has also been used extensively in the treatment of pain, open wounds, colitis, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, stomach ulcers, intestinal problems, acne, anemia, and a variety of other health issues."

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The Role of the Immune System in Controlling Parasites in Humans and Animals

Parasite infestations may be severe or mild and can be life threatening, especially for children. A common side affect is the POOR absorption of critical nutrients for growth potentially leading to anemia, growth problems, and a weakened immune function creating susceptibility for disease. According to numerous books, parasites are commonly found in people with AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, candidiasis, and many other disorders. Symptoms may include abdominal pains, diarrhea, anemia, cardiac insufficiency, nausea, perianal and perineal pruritis, dysentery, amebic hepatitis, weight loss, intestinal toxemia, colic and cirrhosis.

Linda Page, N.D. Ph.D. writes that our immune system is our bodyguard. It works both pro-actively and protectively to shield you from anything in your world that threatens your life and limb. Our immune system is ever-vigilant, constantly searching for proteins, called antigens, that don't belong in our body. It can deal with a wide range of pathogens - viruses, funguses, bacteria and parasites. It can even recognize potential antigens, such as drugs, pollens, insect venoms and chemicals in foods, and malignant cells and foreign tissue, such as transplanted organs or transfused blood.

Pinworms, tapeworms, and roundworms are parasites existing in the intestinal tract. The three most common types of worms found in the body are: the thread or seat worms (Oxyurix vermicularis), the roundworm (Ascares lumbricoides--lumbrici), and the tapeworm (Taeince-taenia solium, Bothriocephalus latus). There are other less-common worm types that enter the body, such as hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenal, Nectar Americanus) and those of unclean pork (Trichinella spiralis), which thrive upon various conditions of filth and degeneration.

Parasites, the hidden cause of many diseases

The intestinal roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides infection in humans follows the ingestion of Ascaris eggs that have contaminated foods or soil. In the small intestine the larvae are liberated and migrate through the intestinal wall, reaching the lungs, where they may produce a host sensitization that results in lung inflammation and fluid retention. About 10 days later, the larvae pass from the respiratory passages into the digestive tract and mature into egg-producing worms, which grow to some 15 to 40 cm (6 to 16 inches) in length, in the small intestine. Serious, even fatal,complications of ascariasis result from the infiltration of the larvae into sensitive tissues, such as the brain, and from the migration of the adult worms into various body structures where they produce abcesses and toxic manifestations. Ascariasis exists worldwide and is believed to affect some 660 million persons.

Adult worms live in the lumen of the small intestine. A female may produce up to 240,000 eggs per day, which are passed with the feces . Fertile eggs embryonate and become infective after 18 days to several weeks , depending on the environmental conditions (optimum: moist, warm, shaded soil). After infective eggs are swallowed , the larvae hatch , invade the intestinal mucosa, and are carried via the portal, then systemic circulation to the lungs . The larvae mature further in the lungs (10 to 14 days), penetrate the alveolar walls, ascend the bronchial tree to the throat, and are swallowed . Upon reaching the small intestine, they develop into adult worms . Between 2 and 3 months are required from ingestion of the infective eggs to oviposition by the adult female. Adult worms can live 1 to 2 years

Shirley's noteWhen I was a child I was in poor health and my weak immune system could not protect me against all sorts of infections and parasites. I had tapeworms. Now, in perfect health and with a strong immune system, I don't have to worry about parasites of infections anymore. The same is true for my German Shepherd dog, Shasta. Her healthy immune system protects her against all types of parasites. I believe that a strong immune system can protect people or animals from any type of parasites. Read what Dr. Brown and Dr. Pollak say about our animal's health and immune system. Shirley

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Pets Worms, Parasites and Liver Disease

 "I just want to caution everyone that unless you have seen an infestation of worm eggs or larvae on a slide done from a fecal float and your dogs are presenting with symptoms of a worm infestation, please - do NOT just routinely worm you dogs. Believe it or not, routine worming is being found to cause auto-immune deficiencies and diseases in our pets! " "Disease, illness and symptoms come from within. A relatively healthy animal will not be susceptible to those things. So the ultimate answer is not to prevent heartworm (or round worms or parvo or whatever), by some artificial means, but rather to work on improving and maintaining good health. To the degree that you can improve your dog's level of health, disease of any kind becomes less threatening." "I would like to have us look at building a strong, healthy immune system in our dogs. The immune system is what protects our dogs, (cats, horses and of course ourselves) from everything from viruses and germs to cancer cells. A weak immune system plays a key role in causing disease. " Dr Jeannie Thomason

Heartworm Prevention Cindy Engel Ph.D. - "Infection by pathogenic parasites may be a symptom of ill health, rather than the simple or single cause. We are all surrounded by zillions of bacteria, fungi, worms, insects and predators out looking for an easy meal. Each host species carries many parasites specialized in attacking that species alone, and many more that can be shared with others. There are more species of parasite than there are host species. Parasitism is the norm for life on this planet, not the exception. Nonetheless, a healthy animal host usually resists severe infection. It is the already debilitated animal, or the one living in an exceptionally infectious environment, that succumbs. "...when defenses are insufficient to the task, the parasite population becomes uncontrollable, and the plant or animal gets sick and may die. In death, the rot really sets in, as other species take advantage of the now undefended nutrients."

"Many parasites colonize the absorptive surface of your dog or cat’s small intestine, causing problems with nutrient absorption. Parasites also use the nutrition intended for your pet. Some parasitic infections cause an inflammatory response in the intestine which can result in increased permeability and susceptibility to other diseases. Routine deworming of your pet (most monthly flea preventives also contain a dewormer) can cause disruption of the normal bacterial environment. Parasites are always attracted to the weakest of the species. The likelihood your pet will develop a parasitic infection is directly related to how healthy he or she is. When an animal is weak (from excessive drug use, poor diet or genetic factors), parasites are more likely to gain a foothold. If you’re deworming your pet on a regular basis (for example, monthly), there’s a good chance the dewormer is not even effectively treating the parasites your pet has." Dr. Karen Becker DVM

An animal with a healthy immune system will be less likely to become infected with dog worms, including heartworm. Mosquitoes are less likely to bite healthy dogs. In addition, the healthy animals own defense system is able to kill off the larvae of any heartworm that may enter the bloodstream, thus preventing them from reaching maturity and causing harm. Factors that will weaken your dog's immune system include frequent vaccination, commercial pet foods, incorrect diet, stress and even conventional heartworm and other synthetic medication.

Pets with a strong immune system may be protected from all sorts of diseases, including heartworm. Read what Drs. Page, Brown, and Pollaks are saying:

  • Linda Page, N.D. Ph.D. writes that our immune system is our bodyguard. It works both pro-actively and protectively to shield you from anything in your world that threatens your life and limb. Our immune system is ever-vigilant, constantly searching for proteins, called antigens, that don't belong in our body. It can deal with a wide range of pathogens - viruses, funguses, bacteria and parasites. It can even recognize potential antigens, such as drugs, pollens, insect venoms and chemicals in foods, and malignant cells and foreign tissue, such as transplanted organs or transfused blood. This is also true for our animals. I believe that a strong immune system can protect animals from heartworm.
  • Need help? William Pollak D.V.M. - "Dogs, cats and other animals live for years on foods that come out of bags, cans and boxes. But do these foods promote health? If they did, our companion animals would enjoy long, happy lives free of arthritis, hip dysplasia, eye problems, ear problems, fleas and other parasites, gum disease, lick granulomas, thyroid imbalances, skin and coat problems, personality disorders, birth defects, breeding problems, diabetes, cancer and other major and minor illnesses. Before World War II, most North Americans fed their pets raw bones and table scraps. Today, everyone uses convenience foods, and pet food companies are industry giants. Diet isn't the only thing that has changed. So has life expectancy, with the life span of many breeds now less than half what it was two or three decades ago. Skin and coat problems are so common that we accept them as unavoidable, and today's vets routinely treat conditions that used to be unusual or even rare."
  • Jeffrey Levy. DVM - Heart worm parasite is a source of great anxiety among dog caretakers. Thanks in large part to the scare tactics of many veterinarians in promoting preventive drugs, many people believe that contracting heartworms is the equivalent of a death sentence for their dogs. This is not true.

Pets have many of the same parasites that we get, including Ascaris (common roundworm), hookworm, Trichinella, Strongyloides, heartworm and a variety of tapeworms. Every pet living in your home should be deparasitized (cleared of parasites) and maintained on a parasite program. Monthly trips to your vet are not sufficient. You may not need to get rid of your pet to keep yourself free of parasites. But if you are quite ill it is best to board it with a friend until you are better. Your pet is part of your family and should be kept as sweet and clean and healthy as yourself. This is not difficult to achieve.

Jeffrey Levy. DVM - Heart worm parasite is a source of great anxiety among dog caretakers. Thanks in large part to the scare tactics of many veterinarians in promoting preventive drugs, many people believe that contracting heart worms is the equivalent of a death sentence for their dogs. This is not true.

What are the consequences of not treating internal parasites? In some cases, apart from slight irritation, your pet may not be too concerned about a mild worm infestation. However a number of internal parasites can be life threatening, particularly in large numbers. Some pets may even develop a hypersensitivity to worms, which can cause serious complications. How do I know if my pet has worms?

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A Healthy Liver Helps Keep Parasites Under Control

Most people don't know that a weak liver can be the cause of many chronic health problems. Gallbladder problems, constant fatigue, sleep disorders, heart palpitations, poor memory, skin problems, allergies, arthritis, thyroid problems, frequent numbness in the extremities, frequent infection and fainting are a few examples of what may result when the liver is stressed. In addition, women's health problems such as uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis and painful menstruation may also be the result of weak liver. When a dysfunctional liver goes undetected as an underlying cause, it can lead to an endless cycle of failed solutions and further guessing.

33 Ways To Get Rid of Parasites The liver is the largest organ in your body, and carries the greatest workload of all the organs. The liver’s complex chemical factory works 24 hours a day converting the food that you eat into substances vital for life and neutralizing and destroying toxic substances. The liver is essential for fat and protein metabolism, the regulation of body cholesterol as well as adrenal, thyroid and sex hormones.

The naturThe natural course of life can cause the liver to get stressed, overworked, toxic and exhausted. Toxic chemicals, food preservatives, bad diet, environmental toxins, cigarettes, alcohol and prescription drugs all deteriorate the liver, drain its energy and make it hard or virtually impossible for it to do its job. Once the liver gets overloaded accumulating toxins, its life-sustaining functions begin to suffer and gradually drop out. This places the body in a state of emergency that debilitates and damages all other organs, leading to numerous chronic conditions afflicting millions daily. Life with a toxic or overloaded liver can be fatiguing, depressing, filled with disease, unwanted conditions.

When a dysfunctional liver goes undetected as an underlying cause, it can lead to an endless cycle of failed solutions and further guessing. Ultimately, a person’s health can only be as good as his liver is. A bad liver will affect all other organs without exception. It could deter healing, slow down recovery, cause fatigue, weak immunity, low energy, weight gain, depression, ailments of all sorts including degenerative diseases such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis and much more.

LIVER, WEIGHT GAIN and DEPRESSION

Following are the most common symptoms and conditions: Being on edge (easily stressed), elevated cholesterol, skin conditions, skin irritation, depression, sleep difficulties, fat indigestion, kidney damage, heart damage, brain damage, Hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue, weight fain, poor memory, PMS, mental fog, blood sugar disorders, allergies, obesity. If you have tried many ways to improve your health and energy level and nothing seemed to adequately help, it is very possible that your overworked liver underlies your difficulties. Restoring liver function is one of the most important and vital actions you could ever do for your health. When the liver gets congested and toxic, it will remain that way and get worse until it gets detoxified and rejuvenated.

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Microbiome, Friendly Bacteria in the Intestinal Tract

The secret to good health lies in the friendly bacteria in the intestinal tract known as microbiome Lactobacillus bacteria form a significant part of the natural intestinal flora. Large populations of this, and other lactic acid producing bacteria, regulate the levels of friendly bacteria and reduce the levels of toxic pathogens that cause ill health. The reproduction ability of the bacteria in the gut is the single most important factor in a probiotic product.

“The ever present armies of microbes in your digestive tract are so essential to your survival, a new study says, that you might consider yourself a super-organism — human plus microbes equals you. These hordes of "gut bugs" perform digestive duties that the human body alone cannot, according to the first ever comprehensive study of these microbes' genes. The study maps the genes of the estimated 500 or more species that live inside us. About a quarter of these genes appear to belong to unknown species.” "We are discovering parts of ourselves we were not aware of," said microbiologist and study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Gordon of the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. "It's a whole other planet down there."

“Our bodies carry ten times more microbial cells than human cells, and these microbes collectively contain at least a hundred times the number of genes in the human genome.”

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Herbal Parasite Remedies
by Hulda Regehr Clark Ph.D

The material you are about to read is quoted from Dr. Hulda's book, The Cure for all Diseases. It is presented here as a public information service only. All rights are reserved by the author and/or the publisher.

Getting rid of all these parasites would be absolutely impossible using clinical medicines that can kill only one or two parasites each. Such medicines also tend to make you quite ill. Flaghl is used for Amoebas and Giardia. When the correct dosage is used, it can cause extreme nausea and vomiting. Quinine used for Malaria is quite toxic. Imagine taking 1O such drugs to kill a dozen of your parasites! That may be a great strategy for drug makers, but not for you.

There is a better way. Three herbs can rid you of over 100 different types of parasites! And without so much as a headache! Without nausea! And without interfering with any other drug that you may need to take! Does this sound too fantastic? Just too good to be true? These herbs are nature's gift to us. The herbs you need are:

* Black Walnut Green Tincture
* Wormwood Tincture
* Cloves Tincture

If you use them together you will rid yourself of all these parasites. They must be used together as a single treatment. If you kill only the adults, the tiny stages and eggs will soon grow into new adults. If you kill only eggs, the million stages already loose in your body will soon grow into adults and make more eggs. So all the herbs should be used together as a single treatment.

The green hull surrounding the nut of the black walnut tree is a miraculous parasiticide. After it has turned black it is useless. The large green balls fall to the ground early in the fall. In a week or two they will be black and decaying. Therefore, anyone wishing to make parasiticide must be careful not to let the critical time for harvesting pass. I encourage everyone to make their own parasiticide, and to take back the responsibility of keeping themselves and their families free of these tiny monsters. The recipe for Black Walnut Green Hull Tincture is given in Recipes.

Note that it is a tincture -- extracted using grain alcohol -- rather than an ordinary extract, which use water. The Black Walnut extract available from some herb companies is not potent enough to make an effective parasiticide. It is black, not pale green, indicating that the critical harvesting time had passed. Of course there is no time to make your own if you have fast growing or metastasizing cancer (See the chapter on Sources).

These three herbs must be used together. Black walnut hull and wormwood kill adults and developmental stages of at least 100 parasites. Cloves kill the eggs. Only if you use them together will you rid yourself of parasites. If you kill only the adults, the tiny stages and eggs will soon grow into new adults. If you kill only the eggs, the million stages already loose in your body will soon grow into adults and make more eggs. They must be used together as a single treatment.

It is the green hull surrounding the nut of the black walnut tree that has this miraculous parasiticide. After it has turned black, it is useless. The large green balls fall to the ground early in the fall. In a week or two they will be black and decaying. Therefore, anyone wishing to make parasiticide must be careful not to let the critical time for harvesting pass. I encourage everyone to make their own parasiticides and to take back the responsibility for keeping themselves and their families free of these tiny monsters. The recipe for Black Walnut Hull Tincture (extra strength) is given in Recipes (page 503).

Note that it is a tincture (extracted using grain alcohol), not an ordinary extract (which uses water). The black walnut extract that is available from herb companies is not potent as a parasiticide. It is black, not pale green, indicating that the critical harvesting time had passed. Of course there is no time to make your own if you have fast growing or metastasizing cancer. See the chapter Sources.

You will only need one 1 oz. bottle. While you are waiting for it to arrive, get your other 2 herbs ready: wormwood and cloves. Wormwood consists of the leaves of the Artemisia shrub. My recommendation is that you grow it yourself if you have any space to do so. Wormwood seed is available from seed catalogs, see Sources.

The amount you need to cure a cancer is very small, yet you cannot do without it. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulated it as toxic! It is therefore unavailable in concentrated form from herb companies. The evidence for toxicity accepted by the FDA must have been hearsay. I have never seen a case of toxicity, not so much as a headache or nausea. The toxic level must be much higher than is needed to kill these parasites.

This shrub is called wormwood for good reason: it kills worms! There is quite a bit of confusion over which Artemisia is the true wormwood. Books and nurseries can be wrong, even though they assure you they are correct! Buy Artemisia absynthium for your garden. Wormwood goes back to antiquity and is mentioned in the Bible.

If you grow your own, dry the leaves when they are in their prime. The leaves are greenish gray and quite bitter. Nobody would accidentally eat too much of them. Adults may put them in capsules. For a child, crumble ¼ tsp. and stir into honey. I have not done experiments to be more precise than this. Wormwood capsules are available as a combination of Artemisia, and other herbs (see Sources).

The third herb necessary to cure cancer is cloves. This is the common spice used in baking. It needs to be ground up in order to release its parasite killing properties. You can buy a can of whole cloves and grind them in a blender or grinder. Store-bought "ground cloves" do not work! Their parasite killing properties have evaporated long ago. Ground cloves from a health food store or herb shop may not work either! They may have been ground years ago.