This herb is also known as LaPacho or Taheebo. Pau D’arco (Tabebuia avellanedae) tea is an herbal tea prepared from the inner bark of a rainforest tree from South American.
This herb is also known as LaPacho or Taheebo. Pau D’arco (Tabebuia avellanedae) tea is an herbal tea prepared from the inner bark of a rainforest tree from South American. The tree is not killed during harvesting process, and only the inner bark is used. This herb that has a long folk use in the treatment of infections is an excellent adjunct in candida infections. While I wouldn’t recommend it as primary therapy, it is brilliant to use in conjunction with any SIBO or yeast infection eradication program.
The native Indians of Brazil traditionally used the inner bark for a wide range of health problems including boils, ulcerative colitis, bedwetting, fevers, sore throats, snakebites, various wounds, and several types of cancers including cancer of the tongue, prostate, esophagus, lung, bowel, and head cancers. La Pacho was also traditionally used for ulcers, constipation and many types of digestive problems, poor circulation and arthritis.
Several compounds from Pau d’arco have demonstrated strong anti-candida effects. Lapacho, the other name for this remarkeable rainforest tree, has often singled out of all the herbal medicines as one of the premier treatments for candida or yeast infections and after many years of laboratory research by the mid 1970’s, the list of nutrients in Pau d’arco that inhibit Candida albicans and other fungi had grown to several dozen. An interesting application has been reported in which toe and fingernail fungi infections are hugely relieved and disappear by soaking them in lapacho tea off and on for a couple of weeks.
I have found that the big problem with Pau D’arco is that it is one of the very few herbs that is also effective in cancer, and whenever an herb is popular in cancer and in very high demand you can bet your bottom dollar that there are a lot of unscrupulous operators out there who offer inferior and totally fake or entirely useless substitutes. This is especially so with the quality rainforest herbs like Pau D’arco. Some websites I have looked at are obviously fraudulent in their offerings, so buyer beware!
And secondly, due to a lack of quality control and confusion about what are the best portions of this tree to be used (many of the chemical analysis have been performed on the tree’s heartwood, while the inner bark was always used in South American folklore), it is most likely that consumers and herbalists are being supplied with the wrong and generally ineffective product.
You will need to take particular care that your Pau D’arco is the “real McCoy”, and if it is you will certainly notice the benefits when used as a tea or vaginally as a douche. Herbal medicines DO work, but when you use fakes you will be disappointed I guarantee it. Now you can understand why there is so much skepticism with the mainstream scientists when it come to herbal medicines and effective treatment.
The most effective ratio is 3 level tablespoons of Pau d’arco tea with four cups (1 litre) of purified or filtered water. (You can also use 1 tablespoon tea with 1 1/3 cup of water). Add the tea to a saucepan (glass or stainless steel) of cold water. After water starts to boil, reduce heat and simmer very low (with the lid on) for at least 20 minutes. Then add a little more water to bring liquid level back to start level. You can make it a bit stronger or weaker if you are uncomfortable with the taste. Do not use aluminium or tin pots or storage containers! Strain the tea through a piece of linen cloth, tea strainer or coffee press device. Serve tepid warm or cooler. Store the tea in a glass container.
The incredible thing with this herb is that the tea does not deteriorate in time because the herb is totally immune to mould and fungus. You will find Pau D’arco a most effective tea for your digestive and immune system in general. Many studies now show that it is potentially a useful cancer treatment as well.
For those with a yeast infection, drink at least one cup daily; better still have one cup twice daily between meals.
The precise dosage I recommend is based on a lapachol content of between 2 – 4 percent. Boil 15-20 grams of the inner bark in 500 milliliters (or 1 pint) of pure water (Don’t use tap water) for 10 to 15 minutes. Bring to the rolling boil then cover and very gently simmer. Do not use an aluminium saucepan, use stainless steel. A tampon that has been soaked in this tepid solution is perfect to most effectively treat any vaginal infection. Insert the tampon and change every 24 hours until resolution. This treatment works, especially if you get the real Pau D’arco and not a fake product. I’ve repeated this same information for your convenience in chapter 5, Crushing Chronic Vaginal Yeast Infections.