Pau d’Arco

Pau d’Arco is considered one of the best herbal remedies in the fight to regulate candida overgrowth. The typical pathogen that overgrows during a period of off the wagon eating is Candida – a term that refers to a large family of yeasts (one celled fungi) that under normal circumstances, harmlessly inhabit the tissues of humans. This is because a balanced intestinal tract from mouth to colon contains a preponderance of beneficial bacteria that keep Candida in check.

Pau d’Arco has been suggested by many people as a useful treatment against what are known as yeast infections. These involve excessive growth of a fungus known as Candida. Let’s take a look at some of the details of this medical condition, and the claim of a medicinal benefit of Pau d’Arco in cases of it.

How does Pau d’Arco work?

When not enough beneficial bacteria are present in a given body tissue to keep Candida under control, Candida transforms from a harmless state into an invasive species. Candida overgrowth can occur in many tissues of the body such as oral candidiasis known as thrush, the scalp as dandruff, fungus toenails, or vaginal yeast infections. Cutting off Candida’s goodies by eliminating the junk allows the beneficial microbes to re-exert their authority and bring gut pathogens back into subjection before they start causing health issues.

Pau D’Arco’s effects are two-fold when it comes to Candida. Firstly the herb helps to loosen the bowels. Not enough to cause diarrhea, but enough to wash out old fecal matter (see our cleansing page) and expose the Candida yeast.

Secondly, Pau D’Arco acts as a powerful antifungal agent. It contains several classes of compounds, lapachol, xyloidone and various napthaquinones. The most important of these is lapachol, which has been shown to inhibit the growth of Candida.

How should you take Pau d’Arco?

Those who are into herbal medicine may often recommend Pau d’Arco as a treatment for an overgrowth of Candida albicans. One of the properties of the Lapachol found in Pau d’Arco is that of an anti-fungal. Research has shown that the most effective way that this plant can be used against fungus overgrowth is in its usual state — rather than using an extract of Lapachol by itself.

We don’t know what exactly it is about Pau d’Arco that makes it so deadly to fungal agents. It may have something to do with a combination of Lapachol and other active ingredients found in the bark. People who are proponents of using this plant often suggest that women who have repeated cases of vaginal thrush try using Pau d’Arco.