Chaparral

Chaparral is a herb. It comes from the creosote bush in the western deserts of the USA.

Summary

• Chaparral is a herb

• There is no scientific evidence to support its use as a treatment for cancer

• Chaparral can have severe side effects

What is chaparral?

Chaparral is a herb that comes from the creosote bush. It grows in the western deserts of the USA.

Native Americans have used chaparral for many years to relieve pain and inflammation. They also use it to treat many illnesses. These include colds, diabetes, digestive problems and cancer.

In traditional medicine chaparral tea is used to treat gallbladder and kidney stones.

Why people with cancer use it

Many internet sites advertise and promote it as a way to treat or prevent cancer. But there is no research to prove that it works or if it is safe to use. There is no scientific evidence to support its use for the treatment of cancer.

Chaparral contains lignans. Lignans are chemicals found in plants. They have oestrogenic and anticancer effects.

The main lignan in chaparral is nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). It is a potent antioxidant. That means it protects cells from damage. Despite it being an antioxidant, it is toxic. In high doses NDGA causes liver damage.

M4N is a chemical made from NDGA. It is also called a derivative from NDGA. Researchers have tested M4N in laboratory studies on mouse and human cancer cells. They found that M4N can stop cancer cells from growing.

How you have it

You can buy chaparral from health food shops, pharmacies and over the internet as:

• tablets or capsules

• dried leaves for making tea

• liquid (tincture) made from chaparral leaves dissolved in alcohol

• capsules with added antioxidants such as vitamin C

Side effects

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advises against swallowing or injecting chaparral. It is toxic and can cause severe and permanent kidney and liver damage, even death.

In 1992, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA sent out a warning. They wanted to encourage the removal of all chaparral products from the market. In 2005, Health Canada also issued a warning not to take products containing chaparral. Despite this, chaparral is still easy to buy in shops and over the internet.

Chaparral can also cause:

• diarrhoea

• weight loss

• fever

• skin rashes and itching

• tiredness

• acute inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)

• kidney cysts

• tummy pain

Who shouldn't use chaparral

You shouldn’t use chaparral if you:

• are pregnant or breastfeeding

• have kidney or liver problems

• are taking certain medicines

• are diabetic – in animal studies chaparral has lowered blood sugar levels

• are trying to become pregnant – chaparral may prevent ovulation which will lower your chance of getting pregnant

Chaparral can interfere with how some drugs work. Especially those that can also affect your liver and kidneys. These include:

• some antibiotics

• non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen

• a type of anti depressant called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI)

Children shouldn’t have chaparral. This is because of the possible side effects and the lack of scientific data to prove that it is safe.

Research into chaparral as a cancer treatment

How much it costs

Be cautious about believing information or paying for alternative cancer therapy on the internet.

Only buy products that are registered under the Traditional Herbal Remedies (THR) scheme - these have been tested for quality and safety.

Read more about the cost of complementary and alternative therapies

A word of caution

It is understandable that you might want to try anything if you think it might help treat or cure your cancer. Only you can decide whether to use an alternative cancer therapy such as the chaparral.

You could harm your health if you stop your cancer treatment for an unproven treatment.

Many websites might promote chaparral as a cure for cancer. But no reputable scientific cancer organisations support any of these claims.

The safety of complementary and alternative therapies