By: Cat Ebeling, RN, MSN-PHN, co-author of the best-sellers:  The Fat Burning Kitchen, The Top 101 Foods that Fight Aging & The Diabetes Fix

Years ago, I discovered an amazing, but little known tea from South America. It was recommended to me by a very enlightened preventative medicine doctor I knew. I drank it to relieve Candida symptoms, allergy issues, and inflammation. It had a delicious woody, slightly spicy flavor. And it turns out, it is a valuable tea to drink for many other wide-ranging health benefits as well.

The tea is called Pau d’Arco, and it is known to benefit arthritis, pain, and inflammation, fever, diarrhea, and even various cancers. One of the easiest ways to use pau d’arco is by consuming the tea made from the inner bark of pau d’arco or applying the tea water to the skin.

Pau d’Arco, or Taheebo, comes from the inner bark of a tree grown in South America. The inner bark and the live wood can be made into tea which is useful when ingested or even applied externally. While there are many species of pau d’arco trees, only a few types are specifically effective as a health tonic.

Pau d’arco actually contains two primary active ingredients, lapachol and beta-lapachone. These two natural chemicals are what make it effective against bacteria, fungi, yeasts, viruses and even parasites. Lapachol is known to not only kill many different types of fungi, bacteria and yeasts, but it also lowers inflammation. These ingredients are also effective at preventing the spread of cancer from one organ system to another.

Kills Resistant Microorganisms, Including Candida

Pau d’arco has been known to kill certain bacteria, yeasts and fungi, possibly by inhibiting their reproductive cycle. Test tube studies (not tested on human subjects) show that extracts from the bark fight disease-causing organisms including deadly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is extremely antibiotic-resistant and very difficult to control, especially in hospitals and other medical clinics.

This powerful bark also protects against other disease-causing pathogens, including H.pylori, the bacteria that can attack the stomach lining, causing ulcers. Pau d’arco also fights E.coli bacteria, Clostridium and other staph infections without adverse effects on important beneficial bacteria growing in the digestive system. Pharmaceutical antibiotics, on the other hand, kill ALL bacteria in the body, good and bad, leaving room for the regrowth of harmful bacteria.

Pau d’arco is also useful against Candida albicans, a common fungus that grows in the digestive system. Normally, healthy bacteria growing in the intestines keep Candida levels under control, but often candida can grow out of control when the immune system is compromised, healthy bacteria are killed off by antibiotics, or a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates is consumed.

Overgrowth of candida can cause a multitude of health problems like brain fog, joint aches, fatigue, urinary infections, vaginal infections, digestive issues, sinus problems and even thrush (a candida overgrowth in the mouth). Drinking pau d’arco on a regular basis will help keep this opportunistic yeast under control and lead to more optimal health.

Fights Inflammation

Many people are fighting inflammation in the body due to a poor diet high in processed ingredients, toxins in the environment, allergies, over-exercising, stress and more. When the immune system gets activated, it causes harm to the body by attacking it. Inflammation is involved in the development of diseases such as asthma, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, heart disease, diabetes, Alzhiemer’s, cancer and more. Think of inflammation as being similar to pouring gasoline on a fire, and you have an idea of how devastating it can be to the human body.

This 2014 study published in The Journal of Toxicological Sciences shows pau d’arco increases the expression of a type of protein, Nrf2, that regulates the expression of antioxidant proteins. These antioxidant proteins actually help protect against cellular damage triggered by inflammation.

The results of this study show that the activation of this protein can be particularly beneficial in the intestine, which is often severely affected by inflammation, through diet, food allergies, gluten, and more. This study, conducted on mice, also shows inflammation was reduced 30-50% when compared to a placebo. Reducing inflammation makes this a valuable part of anyone’s diet, particularly those who deal with inflammation in any body system.

Cancer Fighting

Pau d’arco is known as an effective tool to help fight cancer as well as helping relieve pain from cancer. A study conducted by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston found that beta-lapachone, a major compound in pau d’arco tea, is a potential compound which can be added to cancer therapy to improve the outcomes.

Another 2002 study concluded that beta-lapachone is one of a few novel anticancer drugs that shows promise for chemotherapy alone, and especially in combinations. This powerful compound resulted in killing cancer cells in mice, without any adverse effects, as many chemotherapy drugs seem to have.

Effects of beta-lapachone was also observed in a human leukemia cells. Among other human cancer cells tested, beta-lapachone was active against prostate, breast and ovarian cancer cells, as well. These results suggest that beta-lapachone is a potential compound to be added to a variety of cancer chemotherapies.

Reduces Weight

Pau d’arco seems to be valuable for weight loss. Studies in mice demonstrate that pau d’arco extract inhibits a pancreatic enzyme that helps the body digest and absorb dietary fat. This means that dietary fat is not absorbed, resulting in fewer calories.

In one 16-week study, mice fed pau d’arco extract lost significantly more weight than those on a placebo — even with no changes in food intake or calories ingested. Similarly, pau d’arco prevented weight gain in this trial with mice fed a high-fat diet.

Even though preventing fat from being absorbed may seem like an effective way to lose weight, many dietary fats are beneficial, so preventing their absorption on a regular basis may be detrimental to health. And it’s important to keep in mind that these studies were done on mice, and little research has yet been done on humans with pau d’arco and weight loss.

Detoxifies

Pau d’arco tea is helpful to detoxify the body, especially when removing heavy metals, like lead and mercury—as well as pesticides, preservatives, and toxic residue from chemotherapy.

One of the methods for its detoxifying process is through its laxative effects. While it aids digestion, it also helps to relax the bowels, making evacuation easier, ridding the body of any toxins.

Eating a diet of highly processed, refined, artificial foods overloads our digestive systems, and causes imbalances in our healthy gut microbiome. Drinking pau d’arco tea helps the body to eliminate these toxic substances quicker, cleaning out the system.

This allows the body’s natural detoxification process to function more efficiently moving waste through the lymph system, the blood and the cells.

Conclusion

Pau d’ arco or taheebo tea is very beneficial as for its anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, candida controlling, cancer fighting, weight reduction, and detoxifying properties.

Pau d’arco has few side effects and can be taken as a tea, in capsules, liquid or powder form. It is important to note, however, that many of the benefits of pau d’arco have not been fully tested on human subjects, and pau d’arco can be toxic in large quantities, so follow directions carefully.

References
http://pennstatehershey.adam.com/content.aspx?productId=107&pid=33&gid=000268
https://draxe.com/pau-darco-tea/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/pau-d-arco#forms-and-dosage

The post What This Amazing South American Tree Bark Can Do For Your Body (Pau d’arco) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

Today’s blog is republished from my friends at TheAlternativeDaily, and I wanted to share it on our blog here because its a really interesting way to get a couple more superfoods into your daily diet, and fight inflammation in your body…

By Stephen Seifert, TheAlternativeDaily.com

Starting the day with your morning routine may suit your needs just fine. A bit of yoga, maybe meditation, a shower, a healthy breakfast with organic coffee, and then out the door. Does this sound familiar? If so, your morning routine is already exceptional, but we have a mighty elixir that can compliment your regimen wonderfully.

You may have heard that warm lemon water will get those pipes working in the morning and optimize your health. You may even drink warm lemon water with Himalayan salt, or warm lemon water with honey in the morning. However, have you heard of warm lemon water combined with honey, cinnamon, and the most essential ingredient to this morning elixir, turmeric? If you have yet to try this one, you may be missing out on an excellent way to begin your day. All-natural lemon and turmeric are especially powerful ingredients that boast a wealth of beneficial properties.

Lemons offer a tasty, tart flavor with many health-promoting properties. According to a study published in the Chemistry Central Journal (2015), lemons possess a treasure trove of natural metabolites. The study authors state, “Citrus fruits exhibit plentiful bio-activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antimicrobial and anti-allergy activities, as well as cardiovascular effect, neuroprotective effect, hepatoprotective effect, obesity control, etc.” Lemons are indeed a healthy ingredient to enjoy at the beginning of the day. However, when you couple lemon with turmeric, your health and wellness benefits increase significantly.

One active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, has been the focus of several academic studies.

Curcumin may alleviate inflammation: According to research from the Department of Stomatology at the University of California, San Francisco, curcumin possesses anti-inflammatory properties. The research, published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (2004), found that curcumin, “may exert its anti-inflammatory activity by inhibition of a number of different molecules that play a role in inflammation.”

Curcumin’s anticancer potential: Curcumin may play a vital role in cancer prevention, according to a study published in BioMed Research International (2014). Previous research has highlighted curcumin’s antioxidant, antibacterial and antitumor properties, according to the study, which concluded, “Curcumin, a vital constituent of the spice turmeric, is an alternative approach in the prevention of cancer.”

Therapeutic applications of curcumin: According to a review study published in the AAPS Journal (2013), “curcumin has shown therapeutic potential against a number of human diseases,” including multiple types of cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, arthritis, peptic ulcers, psoriasis, H. pylori infection, Alzheimer’s disease, acute coronary syndrome, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and respiratory tract infections.

The Turmeric and Lemon Morning Elixir

1 serving
Prep Time- 5 minutes
Cook Time- no cooking

Ingredients
What you’ll need…
1/2 of a lemon, squeezed for juice
1/4 – 1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup warm water, and/or coconut milk (the coconut milk adds healthy fats, and helps absorption of turmeric)

How to make it…

Mix the lemon juice, turmeric and honey into your cup of warm water or milk. You will want to stir these ingredients well. Add cinnamon on top and continue to stir your morning elixir as you drink it — this will ensure that the turmeric does not settle at the bottom of your cup.

Turmeric with its main active ingredient, curcumin, may be that one healthy addition to your morning routine you’ve been looking for, and can help you fight inflammation in your body.  I enjoy this elixir nearly every morning with fruit, which adds a sweet, delicious twist.

What healthy alternatives get your morning off to a perfect start?

Note from The Nutrition Watchdog:

If you take turmeric or curcumin your joints and inflammation, check this out from our friends at UpWellness. They have come up with something that takes care of both….

Doctors were stunned to discover that a remote Himalayan tribe had almost zero cases of joint or knee pain.

And that’s despite a diet rich in cheese and red meats, and drinking copious amounts of alcohol (all things that are supposed to make knee pain and inflammation worse).

Their secret?

A simple, 30-second trick they practice at 6:45 each morning that can not only prevent — but reverse creaky and stiff knee joints. Here’s how to do it:

>> 30-second Himalayan practice “cures” knee and joint pain (try it tonight)

Read These Articles Next:

1 Simple trick to REVERSE your Diabetes, naturally (while getting off drugs ASAP)

2 Simple steps to REMOVE visceral belly fat (the deadliest type)

The #1 WORST exercise for aging (stop doing it!)

Sources:
http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/107555303321223035
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3886164
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4176907
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3535097
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4690266

The post Fight Inflammation with This Turmeric and Lemon Morning Elixir appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.