Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Quassia, derived from the wood of Quassia amara or Picrasma excelsa, has a long history of use in traditional medicine, especially in South America and the Caribbean, as a bitter tonic and as a treatment for intestinal parasites, including tapeworms. The primary active constituents, quassinoids (notably quassin), are recognized for their intensely bitter flavor and purported antiparasitic properties. Traditional healers have used quassia extracts, teas, or tinctures as vermifuges (agents that expel worms), particularly for tapeworms and other intestinal helminths.

Scientific evidence for quassia’s efficacy against tapeworms is limited but not entirely absent. Some in vitro and animal studies have shown that quassia extracts can have anthelmintic (anti-parasitic) activity, likely due to quassinoids disrupting parasite metabolism or impairing their ability to attach to the host intestine. However, human clinical trials are sparse, and there is insufficient modern clinical evidence to strongly support its effectiveness or safety for this use in humans. As a result, while quassia is still used in some traditional medicine systems for intestinal parasites, including tapeworms, the supporting evidence is mainly historical and anecdotal rather than robustly scientific.

In summary, quassia's use against tapeworms is justified primarily by tradition, with some preliminary scientific support but lacking strong, high-quality clinical validation.

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