Brazilian herbalists use pau d'arco to treat ulcers, rheumatism, cancer, and ringworm. It's a very popular tea for Candida fungal infections, inflammation, and other infections. And some traditional healers claim that this tea can even help cure cancer. Pau d'arco has become so popular a remedy in the United States that the trees are in danger of becoming extinct.

Pau d'arco seems to be helpful for treating yeast infections. It is beneficial for vaginal candidiasis and oral thrush candidiasis. Pau d'arco also has some antibiotic and antifungal properties, and it sometimes reduces the inflammation of arthritis. Scientists have found that lapachol, the active ingredient in pau d'arco, can block fungal infections and destroy intestinal parasites. It can kill bacteria and viruses that cause infections such as herpes simplex, influenza, and polio.

Pau d'arco is an herbal tea made from the inner bark of Tabebuia evergreen trees. These trees grow in the warm parts of Central and South America. Most pau d'arco comes from a tree in the Amazon rain forest called Tabebuia avellanedae. It is a broad-leaf evergreen that grows to a height of 125 feet. The wood of this tree is so hard that it doesn't decay easily.

Pau d'arco products are made from the inner bark of Tabebuia trees. The bark contains important chemical compounds called naphthoquinones. Some naphthoquinones are beneficial for fighting infection and reducing inflammation. But because most pau d'arco products are not standardized, they may or may not have a significant amount of the important active substances.

Some herbal teas that are labeled pau d'arco aren't really made from Tabebuia trees. Always read the label to make sure that you're getting authentic pau d'arco. Look for Tabebuia avellanedae as an ingredient.

Pau d'arco is sold as dried bark tea, alcohol extract, and nonalcohol (usually glycerin) extract. Most of the chemical research on pau d'arco has been done on the wood and not the bark. The heartwood of Tabebuia avellanedae contains naphthoquinones. But it's not easy to tell how much naphthoquinones are in pau d'arco products because they're not standardized. So it is best to buy commercial brands that have a good reputation for quality.

Pediatric

There are no reports to date about the use of pau d'arco in children. Therefore, use of this herb in children is not recommended at this time.

Adult

Recommended adult dosage:

• Tea from loose bark: boil 1 tsp of pau d'arco in 1 cup water (8 oz) for 5 to 15 minutes. Drink 1 cup of this tea two to eight times a day.
• Extract: follow the directions on the product label.
• Tincture (1:5)—solution made from herb and alcohol, or herb, alcohol, and water—take 1 mL two or three times per day.
• Capsules: 1,000 mg three times per day.

In the case of a serious health problem, such as infection or cancer, check with your health care provider before using pau d'arco.

It is safe to drink pau d'arco tea and take pau d'arco extract at the recommended dosages. If you drink too much, you might become nauseated. If you have problems with blood clots, don't take pau d'arco unless you've talked to your health care provider first.

No noteworthy interactions (positive or negative) between pau d'arco and conventional medications are known to have been reported in the literature to date.

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