Pau D’arco - Pau D Arco Benefits And Side Effects
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It was toted as a miracle drug until the 1970’s. Dr. Theodore Meyer learned about the use of Pau D’Arco (pronounced powdy arco) by natives of the tropical rain forest of the Amazon. They had used the inner bark of this hardwood tree as a medicine. Dr. Meyer followed their lead and claimed he successfully cured five advanced cases of leukemia with it. The herb suddenly rose to fame! A decade later however, the National Cancer Institute determined that the quantity needed of the cancer curing drug in pau d’arco would have too many dangerous side effects. As a result, the “miracle drug” lost its place of prestige.
However, not everyone was quick to write it off as a bad dream. Some continued to use it to treat infections, arthritis, malaria, fevers, skin problems, cancers, and even complications from AIDS. Had the research been flawed? It was not flawed but incomplete, for two reasons.
First, the research isolated the chemical lapachol in pau d’arco that they felt cured the cancer. Since then Researchers have isolated over 20 active chemicals in pau d’arco. Some feel it is a combination of several or all these together that makes it effective. Second, it has been shown that the use of the whole herb does not create the side effects that extracted lapachol causes.
For what medical problems besides cancer has pau d’arco been used? Start with flu, lupus, diabetes, skin diseases, parasites, ulcers, and arthritis and one can see why it was found on many people’s bragging lists. Add to this its effectiveness in treating strep, yeast infections, dysentery, malaria, and tuberculosis. In small doses, pau d’arco increases the activity of the immune system, and in large doses it reduces inflammation and other immune responses.
Pau D’Arco is available in health food stores in capsules, tinctures, and as dried bark. One or two capsules of pau d’arco can be taken four times a day. This of course varies with the patient and the severity of the condition being treated. Two droppers of tincture taken four times a day would equal the same dosage.
Tea can be made from the bark by adding one tbsp of bark for every three cups of water. The tea should be boiled for twenty minutes or longer in a non-aluminum pot. One cup of tea can be taken three or four times daily for acute conditions. One-half cup three or four times daily is recommended for other conditions. Pau d’arco tea has a cool, bitter flavor.
Pregnant and nursing women should not use pau d’arco until it is sufficiently researched. Pau d’arco has been shown to have blood-thinning actions in some people, and may cause anemia when used long term. Possible side effects from ingesting too much pau d’arco include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and stomach cramps. Another precaution consumers should heed is assuring that the product they purchase is produced by a reputable manufacturer. Some tested have very few active ingredients. The pau d’arco imported from Argentina is generally considered to be the highest quality bark.
Pau D Arco has passed the test of time as a powerful herb with many health benefits. When the precautions are heeded, it may well deliver the benefits others have experienced.
Tags: natural remedy for depression, natural remedy for headache, herbal remedies
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