by Richard Vuksinic, ND
Every year millions of pumpkins are sacrificed for the purpose of creating the iconic jack-O’-lanterns that adorn our homes, in hopes of keeping away evil spirits and of attracting candy-hungry children to our doors. Many of these pumpkins and their seed filled guts end up in landfill on November 1st. But WAIT!! Before you toss the sacrificial squash to the curb you must know that there is food and medicine to be had!
Pumpkin Seeds and Parasitic Worms (eeeeeeew).
While you may be tempted to fill your belly with candy this Hallow’d Eve…BEWARE! There might be something scary, slimy and gross lurking in those guts of yours! The ugly, nutrient sucking, sugar-loving vampires known in these parts as intestinal worms!
There are several types of parasitic worms that can infect a human host. Two worth mentioning here are tapeworm, which commonly infects livestock and can be transferred to humans (not very common), and pinworms, which are the most common worldwide parasitic infection in school aged children. Pinworms can be transmitted easily via the fecal-oral route (i.e. child scratches infected itchy bum, and then touches friend’s hand, then friend’s hand touches mouth and the cycle continues).
Although not a common human infection, I mention tapeworms here because, traditionally, pumpkin seeds were used to treat tapeworm infection. As a result, there is some compelling scientific literature that explores the use of pumpkin seeds in treating livestock (2,3) and humans (1). Pumpkin seeds have been shown to have some “antihelminthic effect” (helminth is fancy word for parasitic worm. Antihelminthic means stunning or expelling worms).
Helminths require a substantial amount of carbohydrates in the host’s diet to assure normal growth and colonization of the host’s digestive tract (4). That is why Halloween can be such an opportunity for parasitic worms to flourish. By the end of October, kids have been in school for almost two months- plenty of opportunity to contract pinworms from their classmates. Introduce a bag full of candy, and VOILA- itchy bum in November. (ANECDOTE which inspired this article: As a child I remember pinworm infections being an annual issue every November, for several years, for one of my siblings). Luckily we saved those pumpkin seeds, right?
Here are some interesting ways that were traditionally employed to treat tape worm and pin worm infections:
A Traditional Witches Brew For Expunging The Horror From Your Butt.
200-400 grams of ground, unpeeled pumpkin seeds; 1-3 tsp castor oil
take seeds on an empty stomach in the morning in divided doses, 30 minutes apart;
follow with castor oil 2-3 hours later to purge paralyzed worms (5)
A Less Disgusting Brew:
Mix 100g of ground up, unpeeled seeds with a glass of milk and a dollop of honey. Drink daily for 3-6 weeks (5).
PLEASE NOTE: Before the dawn of medications for the treatment of pinworms, pumpkin seeds were often used in conjunction with purgative herbs (herbs that would purge the stunned worms out of the intestines). These recipes are simply for historical and traditional interest and were traditionally used to treat tape worm. I am not suggesting that you try this at home. As fun as this Halloween article is to write, it must be stated that when it comes to pinworm treatment, medication is a very safe and effective way to go. Talk your health care provider. The likelihood of fully treating and eliminating pinworms using pumpkin seeds could prove challenging and lengthy. Pumpkin seeds might best be used after medical treatment, to help prevent recurrence (by eating a 1/4 cup per day)(5). This of course would be in conjunction with a diet low in refined carbohydrates, sugar (even fruit), as well as best hygiene practices (regular hand washing and bum bathing, regular linen washing, changing underwear and towels regularly).
In Summary
To help keep your guts free of these nutrient sucking, sugar loving vampire worms, put away your Halloween candy, wash your hands regularly and feast on a bowl full of delicious, nutritious pumpkin seeds. If you, or your kids, do succumb to an infection be sure to talk to your health care provider about the best treatment options for you.
Have a happy, healthy and worm-free Halloween!