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Though it has been used for centuries, its fame really began in the 1960s. Dr. Theodore Meyer learned about the use of pau d’arco (pronounced powdy arco) by natives of the tropical rain forest of the Amazon. They had used the inner bark of this hardwood tree as a medicine. Dr. Meyer followed their lead and claimed he successfully cured five advanced cases of leukemia with it.

Although preliminary lab tests show that a chemical in pau d’arco called lapachol can kill some viruses, bacteria, and fungi in test tubes, it isn’t known whether it will have the same effects when taken by humans. So even though pau d’arco is sometimes used for conditions ranging from candidiasis (a yeast infection of the vaginal or oral areas), herpes simplex virus, and influenza to parasitic diseases such as schistosomiasis and bacterial infections such as brucellosis, there is no evidence it works. Test tube studies to evaluate whether pau d’arco has any effect on cancer have shown mixed results; and even in studies where pau d’arco does reduce the number of cancer cells, the amounts used would be toxic to humans.

In the 1950s, Brazilian researchers confirmed that this ancient medicine is indeed anti-bacterial. Among more recent investigations:

First, the research isolated the chemical lapachol in pau d’arco that they felt cured the cancer. Since then Researchers have isolated over 20 active chemicals in pau d’arco. Some feel it is a combination of several or all these together that makes it effective. Second, it has been shown that the use of the whole herb does not create the side effects that extracted lapachol causes.

Most of the chemical research on pau d’arco has been done on the wood and not the inner bark. Pau d’arco contains chemical compounds called naphthoquinones such as lapachol that may have antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties, as well as significant amounts of the antioxidant quercetin.

Pau d’arco is sold as tablets, dried bark tea, and tincture (which contains alcohol). The chemicals that give pau d’arco its medicinal effects dissolve poorly in water, so a tea is not recommended.

Early reports declared pau d’arco to be useful in treating leukemia and other cancers, but the National Cancer Institute’s research into lapachol (the constituent with the most anti-tumor activity) was halted due to mild side effects. More recent lab tests in Korea determined that another constituent, beta-lapachone, kills cancer cells of the lung, colon, and prostate. Pau d’arco is some time away from being used to treat cancer, but the Incas may have been on the right track.

Pregnant and nursing women should not use pau d’arco until it is sufficiently researched. Pau d’arco has been shown to have blood-thinning actions in some people, and may cause anemia when used long term. Possible side effects from ingesting too much pau d’arco include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and stomach cramps. Another precaution consumers should heed is assuring that the product they purchase is produced by a reputable manufacturer. Some tested have very few active ingredients. The pau d’arco imported from Argentina is generally considered to be the highest quality bark.

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