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Healing Herbs of the Amazon
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"Nutrients & HealthHealing Herbs of the Amazon: Part 2: Sangre de Grado (Dragon’s Blood)
by David Kamnitzer 06/06/2008
Imagine if a modern drug company reported about a new promising compound that seemed to exhibit the following properties (and with no side effects!):
Speeds wound healing; stops bleeding; kills bacteria; kills fungi; kills viruses; relieves diarrhea; reduces pain and inflammation; relieves itching.
I’d buy stock in that company in a “New York Minute”!
Fortunately (in my opinion), there already exists a natural (and unpatentable) plant that exhibits all of these properties — sangre de grado, or dragon’s blood.
Leslie Taylor, the well-known and respected naturopath and expert on South American Herbology, tells us in her classic text: The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs that,”Sangre de Grado is a medium- to large-sized tree that grows from 10-20 meters high in the upper Amazon region of Peru, Ecuador, and Columbia …. When the trunk of the tree is cut or wounded, a dark red, sappy resin oozes out as if the tree is bleeding …”
Both the resin and the bark have been used in various healing traditions. In the United States, the use of the resin is more common. The resin is a very red sap that appears to be completely safe — however, it
will permanently stain clothing!
Once or twice a day, 10-15 drops of sangre de grado can be taken internally (in a small amount of liquid) to reduce gastric inflammation and healing, and for its anti-microbial properties.
Dr. Taylor, in the aforementioned text tell us that, “Applied (topically) directly to the affected area, it is helpful for all types of cuts, scrapes, external wounds, bites, stings, rashes, and skin problems, including skin and nail fungi.”
Externally, the resin can be applied directly to the affected area twice daily. Although your skin will be stained, the stain is only temporary and will wash off.
Here are some other observations about sangre de grado made by well-known researchers:
* “Not only does Sangre de Grado prevent pain sensation, it also blocks the tissue response to a chemical released by nerves that promotes inflammation. There is currently no other substance that we know of that shares these same activities.” — Dr. John Wallace.1 Wallace also notes that isolation of the active ingredient in sangre de grado could lead to new therapies for a wide range of inflammatory diseases, including asthma, arthritis and ulcerative colitis.
* According to famed botanist, Dr. James Duke, “Several compounds in it… have antiviral and wound-healing properties that may be especially useful against the viral sores caused by herpes. The natural mixture of all three compounds
heals wounds four times faster than the individual compounds alone.”2
Many individuals report success with sangre de grado for helping the body to heal fungal infections of the nails. I am particularly excited about this application, since the most common drug used for this health challenge has some serious potential side effects and necessitates medical monitoring of liver function (not to mention that in the US, it costs several hundred dollars per month and must be taken for several months!).
As part of a “first-aid” kit, it can come in really handy to stop bleeding. For this purpose, rub it in and it will thicken the resin into a lighter colored paste that helps form a “second skin” on top of a
wound.
Sangre de grado has no reported contraindications or drug interactions. It is a wonderful example of the safety, effectiveness, and multi-faceted nature of many of the herbs of the Amazon Rainforest.
References
1. Wallace, J Natural Science May 15, 2000.
2. Duke, JA, The Green Pharmacy, Rodale Press, 1997.