Pau d'arco - A versatile and powerful herbal remedy for many health issues

(NaturalNews) What if you could treat and prevent a wide range of illness just by drinking tea or by swallowing a few drops of a powerful herbal extract? It turns out that you can, and this natural medicine has been in use for centuries.

Pau d'arco, a tropical tree, has been used as a source for traditional medicine for more than 1,500 years.

Pau d'arco is used in many forms including:

• Tincture
• Liquid
• Tablets,softgels, capsules
• Powder
• Herb
• Ointment
• Tea

Pau d'arco is said to cleanse the blood and body and stimulate the immune system and the production of red blood cells. It is an analgesic, an antioxidant, an antiparasitic, an antmicrobial an antiviral, an anti-inflammatory, an antibacterial, an antifungal, an astringent and a laxative.

The leaves and bark have been used by traditional folk healers of the Caribbean to treat wounds, snakebites, backaches, and toothaches. It has also been used traditionally by indigenous people to treat malaria, respiratory problems, colds, flu, fever, Lupus, infectious diseases, prostate inflammation, boils, ulcers, STDs, poor circulation, anemia, arthritis, rheumatism, and cancer.

In Western medicine, pau d'arco has been used as an herbal remedy for the following:

• Liver disease
• Hodgkin's disease
• Osteomyelitis
• Parkinson's disease
• Herpes I and II
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Inflammation
• Pain
• Asthma
• Influenza
• Poliovirus
• Vesticularstomatitis virus
• Skin inflammations
• Psoriasis
• Hemorrhoids
• Vaginal fungal infections
• Eczema
• Athlete's foot
• Pernicious anemia
• Fungal infections of the nails and skin
• Warts
• Hepatitis

Combining Echinacea and pau d'arco in a tea is useful for combating tuberculosis. Some herbalists recommend pau d'arco to strengthen immunity, especially in cases of HIV /AIDS or cancer. Multiple studies have proven it accelerates wound healing.

Pau d'Arco and Cancer

Like many natural remedies, especially those with claims to heal cancer, information found is contradictory. There are reports of widespread use to heal cancer with miraculous shrinkage and elimination of tumors and reports of curing leukemia countered with warnings that claim the dosage needed to cure cancer would be toxic and may cause internal bleeding.

The National Cancer Institute in the U.S. has declared its side effects are too dangerous (in the high doses it says are necessary to combat cancer). Meanwhile, it is used in South America by doctors with great results. Argentina dispenses it freely to all patients with leukemia or cancer and Brazil sells it in herb stores and regular pharmacies.

Pau d'Arco Research Issues

One problem with most of the scientific research on this herb is the focus on the isolated compound,lapachol, typically a synthesized version. Pau d'arco contains other helpful compounds such as quinoids, benzenoids, flavonoids, and beta-lapachone. The side effects of the isolatedlapacholare more intense than the side effects of the whole pau d'arco herb.

Pau d'Arco Warnings

There are strong warnings against using pau d'arco when pregnant or lactating and not giving it to children. These warnings are not generally explained, but large quantities are known to cause digestive upset and bleeding. Be wary of prescription drug interaction, especially with blood thinners. Others warn that too high a dose could weaken immunity. There are also warnings that not all supplements claiming to be pau d'arco contain the correct herb. Obviously, if using pau d'arco to treat a serious disease, consulting a knowledgeable and experienced naturopath will help you determine the correct dosage and schedule and help you source a reputable brand.

Pau d'arco, the "Divine Tree," is now threatened. Hopefully humanity will recognize it for the gift that it is and protect and cultivate it for future generations.

Check out this recipe with instructions for using Pau D'Arco for yeast infections and then kill Candida and balance your gut See the first source for more on pau d'arco.

Sources:

http://www.organiclifestylemagazine.com

http://www.rain-tree.com

http://wholehealthchicago.com

https://www.mountainroseherbs.com

http://www.paudarco.org

http://umm.edu

Prescription for Natural Cures, James F. Balch, M.D. & Mark Stengler, N.D.

Prescription for Nutritional Healing, Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

Family Herbal A Guide to Living Life with Energy, Health and Vitality, Rosemary Gladstar

The Green Pharmacy, James A. Duke PhD

About the author:
Michael Edwards is the founder, owner, editor-in-chief, and janitor for Organic Lifestyle Magazine and Green Lifestyle Market. At age 17, Michael weighed more than 360 pounds. He suffered from ADHD, allergies, frequent bouts of illness, and chronic, debilitating insomnia.

Conventional medicine wasn't working. While he restored his health through alternative medicine he studied natural health and became immersed in it.