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Tabebuia Impetiginosa (Lapacho)
A South American tree bark traditionally brewed as a tea for immune support and infections. Its naphthoquinones (lapachol, beta-lapachone) show antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity in cell and animal studies — but human efficacy data are essentially absent, and lapachol carries real toxicity at higher doses (anticoagulant, GI).
What the evidence says
Most Pau D'Arco studies are mechanism or observational rather than RCTs that measure a clinical effect — keep findings provisional.
Most evidence is from medium-quality studies published 1976–2021.
Based on 5 studies
Confidence
LowPau D'Arco has an evidence score of 2/10 — emerging evidence based on 5 indexed studies. A South American tree bark traditionally brewed as a tea for immune support and infections. Its naphthoquinones (lapachol, beta-lapachone) show antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity in cell and animal studies — but human efficacy data are essentially absent, and lapachol carries real toxicity at higher doses (anticoagulant, GI). Representative study: PMID 29317792.
The commonly studied dose of Pau D'Arco is Traditionally 1-2g dried bark as tea, 1-3x daily (no validated efficacy dose). Individual needs vary — start at the lower end of the range and adjust based on how you respond.
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Last reviewed June 2026 · evidence from 5 studies · how we score
This information is for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting, stopping, or changing any supplement or medication.
Pau d'arco is the inner bark of South American Tabebuia (Handroanthus) trees, long used in folk medicine as a tea for infections, inflammation, and 'immune' complaints. Its rationale rests on naphthoquinones — chiefly lapachol and beta-lapachone — which show antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and antitumor activity in test-tube and rodent models. The honest reality: nearly all of this evidence is preclinical (in-vitro and animal). There are essentially no controlled human trials demonstrating that pau d'arco supplements improve immunity or treat infection in people. Equally important, lapachol is not benign: clinical antitumor evaluations in the 1970s found dose-limiting toxicity, including anticoagulant effects (prothrombin prolongation) and gastrointestinal upset. This is a traditional remedy with an interesting preclinical chemistry but unproven clinical benefit and a genuine safety ceiling.
Lapachol and beta-lapachone show antibacterial, antifungal, and antiparasitic activity in vitro — the basis of the traditional 'anti-infective' claim, but unproven in humans.
Bark extract suppressed NF-kB and AP-1 signaling and pro-inflammatory cytokines in rat and macrophage models.
How Pau D'Arco works — from molecular targets to health outcomes. Click an edge to see supporting research.This visualization is in beta — pathways are being refined and expanded.
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Traditionally 1-2g dried bark as tea, 1-3x daily (no validated efficacy dose)
Take with food
| Form | Type |
|---|---|
| 🍵Dried bark tea | Recommended |
| 💊Standardized capsule/extract | Alternative |
Traditional remedy; no clinically validated form or dose. Choose products from reputable suppliers given wide variability and adulteration concerns.
Minimum: 1 weeks
Optimal: 4 weeks
Cycling: Short-term use only; avoid continuous high-dose intake due to lapachol toxicity. No established long-term protocol.
Note: With food to limit GI upset.
Dose-response data unavailable. The current published research for Pau D'Arco does not provide sufficient dose-specific outcome data to generate reliable dose-response curves.
Refer to the Dosage & Timing section above for recommended dose ranges based on available evidence.
Folk-medicine reputation for fighting infection; not validated in human trials.
All efficacy signals are preclinical (in-vitro / animal). No controlled human trials.
Avoid — lapachol toxicity and lack of safety data.
Avoid — additive anticoagulant/bleeding risk.
Discontinue at least 2 weeks before surgery.
Lapachol has anticoagulant activity (prothrombin-prolonging) and may potentiate bleeding when combined with blood-thinning drugs.
High-dose naphthoquinone exposure may add to GI and metabolic burden; caution with polypharmacy.
Tip: Take with food; reduce dose
Tip: Avoid high doses; discontinue and seek care if bruising or bleeding occurs
Tip: Avoid high-dose extracts
Both are traditional immune-support botanicals; neither has strong human evidence for the pairing.
Layered traditional immune-support use (evidence remains thin for both).
Traditional anti-infective botanicals sometimes stacked together; combination is not clinically tested.
Traditional immune/anti-infective layering, not validated in trials.
The best time to take Pau D'Arco is with meals. Take it with food. Taken with food to reduce GI upset; no human-trial-validated dose exists and higher intakes raise toxicity risk.
Pau D'Arco should be used with caution — talk to a healthcare provider before taking it. The most commonly reported side effects are nausea / GI upset, bleeding / bruising (dose-related, lapachol), vomiting at high doses. Use caution if any of these apply to you: Pregnancy and breastfeeding; Bleeding disorders or upcoming surgery; Concurrent anticoagulant/antiplatelet therapy.
Reduces cold risk and shortens infection duration — most effective when started at first sign of symptoms.