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Herpes Virus (All Types), Arthritis, Rheumatism
Chaparral
S. American Chaparral
(Larrea divaricata) Pulvarized Leaves of "Hembra Jarilla" Chaparral Tea Code 325 -- Price: $4.95 Pulverized leaves: 85 gr. (net wt) Makes About 6 Liters of Tea (Using 15 g. or 2.5 T. to make one liter / quart) Chaparral Capsules : Code 325C -- $14.50 (100 x 260 mg. veggie capsules) Order Now 
Email Summarized Description:
Chaparral is a
traditional in South America,
where the species here, Larrea divaricata, corresponds to
Larrea tridentata in the U.S. and Mexico. It is better known
as "Hembra jarilla" in the deserts of native Peru, where we have
the leaves wildcrafted and milled.
Alpha Omega Labs
was the first company to popularize the use of chaparral in escharotic
preparations, beginning in 1990 -- and then at an accelerated pace
when we introduced Cansema on the internet in September, 1995.
(A history is provided in Chapters 1 through 3 in
Meditopia.)The entire
Larrea
genus is extraordinarily hardy, living in harsh desert climates
for up to
12,000 years. Undoubtedly, indigenous peoples much have deduced its
extraordinarily medicinal properties after observing that, unlike other
plants, Larrea doesn't have any predators. Its massive array of
protective phytochemicals (primarily lignans and flavonoids) keeps away
viruses, bacteria, fungi, competitor plants, insects, and rodents.
The only exception are small lizards, which eat the flowers when in bloom.Unlike most of the other offerings
in our medical tea category, this product comes pulverized, for maximum
diffusion of the active principles (in tea) and absorption if made into
capsules. A daily therapeutic dosage would be approximately 300 mg.The "tea leaves" in this product
are so finely pulverized that many users may simply choose to drink
with the tea and forego straining. An important note on preparation :
the don't call chaparral "creosote bush" in the U.S. for nothing.
The taste -- for the vast majority is quite off-putting -- so you
will probably elect to improve with honey and lemon.Instructions / Dosages: Do not
give to children under 12 years of age. Adult dosage: One capsule per day to start.
After three days, graduate to one capsule, 2x a day. Between the ages of 12 and 18,
no more than one capsule daily.
Shelf-Life
We know of no medical herb that has
a shelf-life that compares to chaparral. We tell customers "ten years,"
because we've used dried chaparral of that age without ill consequence,
as the Salves from which chaparral is made also have a confirmed shelf-life
of this span. The truth is that we really don't know the true shelf-life,
because we've never heard of any "going bad" -- not in our own lab experience
nor in the extant literature. Moreover -- and just as amazing -- we have
not seen any variation of powdered chaparral leaf lose potency over time. Medical Properties
For this product, we cite the
ethnobotanical findings of W. Dennis Clark, Ph.D., in monograph,
"Treating Herpes Naturally with Larrea tridentata." (See additional
comments in the column at right.) The title of the book
is somewhat deceptive. Clark covers many other ailments, unrelated to
herpes, and he provides excellent references. Moreover, as the
chemical profiles of "tridentata" and "divaricata" are nearly
identical, it should come as no surprise that both varieties
have the same uses on their respective continents. We recommend
the purchase of the book on Amazon for those interested
in further study of chaparral's many properties. Clark
derives the medical uses below from a database maintained by
The University of Michigan.
We wish to remind the reader that these are ethnobotanical
uses and not curative representations made by Alpha Omega Labs: ARTHRITIS, RHEUMATISM and PAINFUL JOINTS -- EXTERNAL
ASTHMA, CONGESTION, CHEST INFECTIONS
BOWEL PROBLEMS
CANCER
CHICKENPOX
COLD MEDICINE
DISINFECTANT / ANTISEPTIC
DIURETIC
EMETIC
GENERAL MEDICAL USE
GYNECOLOGICAL AID
ORAL RINSE, TOOTHACHE
PAIN, HEADACHE & FEVER -- INTERNAL
SKIN DISORDERS
TUBERCULOSIS
VENEREAL DISEASE
VETERINARY
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"Hembra Jarilla",
as South American chaparral is called in Peru, grows wild
in the deserts of that country, where we have the plant
wildcrafted and milled for our specifications -- for this product
and as an ingredient in Cansema
Black Topical Salves.
Medical uses described
in the column at left are taken from W. Dennis Clark's book,
"Treating Herpes Naturally with Larrea tridentata." (p. 50-52)The tribes in North America
where the plant is native with documented uses
include:
Chaparral --- A
Personal Journey [ Greg Caton ]
In the summer of 1963, I asked
my parents if I could go on a YMCA camping trip as part of my
summer vacation. Back in those days,
parents in the Los Angeles area could send their children on a
supervised trek through the arid desert lands outside the county
for $15 a week.At the time, I was only
seven years old, and this would be the longest time I had ever
spent away from my parents. I took some supplies, toiletries,
a brown, cotton, sleeping bag, and off I went. (I did this
for three weeks.)The guides were there not
just to supervise their young cohort, but to educate them, as well.
They taught us about different flora and fauna. How to survive
in the wilderness. Wild plants you could eat and what plants to avoid . . .
so many things . . . things I have long forgotten.Except one.The unmistakeable smell
of chapparal.It was as if it defined the place, haunting me so
that even as a child I would stop walking when I caught a whiff
with the soft desert breeze. In fact, years later I forgot the
name of the plant, but I remembered that smell . . .so much so,
it was hard to imagine being in the desert and not feeling its presence.Twenty-six years later,
I encountered this plant again -- in Louisiana -- a place where
the plant doesn't even grow. As an apprentice studying under
Dr. Russell Jordan (see Chapter
One of Meditopia), I learned of its medicinal properties and
found myself as if reconnected to an old friend . . . having
first met when I was too young to have comprehended what this plant
would teach me . . . too young to have known that at some point in
the future I would be a practicing herbalist.We all know that people can
have a special relation with an animal -- a beloved pet. There are
even people who look like their animals. I sometimes wonder if
people realize that we can have relationships with our plants,
as well. . . that just as we can have unique ties to other people
and animals, we can share special bonds with plants.The very concept might
have missed me had I not had this unique experience with
an exceptional desert plant. To contemplate its very spirit, gives me pause.
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