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Eat Cigarettes to Get Rid of Intestinal Parasites

How to Get Rid of Intestinal Parasites – Eat Cigarettes — How do you get rid of intestinal parasites? Eat one to one and a half cigarettes. Apparently. I came across this advice recently and had to check its validity. I searched across a few survival websites and checked some sources and this statement appears [...]

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How to Get Rid of Intestinal Parasites – Eat Cigarettes —

How do you get rid of intestinal parasites?

Eat one to one and a half cigarettes. Apparently.

I came across this advice recently and had to check its validity. I searched across a few survival websites and checked some sources and this statement appears to stand: eating cigarettes, or even a Cuban cigar, apparently, can rid a person of parasites.

I read that the nicotine in tobacco can change the environment of a person’s intestines enough to stun parasites for a long enough duration to be passed naturally.

It made a little sense anyway. All of the successful treatments that I have tried to remove parasites have been based in creating an uninhabitable intestinal environment: no sweets, lots of bitter. I took lots of herbs in China to these ends, and I would not be surprised if nicotine could do this as well.

How to treat parasites

How to treat parasites

Regardless if it works perfectly, this is a good travel health tip to try. Most all travelers come into bouts of parasites at various intervals. Getting rid of them can be simple — “take this pill” — or difficult — I once spent 5 months down and out with a particularly bad lot of Indian parasites. This simple tip can be a first step for a traveler to attempt to self medicate before going through the hassles of visiting a doctor.

I would rather eat a couple cigarettes than walk into any doctor’s office in the world.

Next time I am doubled over before a toilet bowl in parasitic agony I may actually make a trip to the newsstand rather than the pharmacy.

“Two cigarettes please.”

“Matches?”

“No.”

[Chomp] [Chomp]

It would be worth trying, anyway. I have not yet had the opportunity to test this strategy, but I am sure that I will at some point.

An Ayurveda doctor in India once prescribed me a diet of only cucumbers, tomatoes, and cow urine tablets to rid myself of a lot of parasites. I tried it. It did not work.

Though it is my experience that parasites are often difficult to rid yourself of parasites — even with medical attention — and that home grown remedies like this are not always proven effective, they are always worth a try.

So I take herbs, eat only cucumbers and tomatoes, consume cow urine tablets, and, the next time I have the chance, I will eat one and a half cigarettes to pass my next gaggle of intestinal parasites.

Filed under: Health

About the Author:

I am the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. I’ve been traveling the world since 1999, through 91 countries. I am the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China and have written for The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. has written 3694 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.

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VBJ is currently in: New York City

6 comments… add one

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  • Pearl January 19, 2010, 6:37 am

    Wow.

    That is… bizarre. Haha! I love it! I love stopping by here and finding some interesting stuff to read.
    If you ever do have to try this remedy, please write about it! I’m sure you will anyway 😛

    Thanks for the great post,

    Pearl

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    • Wade | Vagabond Journey.com January 20, 2010, 4:03 pm

      Yes, I look forward to eating cigarettes for science haha.

      Wade

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  • Duane December 16, 2018, 3:44 am

    I read the same on a survival site. Reminded me of my father telling me that it can be used to eliminate worms from dogs; and I seem to recall he also mentioned it for horses and mules. I always on the lookout for old remedies from the past avoid laboratory concoctions as much as possible. I doubt it would hurt and I might try it if the need for something arises. For a third grade education he was a pretty smart guy. I also remember him saying when he grew up on a farm in Missouri during the 1900’s folks often carried a small bottle of kerosene for snake bites. They would open the bottle and turn it upside down over the bite and see the poison being draw up into the bottle.

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    • Chuck Ronnenberg December 24, 2020, 3:34 pm

      Has been used to treat worms in kids dogs and horses for years was common practice in the 60’s when I was growing up and in my grandparents time

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  • Michelle October 22, 2019, 6:20 am

    When I was little maybe 7 years old I got worms cuz my grandpops dog had it and licked my face. My dad (a chain smoker to the day he passed away few months ago) reluctantly fed me few of his ciggerettes and in no time I was pooping my little brains out and worms were in it. We were poor and at the time my mom was between jobs so she had no medical coverage for me. It worked I’m 31 years old now. It tasted horrible I did puke a little but it worked and that’s what counts. I don’t remember who’s idea it was I was supper young but I’m glad they knew it may work.

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  • James June 3, 2021, 12:11 pm

    I have an old army survival manual that said if you have worms to eat a cigarette. You would think someone would be making nicotine tablets, easier to swallow. I don’t see how I could get a dog to eat a cigarette, smokers used to feed our goats a cigarette because they thought it was funny. When I was growing up in the Southern United States anytime we ate pork chops we were given applesauce. I was told that the applesauce would kill any worms that were not killed in the cooking of the meat? Vinegar is made from apples.

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