Lapacho or Taheebo is a herbal tea made from the inner bark of Pink Ipê, Tabebuia impetiginosa. It is also sold under more ambiguous and possibly misleading names like "Ipes", "Ipê", "Pau d'arco", "Ipe Roxo", or "Trumpet Bush".
Lapacho is used in the herbal medicine of several South and Central American indigenous peoples. It appears to have antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, and is used topically to treat minor skin injuries, such as insect bites, as well as for other conditions such as psoriasis. Lapacho is used by herbalists as a putative treatment for cancer, HIV, candida and numerous other maladies. Studies by the U.S. National Cancer Institute showed that lapacho may prevent, delay, or treat cancer; but the oral doses needed to reach useful levels in the blood may also cause side effects such as anemia, diarrhea, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.[1] The active ingredients such as lapachol have been found to possess significant toxicity.[2][3][4] However it should be highlighted there has been no proven benefit of taking lapacho in cancer from clinical trial research, and the US cancer institute only suggests potential benefit.
Taheebo is the common name for the inner bark of the Red or Purple Lapacho tree. This tree grows high in the Andes of the South American rainforest. The Red Lapacho's purple-colored inner bark was one of the main medicines used by the Incas and has been used for over 1,000 years by the Callawaya tribe, descendants of the Incas.[5]
One should be careful, using the Lapacho internal. Don't overdose Lapacho tea and don't drink it longer than six weeks without break.
Pregnant women shouldn't drink Lapacho tea and use it only externally.
For the tea, 2 teaspoons of the inner bark are cooked on 1 liter of water for five minutes. Then the tea should rest another quarter of an hour before you drink it.
Of this tea, 1 liter per day (maximum 6 weeks then 4 weeks of break) is drunk.
The extrinsic application is not limited in time.
One can take Lapacho tea for ablutions and baths or soak clean cloths as compresses into the Lapacho tea.
Also as a component of ointments one can use Lapacho. [6]
•The Sarah Jane Adventures: In the story "Death of the Doctor" "powdered lapacho" is mentioned by the character Jo Grant