Common names: Creosote bush, Greasewood
Botanical name: Larrea tridentata
© Martin Wall
Parts used and where grown
Chaparral takes its name from the area in which it grows, the desert regions of the
southwestern United States and northern Mexico known as the chaparral ecosystem. The leaves
and stems of this ancient plant are used as medicine.
Chaparral has been used in
connection with the following conditions (refer to the individual
health concern for complete information):
Historical or traditional use (may
or may not be supported by scientific studies)
Chaparral has been used for thousands of years by Native Americans for a variety of
purposes. It has been employed primarily in tea form to help with cramping pains, joint pains,
and allergic problems, as well as to eliminate
parasites.1 2 Externally it has been applied to reduce inflammation
and pain, and to promote healing of minor
wounds.3
Active constituents
The major lignan in chaparral, known as nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) is a potent
antioxidant and was thought by some scientists to be a potential cancer treatment. In a rat
study, NDGA and a leaf extract of a South American subspecies of chaparral were found to exert
an antitumor effect.4 However, one report suggests that NDGA may stimulate further
growth of tumors in cancer patients.5 Clinical trials, therefore, are still needed
to establish whether chaparral is a safe and effective treatment for people with cancer.
Other reported effects for chaparral include anti-inflammatory properties6
7 as well as antimicrobial actions in test tubes.8 These actions have note
been established in human clinical trials
How much is usually taken?
A tea can be prepared by steeping 1 teaspoon (approximately 5 grams) of leaves and flowers
in 1 cup (250 ml) of hot water for ten to fifteen minutes.9 People should drink
three cups per day for a maximum of two weeks unless under the care of a physician expert in
the use of botanical medicines. Alternatively, 0.5–1 ml of tincture can be taken three
times per day.10 Topically, cloths can be soaked in oil preparations or tea of
chaparral and applied several times per day (with heat if helpful) over the affected area.
Capsules of chaparral should be avoided.
Are there any side effects or interactions?
There have been sporadic reports of people developing liver or kidney problems after taking
chaparral, particularly in capsules.11 Almost all of these cases involved either
the use of capsules or excessive amounts of tea. Some of these cases were people with
established liver disease prior to using the herb. Tea and tincture of chaparral have an
extremely strong taste considered disagreeable by most people, which restricts the amount they
can tolerate before feeling nauseous. Capsules bypass this protective mechanism and should
therefore be avoided. Since human studies have shown that large amounts of chaparral tea and
injections of NDGA in people with cancer do
not cause liver or kidney problems,12 it is likely the cases of toxicity
represented individual reactions.13
At the time of writing, there were no well-known drug interactions
with chaparral.
References:1. Brinker F. Larrea tridentata (D.C.) Coville (chaparral or
creosote bush). Br J Phytother 1993/1994;3:10–31 [review].
2. Moore M. Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West.
Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1989, 27–9.
3. Kay MA. Healing with Plants in the American and Mexican West.
Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1996, 178–81.
4. Birkenfeld S, Zaltsman YA, Krispin M, et al. Antitumor effects of
inhibitors of arachadonic acid cascade on experimentally induced intestinal tumors. Dis
Colon Rectum 1987;30:43–6.
5. Smart CR, Hogle CR, Vogel H, et al. Clinical experience with
nordihydroguaiaretic acid—”chapparel tea” [sic] in the treatment of cancer.
Rocky Mtn Med J 1970;67:39–43.
6. Bokoch G, Reed P. Evidence for inhibition of leukotriene A4 synthesis
by 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid in guinea pig polymorphonuclear leukocytes. J Biol
Chem 1981;256:4156.
7. Salari H, Braquet P, Borgeat P. Comparative effects of indomethacin,
acetylenic acids, 15-HETE, nordihydroguaiaretic acid and BW755C on the metabolism of
arachidonic acid in human leukocytes and platelets. Prostaglan Leukot Med
1984;13:53–60.
8. Calzado-Flores C, Segura-Luna JJ, Guajardo-Touche EM. Effects of
chaparrin, nordihydroguaiaretic acid and their structural analogues on Entamoeba
histolytica cultures. Proc West Pharmacol Soc 1995;38:105–6.
9. Kay MA. Healing with Plants in the American and Mexican West.
Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1996, 178–81.
10. Moore M. Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West.
Santa Fe: Museum of New Mexico Press, 1989, 27–9.
11. Sheikh NM, Philen RM, Love LA. Chaparral-associated hepatotoxicity.
Arch Int Med 1997;157:913–9.
12. Smart CR, Hogle CR, Vogel H, et al. Clinical experience with
nordihydroguaiaretic acid—”chapparel tea” [sic] in the treatment of cancer.
Rocky Mtn Med J 1970;67:39–43.
13. McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A. American Herbal
Products Association’s Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 1997,
67.