"Lapacho" is also a collective term for various species

Species

In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...

 of Tabebuia

Tabebuia

Tabebuia is a neotropical genus of about 100 species in the tribe Tecomeae of the family Bignoniaceae. The species range from northern Mexico and southern Florida south to northern Argentina, including the Caribbean islands of Hispaniola and Cuba...

.

Lapacho or Taheebo is a herbal tea made from the inner bark of Pink Ipê, Tabebuia impetiginosa

Tabebuia impetiginosa

Tabebuia impetiginosa, Pink Ipê or Pink Lapacho is a native Bignoniaceae tree of America, distributed from northern Mexico south to northern Argentina. It is a common tree in Argentina's northeastern region, as well as in southeastern Bolivia. It is said to be indigenous to Trinidad and Tobago.It...

. It is also sold under more ambiguous and possibly misleading names like "Ipes", "Ipê

IPE

Ipe or IPE can refer to:* Ipê, trees in the genus Tabebuia and their wood* Ipe , an extensible drawing editor* Individual Plant Examination in nuclear power plant probabilistic risk assessment* Institute of Public Enterprise in India...

", "Pau d'arco

Pau D'Arco

Pau D'Arco is a town and municipality in the state of Pará in the Northern region of Brazil.-References:...

", "Ipe Roxo", or "Trumpet Bush".

Lapacho is used in the herbal medicine

Herbalism

Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...

 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

Psoriasis

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease that appears on the skin. It occurs when the immune system mistakes the skin cells as a pathogen, and sends out faulty signals that speed up the growth cycle of skin cells. Psoriasis is not contagious. However, psoriasis has been linked to an increased risk of...

. Lapacho is used by herbalists as a putative treatment for cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

, HIV

HIV

Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...

, candida

Candida (genus)

Candida is a genus of yeasts. Many species are harmless commensals or endosymbionts of animal hosts including humans, but other species, or harmless species in the wrong location, can cause disease. Candida albicans can cause infections in humans and other animals, especially in immunocompromised...

 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

Anemia

Anemia is a decrease in number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. However, it can include decreased oxygen-binding ability of each hemoglobin molecule due to deformity or lack in numerical development as in some other types of hemoglobin...

, diarrhea

Diarrhea

Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...

, dizziness

Dizziness

Dizziness refers to an impairment in spatial perception and stability. The term is somewhat imprecise. It can be used to mean vertigo, presyncope, disequilibrium, or a non-specific feeling such as giddiness or foolishness....

, nausea

Nausea

Nausea , is a sensation of unease and discomfort in the upper stomach with an involuntary urge to vomit. It often, but not always, precedes vomiting...

, and vomiting

Vomiting

Vomiting is the forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose...

. The active ingredients such as lapachol

Lapachol

Lapachol is a natural organic compound isolated from the lapacho tree . Chemically, it is a derivative of naphthoquinone, related to vitamin K....

have been found to possess significant toxicity. 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.

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.