Pau d'arco

Pau d'arco

Other names : Bignonia heptaphylla, Ébénier de Guyane, Ébène Vert, Ipe, Ipe Roxo, Ipes, Lapacho, Lapacho Colorado, Lapacho Morado, Lébène, Purple Lapacho, Red Lapacho, Tabebuia avellanedae, Tabebuia heptaphylla, Tabebuia ipe, Tabebuia palmeri, Tabebuia impetiginosa, Taheebo, Taheebo Tea, Tecoma impetiginosa, Tecoma ipe, Thé Taheebo, Trumpet Bush. Pau d'arco is a tree with extremely hard wood. Its name is the Spanish word for “bow stick,” an appropriate term considering the tree’s use by the native South American Indians for making hunting bows. The bark and wood are used to make medicine.

Special Precautions of Pau d'arco

• Pau d'arco is POSSIBLY UNSAFE at typical doses. At high doses, it is LIKELY UNSAFE. High doses can cause severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and internal bleeding. Pau d'arco should be used with caution. Talk with your healthcare provider before you decide to take it.
• Pregnancy and breast-feeding: During pregnancy, pau d’arco is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth in typical amounts, and LIKELY UNSAFE in larger doses. Not enough is known about the safety of applying it to the skin. The best rule is, don’t use it orally or topically if you are pregnant.
• The safety of using pau d’arco during breast-feeding has not been well studied. But, since it might be unsafe for anyone to use, it makes sense to avoid pau d’arco if you are breast-feeding.
• Bleeding disorders: Pau d'arco can delay clotting and might interfere with treatment in people with bleeding disorders.
• Surgery: Pau d'arco might slow blood clotting and could increase the chance of bleeding during and after surgery. Stop using it at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.
• Interactions : Medications that slow blood clotting (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) interacts with PAU D'ARCO
• Pau d'arco might slow blood clotting. Taking pau d'arco along with medications that also slow clotting might increase the chances of bruising and bleeding.
• Some medications that slow blood clotting include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), diclofenac (Voltaren, Cataflam, others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, others), dalteparin (Fragmin), enoxaparin (Lovenox), heparin, warfarin (Coumadin), and others

The benefits of Pau d'arco are

Pau d'arco is a powerful anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral natural medicine that won't interfere with the friendly bacteria of someone's intestinal flora. Two active chemicals identified in this bark, a class of chemicals known as naphthoquinones, have been shown to be powerfully anti-inflammatory and have incredible potential to kill bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi.

• Though possibly unsafe, especially at higher doses, pau d'arco is used to treat a wide range of infections. These include viral respiratory infections such as the common cold, flu, and H1N1 (swine) flu; sexually transmitted infections such as gonorrhea and syphilis; infections of the prostate and bladder; ringworm and other parasitic infections; yeast infections; and infectious diarrhea.
• Cancer : In a report published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, scientists reviewed the available research on pau d'arco and found that the herb may offer anti-cancer benefits. For example, laboratory studies indicate that beta-lapachone (a compound found in pau d'arco) may help induce apoptosis: a type of programmed cell death essential for stopping the proliferation of cancer cells. Until the anti-cancer effects of pau d'arco are explored in larger studies, however, pau d'arco cannot be recommended in treatment or prevention of cancer.
• Inflammation : Pau d'arco may also help fight inflammation, according to a study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology in 2008. In tests on mice, the study's authors determined that pau d'arco may suppress the production of pro-inflammatory substances known as prostaglandins. Although the study's authors conclude that pau d'arco extract could potentially aid in the treatment of inflammation-related conditions like arthritis and atherosclerosis, it's important to note that there is currently a lack of clinical trials testing the use of pau d'arco for these conditions.
• Fungal Infections (Yeast infections) : For a 2001 report published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, researchers analyzed the antifungal activity of 14 types of Paraguayan plants commonly used in traditional medicine. Their findings revealed that — along with Paraguayan starbur, palo blanco, and corrida yerba de guava — pau d'arco had the highest activity against fungi and yeasts.
• Directly to the skin for Candida yeast infections : Sometimes it’s hard to know what is in pau d’arco products. Teas, labeled as pau d'arco or lapacho, do not always contain pau d’arco (Tabebuia species). In some cases, they contain the related species, Tecoma curialis. Additionally, some product labels state that the product contains the inner bark of pau d’arco, which is thought by some people to be more effective than outer bark, when in fact the product contains outer bark.
• Common cold.
• Flu.
• Diarrhea.
• Bladder and prostate infections.
• Intestinal worms.
• Cancer.
• Diabetes.
• Ulcers.
• Stomach problems
• Stomach inflammation (gastritis),
• Liver problems.
• Asthma.
• Bronchitis.
• Arthritis and joint pain.
• Hernias
• Wounds.
• Sexually transmitted diseases (gonorrhea, syphilis).
• Boils.
• Anemia : Because some people see pau d’arco as a “tonic and blood builder,” it is also used to treat anemia.