Lapacho contraindications The tajibo or lapacho is an evergreen tree with broad leaves that reaches 38 meters in height. It is native to the Amazon jungle and other tropical regions of South America. It is said that it is also native to the Antillean islands of Trinidad and Tobago.
It has showy magenta flowers and capsules containing numerous winged seeds.
Lapacho has a long history in herbal medicine around the world, but its use is especially well documented among the indigenous peoples of the jungle. The Guarani and Tupi call it tajy, which means «to have strength and vigour.»
Usually taken as a decoction, the powerful bark has been used to treat a wide range of ailments, from malaria, sexually transmitted diseases and cancer to pustules and anthrax.
During the 1960s it attracted considerable attention in Brazil and Argentina as a «wonder drug.» In the eighties it was said that it improved the quality of life of patients with cancer and immunosuppression. In recent decades, herbalists have used it as an infusion, in pill form, or as a tincture as a tonic and adaptogen.
However, its popularity and use have not been without controversy, mainly due to a lack of quality control, confusion about the parts to be used and the method of preparation, and the export of other tree species unrelated to him as if they were tajibos. Let’s see below properties, uses and lapacho contraindications
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lapacho; Medical uses
The tajibo or lapacho is an analgesic, anti-inflammatorybactericide, fungicide, insecticide, parasiticide and viricide.
It has anticarcinogenic properties and is immunostimulant. Traditionally it has been considered as antiallergic, anticoagulant, antidysenteric, antioxidantantirheumatic, antiulcer, antivenom, astringent, cardiotonic, diuretic, hepatotonic, mildly laxative and capable of drying secretions.
Its traditional ethnic medicinal and herbal uses vary depending on the medical needs and practices of each country.
However, this «cure-all» covers every aspect of the body’s health, from bacterial and viral infections of the respiratory tract to parasitic and sexually transmitted diseases, from the hair follicles to the foot fungus.
Topically it seems to have a wide spectrum of bactericidal, fungicidal, antiprotozoal and virucidal properties, some of which are used to combat skin ailments such as dermatitis and psoriasis. Tajibo components are immunostimulants, purifying and stimulate the production of Red blood cells to increase the oxygenation of the blood, thus facilitating the healing process.
It is necessary to carry out more studies on its usefulness as a fast-acting antimicrobial and disinfectant expectorant.
In any case, recent investigations carried out in Taiwan, South Korea and Brazil reveal the potential use of one of its components, betalapacone, in the cure of wounds and to block the growth of some types of tumors.
Lapacho helps with weight loss Postmenopausal overweight mice given lapacho extract lost weight and body fat. It also lowered triglycerides in fat cells. It seemed to prevent fat accumulation and weight gain, even though the mice were deprived of the protective effects of estrogen.
The mice were fed a high-fat diet, and lapacho still lost weight and lowered liver fat, cholesterol, insulin, and leptin. Lapacho activated fat burning pathways in mice at the DNA level.
An aqueous extract could be developed as a new remedy for various inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and arteriosclerosis. Furthermore, an extract of the bark commonly used in Brazil for the treatment of peptic ulcer has a protective action against gastric lesions.
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Lapacho contraindications
Tajibo can generally cause nausea and gastrointestinal upset such as diarrhea.
Likewise, it can have anticoagulant effects in very high doses.
In some people it can cause an anti-vitamin K effect and produce anemia.
Its use is not advisable during pregnancy and its degree of safety in the treatment of young children and pregnant or lactating women is unknown.
As for cancer, beta-lapachone has one major drawback: it is not well absorbed from the intestine and is active for only a short time. To overcome this, the scientists devised stable nanoparticles containing beta-lapachone and another cancer drug (paclitaxel). According to them, these particles could kill lung and pancreatic cancer and would be better absorbed.
Some cancer cells, such as colon cancer, can also break down beta-lapachone (via phase II enzymes), rendering it inactive. Although cancer cells have fewer of these detoxification enzymes than normal cells, this may still explain why beta-lapachone might not be able to fight some types of cancer.
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