The Consumer Guide to Chapparal
In this guide...
Benefits and Uses
Recent findings
Types of products
Safety
References
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Caution: Do not take this herb internally (by mouth) except by medical prescription and under close medical supervision. It is potentially toxic. Read our Consumer Guide before purchasing this herb!
Chaparral preparations are derived from the flowers, leaflets, and twigs of a woody, long-living shrub (Larrea tridentata, L. divaricata) of the American Southwest. Serious questions about chaparral's potential liver toxicity have caused this herb to all but disappear from the market in recent years.
Benefits and Uses:
In the mouth chaparral helps prevent tooth decay, mouth odor, and gum disease. Taken internally it is a popular folk treatment for cancer; some studies confirm it may have anti-tumor effects. It also has potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which have been used to promote claims that it can help treat arthritis and even retard aging.
Recent findings:
Types of products:
Safety:
Browse Our Wide Selection of Chaparral Products
Scientists have identified medically active compounds with antibacterial action that can prevent infections when applied to wounds or that can assist in clearing skin conditions. In recent years research done by Western scientists has focused almost exclusively on the question of chaparral's toxicity.
Chaparral use has been linked to a few cases acute hepatitis; it may damage the liver in susceptible persons
Although some herbalists feel that the evidence for chaparral's toxicity is exaggerated, its reputation is such that few companies will now sell the herb.
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