What is Pau D’arco Extract?

Pau d’arco is an herbal extract obtained from the inner bark of the Tabebuia avellanedae or Tabebuia impetignosa trees, also known as taheebo trees, which grow in Central and South America. Other names are ipes, ipe roxo, lapacho, tahuari, and trumpet bush. Alternative medicine practitioners claim pau d’arco has antiviral and antibiotic healing properties and may fight cancer.

Pau d’arco is an evergreen tree that has rose-colored flowers. There are nearly 100 species of pau d’arco, but only a few yield high-quality material; plus, it takes extremely skilled gatherers to know what species are the most effective. The medicinal part of the tree is the bark, specifically the inner lining of the bark, called the phloem (pronounced floam). Unfortunately, many companies use the whole bark, containing the dead wood too, and this naturally dilutes the activity of the material.

Pau d’arco is growing in popularity in the United States and Europe as a treatment for many illnesses and diseases. The extract may be obtained from several companies and is sold as a powder, tablet, capsule, tincture, or tea in many health food stores and on the Internet.One of the easiest ways to use pau d’arco is by consuming a tea made from the inner bark of pau d’arco or applying the tea water to the skin.