“MOMMMMMMM! There is a worm coming out of my butt!”
Thank goodness I have NEVER heard this from the lips of my child. I wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Not that a parasitic infection in a child is out of the ordinary. SEEING a parasite would be more unusual that actually having an infestation.
Before we get to how to use coconut oil for parasites, we need to talk a little bit about these critters. Pinworms, tapeworms, roundworms… all the intentional worms!
You see, parasites are pretty elusive. Those in worm form come out at night and during the day hide deep in fecal matter. You usually don’t get much of a look at them. Which of course makes it tough to know whether you or a family member have an infestation.
Most everyone around the globe will experience parasites at least once in their life. You may never know you had them. Or you may be having some rather out of the ordinary health symptoms and after lab work, discover a parasitic infection.
Before we dive into things further, let’s just take a quick look at…
Signs You May Have A Parasite
You might have parasites if you have:
- Repeated diarrhea or constipation
- Chronic, unexplained nausea, often accompanied by vomiting
- Fatigue and weakness
- Intestinal cramping
- Unexplained dizziness or blood sugar fluctuations
- Foul-smelling gas
- Indigestion and malabsorption of fatty foods
- Bloating
- Multiple food allergies
- Loss of appetite and/or sudden food cravings
- Itching around the anus, especially at night
- Difficulty sleeping
- Emaciation OR weight gain
- Itching on the soles of the feet, often accompanied by a rash
- Coughing blood (severe cases)
- Palpitations (hook worms)
- Anemia
- Facial swelling around the eyes (round worms)
- Skin sensitivity (ie. Rashes, eczema)
Some parasites can eventually affect the nervous system. This can lead to sleep disorders and even hyperactivity, depression, and anxiety especially in children. In other cases memory can be effected or other major organs such as the liver, pancreas, and kidneys.
What should you do if you think you have parasites?
Well, get tested if this is something you can afford. Knowing the exact parasite can often times help you choose the best way to help your body get rid of it. If you cannot get tested or if you have a confirmed parasite but money is tight, you can turn to a gentle, affordable, easy to find potential remedy to see if that offers you any relief.
What am I talking about?
Coconut oil for parasites!
Coconut oil has plentiful Medium Chain Fatty Acids (MCFA) which is known to help your body fight back against parasites. There isn’t anything super sciency about how it works either. Parasites and MCFA just don’t mix well.
The other role of coconut oil during a parasitic “cleanse” is that it may help your liver during the detoxification process. Your liver will be taxed heavily as the parasites come rolling out but coconut oil has been shown to give it the strength it needs to stay the course.
While coconut oil obviously has value when it comes to parasites, coconut meat really is the star of the show.
Check this out. It comes straight from Cooking with Coconut Flour by Bruce Fife, N.D.
An interesting benefit of coconut fiber, not found in other fibers, is that it can expel intestinal worms. Eating coconut meat to get rid of parasites is a traditional practice in India that was recognized among the early medical profession and is still used in some parts of the country today. Researchers have tested this method and have found that eating a sufficient quantity of coconut can expel 90 percent of intestinal parasites within 12 hours. Dried coconut is more effective than fresh in removing tapeworms. The researchers recommended eating foods made with coconut flour, a form of dried coconut, as a safe and relatively easy way to treat tapeworm infestation.”
Coconut meat is rich in fiber. Note that not all fibers have the ability to eliminate parasites. Acting as a vermifuge is an important coconut fiber benefit not found in other fibers. A vermifuge is simply an agent serving to discharge worms or other animal parasites from the intestines.
Using coconut meat to get rid of parasites and worms is not just a traditional practice in India. The effectiveness of coconut meat as a vermifuge has also been tested in a study that was conducted in 1984 in a village in Rajasthan India where there are many cases of tapeworm infestation. As the people there are non-vegetarians, they usually get to eat raw or improperly cooked beef.
The study used fifty individuals infected with parasites. The each took different coconut preparations combined with Epsom salt which is a strong laxative. The subjects that were given either 400 grams of fresh coconut or 200 grams of dried coconut followed with Epsom salt successfully expelled parasites. After 12 hours, it was learned that those who were given dried coconut expelled 90% of parasites while those who took fresh coconut expelled 60% of parasites. Therefore dried coconut is much effective than fresh coconut as a vermifuge.
The health condition of the subjects was checked six months after the study and 1/3 of them had no re-occurrence of parasites. The majority of those who were infested with tapeworms again acquire it from eating improperly cooked raw beef.
Interesting stuff right?
If coconut isn’t your thing, there are other gentle ways to help certain parasites move along. I have used a couple of products myself, more for maintenance and not because I had a known parasitic infection. These are:
I found that it also helps if you take a binder like Activated Charcoal or Bentonite Clay during your parasite cleanse. Just be sure to take the binders 2 hours before or after other supplements and main meals.
Curious what else coconut oil can do? Check out my post on Uses For Coconut Oil.
Have you battled parasites and used coconut oil or dried coconut to beat them at their own game? Do share in the comments. Also, are you wondering which coconut oil I use and why? Check out my favorite coconut oil brands here.
Sources for this article include:
Kris says
Hi!
I am Kris
Wanted to know who is Epson salt taken
what would the ratio be?
Thanks!
just discovered this website today
Much Appreciated
Jennifer says
Hi Kris! I am afraid that I am a little confused by your question. Can you please clarify?
Carol says
Jennifer how much coconut oil is required and do you need to add epsom salt? Thank You for sharing your wisdom in this field of speaciality .
Carol says
Sorry for the misspelling of your name
Jennifer says
Hi Carol! Basically, if you can work up to 1/4 cup a day, that would be ideal. Start slow though – take 1 tablespoon and work up. No, you do not need to add epsom salt.
Jenipher Wanjahi says
Very educative information, thank you for that.
My question is it the same by drinking a glass of water mixed with one tablespoon of coconut oil?
Kindly help
Jennifer says
However you can get the coconut oil into your system is fine! Mixing it in with things won’t change its superpowers.
Bellamarie says
Hello, my name is Bella and I just found this great page. I’m really on the fence with my issues. I’ve been having heart palpitations, slight high blood pressure, low sugar, aniema, bowel movement with sweats, racing heart that wake me up every morning. I’m losing weight with out trying and now it’s 100 X worst. I’m concerned that I might have parasites. Last year I was deadly sick and I was in the hospital for 9 day because my gallstones bursted in me that triggered my pancreas to almost shut down. Now I’m a hot mess again and need your advise. I notice that with the coconut oil, you didnt say how much to drink and how much Epsom salt I add to a 8 oz of coconut oil. I really want to give this a try. Thank you Bellamarie 🤗
Jennifer says
Hi Bellamarie! I am so sorry that you are going through this. Any chance you are being exposed to mold? That can cause symptoms like this as well. You can take as much coconut oil as you can handle. I would start with a tablespoon or two per day and start working up. If you start to feel lousy from it, that means your body is getting rid of the bad stuff. Back off on the amount you are taking and slowly work up again. The study that I referred to didn’t mention a specific amount of epson salt. Usually a teaspoon is plenty though.
S says
I was diagnosed with Lymes, but was breastfeeding at the time. I used baby formula while I was on the antibiotic bit stopped the antibiotic after 2 days because it was worthless. Decided to do a parasite detox instead.
I would use my zapper randomly, (to get the bugs moving I assumed) then drink a hot chocolate (to attract I assumed) with two tablespoons along coconut oil (to kill I assumed) as many times as I could. Within a few days, Lymes was gone! I don’t know if was the combination or one specific item, I’m just thankful it worked.
Jennifer says
Oh how interesting! But it actually makes a lot of sense. Thank you for sharing this. 🙂
Mrs. B says
Hi,
How exactly did you use the zapper to get the bugs to move down, please?
Emily says
A great way to take coconut oil is in your coffee! I blend my favorite brew with two tablespoons of coconut oil, and for flavor add a dash of cinnamon, almond or vanilla extract, and a little bit of stevia for sweetness. I have this every morning on an empty stomach and always feel amazing afterwards. Good article!
Zara says
Thank you i will try this! I havent had a regular bowel movement since my now 5 year old was born. Ive been antibiotics most of my childhood and adolescence years. I get movement in my intestines every now and then and almost like a scratching feeling too. I took sugar out my diet and had a late period now again 3 days late still waiting. The natural doctor i went to some months ago just took a saliva and urine sample and told me i need to heal my gut and organs and sold me over $200 worth of vitamins. I was going okay but stopped because of money and weird headed feelings, lightheadedness,aim, ect. Im a little skeptical of putting high doses of poison in my body to heal it especially since my regular doctor did a blood test and found nothing. I took a at home 14 test kit and only found kidney damage. I check my blood sugar once a month and it is usually below 120 after meals. I pee alot at night and really dont sleep well. I know diet is key so i only eat veggies and fruits and lean protein to try and rid my body of whatever. Should i be taking acv on top of my organic greek yogurt and coconut oil too? I cant stomach the coconut oil alone so i drink it with my tea cinnamon and honey. But i find if i drink too much tea or coffee i get symptoms of heat palpatations or lightheadedness. thank you
Jennifer says
Hi Zara! I am not a doctor but I know a lot about poop. 😉 Did you have your magnesium levels checked? This could definitely be the issue if you are on the low side of things. It is very common. Do you take any probiotics?
Micalah says
A few days ago, I had mild intestinal cramping, lack of appetite, and diarrhea that only lasted half a day. Nothing major, until I realized the next day that my poop was yellow. Currently, the yellow excrement is the only thing that’s wrong with me, but I’ve been taking coconut oil to be on the safe side. Dr. Google suggests I have giardia. Do you agree, or am I just being a hypochondriac?
Jennifer says
That is almost impossible to know just by poop color. Yellow can be due to other things like excess bile. If it continues, you likely will want to run a stool test to determine the cause. If you don’t have a trusted practitioner, I can refer you to someone who works with clients remotely and is GREAT with this sort of thing.
Cathy Nellen says
Hi Jennifer my name is Kathy and I see worms in my stool I’ve been bitten by them and I’ve been diagnosed with stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver and I keep telling my doctors that it is because of the parasites in my body but they don’t believe me I’ve been tested in the parasites hide but I know I was not sick until I start seeing these bugs and they started itching me can you please give me the name of the doctor that works with the clients remotely I really appreciate some more help thank you
Jennifer says
Oh Cathy! I am so sorry you have to deal with this! Elizabeth at http://wellnessimages.com/ is a wonderful practitioner who knows TONS about parasites and can absolutely help!
Kiera says
Hello could you tell me the name of the doctor also?
I have same problem with parasites the link wouldn’t work for me it feels like they are eating me after seeing big one expelled and breaking biofilm
Jennifer says
Elizabeth at http://wellnessimages.com/ is a wonderful practitioner who knows TONS about parasites and can absolutely help!
Kimberly Berghauer says
Hello, What a wonderful article. I am wondering if it is 200 mg vs grams of dried coconut used? I am unable to use coconut oil because it is too high in salicylates for me. However, the meat is much lower. The conversion of 200 grams to tablespoons is 25 5/8 tablespoons. Do I need to take this much? or can I take say 3 tablespoons of coconut flour and still achieve results? Thank you for your help 🙂
Jennifer says
Hi Kimberly! This was a new question for me so I had to look into it. Since coconut oil and coconut flour act differently in the body, it is somewhat of a trial and error method to figure out how much you would need. From all the complicated math I did it would appear that maybe 5 tablespoons is a good place to start. Try that and see if you notice any results.
Michael Murray Dowdy says
I’ve read that our bodies do not build a resistance to the coconut natural caprylic or lauric acids in virgin coconut oil as they do to mankind’s engineered antibiotics. Supposedly VCO kills the very common and sometimes harmful h-pylori and also controls candida in a very healthy way for our digestive systems and body. But use of coconut oil in the diet needs to be done carefully because it can cause problems too. Everyone should do their own personal research as well as use trial and error experiments to see how it will affect their individual body because we all have subtle and serious systemic differences. It might even be healthy for our brains!! ??
Jen says
Hi, my son had a roundworm from his stool and he is just 22months old. Planning to use virgin coconut oil, what can you recommend regarding the dosage and frequency of his intake. It is safe for him to have 2tbsps a day for 7 days? How would i know if the roundworms are gone?
Jennifer says
I can’t give out specific information on how much and frequency as it really will very from child to child (as it does with adults). If it were me, I would start out slowly. 1/2 teaspoon for a couple of days. If that goes well, you can increase it a little from there. It might take a couple of weeks to get a couple of tablespoons worked into his day. You can’t “overdose” on coconut oil but as the parasites start to respond and die out, it might be unpleasant in the bathroom department. Slow and steady is key with coconut oil. I always put a piece of tape over the anus at night. The worms comes out at night and stick to it. If you don’t see them on the tape, they could still be there but it is a quick check. Usually you have to have a fecal analysis done to determine if the worms are gone.
anne says
What kind of tape? lol
Jennifer says
Haha! I use scotch tape.
matthew brasfield says
I feel like I may have pinworms and wondered if cocnut oil works for them as well. And what’s better dried coconut or oil
My nurse practitioner said that if I am feeling a tickle or a wiggle it should be in my fecal.
She was trying to be funny but said that i
should be able to see them in my stool in my morning bowel movement if I am feeling any kind of itch or tickle down there because that means the parasite has developed or matured enough to move down the intestinal track to lay eggs.
I don’t ever feel like a severe itching just sometimes after a bowel movement or when I am relaxed at night before bed it feel almost like a little wiggle or something. I have checked on the mornings when I wake up and even done a tape test immediately after waking up and never any worms nor have I seen them in my stools.
What’s next to be done
Jennifer says
Hi Matthew! Coconut oil would be the better option for this situation. I would get a parasite stool test done for sure. That way you know 100% what is going on.
Barbara says
I just love your information we need more natural remedies with natural products
Steve says
I currently have parasites that I cant seem to get completely rid of! This has been going on for at least 2 months now. I’m actually eating some organic dried coconut flakes right now! These seem to work well as I I defintely notice the results within a day of eating them.
I think I may have been lulled into a sense of false security in the past, wrongly believing they were all gone. Then I decreased my intake of things like coconut flakes and it wasn’t too long until they were back with a vengeance! So I would defintely recommend that you keep going with things, for some time after you think they are gone!
One thing that I’ve also had the unfortunate experience of learning is that stool tests are not always accurate! I just had my 2nd test a few days ago and haven’t heard anything back yet. It might be slower due to Xmas, however they said they let you know quickly if anything is positive. So I have a feeling that they might say nothing was found again. The sample I gave for the 1st test actually had visible worms in it. I couldn’t believe it when the doctor said it came back negative!
Throughout this process I’ve seen several different kinds of parasite in my stool and also floating in the water. I’ve taken photos and videos of these, with many videos of them moving. I’ve even matched them up (to best of my knowledge) with the help of a great resource I found online. I was thinking I could just show these to a doctor to verify and they would prescribe the necessary medication. I was completely wrong apparently as they just keep saying I need a positive stool test. It’s been very frustrating to say the least! I could understand if I was trying to get a controlled substance from them. I also understand the protocol of a test before they just hand out meds.
However I would have thought in certain situations common sense would prevail. Apparently many parasites are much harder to test for even a few hrs after the sample was taken. Time is just one factor that can effect test accuracy.
Has anyone else had a similar experience with testing and still been able to get help from a doctor? I’m just wondering if this is the same for the majority of doctors, or just the ones I’ve seen. Thanks for your help.
I’d like to ad that I am a firm believer in natural remedies being used wherever possible. I do know that these have worked to reduce my symptoms, especially the coconut flakes! However my gut feeling (pun intended) is that I really need medication asap, as my symptoms have gotten a bit out of hand. Also the length of time I’ve been dealing with this is a factor in desiring medicine asap.
If it’s ok here is a link to the resource I used to identify the different parasites. Please feel free to edit my comment if it is not acceptable to list it.
Parasites: Types, in humans, worms, and ectoparasites
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/220302
Happy holidays and thanks for the great informative site!
Brandy Turner says
how much coconut oil a day how many times a day and how long ? u say work your way up…so it that to a whole jar a month im confused.
Jennifer says
Hi Brandy! Start with about a teaspoon per day and increase by a teaspoon every few days. Ideally you will get to about 1/8 of a cup per day.
Miranda says
Does organic raw unfiltered virgin coconut oil work for this?