Green Drink Reviews

Copaiba: The Healing Tree

March 16th, 2008

Copaiba (scientific name, Copaifera officinalis), aside from being a beautiful and noble hardwood, also gives us an oil that has a surprising number of medicinal properties. Copaiba (pronounced koh-pah-ee-bah) is from the Amazon region and is encountered in Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia and Columbia.

The resin that is extracted from the Copaiba tree is a brown or golden oil that has a strong smell of wood. It has a sticky, resinous texture similar to propolis or tea tree oil. The aboriginal cultures of the Amazon have used it for centuries to heal wounds and to cure various illnesses, including gonorrhea.

The oil is largely used in medicine in Brazil to combat arthritis, gas and indigestion, ulcers, skin cancer, skin fungus, colds, coughs, and infections. It has anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-fungal properties and is a diuretic, mild laxative and analgesic. The oil is also used in wood varnishes, cosmetics (as a fixing agent for perfumes), and in fuel for lanterns (which seems like a waste of a great healing substance). All that from a little tree sap!

Copaiba’s anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties are due to powerful chemical components, such as bisabolene, carioazulene and cariophillene, among many others. The resin or oil can be found in both natural and traditional pharmacies throughout Brazil and it comes in pure oil form or in gel caps.

I always bring a reserve of several bottles with me when I visit my family in Brazil…but you can also find it online without too much effort.

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