Chaparral is a botanical extract from leaves of an evergreen desert shrub, called the creosote bush, found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. It was first used by brewing the leaves as tea by Native Americans to treat conditions like respiratory illness, arthritis pain, snakebites, and chicken pox. Now it is made available as a dietary supplement in the form of pills, salves for topical use, and concentrated extract to brew as tea. Due to its antioxidant properties, chaparral has been claimed:
- To work as a free radical scavenger,
- Increase weight loss,
- Improve liver wellness,
- Cleanse the blood,
- Improve the immune system,
- Treat cancer,
- Treat HIV infection, and
- Treat skin disorders
In general, companies that sell chaparral claim that taking this as a dietary supplement can slow down aging and improve general well-being. However, there have been no studies that have shown any of these effects.
Toxicity
The main active ingredient in chaparral is nordihydroguaiaretic acid or NDGA for short, which is an antioxidant that is found in many plant species and even has been added to foods at low concentrations. A misleading concept is that antioxidants are always beneficial, however, depending on the dose they can still be harmful. In this case, there have been more than two dozen cases of liver injury that have been attributed to the ingestion of chaparral, caused by NDGA, with the first one being reported in 1990. NDGA causes hepatotoxicity, which is chemical or drug-induced liver injury, through its effects in many intrahepatic pathways, including those involving cyclooxygenases and lipoxygenases. Evidence suggests that this causes an allergic or immunological response that causes liver injury, but the exact mechanism is still unknown. However, the liver injury presented very similarly to acute viral hepatitis, with elevated serum aminotransferase levels. While these cases of liver toxicity are rare, they can lead to acute liver failure or cirrhosis.
Adverse Effects
Some adverse effects of taking chaparral orally include:
- Stomach pain,
- Nausea,
- Diarrhea,
- Weight loss, and
- Fever
However, in cases of long-term ingestion or high dose chaparral has been reported to cause:
- Acute hepatitis,
- Kidney damage, and
- Liver damage,
- Possibly resulting in kidney and liver failure
Recurrence of liver injury after being re-exposed to chaparral has also been known to happen. Typically, liver injury will develop after three to twelve weeks of daily ingestion or after an increase in daily dosage. Toxicity can happen at just 1.5 to 3.5 g per day of pure chaparral. There is not much information about the effects of topical use chaparral, but some adverse effects include rash and itching.
Safety
Studies have shown that pill supplement and concentrate forms may increase the risk of liver injury, while tea versions have less NDGA concentrations, however, the risk of toxicity of chaparral tea leaves depends on the length of time the leaves steep. In general, it’s use is not recommended. In 1992, the FDA deemed chaparral as potentially harmful, but it has yet to be banned. Health Canada also warns consumers against the ingested use of chapparal.
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