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Lapacho

Lapacho is a tree with extremely hard wood that was used by the indigenous people of South America to make hunting bows. Its bark and wood are used to make medicine. Although lapacho may not be safe and harmless, especially in higher doses, lapacho is used to treat a wide range of infections. These include respiratory viral infections such as the common cold and flu, sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea and syphilis, prostate and gallbladder infections, bark lichen and other parasitic infections, yeast infections and infectious diarrhea. Lapacho is also used to treat cancer. Interest in this was intensified by extensive research in the 1960s that focused on the possible anti-cancer activity of lapachol, one of the chemicals in lapacho. However, these studies were discontinued because lapacho can be toxic in the amounts needed to have an anti-cancer effect. Among other things, lapacho can cause severe internal bleeding. Other uses of lapacho include the treatment of diabetes, stomach ulcers, gastritis, liver ailments, asthma, bronchitis, joint pain, hernia, boils and wounds. Since some people consider lapacho to be a tonic and blood-building agent, lapacho is also used to treat anemia.

Lapacho is applied directly to the skin to treat Candida yeast infections. Sometimes it is difficult to find out what is contained in lapacho products. Teas sold as lapacho tea do not always contain lapacho (Tabebuia species). In some cases they contain the related species Tecoma curialis. In addition to this, some teas state that they contain the inner lapacho bark, which some people believe to be more effective than the outer bark, when in fact the product contains the outer bark.

How does lapacho work?

There is not enough information available to say how lapacho might work as a medicine.

How effective is lapacho?

There is not enough scientific data to say how effective lapacho is for yeast infections, colds, flu, diarrhea, bladder and prostate infections, intestinal worm infestations, cancer, diabetes, stomach ulcers, stomach problems, liver problems, asthma, bronchitis, arthritis pain, sexually transmitted diseases such as gonorrhea and syphilis, and boils. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of lapacho in these applications.

Safety and side effects

Lapacho may not be safe and harmless in typical doses. At high dosages, lapacho is probably not safe and harmless. High dosages may cause severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and internal bleeding. Lapacho should be used with caution. You should talk to your doctor first before deciding to use lapacho.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: During lactation, lapacho may not be safe and safe when taken orally in typical amounts and is probably not safe and safe in higher doses. Not enough is known about the safety of lapacho applied to the skin during pregnancy, so it is best for pregnant women to avoid lapacho products altogether.

The safety of lapacho use during breastfeeding has not been adequately studied. However, since lapacho may not be safe and harmless for everyone, it makes sense to avoid lapacho while breastfeeding.

Blood clotting disorders: Lapacho may delay blood clotting and interfere with the treatment of people who suffer from blood clotting disorders.

Surgeries: Lapacho could slow down blood clotting. There are concerns that this could increase the risk of bleeding during and after surgery. For this reason, the use of lapacho should be stopped at least 2 weeks before planned operations.

Interactions

Care should be taken when combining Lapacho with the following medications:

Medications that slow blood clotting Lapacho could slow blood clotting. Taking lapacho in combination with medications that also slow down blood clotting could increase the risk of bleeding and the tendency to bruise. Some medications that can slow blood clotting include aspirin, diclofenac (Voltaren), ibuprofen, naproxen, heparin, warfarin and others.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of lapacho depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At the present time, there is insufficient scientific data to be able to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for lapacho. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

  1. Anon. Lapacho. The Natural Pharmacist 2000. http://www.tnp.com/substance.asp?ID=67 (Accessed April 7, 2000).
  2. de Melo JG, Santos AG, de Amorim EL, et al. Medicinal plants used as antitumor agents in Brazil: an ethnobotanical approach. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2011;2011:365359. epub 2011 Mar 8.
  3. Fetrow CW, Avila JR. Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicines. 1st ed. Springhouse, PA: Springhouse Corp, 1999.
  4. Foster S, Tyler VE. Tyler's Honest Herbal, 4th ed, Binghamton, NY: Haworth Herbal Press, 1999.
  5. Gómez Castellanos JR, Prieto JM, Heinrich M. Red Lapacho (Tabebuia impetiginosa)--a global ethnopharmacological commodity? J Ethnopharmacol 2009;121:1-13.
  6. Kiage-Mokua BN, Roos N, Schrezenmeir J. Lapacho Tea (Tabebuia impetiginosa) Extract Inhibits Pancreatic Lipase and Delays Postprandial Triglyceride Increase in Rats. Phytother Res 2012 Mar 17. doi: 10.1002/ptr.4659.
  7. Koyama J, Morita I, Tagahara K, Hirai K. Cyclopentene dialdehydes from Tabebuia impetiginosa. Phytochemistry 2000;53:869-72.
  8. Lemos OA, Sanches JC, Silva IE, et al. Genotoxic effects of Tabebuia impetiginosa (Mart. Ex DC.) Standl. (Lamiales, Bignoniaceae) extract in Wistar rats. Genet Mol Biol 2012;35:498-502.
  9. Park BS, Kim JR, Lee SE, et al. Selective growth-inhibiting effects of compounds identified in Tabebuia impetiginosa inner bark on human intestinal bacteria. J Agric Food Chem 2005;53:1152-7.
  10. Park BS, Lee HK, Lee SE, et al. Antibacterial activity of Tabebuia impetiginosa Martius ex DC (Taheebo) against Helicobacter pylori. J Ethnopharmacol 2006;105:255-62.
  11. Park BS, Lee KG, Shibamoto T, et al. Antioxidant activity and characterization of volatile constituents of Taheebo (Tabebuia impetiginosa Martius ex DC). J Agric Food Chem 2003;51:295-300.