2019-05-01_Better_Nutrition

(^28) • MAY 2019
uncommonHERBS/GET TO KNOW BOTANICALS
PAU D’ARCO: RICH IN
VITAMINS & MINERALS
Pau d’Arco contains the following essential
nutrients:
to kill yeast in a test tube. A 2010 study
confi rmed this strong antiyeast activity.
In one paper, scientists confi rmed
that, from a collection of 14 tropical
antifungal plants, pau d’arco proved
to be the most potent medicinally.

3. It’s Anti-Inflammatory
   Research shows that pau d’arco inhibits
   the release of specific chemicals that
   trigger an inflammatory response in
   the body. A 2012 study showed that
   pau d’arco blocked inflammatory
   pain by 30–50 percent compared to
   a placebo. A study in the Journal of
   Ethnopharmacology reported that
   a tea made from the bark blocked
   several inflammatory chemicals.
   The study’s authors determined that
   pau d’arco may work by suppressing
   the production of inflammatory
   prostaglandins.
   Other research has confi rmed
   these anti-infl ammatory capabilities.
   A 2017 study looked at the anti-
   infl ammatory polyphenols in the bark
   and concluded that they inhibited both
   cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and COX-1
   enzymes, the main culprits behind many
   infl ammatory symptoms. In the same year,

Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, DN-C, RH,specializes in Ayurveda and herbalism, and has more than 40 years of experience in holistic medicine. Visit him online at kpkhalsa.com.

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pau d’arco was found to benefi t osteo-

arthritis. The herb is rich in quercetin,

a fl avonoid popular with naturopathic

doctors to quell infl ammation related to

allergies and other conditions.

And a paper from 2019 indicated that

pau d’arco may help protect nerves in

Parkinson’s disease.

4. It May Boost Weight Loss
   Pau d’arco may also aid weight loss.
   In one 16-week study, mice fed pau
   d’arco lost signifi cantly more weight
   than those on a placebo. Part of the
   eff ect may be from a laxative action,
   as pau d’arco contains anthraquinones,
   the same type of laxative constituents
   as senna and aloe. A 2014 experiment
   indicated that pau d’arco attenuates
   increase in body weight and fatty
   liver from a high-fat diet.


5. It Combats Fatigue
   Indigenous healers in South America
   use pau d’arco for a wide variety of other
   conditions, including fatigue. A 2018
   experiment found that a single dose of
   a polyphenol from the bark increased
   endurance. And a paper from 2019
   indicated that pau d’arco helped protect

nerves in Parkinson’s disease, which is

often associated with fatigue.

How to Take Pau d’Arco

Pau d’arco extract is available in

capsule, tincture, and powder forms,

and the chopped bark can be used to

make tea. Traditionally, 10–15 grams

of the bark is simmered in water for

15 minutes and consumed as a tea 3 times

per day, but higher doses are often used

in natural medicine treatments. You can

also fi nd the herb in tea at a health food

store. As a tea, pau d’arco has a pleasant,

slightly sweet taste.

*Selenium

*Calcium

*Zinc

*Vitamins A, B, and C

*Magnesium

*Potassium