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PAU D'ARCO (also called
Lapacho) CLINICALLY EFFECTIVE AGAINST MRSA, studies show |
Letter from the Desk of Graeme Lewis - expert in herbs
from the Amazon
Brighton 4th May, 2005
The problem of multi-resistent
bacteria
The concern over multi-resistant bacteria is growing. The
true scale of the problem is hard to evaluate - and it is one that is
making the prospect of a hospital admission a scary thing to many
people. In a recent article in the Times newspaper (April 13th)
Dr Thomas Stuttaford concluded that "There are many causes for these
infections, one of the most obvious is that in hospitals around 50
percent of patients are taking antibiotics."
Dr Stuttaford goes on to conclude that the elderly and
the very young are more at risk, as "Anyone
over 60 has an immune system which is past its best; by the time they
are 65 it is obviously beginning to fail."
The main risks are
associated with contracting the all too prevalent Staphyloccus aureus
strains that have become methicillin-resistant and sensitive (abbrev.
MRSA and MSSA). Of course - bed infections have been a huge
problem in the past, but for a thirty year period the problem was all
but eliminated. However, for various reasons these bugs are back and
many have developed drug resistance. The problem is leading to a
re-evaluation of traditional anti-microbial medicinal plants, and a
worldwide search for candidates for further research.
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In Vitro study
reveals two actives of Pau d'Arco with anti-bacterial action
against MRSA |
Research conducted at
the Univeridade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, into the
anti-microbial activity of 14 traditional Brazilian healing plants,
revealed that Pau d'Arco, the Inca 'Tree of Life' - known to
botany as Tabebuia avellanedae, contained two naphthoquinones that
exhibited antibacterial activity against all Staphyloccus aureus strains
tested. These included the isolates of a prevalent Brazilian strain,
plus two ATCC reference strains.
In the in-vitro study,
semi-synthetic furanonaphthoquinones (FNQs) showed lower anti-bacterial
activity than the natural naphthoquinones found in the ancient Incan
remedy. The team at Rio de Janeiro University concluded that
"…these natural products can be effective potential
candidates for the development of new stategies to treat MRSA." *
*In vitro activity
of Brazilian medicinal plants, naturally occurring naphthoquinones and
their analogues, against methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus
T. B. Machado, A.V.
Pinto, M.C.F.R. Pinto, I.C.R. Leal, M.G. Silva, A.C.F. Amaral, R.M.
Kuster and K.R. Netto-dos Santos
International
Journal of Antimicrobial Agents, Vol 21, Issue 3, March 2003 |
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Pau d'Arco (also called
Lapacho) as preventative medicine - the Inca were right |
Of course,
mankind has lived with parasites, microbes, viruses and fungal
infections for millennia, long before the development of broad
spectrum antibiotics. From Paraguay to Brazil, the peoples of
South America have always relied on the infusions of the
heartwood of the 'Divine tree' or the 'Tree of life' - Pau
d'Arco, to protect them. One local indigenous word for the
herb is Tajy 'to have strength and vigour.'
None of these
labels are particularly over the top when you realise that this
sacred Inca plant has been shown to contain at least 20
useful actives - and whole extracts of the plant have shown
strong in-vitro activity against 11 fungus and yeast strains
(including Candida), and against many bacterial
infections, including H-Pylori, Tuberculosis,
Brucella, Aspergillus and Streptococcus infections.
The whole herb has also shown, in clinical studies, anti-viral
properties against various viruses including Herpes I and II,
influenza, and the polio virus. Its
anti-parasitic action has been confirmed against malaria,
schistosoma and trypanosama. And the list goes
on.
The leader of
Inca culture - the great Inca, employed a 'healer' whose job was
not merely to treat the leader when he became ill, but to 'keep
him in balance,' and help prevent illness by promoting kalpa
or 'strength.' One of the chief herbs used was the 'Tree of
life.'
Maybe now is
the time to re-adopt these 2,000 year old 'alternative'
principles again.
Pau d'Arco
has long been treasured in herbal medicine for its efficacy
against Candida Albicans and viral infections, but
it appears that for many admitted into hospital - particularly
the old and very young, Pau d'Arco
could provide needed extra protection from the
new generation of superbugs.
Yours
sincerely
Graeme Lewis,
Managing Director
Rio Health
Rio Pau
d'Arco
is currently the strongest preparation
on the worldwide market
Rio only
use well identified herbal material
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