ALIVE - Canadian Journal of Health and Nutrition, December, 1999
Rainforest Remedies
by Daniel T. Wagner, RPh, MBA, Herbalist
You may be aware that many everyday drugs have their origin in plants. The most
common ones are ergotamine, quinine, curare, ephedrine, digitalis, atropine,
senna, morphine, vincristine, cortisone and aspirin.
Today, as many green scientists and complementary health care practitioners
return to the rainforests, they are revealing many rudimentary plant medicines
that may have relevance in today's high-tech medical community.
Some of the leading recent remedies from the rainforest are making their way
to health food store shelves all across the country.
Cat's Claw (Una De Gato): This woody "vine of life' was widely used by the Ashanica
Indians of Peru. It has significant immune-stimulating characteristics. It received
enormous demand among Europeans infected with HIV after reliable reports on
its clinical use with other AIDS therapies. It has also been found to improve
immunity in cancer patients and act as an anti-inflammatory for people suffering
with arthritis or asthma.
Red Gumbolimbo Bark: This tree has been used successfully in parts of Central
America for internal and external infections. A tea made from the bark is also
used to treat urinary tract infections. The most exciting new use of Gumbolimbo
bark is for the effective treatment of topical psoriasis, eczema, insect bites
and fungus. The raw compound can be mixed with aloe, vitamin E and calendula
to make a highly efficacious topical cream. This compound is a good alternative
to hydrocortisone and other steroid-based creams and ointments.
Jackass Bitters: The leaves of this common Central American tall, bushy plant
contain a potent anti-parasitic agent (sesquiterpene dialdehyde) that is active
against amoebas, intestinal parasites, candida and giardia. It is taken internally
as a tea or a wine.
Maca Root: Pure Maca root comes from the Peruvian Andes and has been used for
centuries as a "cure-all" type medicine that is highly popular with middle-aged
and elderly men. Most interesting is its support of normal sexual function in
older men and post and perimenopausal women. Maca root has been shown to balance
estrogen and testosterone levels. Although it contains no hormones, it works
through its alkaloids which balance the hypothalamus and pituitary, supporting
optimum function of the testes, ovaries and adrenals.
Pau D'arco: This bark has been used for at least a thousand years by Brazilian
Indians. It is used for treating skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, fungal
infections and topical cancer. In Argentina, pau d'arco, was found to have significant
activity against some kinds of cancer following oral administration. It was
also useful in treating pain associated with cancer and increasing the amount
of red corpuscles. Its current use as an antifungal is the most common, but
as a potent immune booster it may have future use as an antitumor agent.
Guggul: Gugulipid is the standardized extract of the sap of the mukul myrrh
tree in tropical India. Its traditional use for atherosclerosis dates back to
600 BC. Several reliable clinical trials have confirmed that gugulipid has an
ability to lower both cholesterol and triglyceride levels. It is apparent that
the continued use of guggul for cholesterol may be of distinct advantage over
statin prescription drugs that have negative effects on the liver.
Dan Wagner is a natural pharmacist who has done extensive research on plant
medicines and ethnobotany in Belize, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Africa and the Amazon.
References:
1. Arvigo, R. Field Guide Rainforest Medicine Trail.
2. Jones, K. Una De Gato. The Herb Report, 1994
3. Pharmacy On Safari-American Botanical Council's Pharmacy Workshops. Herbalgram
Summer 1998
4. Reeder, G. Rainforest Pharmacy. Natural Pharmacy 3:3 March 1999.