Natural and Sustainable

The bark of the pau D’arco tree battles yeast infections, food poisoning and maybe some cancers.

A thousand years ago, the Incas of Peru found the inner bark of the pink-flowers lapacho tree indispensable for treating fever, sore throat, dysentery, snakebite, bladder and yeast infections, and even some cancers. They also used its wood to make bows for hunting. Now called pau d’ arco (pow-DAR-co), which is Portugeuese for “bow-stick”, the term refers to various trees of the Tabebuia family that frow in the mountains of Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Peru.

The facts about the Pau D’arco Tree:

• Anti-Bacterial.
• Helps treat Staphylococcus aureus infections that reisit antibiotics.
• Active against human intestinal bactiera, which cause food poisioning.
• Has certain anti-inflammatory and anti-viral activity, including against herpes I and II.
• May reduce viural replication.
• Is especially effective agains Candida albicans, the fungus that causes vaginal infections ( soaking a tampon in a strong pau d’arco tea while also taking the herb orally.)
• Has been found useful in the treating of leukemia and other cancers. (It may kill cancer cells of the lungs, colon, and prostate. Pau d’arco is some time away from being used to treat cancer on a medical level, but the Incas may have been on the right track with this herb.)
Dosage for the herb should be in tablet or capsule form, 1 to 4 grams per day in divided doses-or 1 to 2 tsp. of tinture three times a day. Consuming 1.5 grams per day or more may cause dizziness and GI upset, so consult your herbalist. Avoid pau d’arco if you’re taking anticoagulants or hacing surgery, or if you are pregnant or nursing.

(Source: Some information pulled from Herbs Inc.)

*Natural and Sustainable Living Tip: Ride your bike whenever you can. If you live withing the city and it’s less than a 10 blocks from your normal store, ride you bike there. Don’t think of riding a bike as “poke-fun-at” activity. Riding your bike is one way you can help save fuel consumption and who knows, your little effort may be the one effort that lowers the fuel cost rate.

Check out Pedaling For The Planet And Yourself on ways riding your bike can save not only the planet but your health as well.