Derived from the inner barks of tabebuia trees grown in South America, Pau D’Arco has been used extensively by many civilizations to help fight infections, boost energy and generally rejuvenate the body. More recent studies have demonstrated that Pau D’Arco is actually fueled by several active agents, the most powerful being the Naphthoquinones.
These potent compounds may be able to assist the body’s immune response to a wide range of undesirable bacteria and fungi. These potent compounds may be able to assist the body’s immune response to a wide range of undesirable bacteria and fungi. It is used as a remedy for smoker's cough. Another medicinal use of Pau d'Arco is as an expectorant, to promote coughing up by the lungs in order to free mucus and debris that may be lodged there.
Pau d’arco contains compounds called quinoids, benzenoids, and flavonoids which have shown biological activity against harmful organisms. Additionally, a significant amount of pau d’arco’s benefits stem from its lapachol content. Lapachol is a compound known by the U.S department of Agriculture to be toxic and resistant to nearly all types of harmful organisms.
Pau d’arco has been used as a traditional medicine for more than 1,500 years. Multiple studies have substantiated this use and shown pau d’arco to accelerate the healing of skin wounds and protect against staph infection. Researchers have observed activity of pau d’arco against candida. Pau d’arco may provide relief for vaginitis, which is caused by candida, by way of therapeutic douching. This was substantiated by researchers in Spain and Brazil who reported observing a similar toxicity to fungi and yeasts.
Pau d’arco is used 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.
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