Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado)

1. What Is Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado)?

Dragon's blood, in Spanish Sangre de Grado, is the red latex of the South American tree Croton lechleri. This tree belongs to the spurge family. The sap contains mainly tannins from the proanthocyanidin group and the plant compound taspine. The drug crofelemer is also obtained from it. Important: resins of other plants also bear the name dragon's blood, but are something different.

2. Where Is It Found, and What Is It Made From?

The tree grows in the western Amazon region, for example in Peru and Ecuador. The sap exudes when the bark is cut. Commercially, the liquid sap is available for application or ingestion. There are also creams and dental care products with dragon's blood. Crofelemer is a purified extract from the sap and is approved as a drug against diarrhea.

3. What Does Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado) Do? What Research Shows

Diarrhoea and Digestion

For diarrhea, almost only crofelemer was tested, the purified extract from the sap. The advantage was clearest in people with HIV and long-lasting diarrhea 3. There, more treated people responded than with a sham treatment, and the stool became firmer 3. For diarrhea caused by cancer treatment and for irritable bowel syndrome, the studies missed their main goal but showed advantages in secondary analyses 12. For the raw sap taken orally, there is only one review with positive reports 14.

Skin and Wounds

One review names studies that point to wound-healing and antiviral properties 7. Another review reports relief from insect bites from the sap 14. A controlled, non-randomized study tested a cream with pomegranate seed oil and a resin extract of Croton lechleri for stretch marks 5. Skin thickness, moisture and elasticity increased in both groups 5. How much the dragon's blood contributed to this cannot be said.

Other Outcomes

In HIV and long-lasting diarrhea, crofelemer did not worsen immune values 3. One review reports that the viral load and the number of CD4 cells, a type of immune cell, remained unchanged 6. Only crofelemer was tested, not the raw sap. For the raw latex, controlled data on this are lacking.

4. How Was Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado) Taken in the Studies?

In the controlled studies, almost always crofelemer was taken, the purified extract from the sap, namely for diarrhea 1234.

5. Is Dragon's Blood (Sangre De Grado) Safe? Side Effects in the Studies

Crofelemer was well tolerated in the studies, similar to a sham treatment 13613. It is hardly absorbed from the intestine 368910. In a small controlled, non-randomized study, most treated people got constipation, which remained mild 4. Reviews occasionally name elevated liver values without acute liver damage as well as mild gastrointestinal complaints 1112. Also in a long-term study over almost a year, crofelemer was well tolerated 6.

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