Para Response – Herbal Intestinal Support & Cleanse | 60 Vegetarian Capsules
Para Response is an herbal intestinal support formula in 60 vegetarian capsules. Each capsule has 100 mg each of wormwood flower and leaf, black walnut green hull and cloves, plus 50 mg each of deodorized garlic, butternut root bark, buckhorn bark (Rhamnus frangula) and pau d'arco bark. It's taken in short, structured cycles to support intestinal balance and regularity.†
It's for people who like the old-school, bitter-herb approach to digestion and want it in a defined routine, including people whose routines get scrambled by trips, unfamiliar foods and irregular meals. It isn't an everyday product: the label says daily for up to two months, then two months off, up to three times a year.
Candidly, this is a traditional herbal formula. No clinical trial has tested Para Response or this exact combination, and most of what's known about each herb comes from centuries of use and lab studies.
Why people take Para Response
- Intestinal balance. Wormwood, black walnut green hull and cloves (100 mg each) are a traditional trio for supporting a balanced intestinal environment.†
- Regularity. Buckhorn bark (Rhamnus frangula) and butternut root bark are traditional botanicals for supporting regular, comfortable bowel movements.†
- Normal digestion. Wormwood is among the most bitter herbs there is, and bitter herbs have long been used to support normal digestion.†
- A routine with an end date. A two-week ramp-up and built-in breaks make it a clear, short-term plan for intestinal support.†
What's in each serving
| Ingredient | Amount per serving | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Wormwood Flower and Leaf (Artemisia absinthium) | 100 mg | * |
| Black Walnut Green Hull (Juglans nigra) | 100 mg | * |
| Cloves (Syzygium aromaticum) | 100 mg | * |
| Garlic (deodorized, from Allium sativum) | 50 mg | * |
| Butternut Root Bark (Juglans cinerea) | 50 mg | * |
| Buckhorn Bark (Rhamnus frangula) | 50 mg | * |
| Pau D'Arco (Tabebuia heptaphylla bark) | 50 mg | * |
*Daily Value not established. Serving size: 1 vegetarian capsule. Each bottle holds 60 vegetarian capsules, so that's 60 servings. Other ingredients: Vegetable cellulose (preservative-free, from capsule shell), arabinogalactan (from Larix occidentalis), organic rice extract, and organic rice concentrate.
That's 500 mg of herbs per capsule. At the label's full amount (two capsules three times daily), you get 600 mg each of wormwood, black walnut green hull and cloves a day.
How Para Response works
Wormwood flower and leaf (100 mg)
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a silvery daisy-family herb and one of the most bitter plants in herbalism, thanks mainly to compounds called sesquiterpene lactones such as absinthin. European and Asian traditional medicine have used it for the digestive tract for centuries, according to a 2020 review of wormwood's chemistry and traditional uses. The label lists the flower and leaf, not the concentrated essential oil. Thujone, the main compound behind wormwood's safety cautions, is found in that oil, and the herb carries some of the oil too. The same review notes thujone levels in the oil vary widely from plant to plant, so respect the label's on-and-off schedule.
Bitter tastes set off reflexes that researchers think help circulation keep up with digestion after a meal. The honest part: in healthy adults, tasting wormwood triggered a measurable reflex response, but wormwood in a capsule didn't trigger it during the stomach phase (research on how bitters act in healthy adults). A capsule isn't a sip of bitters, and nobody has tested this blend in people.
Black walnut green hull (100 mg)
This is the green outer husk around the black walnut (Juglans nigra), not the nut you'd bake with. The husk contains phenolic compounds, and husk extracts showed antioxidant activity in a lab study of black walnut husk antioxidants. That's test-tube chemistry, not a human trial: it's here as part of the traditional recipe for intestinal balance.†
Cloves (100 mg)
Cloves are the dried flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum, the same spice in your pumpkin pie. They're one of the richest plant sources of phenolic compounds, including eugenol, and have been used for centuries as a food preservative and in traditional herbal practice (a review of clove's chemistry and uses). Most clove research is lab work, so here cloves play their traditional role: a warming, aromatic partner to the bitter herbs.
Deodorized garlic (50 mg)
Garlic (Allium sativum) has a long history in traditional herbal formulas, and the deodorized form is easier on your breath. At 50 mg a capsule it's a supporting player, and we won't dress it up as more.
Buckhorn bark, butternut root bark and pau d'arco (50 mg each)
Rhamnus frangula, also called alder buckthorn or frangula, is a shrub whose bark contains hydroxyanthracene compounds. Botanicals with these compounds, including cascara, senna and rhubarb, have long been used for their laxative properties, and researchers have also raised safety questions about them (a 2025 analysis of frangula and related botanicals), another reason to follow the label's schedule. At 50 mg a capsule, it's there to support regularity, not to run the show.†
Butternut (Juglans cinerea), or white walnut, is a North American cousin of black walnut whose root bark has a long folk history as a gentle aid to regularity. Pau d'arco is the bark of a South American tree used in that region's traditional herbal practice. There's very little human research on either, so think of them as part of the traditional recipe.
How to take Para Response
The label's directions, word for word: "As a dietary supplement, start with one capsule three times daily. After two weeks use two capsules three times daily for up to two months. Discontinue use for two months." And: "Not for continuous use. Can use daily for up to two months. Can repeat use up to three times per year."
- Bottle math. At three capsules a day, a 60-capsule bottle lasts 20 days; at six a day, 10 days. A full cycle takes more than one bottle, so plan ahead.
- Listen to your gut. Buckhorn bark (frangula) encourages bowel movement. If you get loose or watery stools or cramping, stop taking it and check with your healthcare practitioner.
- Daisy-family plants. Wormwood is in the daisy family, so if ragweed, chamomile or marigold give you trouble, ask your practitioner first.
Label warnings: "WARNING: Not recommended while pregnant or lactating unless directed by health care practitioner." And: "WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead, which is known to the State of California to cause birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov."
Ask your healthcare practitioner before use if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
Don't take our word for it
- Verified by independent labs. ISO 17025-accredited labs check our test results.
- Every ingredient lot tested before use. Federal rules only require an identity test on incoming dietary ingredients. We test every incoming lot, from the wormwood to the cloves, for identity, potency, heavy metals and microbes.
- If it misses spec, it doesn't go in a bottle. More than 99% of our tests pass, and the lots that don't are turned away.
- A certificate of analysis for every lot. Each production lot of Para Response has its own.
Made in the USA. Made and tested in Mt. Angel, Oregon. That's a farm town of about 3,500 people in the Willamette Valley. Para Response is made in our UL-certified cGMP facility, where the formulators, the makers and the testers all work under one roof. The owners work in the building too, and have run the place since 2017. We've been making supplements in Oregon since 1974, and we're not getting old either.
Frequently asked questions
How do I take Para Response, and for how long?
One capsule three times a day for two weeks, then two capsules three times a day for up to two months, then two months off. The label says it's not for continuous use and allows up to three cycles a year. No research on this formula says how soon you'll notice anything.
Should I take Para Response with food?
The label doesn't say, so it's your call. One dose with each meal is an easy way to remember three a day. If the capsules feel harsh on an empty stomach, take them with food. If they still bother you, stop and ask your practitioner.
Can I take Para Response with other Mt. Angel products?
You can, though no one has studied these combinations, so run your full routine by your practitioner. Some people pair it with 3-in-1 Probiotic Fusion or Super Enzymes+, our digestive enzyme formula. They cover different parts of digestion; they aren't a tested stack.
Is Para Response safe if I'm pregnant, nursing or taking medication?
The label says it's not recommended while pregnant or lactating unless your health care practitioner directs it. If you take any medication or have a medical condition, ask your practitioner before you start.
Is Para Response a substitute for medical care when I travel?
No. It's a dietary supplement that supports intestinal balance and regularity, not a medicine.† Follow standard food and water precautions when you travel. If you have severe, bloody or lasting digestive symptoms, a fever, or unexplained weight loss, see a healthcare practitioner instead of reaching for a supplement.
Keep learning
- What the gut microbiome is and why it matters
- What "Single Bottle Solution" on our label means
- How our formulators decide which ingredients go together
References
- Szopa A et al. Artemisia absinthium L.-Importance in the History of Medicine, the Latest Advances in Phytochemistry and Therapeutical, Cosmetological and Culinary Uses. Plants (Basel). 2020. PubMed
- McMullen MK et al. Bitters: Time for a New Paradigm. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015. PubMed
- Wenzel J et al. Antioxidant potential of Juglans nigra, black walnut, husks extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide with an ethanol modifier. Food Sci Nutr. 2016. PubMed
- Cortés-Rojas DF et al. Clove (Syzygium aromaticum): a precious spice. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2014. PubMed
- Nezi P et al. Untargeted Metabolomics for Profiling of Cascara, Senna, Rhubarb, and Frangula Metabolites. Metabolites. 2025. PubMed
†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
