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Needless to say, the Amazonian Rainforest is replete with herbs offering a wide variety of health benefits. But beyond specific health benefits, like the ability of stevia to regulate blood pressure or sangre de drago to accelerate wound healing or chanca piedra to break kidney stones into a myriad of small stones, allowing their painless elimination, the Amazonian Rainforest offers unique and unparalleled antioxidants essential for radiant health. Let’s briefly look at a few of them.
Uña de gato is known for its ability to stimulate and balance the immune system, activating and enhancing various aspects of immunity. But research on uña de gato has revealed first and foremost its exceptional anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. In one study, micropulverized uña de gato was used to quench free radicals in an assay using macrophages. Not only was uña de gato effective at scavenging free radicals, but the whole bark was shown to be more effective than freeze-dried extracts of uña de gato. In this study, uña de gato also reduced the production of the potent inflammatory compound TNF-a (Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha), providing insight in the anti-inflammatory properties of uña de gato. Uña de gato has also been shown to protect DNA against UV damaged, possibly explaining its protective effect on skin against sun exposure. Finally, the antioxidant properties of uña de gato are such that it has been reported to be cytoprotective (protect cells) against various cytotoxic compounds, like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) on the intestinal mucosa.
Sangre de drago is the sap of a tree (Croton lechleri) that grows in the Amazonian basin. When applied on a wound, sangre de drago stops the bleeding and accelerates healing. When taken orally, sangre de drago helps eliminate parasites and maintain good intestinal health. But aside from these unique properties, sangre de drago was also shown to have unique antioxidant properties. In a cellular assay, the sap was shown to protect against oxidative damage by various oxidative agents. As with uña de gato, sangre de drago was shown to protect DNA from damage induced by hydroxyl radicals. Sangre de drago was shown to contain a large quantity of proanthocyanidins, the same kind of antioxidant found in grape seed extracts. Proanthocyanidins are flavonoids that are not only antioxidant, but they also play an important role in the maintenance of healthy connective tissues and blood vasculature.
Camu Camu is a small fruit growing in the wet areas of the Amazonian jungle. Camu’s claim to fame is its very high content in vitamin C. The work of Nobel Laureate Linus Pauling and others have established the important role of vitamin C in human health. Vitamin C is essential for a series of physiological reactions like the synthesis of collagen, the protein matrix making up the human body, and the synthesis of noradrenaline, a brain neurotransmitter involved in the experience of joy. But aside from these, vitamin C is first and foremost an exceptional antioxidant playing a unique role in the retina. Vision is obtained when light hit receptors in the retina (rods and cones), oxidizing the receptors which then transmit the signal to the brain through the optic nerve. In order to be functional again, the receptors must be immediately reset, the failure of which would create floating blind spots in the eye. Vitamin C is essential to reset the light receptors in the retina. It is common to hear people say that their vision has increased after consuming natural vitamin C as found in camu.
To this list we could add tayuya, iporuru, boldo, and many more. The Amazonian Rainforest is definitely the natural pharmacy of the world.
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