Question - Pau D'arco Powder

[Inaut]

I dont have enough time nor space in my bladder to consume all the teas i desire. Specifically Pau D'arco/Ginger/Cinnamon ...

As a result, I'm going back to ingesting a half teaspoon of pau d'arco powder with ginger (half tsp) and cinnamon (1/4tsp) two or three times a day. Curious to know if anybody ingests herbs like this instead of making teas. I think our stomachs would adequately efficient at extracting the important constituents from the powders, plus we get the added benefits of cleaning up the GI tract as it moves on down. Fibers may not be the best for the gut but this herbal mixture seems to be anti-bad guy to begin with

Just wanted to get a sense of what you Peaters think about this approach... Good bad or otherwise

 

[ANDREW CHIN]

I used to consume elixirs daily, and pau d'arco was one of the main herbs I used in my haphazardly-formulated concoctions. I usually didn't brew a tea - I would just combine the herbs and blend in a blender or mix with a teaspoon after pouring hot water over the mixture.

I personally think your method will work just fine. The fiber would likely do more good than harm. Overall, the amount of fiber is a small percentage of your total fiber intake for the day.

The nice thing about using a blender is that you can add a TB of coconut oil. My thinking here is that you would likely absorb some of the fat-soluble compounds in the pau d'arco along with the water-soluble compounds (not that I know the names of these compounds).

I never used fat with the hand-mixing method. You could add some coconut oil, but without using a blender the oil would likely not emulsify completely. :)

 

[Lejeboca]

I dont have enough time nor space in my bladder to consume all the teas i desire. Specifically Pau D'arco/Ginger/Cinnamon ...

As a result, I'm going back to ingesting a half teaspoon of pau d'arco powder with ginger (half tsp) and cinnamon (1/4tsp) two or three times a day. Curious to know if anybody ingests herbs like this instead of making teas. I think our stomachs would adequately efficient at extracting the important constituents from the powders, plus we get the added benefits of cleaning up the GI tract as it moves on down. Fibers may not be the best for the gut but this herbal mixture seems to be anti-bad guy to begin with

Just wanted to get a sense of what you Peaters think about this approach... Good bad or otherwise

I'd say that some method of extraction is necessary, at least what @ANDREW CHIN is proposing. Otherwise, with raw (dry-herb) powders, I reckon that you'll transit them faster than they are able to provide any benefit to you (except improving your transit). My understanding is that, from Peat's point of view, it is especially so, because with extraction (or processing such as cooking) you are diminishing their defensive features that may cause estrogen/serotonin increases.

Instead of teas, that don't agree with me now, I use ethanol extractions (tinctures) of pau d'arco. Easy to make and to take. (I take 3-5 drops a few times daily.)
If I have to take a dry-herb, they I 'extract' it in the mouth with saliva for a rather long time first before swallowing.

 

[ANDREW CHIN]

Oops, my mistake. I guess you would need alcohol to extract the fat-soluble compounds, not a fat like coconut oil.

Anyway, at least the coconut oil would slow down transit time, and maybe help the body to digest more of the nutrients in your herbal formula.

 

[Inaut]

I know Pau D’Arco milk was essentially tea blended with coconut oil to make it more liposomal.....

I just wish I had enough time to drink the tea I desired. Too many liquids

 

[ANDREW CHIN]

I know Pau D’Arco milk was essentially tea blended with coconut oil to make it more liposomal.....

I just wish I had enough time to drink the tea I desired. Too many liquids

Interesting. I found a recipe online on Ben Greenfield's site.

https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/article/nutrition-articles/ben-greenfields-drink-recipes/

 

[Gone Peating]

could also just use lapodin, it's very convenient, and its cortisol lowering effects work at just one drop for me

 

[yerrag]

I'd say that some method of extraction is necessary, at least what @ANDREW CHIN is proposing. Otherwise, with raw (dry-herb) powders, I reckon that you'll transit them faster than they are able to provide any benefit to you (except improving your transit). My understanding is that, from Peat's point of view, it is especially so, because with extraction (or processing such as cooking) you are diminishing their defensive features that may cause estrogen/serotonin increases.

Instead of teas, that don't agree with me now, I use ethanol extractions (tinctures) of pau d'arco. Easy to make and to take. (I take 3-5 drops a few times daily.)
If I have to take a dry-herb, they I 'extract' it in the mouth with saliva for a rather long time first before swallowing.

How do you make these extractions? Are you using 100% ethanol or some alcohol like gin and vodka? Are you extracting from the whole inner bark or from powders? I have a hard time finding out the approximate content of beta-lapachone and emodin in the pau d'arco powder. Do you have that information?

 

[Lejeboca]

How do you make these extractions? Are you using 100% ethanol or some alcohol like gin and vodka? Are you extracting from the whole inner bark or from powders? I have a hard time finding out the approximate content of beta-lapachone and emodin in the pau d'arco powder. Do you have that information?

I am extracting from the whole (pieces) of dry inner bark. I use ~60% ethanol but it would be OK go with something like vodka, no less than 40% alcohol. I use "weight-to-volume" method of extraction as follows:
1. Mix A g of herb with 5A L of menstruum.
2. Leave in a dark place for at least three weeks shaking a few times per week.
3. Decant.

I don't know the amounts of beta-lapachone and emodin in the powder. All the studies I've seen use either pure lapachol compounds or extractions, primarily ethanol.

In this study, two lapachol isomers are compared and both are effective as anti-fungals and antu-bacterial, although beta-lapachone is more so, and both are found in pau d'arco. Hence, I imagine that extract has compounding value of herb's components.

Comparison of antibacterial and antifungal activities of lapachol and beta-lapachone - PubMed

Spoiler: Table 1

This paper provides a chromatography analysis of various extracts of inner bark and find that
"Lapachol, earlier said to be the active principle of preparations from T. avellanedae is only a minor constituent [less than 10mg/kg] of the inner bark and not detectable in aqueous extracts."

HPLC separation and determination of naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-diones and related compounds in extracts of Tabebuia avellanedae (Bignoniaceae)

A HPLC method for the separation of some naturally occurring naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-diones and related compounds on a RP column is reported. These co…

www.sciencedirect.com

Spoiler: Fig, 3, lapachol is #9 (triangles)

 

[Pistachio]

I dont have enough time nor space in my bladder to consume all the teas i desire. Specifically Pau D'arco/Ginger/Cinnamon ...

As a result, I'm going back to ingesting a half teaspoon of pau d'arco powder with ginger (half tsp) and cinnamon (1/4tsp) two or three times a day. Curious to know if anybody ingests herbs like this instead of making teas. I think our stomachs would adequately efficient at extracting the important constituents from the powders, plus we get the added benefits of cleaning up the GI tract as it moves on down. Fibers may not be the best for the gut but this herbal mixture seems to be anti-bad guy to begin with

Just wanted to get a sense of what you Peaters think about this approach... Good bad or otherwise

Pau Darco (Taheebo) is some amazing stuff. However, I have read that it can inhibit Vitamin K2, so I would not be taking them at the same time.

 

[yerrag]

I am extracting from the whole (pieces) of dry inner bark. I use ~60% ethanol but it would be OK go with something like vodka, no less than 40% alcohol. I use "weight-to-volume" method of extraction as follows:
1. Mix A g of herb with 5A L of menstruum.
2. Leave in a dark place for at least three weeks shaking a few times per week.
3. Decant.

I don't know the amounts of beta-lapachone and emodin in the powder. All the studies I've seen use either pure lapachol compounds or extractions, primarily ethanol.

In this study, two lapachol isomers are compared and both are effective as anti-fungals and antu-bacterial, although beta-lapachone is more so, and both are found in pau d'arco. Hence, I imagine that extract has compounding value of herb's components.

Comparison of antibacterial and antifungal activities of lapachol and beta-lapachone - PubMed

Spoiler: Table 1

View attachment 21709

This paper provides a chromatography analysis of various extracts of inner bark and find that
"Lapachol, earlier said to be the active principle of preparations from T. avellanedae is only a minor constituent [less than 10mg/kg] of the inner bark and not detectable in aqueous extracts."

HPLC separation and determination of naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-diones and related compounds in extracts of Tabebuia avellanedae (Bignoniaceae)

A HPLC method for the separation of some naturally occurring naphtho[2,3-b]furan-4,9-diones and related compounds on a RP column is reported. These co…

www.sciencedirect.com

Spoiler: Fig, 3, lapachol is #9 (triangles)

View attachment 21711

It's very interesting to learn from the study that lapachol content in the inner bark is very little, whereas, contrary to what I've read, lapachol is a major constituent of the heartwood of the tree ( 2-7%). And drinking lapacho tea - the benefits of it are not coming for lapachol, as lapachol cannot be found in the aqueous extract of the inner bark.

I had thought about making a mother tincture, but after reading this, it may be better to buy Lapodin as I would be assured that I'm getting the beta-lapachone that's shown to be very effective as an antifungal and as an antibacterial.

Thanks!