Quassia bark (picrasma excelsa) is a well-known treatment for giardia among North American herbalists. According to an herbalist from Montana by the name of Sunny Mavor, there’s a man that got rid of giardia symptoms with 30 drops of quassia bark tincture three times per day for three weeks. However, before you run off to follow this treatment method, you should know that although it got rid of the parasites, it also irritated his stomach to the point that he had nausea.
Dosage information: up to 30 drops of tincture, three times per day.
Raw pumpkin seeds (cucurbita pepo) are known to have antiparasitic properties. However, no one knows exactly how they work. Though they do contain zinc, and when this all-important mineral is in short supply in the body, the body’s supply of hydrochloric acid regresses. Insufficient supplies of zinc in the body are usually seen in elderly people. People with parasites are usually susceptible to insufficient stomach acidity. The use of conventional drugs along with pumpkin seeds works best to treat and prevent parasites from becoming a problem.
Dosage information: not well-defined for this use, but generally, several handfuls of raw pumpkin seeds every day for several weeks.
Long pepper (piper longum) is also known as Indian long pepper; this plant is a botanical cousin to black pepper. The fruit is widely used as a remedy for stomach distress in India. According to a study done on humans with giardia, an Ayurvedic treatment that was prepared with long pepper and another Indian herb known as palash got rid of the parasite in 23 out of 25 patients. If you’re planning on using this herb, please consult a qualified practitioner, because the correct dosage has not yet been well-established.
References: The Herbal Drugstore written by Linda B. White, M.D., and Steven Foster
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Great article! Here are some additional herbs that have anti-parasitic properties: black walnut, wormwood (Artemesia annua), garlic (Allium sativa), and goldenseal (Hydrastis Canadensis).