Pau d’Arco for body cleansing

April 3, 4:22 PMSan Diego Wellness ExaminerKim Chartrand

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photo Kim Chartrand

Spring cleaning is not just for the home, it is for our bodies too. Pau d’Arco (aka Taheebo, or lapacho),comes from the bark of theTabebuia impetiginosa tree in South America and has long been used in complementary and alternative medicine as an excellent blood and body cleanser. It is relatively safe to use (as long as you are not pregnant, nursing or on blood thinners) and readily available. Its uses include ridding the body of candida, viruses, bacteria and in some cases has been used to help fight cancer.

It is important that the bark is from the official tree, otherwise the chemical effects of the tea cannot be known. It’s best to buy Pau d’Arco from a reputable herbal supplier. Taken as a tea, Pau d’Arco is better absorbed and provides more available action (called bioavailability). If you can, partner with a reputable Naturopathic Doctor (ND) who can help you determine proper dosing for your specific needs.

To use this as a spring tonic you can take the tea 2-4 times daily, just a cup at a time between meals. This works best if you aim to keep your intake of refined grains, fruits, sweets, juices, sodas and other high carbohydrate substances down (or eliminate them altogether). The tea is more effective in eradicating excessive candida this way. Use this for one week and re-evaluate how you feel. If you want to continue for another week, cut your tea consumption in half. After your treatment, be sure to get plenty of probiotic replacement from yogurt (preferably unsweetened) or other fermented foods (or in pill form if you prefer). This builds up the natural bacteria in the gut that may have been eradicated by the tea. Pau d’Arco can also be used externally for any fungal issue of the skin. Try it as a foot soak if you’re plagued by resistant athletes’ foot (and work on cutting down on sugary foods as well).

Unfortunately, rain forest destruction in South America continues to devastate native flora that show potential to heal and relieve suffering in the world. We are far removed from the plight of the rain forest but not so far removed that we benefit from a powerful gift of health from the region. Do what you can to support organizations and products that encourage protection of native plants, animals, peoples and lands while doing yourself a world of good.