FYI: There are #herbs that are effective in the treatment of malaria.
In 2019, there were 229 million malaria cases globally that led to 409,000 deaths. Of these deaths, 67 per cent (274,000) were children under 5 years of age.
Malaria is an urgent public health priority. The disease and the costs of its treatment trap families in a cycle of illness, suffering and poverty. Today, nearly half of the world’s population, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa, are at risk for developing malaria and facing its economic challenges.
Whenever I travel in Africa I bring along some of my favorite herbs. I discovered that several are effective in fighting malaria. One of these is Pau D’ Arco, which I carry around in bark form to make tea and also use often to help clients who are struggling with candida overgrowth.
Pau D’ Arco is considered the traditional Amazonian malaria remedy and has been investigated in vitro against malaria. The pau d’arco tree of the Central and South American rainforests grows to over 100 feet tall or more, with a trunk that can reach 6 feet wide and was named pau d’arco, or bow stick, by Portuguese colonists centuries ago in Brazil. In South American folk medicine, the inner bark of pau d’arco is used to treat fungal infections, pain, arthritis, prostate inflammation, fever, ulcers, snake bites and tumors. It is also prescribed by herbalists for yeast infections, warts, herpes, flu, lupus, eczema and diabetes, and as an immune booster for cancer and AIDS patients.
Lab studies have shown that lapachol, the active ingredient in pau d’arco, is effective against malaria, herpes virus, fungi and cancer, and can increase the activity of immune cells. The few human studies on lapachol, however, showed that at the doses needed, those taking pau d’arco need to take precautions if using long term as it can worsen or bring on anemia, and should be used with precaution because of its blood thinning effects with certain conditions or medications. Further research is warranted on this entire genus for antimalarial activity. The extract also has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiinflammatory properties. -XO