Black Walnut Hull Parasite Cleanse

Black walnut is a North American species of tree. Like its cousin, the hickory, black walnut heartwood is a prized furniture and flooring material. The nutmeats are harvested for culinary use, while the shells are used in various industries. Black walnut hulls are also used in traditional medicine to purge intestinal parasites. But because of potential toxicity, talk to a health-care professional before self-treating your condition with a black-walnut-hull parasite cleanse.

Botanical Profile

The black walnut, or Juglans nigra, is also known as American walnut. The species belongs to the Juglandaceae family of nut-bearing trees that includes the walnut and hickory. Black walnut is also related to English walnut, sometimes called Persian walnut. The nuts of the latter species, however, have a milder flavor than black walnuts.
Black walnut thrives throughout the central and eastern United States, most prolifically in the Midwest and along the Blue Ridge and Appalachian mountains.The nuts must be harvested after the first frost and before squirrels gather them, according to a fact sheet provided by the Non-Timber Forest Products Program at Virginia Tech University. The hulls are green at first but soon turn black.
The hulls are rubbed off under cold water, a process that requires gloves because pigments in the husk stain the skin. The nuts are then hulled, placed in cool storage to keep the oils from turning rancid and then distributed to commercial plants that process the nutmeats.

Historical Use

Black walnut hulls are used in the manufacture of cosmetics and abrasive cleaning products and as a fuel source for power plants. The hulls also yield a dark brown dye that Native Americans and early European settlers used to color clothing and hair. It is still used as a hair dye and a tint for woven baskets, fabrics and other textiles.
Black walnut is also traditionally used as a mild laxative and a treatment for sore throat and tonsillitis, thyroid disorders and inflammatory skin conditions, including eczema and acne. According to the American Cancer Society, black walnut hull extract is reputed to counter more than 100 types of parasites. In traditional Chinese, Ayurvedic and Western herbal medicine, black walnut hull tinctures and extracts are used externally to treat ringworm and yeast infections and internally to kill intestinal parasites. But the effectiveness of these uses are unproven, according to the "Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines."

Chemical Composition

The primary active constituent in black walnut hull is juglone. This compound is a naphthalene derivative and can have a toxic effect on other plants. In fact, its release into the ground can poison neighboring plants and trees, minimizing the competition for sunlight and soil nutrients.
Black walnut hulls also contain an agent similar to juglone called plumbagin, tannins and several flavonoids, including quercetin.

Medicinal Properties

The "Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines" says that black walnut hull compounds have anti-fungal, astringent, anti-inflammatory and anthelmintic properties. The database at Drugs.com adds anti-oxidant properties to this list. In addition, juglone and plumbagin may provide some anti-cancer benefits, but clinical evidence to support the use of these compounds as chemotherapy agents is lacking.

Safety Considerations

Juglone and plumbagin are classified as toxins because they impair metabolic function in plants and insects. Therefore, use black walnut with caution and under the guidance of a professional health-care practitioner experienced in the use of black walnut. Children and women who are pregnant or nursing should not use black walnut preparations. Furthermore, the School of Veterinary Medicine at Purdue University says that black walnut hulls are toxic to horses and dogs.