What is pau d'Arco?

pau d'Arco is a herb extract obtained from the inner bark of Tabebuia Aveledae or Tabebuia Impetignosa, also known as Touebo trees that grow in Central and South America. Other names are IPES, IPE Roxo, Lapacho, Tahuari and Trumpet Bush. Practical alternative medicine claims that Pau d´Arco has antiviral and antibiotic healing of properties and can fight cancer.

pau d´Arco is growing in popularity in the United States and Europe as a treatment of many diseases and diseases. An excerpt can be obtained from several companies and sells as a powder, tablets, capsules, tincture or tea in many health food stores and on the Internet. Poultices bark are used to treat skin infections and wounds. The results of informal studies in Brazilian hospitals at the age of 60 argued that the cancer of patients drinking teebo tea was completely cured. The claims stimulated the interest in herbal extract and more formal studies were conducted in the next decade.

Herbal extract contains lapachol, beta-Pachon and 20 other possible effective ingredients that can have more health benefits. Most studies focused on lapachol and beta-lapachon as effective against cancer tumors. Several studies have shown antitumor activity on specific types of cancerous tumors.

pau d'Arco can have toxic effects at high doses. In one study involving cancer patients caused 1,500 mg lapachol daily nausea, vomiting, anemia and increased risk of bleeding. Many studies have been completed due to the severity of side effects. It is possible that Pau d'Arco may not be tolerated at doses at sufficiently high enough to bring benefits.

Many herbs claim that toxic reactions are common when an active substance is extracted, they are not present when the whole bark is used. Scientists stopped studying a substance in 1974 for toxicity. In 1984, Canada banned the use of Pao d'Arco.

In spite of the accountsRover is still growing demand for Pau d'Arco products. The production of Pau d'Arco is largely unregulated and there have been reports that indisputable manufacturers distribute products that do not contain active ingredients that effective. There are about 100 varieties of Tabebuia trees that carry similar names, but without the active ingredients found in Tabebuia Aveledae and Tabebuia Impetignosa. In the US, the substance is sold as a herbal supplement, which means that it does not have to undergo FDA approval for its health demands.