Palo Azul Tea Benefits and Side Effects
by Bárbara Soares, a Ph.D. student at the Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM Lisboa)
Palo Azul tea (Azuleneae palustris) is a plant native to the deserts of northern Mexico and the Southwestern United States. It can be found in some parts of Portugal, Spain, and North Africa.
Palo Azul tea has been used in Indigenous American traditional medicine to treat skin diseases for centuries. Nowadays, it is still in use in Mexico by treating rheumatism, back pain, and inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis.
Skin inflammations are caused by the accumulation of immune cells at the site of infection or damage. Inflammation is a complex response coordinated by the immune system to protect the organism from pathogens and repair damaged tissue. In this process, immune cells release molecules that contribute to pain, swelling, heat, and redness at the inflammation site.
These events occur in two main phases: an acute one associated with pain, swelling, heat, and redness and a healing one with the formation of new tissue.
Inflammation is important for our survival but it can be problematic in chronic diseases like arthritis or psoriasis. For this reason, several anti-inflammatory drugs have been developed to block specific molecules that contribute to these processes (like COX2 enzymes, TNFα and IL-1β) and increase the risk of side effects.
Palo Azul tea contains naphthoquinones, sesquiterpene lactones, and triterpenes. These molecules block the molecules involved in inflammation and pain. In addition, they induce apoptosis in human cells, which means that they can kill them when present at high concentrations.
These activities explain why Palo Azul tea has been used for centuries to treat inflammatory conditions such as psoriasis and arthritis. As a matter of fact, a randomized double-blind clinical trial recently confirmed that it can be used for psoriasis. In this study, patients were treated by applying an ointment containing 0.5% Palo Azul tea extract to affected areas twice a day after being diagnosed with plaque psoriasis. After 16 weeks, these patients showed a 45% improvement of the disease.
Palo Azul tea is totally safe to use since it does not cause side effects at high doses or when used for a long time, but this has only been reported in experimental models and in clinical trials. Moreover, all studies have been conducted by the same research group so they may have missed some side effects due to a lack of patients’ reports.
Despite its promising benefits for skin health, Palo Azul tea has not been reported to be used by any dermatologist at our clinic so far. Over the last decade, we have applied various treatments that lead to a 45-50% improvement in most cases and a 90% improvement in some cases.
However, the absence of side effects of Palo Azul tea could make it a very attractive option for skin inflammations since it has been used in Mexico for years with no harmful effects reported. We believe that it is time to study its efficacy and safety in clinical trials involving Portuguese patients.
is Palo Azul good for high blood pressure:
Palo Azul has been found to reduce the stress hormone response when in high levels of stress. This alone is good for people with high blood pressure, but it gets even better.
Palo Azul also has beneficial effects on the Kidneys and Liver which are two organs closely tied to regulating blood pressure. These organs work together to regulate blood pressure and when they function properly, blood pressure is regulated well.
When these two organs are in stress or dysfunction, high levels of stress hormone production occur in the body. When stress hormones increase in this way, they can greatly affect blood pressure because it means your blood vessels have to contract more strongly which puts a strain on the entire cardiovascular system.
For this reason, people with high blood pressure need to make sure that their Liver and Kidneys are functioning optimally. Doing herbal formulas such as Palo Azul can help with this immensely. The best part is that it can be extremely beneficial for the cardiovascular system if these two organs are in a healthy state of operation which means lower blood pressure levels naturally.
Palo Azul gives many other benefits that are tied to its ability to reduce stress levels, but for this article, we wanted to focus primarily on the fact that it is good for blood pressure and two specific organs.
This herb can function as great support for people with high blood pressure and there are studies available to back up the claims as well as many people who have benefited from using it.
is Palo Azul good for the liver?
Palo Azul is extremely good for the liver. Not only does it have powerful antioxidant properties, but when taken regularly in small doses, it can help boost liver function and regeneration.
A lot of people say not to take this herb if you have a “low” or “bad” liver because it will work too well and may over-stimulate this organ. This is false. Palo Azul can be safely used by people with low or bad livers because it will only function in the way that the liver needs it to work. If your liver is healthy, then your liver will get better and remain healthier. If your liver is not healthy, then this herb will speed up regeneration and improvement.
If you have a low or bad liver, then Palo Azul is an excellent herb to use because it will not over-stimulate this organ as some people falsely claim. It has been used by Chinese medicine doctors for centuries to help with liver function and if your doctor recommends taking it, then do so immediately because it works extremely well for people with low or bad livers.
Many people claim that you should not take Palo Azul if you have a low or bad liver, but this is actually false. If your doctor recommends taking it, then do so immediately because its benefits outweigh the risks of not having enough of it in your system.
is Palo Azul good for the kidneys?
Palo Azul is very good for the kidneys. It helps to keep them healthy by removing toxins and other harmful materials from the body while also helping to boost their function.
The kidneys are two organs that work together to remove waste products, toxins, and extra fluids from the body via urine. When these organs are healthy, they are able to function properly which means that the rest of the body is healthy as well.
The kidneys work closely with another organ called the Liver so it’s also good to support the liver if you have issues with your kidneys. If either one becomes sick or weak, then it can affect all other organs because they work together.
Palo Azul tea side effects?
There are no known side effects from using this herb as long as it is being taken in normal medicinal amounts. If you have a low or bad liver, then the recommended dose of Palo Azul for you will be much lower than what people with healthy livers take. Your doctor will help determine the right dosage amount for your specific situation.
Palo Azul tea has been used for hundreds of years in South America to help support liver function while Palo Santo has only recently become popular around the world. Both herbs are very good for supporting different organ systems, but they also work well together so it’s not a bad idea to take both of them regardless of whether you have high blood pressure, liver issues, or neither.
Where to buy Palo Azul tea:
There are many different brands of Palo Azul tea on the market, but it’s best to get this herb from a high-quality source that you can trust. There are companies online that sell both palo santo and Palo Azul which means that you can get both of these herbs in a single purchase.