The Harmful Organism Cleansing Benefits of Pau D’Arco

Pau d’arco is an herb found in the rainforests of the Amazon and in South and Latin America. Pau d’arco bark has been used by indigenous Latin populations for centuries to address a spectrum of health problems and today its strong resistance to harmful organisms is still appreciated. Pau d’arco is commonly used to support indications of allergies, liver problems, and candida and yeast infections.

How Does Pau D’Arco Work?

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 contains another chemical, beta-lapachone, which, in lab studies, has demonstrated toxicity to harmful organisms, similar to lapachol.

Benefits of Pau D’Arco

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. ^{[1] [2] [3]} Extracts of pau d’arco have been labeled as new therapies for ailments that produce redness and swelling. ^[4] The US Department of Agriculture’s Western Regional Research Center found pau d’arco to exhibit antioxidative activity. ^[5] Some research suggests that Pau d’arco may help the fight against serious health ailments . ^[6]

Pau D’Arco and Harmful Organisms

The increase of drug resistant strains has piqued the attention of the scientific community who have begun studying therapeutic plants as alternative options. Pau d’arco, which has been traditionally used by Latino and Haitian populations to fight infections, has been the subject of much interest. ^[7] [8]

Researchers have observed activity of pau d’arco against candida. ^[9] Pau d’arco may provide relief for vaginitis, which is caused by candida, by way of therapeutic douching. ^[10] This was substantiated by researchers in Spain and Brazil who reported observing a similar toxicity to fungi and yeasts. ^[11] [12]

Researchers at the College of Medicine at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria noted that extracts of pau d’arco displayed activity against harmful organisms. ^[13] Pau d’arco is one of several herbs to spark interest for potential to address various infections. ^[14] [15]

Supplementing with Pau D’Arco

Few side effects have been linked to pau d’arco although upset stomach and nausea may occur with very high servings. Additionally, people who are taking blood thinners should consult their healthcare provider. Pau d’arco should not be used during pregnancy!

Many Pau d’arco supplements are low quality with little to no lapachol content. Before investing in any supplement containing pau d’arco, research the source it came from and make sure the inner bark, which is the most potent part of the tree, has been used. As always, only use supplements that are organically grown under quality conditions that are verifiable.

References (15)

1. Kung HN, Yang MJ, Chang CF, Chau YP, Lu KS. In vitro and in vivo wound healing-promoting activities of beta-lapachone. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol. 2008 Oct;295(4):C931-43. doi: 10.1152/ajpcell.00266.2008. Epub 2008 Jul 23.


2. Coelho JM, Antoniolli AB, Nunes e Silva D, Carvalho TM, Pontes ER, Odashiro AN. [Effects of silver sulfadiazine, ipê roxo (tabebuia avellanedae) extract and barbatimão (stryphnodendron adstringens) extract on cutaneous wound healing in rats]. Rev Col Bras Cir. 2010 Feb;37(1):45-51. Portuguese.


3. Pereira EM, Machado Tde B, Leal IC, Jesus DM, Damaso CR, Pinto AV, Giambiagi-deMarval M, Kuster RM, Santos KR. Tabebuia avellanedae naphthoquinones: activity against methicillin-resistant staphylococcal strains, cytotoxic activity and in vivo dermal irritability analysis. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob. 2006 Mar 22;5:5.


4. Byeon SE, Chung JY, Lee YG, Kim BH, Kim KH, Cho JY. In vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory effects of taheebo, a water extract from the inner bark of Tabebuia avellanedae. J Ethnopharmacol. 2008 Sep 2;119(1):145-52. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2008.06.016.


5. Park BS, Lee KG, Shibamoto T, Lee SE, Takeoka GR. Antioxidant activity and characterization of volatile constituents of Taheebo (Tabebuia impetiginosa Martius ex DC). J Agric Food Chem. 2003 Jan 1;51(1):295-300.


6. Moon DO, Kang CH, Kim MO, Jeon YJ, Lee JD, Choi YH, Kim GY. Beta-lapachone (LAPA) decreases cell viability and telomerase activity in leukemia cells: suppression of telomerase activity by LAPA. J Med Food. 2010 Jun;13(3):481-8. doi: 10.1089/jmf.2008.1219.


7. Pereira IT, Burci LM, da Silva LM, Baggio CH, Heller M, Micke GA, Pizzolatti MG, Marques MC, Werner MF. Antiulcer Effect of Bark Extract of Tabebuia avellanedae: Activation of Cell Proliferation in Gastric Mucosa During the Healing Process. Phytother Res. 2012 Sep 12. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4835.


8. Dvorkin-Camiel L, Whelan JS. Tropical American plants in the treatment of infectious diseases. J Diet Suppl. 2008;5(4):349-72. doi: 10.1080/19390210802519648.


9. Höfling JF, Anibal PC, Obando-Pereda GA, Peixoto IA, Furletti VF, Foglio MA, Gonçalves RB. Antimicrobial potential of some plant extracts against Candida species. Braz J Biol. 2010 Nov;70(4):1065-8.


10. Genet J. [Natural remedies for vaginal infections]. Sidahora. 1995 Winter:40-1. Spanish.


11. Portillo A, Vila R, Freixa B, Adzet T, Cañigueral S. Antifungal activity of Paraguayan plants used in traditional medicine. J Ethnopharmacol. 2001 Jun;76(1):93-8.


12. Melo e Silva F, de Paula JE, Espindola LS. Evaluation of the antifungal potential of Brazilian Cerrado medicinal plants. Mycoses. 2009 Nov;52(6):511-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0507.2008.01647.x. Epub 2009 Jan 9.


13. Binutu OA, Lajubutu BA. Antimicrobial potentials of some plant species of the Bignoniaceae family. Afr J Med Med Sci. 1994 Sep;23(3):269-73.


14. Machado TB, Pinto AV, Pinto MC, Leal IC, Silva MG, Amaral AC, Kuster RM, Netto-dosSantos KR. In vitro activity of Brazilian medicinal plants, naturally occurring naphthoquinones and their analogues, against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2003 Mar;21(3):279-84.


15. Anesini C, Perez C. Screening of plants used in Argentine folk medicine for antimicrobial activity. J Ethnopharmacol. 1993 Jun;39(2):119-28.

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