papaya seeds

How to Banish Parasites with Papaya Seeds

Even if you’re a huge papaya fan, you’ve most likely never given a second thought to those somewhat squishy, clear-coated black little seeds that are hiding inside such a delicious fruit. Well, if you happen to be dealing with parasites, you definitely want to think twice before throwing them away! Papaya seeds are absolute all-stars for expelling parasites from the body…a capability that is pretty rare to find in any food.
Intestinal parasites are more common than we realize, being that about one-third of the world’s population is infected with them. Intestinal parasites are notoriously difficult to diagnose because of the many different symptoms that can arise from a parasitic infection. For instance, gas, an itchy anus, bloating, fatigue, diarrhea, cramps, irritable bowel syndrome, mucous or blood in stools, and low immunity are just a few symptoms that can arise from an encounter with one of the many varieties. Parasites can also affect your mood and contribute to depression or anxiety.

How Do We Get Parasites?

Parasites can enter the body through water, food, intimate contact, mosquitoes, or through the nose or mouth after touching an animal or any contaminated surface such as a door nob. Raw fish (sushi), under-cooked meat (specifically pork) and even inadequately washed fruit and vegetables can hold the potential for contamination.
Some people who prepare food and do not wash their hands after going to the bathroom can share parasites with others. While this will totally gross you out, most unhealthy organisms are spread this way by fecal-oral contact. Consider for a moment everything that you touch daily that is touched by others— money, menus, door handles, salt and pepper shakers, etc. This is why it is important to wash your hands often!

How Do Papaya Seeds Work?

What makes the papaya seed so effective is that it contains anti-helminthic and anti-amoebic properties. In English this means that they kill off intestinal worms and other parasitic organisms in your digestive system.
When I first found out about the papaya seed’s usefulness with parasites and worms I was intrigued and asked myself the usual question, “Sounds great, but does it really work?”. Well I’ll be darned if I didn’t discover that they actually work incredibly well.
So well that Nigerian pediatricians from Obafemi Awolowo University conducted a study in 2007 that included around 60 children who were diagnosed with intestinal worms after a stool test though they weren’t displaying any of the symptoms of this condition yet. In this pilot study, the doctors wanted to determine the effectiveness of papaya seeds and honey on intestinal worms.
The children were given a decoction of crushed papaya seeds and honey (20 ml) for seven days. The children were divided into two groups where one group was given a dose of air dried and crushed papaya seeds along with honey while the other was a placebo group. A week later, it was found that the stool samples 23 of the 30 children who were given the dose was completely cleared of parasites or the intestinal worms. This means around 77% of them responded to the treatment and no side effects were reported.
The doctors concluded that the consumption of dried papaya seeds is a cheap, natural, harmless and preventive strategy against intestinal worms[I].  This speaks to why these seeds are so useful, especially in third world countries where access to other medication may be limited.

Not Your After Dinner Mint

I wish I could tell you that these little guys taste like candy, but unfortunately they are far from being sweet or refreshing. Papaya seeds are very bitter and have a strong pepper-like taste that can be very overwhelming at first, so if you choose to use them, begin to incorporate them slowly. While they have very few side-effects, if you eat too many too fast it may be upsetting to your stomach.
Now before you go ahead and try these seeds, let’s discuss the particular reasons why you might need them…

Using Papaya Seeds For Digestive Health

If you are using papaya seeds for digestive health, as they are rich in proteolytic enzymes, you don’t need very much. Start with one or two seeds to see how you do, then gradually increase that amount until you find a level that is comfortable for you. One-half to 1 teaspoon is a friendly amount that most people tolerate well on a daily basis.
The bitterness of papaya seeds stimulates digestion and since they are also very astringent in nature, they can decrease any intestinal inflammation and aid healing. Just be sure to eat the papaya seeds with a meal that is heavy in protein so that your tummy won’t have to work as hard.
A neat little tip is that papaya seeds can also be dried and added to your pepper grinder and used whenever you would use crushed peppercorn. I love crushed papaya seeds and use them often as a substitute for black pepper, in equal proportions. The taste of papaya seeds is a combination of bitter pepper and mustard, but is barely discernible when used in small amounts on top of other foods.

Using Papaya Seeds as a Parasite Treatment

If you are using papaya seeds for treating worms or parasites, they need to be taken in larger doses and are most effective when followed with a natural laxative to make sure that as many parasites as possible are expelled after the treatment.
There a couple of ways you could go about this:

The Straight Shooter

The easiest way to get the seeds down is to just swallow the seeds whole and let your stomach acids break them down. Dr. Jerry Lee Hoover, a N.D who lives in Nicaragua, recommends taking between 10 and 20 seeds twice daily [II].
However, some people are allergic to papaya seeds, so I really recommend starting with a very low dose first, 1 to 2 seeds, and then increasing your dose up to 10 or 20 twice daily. A larger person may need 20, whereas a petite woman may only need 10. If these upset your stomach, it’s ok to take them with food. If this is your preferred method, feel free to coat the seeds in honey. As Mary Poppins would say, “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”!
Take the seeds for a minimum of 7 and up to 10 days. Then one week later do it again for another 7 to 10 days. Two rounds ensure that you kill not only the parasites but also their eggs.
Take note that eating a high fiber diet with lots of water will help to carry out the dead parasites at a faster pace. Worms and parasites don’t like bitterness so sometimes the parasite may not be dead, but will seek a way out of the bitter environment in the stool. Lots of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds are high fiber foods that bulk up the stool and keep things moving along.

The Indirect Method

If swallowing a handful of papaya seeds first thing in the morning isn’t your ideal way of starting the day, you can hide them in a breakfast smoothie, which will also ensure that you get your fiber and a handful of other bad-bug killers.

  • Pumpkin seeds are good at paralyzing worms in the lower intestine. So even if the worm or parasite is not killed, it can be stunned and flushed out! Cool huh?
  • Coconut oil is well known for it’s antimicrobial effects and is broken down into monolaurin, a compound that can help rid the body of parasites, ringworm, protozoa, and unhealthy bacteria and yeasts.
  • Cloves are reportedly very good at eliminating parasite eggs and when used in combination with the digestive enzymes in this smoothie, may break down the coating that protects the intestinal worm’s eggs. Not to mention it makes the smoothie taste more interesting.


Papaya Seed Parasite Killing Smoothie Recipe

I recommend using a commercial blender for this recipe. If you do not have a commercial blender, grind the papaya seeds and cloves using a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle before adding to the blender. Also take note that the papaya seed dosage in this recipe is high, so be sure you test them for a few days prior to make sure you are not allergic or overly sensitive to them. It is always wise to start of with a smaller dose and increase gradually to ensure you are taking an amount that is comfortable for you.
Ingredients:
1 small ripe organic papaya
½ cup fresh pineapple
1 banana
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
4 cloves
1 (15oz) can coconut milk
1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil
Directions:
Cut a papaya in half and scoop out the seeds. Set aside. Cut the skin of the papaya away and place half of the papaya flesh in the blender. Add 2 tablespoons of the papaya seeds and the rest of the ingredients. Blend on high until all ingredients are blended with the seeds. Drink half the smoothie in the AM and the other half 12 hours later.

Papaya Seed Storage

Always purchase fresh papaya. The smaller and riper it is, the better. Ripe, small papayas produce milder seeds that won’t upset your tummy.

  • Cut the papaya in half and scoop out the seeds. Spread the seeds out onto half of a clean dishtowel and fold the towel over. Rub the seeds between the towel to remove any remaining flesh from the seeds.
  • Place the seeds in a colander and rinse them under running water. Spread them out on a dry towel to dry for a few days.
  • You could also dry the seeds using a dehydrator.
  • Store seeds in freezer in an airtight container. Papaya seeds can retain their nutritional value for six months or longer.


Keeping The Bowels Moving

Magnesium Citrate
If you do have parasites, replenishing your magnesium stores to the proper level can be one of the most beneficial steps you can take to ensure daily bowel movements and dispel anything that may be killed of by the papaya seeds.
Magnesium should be divided over at least two separate daily dosages. You will want to start with a low level of magnesium and build that level up slowly. You will be paying attention to when you start to get a loose stool. This is what is known as taking magnesium “to bowel tolerance.”
A suggested protocol to increase your magnesium intake utilizing bowel tolerance would be as follows:

  • 200 mg. of magnesium / 2 times a day for 4 days
  • If tolerated at that level increase to 300 mg. of magnesium / 2 times a day for 4 days
  • If tolerated at that level increase to 400 mg. / 2 times a day for 4 days
  • If tolerated at that level increase to 500 mg. / 2 times a day
  • If tolerated at that level increase to 600 mg. / 2 times a day

Once you reach a dosage beyond bowel tolerance (you experience loose stool or diarrhea) reduce your daily dose by 100-to 200-mg. per/day.
Clients often ask me if they will see the parasites or worms dispelled in their stool. Sometimes you can see the little buggers, but often they are too small or hidden in the bulk of the stool. Know that just because you don’t see them, doesn’t mean the treatment is not effective.

Healing Crisis

You may experience a worsening of symptoms before you feel better. This is commonly referred to as a “healing crisis” and these symptoms will most often pass. As always, before embarking on any new regimen consult a trusted healthcare professional.

Other Benefits of Eating Papaya Seeds

Dengue Fever
In addition to immune stimulating effects, the papaya leaf extract also appears to be effective against the dengue fever virus [III]. The seeds, as well as the juice from papaya leaves has been used extensively in Costa Rica to fight Dengue fever. Papaya seeds also appear to be effective against the Aedes mosquito itself, controlling dengue at the level of both transmission as well at the host.
Liver Health
Papaya seeds are known for their ability to help heal cirrhosis of the liver. Eating small amounts of Papaya seeds regularly may help in detoxing the liver and keep liver diseases at bay.

Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Papaya seeds are astringent in nature making them valuable and efficient in reducing inflammation, which makes them valuable for helping to alleviate arthritis, joint disease, swelling, pain, and redness.
Anti-Bacterial Properties
Papaya seeds in small amounts have been shown to kill harmful bacteria like E. coli, Staph, and Salmonella. In Nigeria, papaya seeds with milk is used as a cure for Typhoid fever.
Natural Contraceptive
This effect of papaya seeds can either be a help or a hindrance depending on your perspective. Papaya seeds appear to be an excellent natural contraceptive for both men and women, without any side effects [IV]. For centuries, both men and women in the Indian subcontinent and in parts of Southeast Asia have traditionally used the papaya fruit and its seeds as a form of birth control!
For men, eating one teaspoon of fresh papaya seeds daily for three months can significantly reduce sperm production without affecting libido. Moreover, this effect is temporary because when papaya seeds are discontinued, fertility resumes.

Contraindications

Sensitive people: Papaya may cause severe allergic reactions and is therefore contraindicated in sensitive people.
Pregnancy/nursing: The seeds may possibly be unsafe depending on the part of the plant being used and dose administered.
Interactions: None well documented.
Side effects: Papaya may cause severe allergic reactions in sensitive people. Papaya latex can be a severe irritant and vesicant on skin. Papaya juice and papaya seeds are unlikely to cause adverse effects when taken orally; however, papaya leaves at high doses may cause stomach irritation.
Children: Additionally, while papaya seeds do have strong anti-parasitic properties, they may be too powerful for young children’s gastrointestinal tracts, so a doctor should be consulted before giving them to infants or children.
 
All in all, papaya seeds contain many healthful properties and can be incorporated into your diet in small amounts on a regular basis to aid digestion, or for short periods of time as a treatment for pesky parasites or worms. Even though the bitter taste is sometimes hard to stomach, their abilities are invaluable!
 
 

Resources

[I] Okeniyi JA1, Ogunlesi TA, Oyelami OA, Adeyemi LA. “Effectiveness of dried Carica papaya seeds against human intestinal parasitosis: a pilot study”. J Med Food. 2007 Mar;10(1):194-6. Web. June. 2016. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17472487>.
[II] “Papaya: the natural way to kill parasites”. May 2014. Web. June. 2016. <http://community.nicaraguadispatch.com/2014/05/11/papaya-the-natural-way-to-kill-parasites/>.
[III] Subenthiran S, Choon TC, Cheong KC, Thayan R, Teck MB, Muniandy PK, et al. “Carica papaya leaves juice significantly accelerates the rate of increase in platelet count among patients with dengue fever and dengue hemorrhagic fever”. Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Volume 2013 (2013), Article ID 616737. Web. June. 2016. <http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/616737/>.

The information presented on this site is provided for informational purposes only, it is not meant to substitute for medical advice or diagnosis provided by your physician or other medical professional. Do not use this information to diagnose, treat or cure any illness or health condition. If you have, or suspect that you have a medical problem, contact your physician or health care provider.

  1. Thank you for this article. I have been dealing with tapeworm for 8 months and loads of medication have only alleviated symptoms temporarily. I tried papaya seeds a few weeks ago and felt immediate results . I thought I was cured. Then the symptoms came back but I feel hope because I found your article which gives me direction and amounts and an explanation. So helpful. I am following starting today and hope this will help end forever.

  2. Wow! Thanks for the detailed Scientific Information! Much appreciated at this time, when we don’t want to visit doctors and clinics a lot and anyway need better medicine with less side effects (talk about the Oath!)

    Q: So we can just swallow the swishy seed(10 for kid) with a little honey and get the same results?

  3. I have been experiencing a whole of of abdominal issues without any relief or answers from medical professionals. My husband would buy papaya, and I reluctantly would eat a bit and discard the seeds. After learning about the benefits of the seeds I began to eat papaya daily and swallow a teaspoon of the seeds with water.

    I am having loose bowel movements and I believe I saw some mucous…I guess it’s working!

  4. Can I just consume the fresh seeds vs having to dry them? Are the effects the same? Swallow a teaspoon full of fresh papaya seeds without blending them, would that also work?

  5. I am so pleased to read your article regarding papaya seeds as it has put my mind more at rest since reading.
    I have been chewing dried papaya seeds for approx 4 weeks now as I am having to treat myself for potential parasites.
    I have between 15 and 20 per day with food as recommended on the packet.
    I have found these remarkable.They are definitely working for me and have also more or less cured my acid reflux ( integration ).
    As you say they are amazing and I only wish I had known about these little miracle’s years ago as I have been suffering with feeling my parasites crawling under my skin for 2 and a half years now to the point where I wanted to end it all.
    I was diagnosed with delusional parasitology, that old chesnut. With no skin tapings or scrapings taken. The doctors had already made their minds up and voila! Delusional parasitology was the verdict and off down the mental health route – shocking and unforgivable yet somehow predictable, when dealing with low calibre people who are unsophisticated thinkers.
    I forgot that doctors have X- Ray and microscopic vision.
    They’re extremely clever people because they managed to kill my mother off when they diagnosed arthritis when it was breast to bone cancer.
    They said her painful leg was arthritis and didn’t need to bother with X – Rays or MRI’S, well only when it was too late.
    Anyway I digress.
    Luckily for me I knew they were wrong and I didn’t want to take an anti psychotic to potentially stop feeling something that was really there crawling under my skin. I doubt if the anti psychotic would have cured the parasites but may have just stopped me feeling them and that would have been highly dangerous.
    They even admitted that they don’t work for everyone, I wonder why!
    Starting to think they know what’s going on but can’t be bothered to try and treat people. Would just rather pop you the expensive pill in the hope that you’ll go away and die from the parasites or sadly take the suicidal route.
    Let’s hope if they make it up there and not down below where it’s rather warm, they are greeted with that wonderful word atonement.
    I’ve never been good with medication anyway ( perhaps due to having parasites in the first place eh? ) So was loathe to try it.
    Anyway,apologies for the tone but I feel it’s well deserved and all I can hope is that this information helps others to be able to live instead of committing suicide as is undoubtedly the case with incorrect diagnosis.
    Never give up you can get there.
    Research online every natural de wormer as the article says and all natural anti inflammatories.
    For example: Turmeric, Cinnamon, Ginger, Grapefruit seed extract, pumpkin seeds, cloves, apple cider vinegar gummies ( only in gummie form,as the real vinegar burns and damages the eusophagus and can cause throat cancer, Barratt’s disease.)
    However, check these out for yourselves.
    Be careful and build up slowly so you can know that they are safe as we are all different.
    Bromelain can thin the blood and Turmeric can also, so be aware and do your homework.
    Good luck everyone. See you you on the other side,but hopefully not just yet xx

  6. Can I use papaya seeds to treat parasites in my hens? I have a worming paste recipe by Lisa Steele “Fresh Eggs Daily” that uses seeds of the cucurbitaceae family.

    1. Hi Brenda, I have not heard of using them to treat hens but I can’t imagine them doing any harm for sure. try a small amount and see how they do, if they will eat them give them a bit more and titrate up. be sure to give it to them for a week, then wait a week then again to get any of the eggs that have not hatched. Be sure to let me know how it works! XxxOoo…

  7. I found your article and have been chewing one teaspoon of the seeds after I rub them in my hands and get the outside off of them for 10 days now. 11 years ago I ate raw pork while in Thailand. I have had so many numerous digestive problems my stomach started sticking out about 8 in several years ago. They kept finding hookworms but nothing worked found out that my dogs also have them and we’re bringing them in I guess from our yard. Since I’ve started taking the teaspoon it has been 10 days chewing the seeds I feel 75% better. We’ll start round 2 in 7 days. Is it okay to continuously do this every 7 days for 10 days forever or is there a limit to taking the seeds. I just started off with the teaspoon right away no side effects whatsoever and it felt great but I have mixed them with honey on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. Thank you for this article, May have saved my life.

    1. Hi Pamela, Yay! That is wonderful news! Thank you so much for sharing this success story! It will do you no harm to continue eating the seeds.I would recommend alternating a week on and a week off for a while, then try eliminating them altogether and see how you do. Because they are pungent and bitter they work well at stimulating digestion and promoting regularity. You are so welcome, and thank you again for sharing!

  8. By the way, I live in Ohio. The doctors are surprised that I have hookworm from this area. But when I’ve researched it online, it is very common in the Midwest for people to have hookworm. Hopefully more people in the United States will see this article and use it. Even pork in the United States when cooked even a little raw, you can get worms from it.

  9. Hi! I’m trying a smoothie with papaya and I would like to try eating the seeds. Do you think they can also be frozen instead of dried? Thank you for the interesting article!

  10. Hi! Thanks so much for this. I will be starting my family soon. I’ve heard lots of contradicting information regarding bananas during parasite cleansing, since bananas are very high in sugar-it would feed the parasites. Please let me know your thoughts! My children refuses to swallow anything whole so I will have to make the smoothie. They much prefer to have bananas in theirs smoothies so I wouldn’t know how to replace it

    1. Hi Mary, In this case bananas are just fine, it is the bitter pungent seeds that chase the parasites out of the digestive tract into the stool. So whether the parasites are fed or not doesn’t matter. 🙂

  11. Thank you so much for this article! You are a blessing! I’ve been suffering for years trying to figure out what happened to my body, getting all of my blood tests back and I finally figured it out that I must have a parasite. Then the next step became in figuring out how to get rid of them – with all of the contradicting, social media, unreliable, and biased information on the web, your blog is such a blessing! Thank you for being such a good and trustworthy source and writer.

    Quick question: An owner of my local health food store recommended I buy diamaetacious earth, which I did, but I have since found there is no scientific evidence (I read the studies) to support that in detoxing from parasites. What is your personal opinion? Do you think I should still take it or just return it? Have you ever used it yourself or know of anyone who did and experienced health benefits (even outside of parasites)?

    Thank you so much! I think you’re amazing to respond to comments! 🙂

    1. Hi Alexandria, I have never heard of using diamaetacious earth for parasites! Very interesting. I did
      a quick search and Here’s a study you might find interesting: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21673156/ It was the only study I found in a quick search but it seems to be used commonly with farm animals. Heres a gal who has used it successfully: Dhttps://www.greenwillowhomestead.com/blog/how-to-use-diatomaceous-earth-as-a-parasite-cleanse-for-humans-pets-and-livestock I think it would be a personal choice to give it a try, the main thing to use is food grade quality. Personally, I think I would prefer a papaya seed smoothie! 😉

  12. I have been doing lots of cleanses. Now I am happy to find papaya and the seeds. Thank you so very much for your research and information. I have been doing the smoothie for about 4 days. It is working great! I need to heal my digestive tract from taking too many antibiotics when I was younger, which led to low immune and other health issues. My system seamed not to detox very well, and I have done a detox with a functional medicine doctor. He helped me some, but I knew I still needed to detox more. In the past I have taken lots of probiotics, bone broth, and the paleo diet, with some success in all my digestive issues. I believe because of all the antibiotics in the past my liver, gallbladder, and pancreas all need healing also. All the nutrients in the papaya and the seeds should help heal these organs also. I may have to continue this off and on for two months. Thanks again!

  13. Hey, thank you so much for this article! I am on my third day of following the routine and it has made me feel much better with my stomach issues that I have been dealing with for about a year. The only thing is I dont know how important the timing is. I am fasting from 12PM to 9PM so I drink it at 12PM eat my breakfast and then I drink the other half before my dinner. I substituted the coconut milk for coconut water and only used one tablespoon of seeds though. My concern is that I feel lightheaded after drinking it and just weak? I am a pretty healthy 18 year old though besides my stomach issues. This morning I was debating if i should eat before drinking it because I felt lightheaded and headachy but I looked online and people said it’s best to drink before meal as it may disrupt the stomach digestion. But i also heard that you shouldn’t eat a banana or pineapple on an empty stomach. So I’m just in a pickle right now if I should power through drinking it on an empty stomach (feeling lightheaded and weak) or eat my breakfast and then drink the smoothie. Thank you so much for this article, you do not know how much hope it has given me!

    1. Hi Jason, It is best to take on an empty stomach, although the weakness could be from the fasting. I recommend eating a little something around 5pm to help with the lightheadedness. You could also be experiencing what is called “Die off” or Herxheimer reaction. Check out this link: https://gooddecisions.com/herxheimer-reaction-feeling-worse-feeling-better/ to read more. Don’t power through it, do eat a little something perhaps and hour or two before hand if you need to.