Self Help

Chaparral, also known as stinkweed, stinks – literally! And it tastes downright unpleasant. So the herb’s major healing benefit comes as something of a surprise - it’s a mouthwash. We’re not talking minty fresh here. You wouldn’t want to reach for it before puckering up for your morning kiss.

But don’t let that stop you - the unassuming chaparral shrub, native to the American Southwest, contains a chemical that may spell death to some of the germs that cause tooth decay. It owes its use in healing to a chemical called NDGA (nordihydroguaiaretic acid), which kills the bacteria and other microorganisms that turn fats and oils rancid.

If, as some people believe, effective medicine smells foul and tastes terrible, chaparral should be a terrific healer. Its leaves exude a waxy resin that smells like creosote and is the source of its popular names: Stinkweed, grease-wood, and creosote bush (though the plant contains no creosote). The Southwest Indians rubbed chaparral resin on burns. They used chaparral tea to treat colds, bronchitis, chicken pox, snake bite, and arthritis. And they heated the tips of its twigs and applied the hot resin to painful teeth.

White settlers adopted the plant and used it externally for bruises, rashes, dandruff, and wounds, and internally for diarrhea, stomach upset, menstrual problems, venereal diseases, and cancers of the liver, kidney, and stomach.

Chaparral was listed as an expectorant (to clear mucus from the respiratory system) and bronchial antiseptic in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia from 1842 to 1942. But today, few herbalists mention it. Those who do suggest using it externally to prevent wound infections, and
internally for intestinal parasites and bacterial and viral illnesses.

Chaparral is an intriguing and controversial herb. The chemical it contains, NGDA, is approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a preservative in lard and animal shortenings. NGDA’s antiseptic action, combined with its traditional use for toothache, prompted scientists to test it against the bacteria that cause tooth decay. A study in the Journal of Dental Research shows chaparral mouthwash reduces cavities by 75 percent. Oral microorganisms also cause gum disease, the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. Chaparral mouthwash is no substitute for regular brushing and flossing, but it may provide added protection. And you don’t have to worry about the smell lingering either.

NGDA is also a powerful antioxidant, meaning it helps prevent the cell damage scientists believe eventually causes cancer. For more than 100 years, chaparral has been a popular folk treatment for cancer. The National Cancer Institute has received many testimonials from people claiming the herb cured their cancers. Some laboratory studies agree chaparral has anti-tumor effects.