If you’re struggling with digestive issues and chronic fatigue, have you consulted with a health practitioner who applies functional medicine in Toronto? 

At the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre (TFMC), our health providers address the origins of patient health concerns, and it’s not uncommon to learn that parasitic infections can be the root of clinical symptoms. Sometimes these infections are asymptomatic, and at other times, they may lead to several individual symptoms, including rashes and diarrhea. 

In our post “5 Ways you can get a parasitic infection”, we discussed how exactly parasites can enter the body. Furthermore, we provided a fact sheet on the use of functional medicine for parasites which we encourage our readers to check out. For this TFMC post, we delve into key herbal medicines and their potential effectiveness in combating parasitic infections. Continue reading below.

Top 3 herbs for tackling parasitic infections

The TFMC offers a personalized approach to wellness, which is something we’d apply to parasite concerns, too. Treatments are modified for patient needs because there are different types of parasites; plus, each patient has different reactions to these infections. 

During your initial consultation, we would take ample time to understand your health goals and needs, medical history, and environmental/lifestyle factors, biological shortcomings, etc. We will also discuss the role of functional medicine testing. 

From there, we may recommend herbs for treating parasites because their chemical composites are naturally anti-parasitic. Herbs can be used as tools for promoting balance to your body systems, too. Supplementing with herbs, though, should be under the guidance of a health practitioner (i.e. medical doctor or naturopathic doctor), especially if you’re taking prescription medications. With that, here are some herbs we may recommend if you test positive for parasites: 

Herb	How it fights parasites
Black walnut hull	Ingesting the hull of black walnut promotes antimicrobial effects because it contains a compound called juglone. Juglone is a natural pesticide and when ingested, it can help expel thread worms, pinworms and other intestinal parasites.
Cloves	Cloves contain eugenol, an anti-parasitic element known for squashing bacteria and parasites. According to an article from Parasite, “The worm-killing effect of clove extracts could be attributed to their strong corrosive effect on the cuticle and tegument of helminths [worm-like parasites] …”
Wormwood	May be advised for removing pinworms, tapeworms and roundworms; contains a compound called sesquiterpene lactone, which is an antibacterial agent known for helping expel parasites from the human body.

If you suspect that parasites are triggering your chronic health issues, what are your next steps for relieving this? The TFMC can introduce you to functional tests and a tailored health plan, which can inspire you to make healthy lifestyle decisions for fighting parasites and improving long-term health. 

About our functional and naturopathic medicine therapies and core tests

Something that’s a health challenge for one patient may not be the case for another. Hence, integrative functional medicine may be of assistance to you, as it emphasizes biological uniqueness. 

Our clinicians follow the functional medicine model to target these health goals: a) to promote relief to your current symptoms; b) to support chronic disease prevention; and c) to offer health care strategies that emphasize care for your biology only!

We offer a range of integrative medicine modalities because there are health benefits to drawing from various health strategies. When you receive a comprehensive treatment plan from us, it may contain a wide range of treatments, including Western medicine, naturopathic medicine, holistic nutrition, Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbal medicines, hormone optimization, and more. Intravenous (IV) therapy is also available in our in-house IV Lounge, which our patients may opt for to support health optimization. When IV therapy is administered with other functional medicine therapies and healthy lifestyle choices, it can contribute to enhancing wellness. 

Along with therapeutic modalities, we offer functional medicine testing that may not be accessed through some conventional medicine practices. These tests can offer supplementary insight into your current health issues, such as hormone irregularities, irregular periods, unexplained weight loss, body aches, and more. The results from these core tests are used by our health providers to tailor your unique treatment plan. 

Functional lab tests can reveal new details about your health status – so which test is suitable for you? Find out by consulting with our functional medicine Toronto providers – it just takes a phone call to make an appointment! Take this chance to (finally!) explore the source of your digestive issues and chronic symptoms. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is designed for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. This information should not be used to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting a doctor. You should always consult with a health care practitioner before relying on any information in this article or on this website. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified healthcare provider because of information you have read from the Toronto Functional Medicine Centre website or other affiliate media. 

References

Ahmad, A. A., Hassan, T. M., M El-Deek, H. E., Fouad, S. S., & Althagfan, S. S. (2019). Eugenol, a potential schistosomicidal agent with anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects against Schistosoma mansoni, induced liver pathology. Infection and Drug Resistance, 12, 709-719. https://doi.org/10.2147/IDR.S196544

Baron S, editor. Medical Microbiology. 4th edition. Galveston (TX): University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston; 1996. Introduction to Parasitology. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK8262/

Ho, V., Lei, Z., Sumner, L. W., Coggeshall, M. V., Hsieh, Y., Stewart, G. C., & Lin, H. (2018). Identifying Antibacterial Compounds in Black Walnuts (Juglans nigra) Using a Metabolomics Approach. Metabolites, 8(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo8040058

Ivanescu, B., Miron, A., & Corciova, A. (2015). Sesquiterpene Lactones from Artemisia Genus: Biological Activities and Methods of Analysis. Journal of Analytical Methods in Chemistry, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/247685

Ježek, J., Mirtič, K., Rešetič, N., Hodnik, J. J., & Rataj, A. V. (2021). The effect of pumpkin seed cake and ground cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) supplementation on gastrointestinal nematode egg shedding in sheep. Parasite, 28. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2021076

Krishna, S., Bustamante, L., Haynes, R. K., & Staines, H. M. (2008). Artemisinins: Their growing importance in medicine. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 29(10), 520-527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tips.2008.07.004