Potassium-Saving Diuretic
Palo azul is a "potassium-sparring diuretic"
Palo azul tea has been used traditionally for centuries to promote kidney and urinary tract function and because of this, it's commonly known "kidney wood" or "kidney tea."
Diuretics are substances which promote diuresis, which is another word for urination. You might think that drinking palo azul tea will promote excessive urination and dehydrate your body...and you'd be right if palo azul was a regular diuretic such as green tea or coffee. But palo azul is no ordinary diuretic 😉...it's actually a potassium-saving diuretic!
A 2016 study found that "the bark of E. polystachya (palo azul) induces an increase on urinary excretion of water and sodium, similar to furosemide, but with the advantage of a potassium-saving effect", which means that it flushes out toxins without electrolyte loss because it spares potassium, so it doesn't lead to dehydration.
Furosemide is a strong diuretic and may cause dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.
The researchers found that "E. polystachya (palo azul) did not increase the urinary excretion of potassium, in contrast to furosemide. This effect on urinary sodium excretion is in proportion with the ability of the plant to excrete water, which suggests that the diuretic effect of E. polystachya is saluretic type in contrast to aquaretic type typical of most phytodiuretic agents."
Saluretic: facilitating the urinary excretion of salt and especially of sodium ion.
Moreover, the researchers concluded that "the (palo azul) extract exhibited advantageous effect with regard to hypokalaemia, a potential adverse effect of furosemide."
Hypokalaemia: refers to a lower than normal potassium level in your bloodstream.
Lastly, the researchers of this study concluded that the palo azul "extract is acting as potassium-sparing diuretic and this effect should be viewed as a favorable feature of the extract in regards to electrolyte excretion."
Additionally, a book about botanical medicine mentions that palo azul has an "alkalinizing nature" in the body.
P.S...Don’t forget to help your friends & family by sharing palo azul with them!
Studies
Palo azul's scientific and common names: Eysenhardtia polystachya, Cyclolepis genistoides, Lignum nephriticum, kidney wood, kidney tea, palo dulce
(2022) Nephroprotective Plants: A Review on the Use in Pre-Renal and Post-Renal Diseases
(2016) Diuretic activity of the bark of Eysenhardtia polystachya