BLACK WALNUT
Updated: 1 hour ago
Black walnut is an herb that comes up often in Lyme and co-infection protocols, especially for Bartonella and parasites. It stood out in two Johns Hopkins lab studies (Lyme and Bartonella), and Lyme-literate doctors have different views on how long to use it.
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These three herbs are often used together. See all three here:
CAT'S CLAW | BLACK WALNUT | CHINESE SKULLCAP
WHAT IS BLACK WALNUT?
- Black walnut (Juglans nigra) supplements are made from the hulls of the walnut.
- Its best-known natural compound is juglone.
- It is also found in some of the blends I share, like Researched Nutritionals Crypto-Plus and Artemisinin SOD.
BLACK WALNUT OPTIONS
Herb Pharm Black Walnut (liquid extract, black walnut only)
Gaia Herbs Wormwood Black Walnut Supreme (liquid blend with sweet wormwood and other herbs)
Researched Nutritionals Crypto-Plus (liquid blend with cryptolepis, lomatium and more)
WHAT LYME-LITERATE DOCTORS SAY
- Dr. Marty Ross includes black walnut in some of his intestinal parasite plans because of its traditional use, though he notes the science behind it is limited.
- Dr. Samuel Shor and Dr. Sunjya Schweig's 2023 review of natural supplements for tick-borne illness describes lab research where black walnut slowed growing Lyme bacteria, worked against the round forms, and had activity against Bartonella. They note that most people handle it well and side effects are not common, though stomach upset and skin color changes have been reported.
- Dr. Bill Rawls sees it differently. He feels black walnut carries a higher chance of side effects, both short and long term, so he usually keeps it to less than two months and leaves it out of his main long-term protocols.
- Dr. Jill Carnahan, writing for Global Lyme Alliance, describes black walnut as having antioxidant and antibacterial properties.
LYME AND BARTONELLA LAB RESEARCH
- In a 2020 Johns Hopkins lab study of 14 natural products against Lyme bacteria, black walnut was one of seven with good activity against the resting (non-growing) form of the bacteria. It did not fully clear the bacteria in the follow-up test.
- In a 2021 Johns Hopkins Bartonella lab study, black walnut was one of five herbs with strong activity against the resting form of Bartonella henselae, and one of three that cleared all of the resting Bartonella in the lab within 7 days.
- In a 2021 Johns Hopkins Babesia lab study, black walnut did not show much effect.
- In other lab and mouse studies, juglone (a natural compound found in walnuts) has shown activity against candida and some parasites.
- None of these studies were done in people, so human studies are still needed.
A note from me: this list doesn't cover everything. Black walnut may offer more benefits than I've included here. I'm sharing the uses that are best known or most studied as of today, from sources I trust. Research keeps growing, and one post can only cover so much.
BEFORE YOU START
- Read the warning on each bottle.
- Ask your doctor before using black walnut, especially if you take any medicines.
MY EXPERIENCE
I've never taken black walnut on its own. I believe it was in a few combination formulas I've used in the past, but I can't say for certain.
RELATED POSTS
PARASITES - POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
BARTONELLA - POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
SOURCES
Dr. Bill Rawls, LymeDisease.org, herbal therapy vs. antibiotics (2024)
Dr. Samuel Shor and Dr. Sunjya Schweig, natural supplements for tick-borne illness, Microorganisms (2023)
Dr. Jill Carnahan, Global Lyme Alliance, botanical medicine (2022)
Johns Hopkins, Lyme lab study, Frontiers in Medicine (2020, older source, still worth reading)
Bay Area Lyme Foundation, seven herbs capable of killing Lyme bacteria in the lab (2020, older source, still worth reading)
Johns Hopkins, Bartonella lab study (2021, older source, still worth reading)
Bay Area Lyme Foundation, herbs potent against Bartonella (2021, older source, still worth reading)
Johns Hopkins, Babesia lab study (2021, older source, still worth reading)
Juglone and candida, lab study (2026)
Juglone and parasites in mice (2022)
Disclaimer: Rise Above Lyme makes no claims about any possible benefit of using any product mentioned within this site. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything. The information shared is based on personal experience, years of accumulated researched resources from Lyme Literate doctors and polls conducted within Lyme groups from actual patient experience using these solution ideas.
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