Ajo Te
Mansoa alliacea Ajo Te
Blood purification for cancer,
diabetic and heart disease patients
diabetic and heart disease patients
Ajo Té
(Mansoa alliacea [Past.])
Leaves of the Ajo Vine --
pronounced "AH'-Ho teh"
Code 316 -- Price: $9.95
Ground tea leaves: 85 gr. (net wt)
Makes 4 Gallons of Tea
(Using 20 g. or ? 2/3 cup
to make one gallon)
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(Mansoa alliacea [Past.])
Leaves of the Ajo Vine --
pronounced "AH'-Ho teh"
Code 316 -- Price: $9.95
Ground tea leaves: 85 gr. (net wt)
Makes 4 Gallons of Tea
(Using 20 g. or ? 2/3 cup
to make one gallon)
Order Now
EmailSummarized Description: Ajo Té is one of our Amazonian traditionals. The leaves come from a vine, common to the Amazon jungle. It gets its name from the smell of the leaves ("ajo" means "garlic" in Spanish -- and although the taste of the tea is mild, not unlike drinking "green tea," the scent is close to that of garlic). 
Preparation is easy and the benefits can realized with a matter of days. This vine is as close to anything we have seen in the Amazon which the shamans and curendéros claim to be a panacea: specifically, they claim that it helps purify the blood -- and impurities in the blood is, in their widely held view -- the source of most "affluence-based" degenerative diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. We make no similar claims concerning this product, but simply offer it up as an Amazonian health beverage. Customers who have been with us over the last 20 years will readily recognize that this is the first time we have offered a product in dried leaf form, which must then be prepared as a "low-boil" decoction, as with many teas. By selling this product in tea leaf form, our customers save a lot of money -- in product and shipping, since the finished beverage is over 95% water. See below for details.
Preparation is easy and the benefits can realized with a matter of days. This vine is as close to anything we have seen in the Amazon which the shamans and curendéros claim to be a panacea: specifically, they claim that it helps purify the blood -- and impurities in the blood is, in their widely held view -- the source of most "affluence-based" degenerative diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes. We make no similar claims concerning this product, but simply offer it up as an Amazonian health beverage. Customers who have been with us over the last 20 years will readily recognize that this is the first time we have offered a product in dried leaf form, which must then be prepared as a "low-boil" decoction, as with many teas. By selling this product in tea leaf form, our customers save a lot of money -- in product and shipping, since the finished beverage is over 95% water. See below for details. 
jo Té is powerful traditional from the Amazon, used as a general blood purifier, preventative for colds and flus, and in larger, more regular quantities, as an adjunctive in the treatment of a wide variety of degenerative diseases:
Uses & Protocols
The following uses and protocols are well-established among the people's of the Ecuadorean oriente. As is the case with other Amazonian traditionals, please note that these are indigenous uses, few of which have gone through rigorous clinical testing. This ethnobotanical information is provided as a guideline to how others use this product. Since this product comes as dried tea leaves, proper preparation is discussed herein before getting into protocol.I. Preparation --- if you can boil water, you can make this product: Professional herbalists will recognize this as a standard decoction.
- Add 2/3 cups of Ajo Té to a large sauce pan, along with one gallon of purified water (3.75 liters). Each 85 g. bag measures out to 3 to 3.5 cups, so you have plenty of product to make 4 gallons.
- Heat until a very low-level boil or "barely boiling" level has been reached.
- Continue to stir occasionally over 25 minutes.
- Remove heat source and let cool.
- Pour the contents of your pan through a strainer and into a large glass vase or container so as to remove most of the tea leaf fragments.
- Dispose of tea leaves.
- Drink your tea hot . . . refrigerate glass vase and enjoy Ajo later as a refreshing cold tea . . . or refrigerate and reheat later if you want to enjoy the product as a hot tea. More specific protocols for the use of the product are provided below.
This product carries an unusual protocol and is geared to treating serious diseases in the Amazon. In the Amazon, the tea is prepared a pot at a time and drunk throughout the day. Herbalists in the Amazon routinely ask patients to drink as much as two liters per day -- or as much as they are able, to effect the maximum benefit.
During the treatment period, users drink the tea in place of water, tea, coffee and other beverages. A minimum of eight to ten glasses a day should be consumed to get the most from the product. Note: Users should note that a slight smell of garlic will begin to be detectable from the skin after a week of use, not as intense as with the regular and/or high consumption of raw garlic, but still detectable. Our protocols normally provide an amount of product to consume, along with a regularity (normally 1X, 2X, or 3X per day -- before, during, or after meals), but with this product, no such advice is provided. Instead, the goal should be to consume the product liberally throughout the day with a minimum target of 4 to 5 glasses consumed. Again -- this mimics how the product is successfully used in the Amazon.
The product should be consumed for a minumum of two months -- however, three months of treatment is adviseable.
Contraindications
Similiar to other Amazonian traditionals, the contraindications for this product are primarily dietary: during treatment period, do not consume pork, cow's meat, chicken, or sea fish. Freshwater fish is alright. Additionally, no salt, no sugar or other monosaccharide sweeteners, no spicy foods, no cayenne or ají (hot sauce).Shelf-Life
This product is dehydrated, so its functional shelf-life is in excess of two years.
Medicinal Activities
Further information for practitioners: World-famous botanist Dr. James Duke attributes the following activities to this plant (p. 435-437; see hardcopy cover at right), drawn from the extant literature. (See his graduation for "level of efficacy" on our amazon traditionals page; followed by Duke's bibliographic abbreviations (in capital letters), which we identify on a separate page.) - Analgesic (f1; DAV; RA2);
- Antiedemic (f; RA2);
- Antiinflammatory (f1; MD2, RA2);
- Antioxidant (1; RA2);
- Antiradicular (1; RA2);
- Antirheumatic (f1; MD2; RA2);
- Antispasmodic (f; DAv; RA2)
- Antitissuve (1: RA2)
- Antiviral (1; RA2)
- Cyclooxygenas-Inhibitor (1; RA2);
- Cytotoxic (1; PC31:1061);
- Depurative (f; RA2);
- Emetic (f; RA2);
- Febrifuge (f; MD2);
- Fungicide (1; RA2);
- Hypocholesterolemic (1; X9135681);
- Insecticide (f; RA2);
- Mosquitofuge (f; RA2);
- Prostaglandin-Synethesis-Inhibitor (1;RA2);
- Purgative (f; RA2);
- Tonic (f; RA2);
- Vermifigure (f;RA2);
Indications
Further information for practitioners: Duke provides the following indications for this plant:- Arthritis (f1; MD2; RA2);
- Asthma (f; RA2);
- Cancer (1; RA2);
- Colds (f1; RA2);
- Constipation (f; RA2);
- Coughs (f1; RA2);
- Cramps (f; DAV; RA2);
- Debility (f; RA2);
- Dermatosis (f; RA2);
- Edema (f; RA2);
- Enterosis (f; RA2);
- Epilepsy (f; MD2; RA2);
- Fatique (f; DAV; GMJ; RA2);
- Fever (f; DAV; MD2);
- Flu (f; DAV; RA2);
- Fungus (f1; RA2);
- Headache (f; RA2);
- Head Colds (f; RA2);
- High Cholesterol (1; RA2; X9135681);
- Infection (1; RA2);
- Infertility (1; RA2);
- Inflammation (f1; MD2; RA2);
- Lameness (f; RA2);
- Lumbago (f; RA2);
- Malaria (f; RA2);
- Myalgia (f; RA2);
- Mycosis (f1; RA2);
- Nervousness (f; DAV; RA2);
- Neurosis (f; DAV);
- Pain (f1; DAV; RA2);
- Pneumonia (f; RA2);
- Pregnancy (f; RA2);
- Pulmonosis (f; RA2);
- Respirosis (f1: RA2);
- Rheumatism (f1; DAV; MD2, RA2);
- Shock (f; DAV: RA2);
- Swelling (f; RA2);
- Uterosis (f; RA2);
- Viruses (1: RA2);
- Worms (f; RA2);
- Wounds (f; RA2);
Sourcing From
The Amazon
All the materials used to make our Ajo Té are wild-crafted and harvested from deep in the the provinces of Pastaza and Moreno Santiago, near the Peruvian border. There are no cultivated varieties. Click photo to enlarge.
"Garlic water" -- or tea made by a decoction of whole "ajo leaves" -- is made quite simply in Ecuador. Twelve whole leaves are put in a pot with one gallon of water. Upon reaching a low level boil, the leaves continue to boil for 25 minutes, before being cooled. There is not a single degenerative disease that does not benefit from the use of Ajo Té -- or so preaches untold numbers of herbalists, curenderos, and shamans in the Amazon. Most claim it to be one of their most important medicinal herbals. Click photo to enlarge.
Ajo is relatively easy to identify: the vine is relatively thin and phyllotaxis is alternate and whorled. If you're a practicing herbalist and click the picture above to enlarge, you'll notice that the leaf is oblate, non-serrated, laminate and petiolate; venation of the single leaf is camptodromous -- with a unique vein design.
This picture shows three dried Ajo leaves with two petrioles intact. Leaves used to make our Ajo Té are organic and wildcrafted (i.e. no cultivation -- they are picked from the Ecudorean jungle), then carefully selected, dried, cut, and packaged.
Duke provides a "food farmacy potential" score for this plant of, "FNFF=!" ("Survival food . . . locally important; but not in U.S. supermarkets"). Although he indicates other usage forms besides use in a tea made through dedoction (i.e. capsules [1-2 g; 2X/day] and tincture [3-4 ml, 2X / day), this is not considered the most efficacious way to take the herb by those who use it regularly.
The leaves and stems of this plant are in such regular usage that the only medicinal beverage that I have seen in wider usage in the Amazon is Guayusa (Aquifoliaceae Ilex guyausa Loes.) -- a morning stimulant considered more healthful than coffee.
"Garlic water" -- or tea made by a decoction of whole "ajo leaves" -- is made quite simply in Ecuador. Twelve whole leaves are put in a pot with one gallon of water. Upon reaching a low level boil, the leaves continue to boil for 25 minutes, before being cooled. There is not a single degenerative disease that does not benefit from the use of Ajo Té -- or so preaches untold numbers of herbalists, curenderos, and shamans in the Amazon. Most claim it to be one of their most important medicinal herbals. Click photo to enlarge.
Ajo is relatively easy to identify: the vine is relatively thin and phyllotaxis is alternate and whorled. If you're a practicing herbalist and click the picture above to enlarge, you'll notice that the leaf is oblate, non-serrated, laminate and petiolate; venation of the single leaf is camptodromous -- with a unique vein design.
This picture shows three dried Ajo leaves with two petrioles intact. Leaves used to make our Ajo Té are organic and wildcrafted (i.e. no cultivation -- they are picked from the Ecudorean jungle), then carefully selected, dried, cut, and packaged.
Dosages / Ethno-] Usage
Duke provides a "food farmacy potential" score for this plant of, "FNFF=!" ("Survival food . . . locally important; but not in U.S. supermarkets"). Although he indicates other usage forms besides use in a tea made through dedoction (i.e. capsules [1-2 g; 2X/day] and tincture [3-4 ml, 2X / day), this is not considered the most efficacious way to take the herb by those who use it regularly.
The leaves and stems of this plant are in such regular usage that the only medicinal beverage that I have seen in wider usage in the Amazon is Guayusa (Aquifoliaceae Ilex guyausa Loes.) -- a morning stimulant considered more healthful than coffee.
- "Achuales use roots for rheumatism (DAV)": (The roots can be used for rheumatism -- but tea made from the leaves and stems is more common, and I have seen it work repeatedly for this indication).
- "Amuesha use leaf tea for fertility (RA2)": (This is not an indication in use within the communities I work with . . . the most common remedy for fertility is Leche de Sandi.
- "Brazilian Tapajos put herb in baths for body aches and flu (RA2)" : (From what we see: body aches, yes; flu, occasionally, but there are other, more effective herbals.)
- "Ese'eja Indians use leaf tea for colds." (See above)
- Colombians use for pulmonary complaints (RA2) -- ( . . . only to the extent that detoxification would assist . . . )
- "Guyana Creoles use leaves in baths for cramps and fatigue (GMJ; RA2)." (A common application)
- "Madre de Dios people bathe in leaf/bark decoction, cutipado, daño, and fiebre y susto [evil eye, injuries, fever, and shock] (MD2)." (Used everywhere for fever and general "arnica"-type injuries -- we'll pass on the rest).
- "Madre de Dios people drink decoction for epilepsy (MD2)." (I have no knowledge that the herb would be effective against any form of epilepsy).
- Peruvians use as analgesic, purgative, and tonic, for abdominal pain, aches, arthritis, asthma, colds, coughs, cramps, epilepsy, fatigue, fertility, fevers, flu, good luck, headaches, inflammation, insect repellant, malaria, nervous shock, nervousness, pneumonia, rheumatism, skin problems, and uterine disorders (RA2).
- "Shipibo-Conibo poultice bark on bumps, swellings, and inflammation, using bark tea or leaf decoction for arthritis, colds, epilepsy, inflammation, rheumatism, and uterosis, and the root tincture as tonic (RA2)."
- "Surinamese use for colds, fever, rheumatic pains, and as a vermifuge and in pregnancy (RA2)."
- "Venezuelans consider the plant emetic (RA2). (We know emetics. And this herb manifests little or no emetic effect if used as we prescribe)."
- "Wayapi use leaves in bath for fever (GMJ; RA2)"