Pau d Arco

Pau d’arco, also called tabebuia avellanedae, is a canopy tree from the Bignoniaceae family with extremely hard wood. Its name is the Portuguese word for “bow stick.” This is an appropriate term because the tree was used by native South Americans for making hunting bows.
The bark and wood of the tree are used externally and internally to treat:
arthritis
pain
inflammation of the prostate gland
fever
dysentery
boils
ulcers
candidia
various cancers
The range of viruses stunted by pau d’arco tea extends from those that cause the common cold to those that are responsible for the life-threatening AIDS virus.It has been shown in both in vitro and in vivo studies to actively inhibit, kill or stunt the growth of several dangerous viruses, including:herpespoliovesicular stomatitisavian myeloblastosisleukemiarous sarcoma virus
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.
 
Pau d’arco, also called taheebo, 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. It takes extremely skilled gatherers to know what species are the most effective.
Two well-researched and used species are lapacho tabebuia impetiginosa and red lapacho tabebuia.
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.
The bark of tabebuia avellanedae is valued for its powerful and therapeutic phytochemicals. Research on red lapacho tabebuia identified two active chemicals in pau d’arco called naphthoquinones: lapachol and beta-lapachone.
These chemicals have the power to kill bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. They have also shown anti-inflammatory properties, which are important in treating health conditions such as osteoarthritis.