Pau d'arco

Other common name(s): lapachol, lapacho, lapacho morado, lapacho Colorado, ipe roxo, ipes, taheebo, tahuari, trumpet bush, trumpet tree

Scientific/medical name(s): Tabebuia impetiginosa, Tabebuia avellanedae, Tabebuia heptaphylla, Tabebuia ipé

Source
Pau d'arco is the inner bark or heartwood of a tropical member of the bignonia family found in South America, including Brazil, Peru, and Argentina. Known in the herb trade as lapacho and taheebo, material sold as Pau d'arco in the American market may be from other Tabebuia species or from tropical trees in the verbena family.

Traditional Use
In the Americas, Pau d'arco has a folk reputation as an anticancer, antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal agent, especially for treating candida infections. Several Tabebuia species have long been used by South American indigenous groups as a cancer remedy. In Peru, Pau d'arco has been used to treat diabetes and as a blood purifier. It is often used in combination with other herbs. In the late 1960s, popular newspaper and magazine reports in Brazil led to widespread use in South America which prompted scientific research into its purported health benefits.

Current Status
Pau d'arco has been studied for its antitumor, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and immunostimulant activities. Early results were promising. Immunostimulant action has been examined only in preliminary laboratory studies that did not involve living organisms. Research on anticancer activity was conducted in the late 1960s and early 1970s by the National Cancer Institute. Several chemicals known as quinones have been identified from the bark and heartwood; the primary component, lapachol, was admitted into clinical studies in its pure form but was withdrawn due to lack of substantial benefits and mild toxicity. Advocates of its use argue that the whole bark produces different effects, due to the combined action of dozens of chemicals, that cannot be expected from a single compound. Analyses of commercial products have found that many lack the known active constituents. Pau d'arco is, and is expected to remain, controversial. It is widely used by herbalists outside the United States to treat cancer; for viral infections such as colds, flu, and herpes; bacterial infections; fungal infections such as candida; inflammations of the nose and throat; and many other conditions.

Preparations
Pau d'arco is available in a wide range of forms including powdered bark, capsules, tablets, tinctures, and extracts.

Cautions
Reported side effects include nausea and gastrointestinal distress. The toxicity of T impetiginosa is considered relatively low. Other species have produced additional side effects. Pau d'arco should be approached cautiously: its anticancer activity is unconfirmed, identification of source species is often questionable, and it is surrounded by enough hype to make anyone skeptical.

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Antibacterial
Antifungal
Antiviral

Info source: herbpages/pau-d-arco

We can be grateful to American Indians for a multitude of herbal and natural medicines. Pau d'arco has a been used as a medicine by the indigenous people of the rainforest. The Pau d'arco tree is a broad-leaf evergreen that grows to a height of 125 feet and produces violet colored flowers which accounts for it's often being called the "trumpet tree". It grows well in Peru and Argentina high in the Andes. It can be found growing in the low-lying areas of Paraguay and Brazil. It's use goes back in history to before the Incas. Pau d'arco tree was used to make hunting bows and as a medicine. It was observed by indigenous people that when the tree was alive and even after it was cut down, it never developed growth of mold, mildew, or fungi.

The Guarani and Topi Indians refer to the tree as "tajy, which means "to have strength and vigor" i.e. good health. Tribal medicine people peeled off the tree's bark in long strips. They then separated the inner and outer layers and used the inner bark to make healing teas. Pau d' arco has crystalline oxygen infused in it's inner bark, which is rich in iron, calcium, selenium, vitamins A, B-complex and C., magnesium potassium and sodium. These pau d'arco nutrients make give it antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal action which stimulates the immune system and fights disease. Indigenous people of South America have used pau d'arco for treating malaria, anemia, colitis, respiratory problems, colds, cough, flu, fungal infections, fever, arthritis and rheumatism, poor circulation, skin irruptions and sexually transmitted disease.

Lapachol, which is a photochemical, is present in the inner bark of pau d'arco trees has been documented as an effective natural medicine for use in treating abscesses and tumors. However, for it to be used to treat conditions such as cancer, the amount of lapachol, found in pau d' arco, required to provide and effective dosage, would be toxic if used as the exclusive treatment. It can however, be used along with other cancer treatments. Pau d'arco is given free by the Argentina government to cancer patients and also leukemia patients because of it's blood purifying qualities and because it has been know to reduce pain caused by cancer and it's treatment because of pau 'd arco's anti-inflammatory effect.

Pau d'arco contains selenium which is one of our body's natural defenses against yeast infections, vaginally as well as for topical skin treatment. It's antifungal action aids in the elimination of candida. Because of it's antifungal properties, it is useful for fighting fungi that promotes athlete's foot and other skin infections caused by fungi. It has also been shown to be effective in treating other infections such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, strep, and dysentery. Pau d'arco has a cleansing ability so is very useful for relieving intestinal infections, destroying parasites, and restoring colon health. A number of infection fighting substances known as napthoquinones seem to destroy certain disease causing bacteria, without destroying beneficial bacteria. This makes it an excellent natural antibiotic.

As a preventative, pau d'arco has been shown to help build our immune system with the stimulation of macrophages that fight disease. Pau d'arco has a high iron content that contributes to the elimination of wastes, the assimilation of nutrients and increasing oxygen supply to needed areas of the body. It helps improve hemoglobin and red blood cell corpuscles.. It therefore can be used for relief from chronic fatigue. Pau d'arco blood cleaning qualities makes it an excellent anti-allergy, anti-rhumatic, astringent, and cardiotonic. It is also often used to balance high blood pressure. It helps tone, balance and strengthen the heart. Pau d'arco helps to neutralize the poisons involving the liver which aids the liver in it's blood cleansing function.. By improving the health of our blood and it's flow we greatly increase the effectiveness of our immune system.

Pau d'arco is very useful in treatment and relief of colds, flu, herpes and hepatitis because of it's antiviral qualities. It therefore is an excellent alternative or synthetic prescription or over-the -counter cold and flu "treatments" that often only suppress symptoms without actually curing the cause or may carry the risk of unwanted, sometimes harmful, side effects e.g drowsiness, etc.

With our concern about the undesired side effects of prescription antibiotics i.e. destroying beneficial bacteria or becoming ineffective because of bacterial mutation, we can find in pau d'arco ,a powerfully effective natural antibiotic alternative. As is true of many natural health care remedies, pau d'arco has many general health care benefits beyond the specific intended purpose. For example, if we use pau d'arco for relieving a cold, we will also benefit from it's cleansing action of our blood and liver, fighting of yeast infection, elimination of intestinal parasites, etc. We an also benefit from it's general immune building properties while treating a specific health condition. Once again, we benefit from the experience and wisdom of indigenous people, as they discovered and developed the use of pau d'arco another of Nature's powerful gifts, a natural antibiotic.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/723729

Pau d’arco is a large tree that grows naturally in the rainforests of Central and South America. It may be cultivated in southern Florida. There are about 100 species of the tree, which produces large flowers and can grow to 150 feet tall and 6 feet in diameter. Tebebuia impetiginosa produces purple or pink flowers, while other varieties produce yellow or white flowers. The inner bark of the tree is used in herbal remedies. Laboratory and animal studies suggest that lapachol and other compounds extracted from or made from pau d’arco may have some effects against certain illnesses. However, available evidence from well-designed, controlled studies does not support this substance as an effective treatment for cancer in humans. Pau d’arco also has potentially dangerous side effects.

How is it promoted for use?

Pau d’arco is promoted as a cure for dozens of illnesses and medical conditions, including arthritis, ulcers, diabetes, and cancer. Proponents also claim that, when taken internally, pau d’arco relieves infections, reduces inflammation, promotes digestion, strengthens the immune system, flushes toxins from the body, and protects against cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Proponents also use it to treat lupus, osteomyelitis, Parkinson’s disease, psoriasis, and to relieve pain. Some use the boiled bark externally as a poultice or use the strained liquid as a wash to treat skin inflammations, fungal infections, hemorrhoids, eczema, and wounds.

What does it involve?

Pau d’arco is available as a capsule, tablet, salve, liquid extract, powder, and tea from health food stores and over the Internet. Recommended dosage varies by manufacturer. When making tea, practitioners say the bark must be boiled or simmered for at least 8 minutes to release the active ingredients, which do not dissolve easily in water.

What is the history behind it?

Tea made from pau d’arco is thought to have been popular among the ancient Incas and natives of the South American rain forests, who used it to cure disease and as a tonic to strengthen the body and improve overall health. Caribbean folk healers reportedly use the leaf and the bark to treat backaches, toothaches, and sexually transmitted diseases. The native tribes of Brazil used the tree to make bows for hunting. When the Portuguese colonized Brazil, they named the tree pau d’arco, which means "bow stick." The herb remains a popular Brazilian folk remedy.

New interest in pau d’arco arose in the mid-1960s, when a Brazilian physician claimed that the substance could relieve pain, increase the number of red blood cells, and cure numerous illnesses, including cancer. Since the early 1980s, the herb has been sold in health food stores in the United States, where it is promoted as a treatment for virtually every kind of medical complaint.

What is the evidence?

One of the active ingredients in pau d’arco that has been studied is called lapachol. In laboratory animals, lapachol was found to be effective against malaria and certain kinds of animal tumor cells, such as sarcoma, but it did not have an effect against other kinds of cancer, including leukemia and adenocarcinoma. Further studies are required to determine whether these results apply to humans.

There have only been a few studies on lapachol in humans. An uncontrolled study sponsored by the National Cancer Institute in the early 1970s found no toxic effects on liver or kidney tissue. However, lapachol did prevent blood from clotting, and doses thought to be high enough to affect tumors posed a serious risk of bleeding. Clotting function returned to normal when the drug was stopped. Based on these results, approval for lapachol as a new anticancer drug was not sought. Research in the area was discontinued. Canada subsequently banned the substance in 1985.

Pau d’arco contains at least 20 active compounds, including naphthaquinones (of which lapachol is one), anthraquinones, alkaloids, quercetin, and other flavonoids whose effects are not fully known. Unconfirmed tests showed that crude extracts of the tree bark stimulated the activity of immune system cells called macrophages. The substance also killed lung cancer cells and liver cancer cells grown in test tubes and reduced the rate of lung cancer spread in mice after surgery to remove the initial tumor. The bark extract also may kill bacteria or fungi. In a 2004 study, 2 compounds made from naphthaquinones showed promise in animal studies for malaria treatment. It is important to note, however, that studies of extracted compounds would not be expected to yield the same results as studies of the raw bark.

Are there any possible problems or complications?

This product is sold as a dietary supplement in the United States. Unlike companies that produce drugs (which must provide the FDA with results of detailed testing showing their product is safe and effective before the drug is approved for sale), the companies that make supplements do not have to show evidence of safety or health benefits to the FDA before selling their products. Supplement products without any reliable scientific evidence of health benefits may still be sold as long as the companies selling them do not claim the supplements can prevent, treat, or cure any specific disease. Some such products may not contain the amount of the herb or substance that is written on the label, and some may include other substances (contaminants). Though the FDA has written new rules to improve the quality of manufacturing processes for dietary supplements and the accurate listing of supplement ingredients, these rules do not take full effect until 2010. And, the new rules do not address the safety of supplement ingredients or their effects on health when proper manufacturing techniques are used.

Most such supplements have not been tested to find out if they interact with medicines, foods, or other herbs and supplements. Even though some reports of interactions and harmful effects may be published, full studies of interactions and effects are not often available. Because of these limitations, any information on ill effects and interactions below should be considered incomplete.

Pau d’arco has some potentially serious side effects. Some of the chemicals in pau d’arco, such as hydroquinone, are known to be toxic. High doses taken internally may cause liver and kidney damage. In animal studies, birth defects and deaths occurred among rats whose mothers were given lapachol during pregnancy. Pau d’arco should be avoided, especially by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Even low doses of pau d’arco can cause dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and can interfere with blood clotting. The resulting bleeding can cause anemia. In addition, pau d’arco, when taken by mouth, can interact with aspirin and blood-thinning medications, further increasing the risk of bleeding. It may also increase the risk of bleeding in people with hemophilia or other clotting disorders.

The bark of the tree can sensitize skin and has caused asthma in work settings where people are exposed to the wood dust. Allergic reactions are possible.

Twelve commercial pau d’arco products that were tested in Canada showed that only one contained lapachol, which normally makes up about 7 percent of pau d’arco, suggesting the products likely contained other substances.

The potential interactions between pau d'arco and other drugs and herbs should be considered. Some of these combinations may be dangerous. Always tell your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs you are taking. Relying on this type of treatment alone and avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences.

Source: http://www.cancer.org/Treatment/TreatmentsandSideEffects/ComplementaryandAlternativeMedicine/HerbsVitaminsandMinerals/pau-d-arco