We stand in awe of the centuried Redwoods of the Pacific coast and the twisted, giant Saguaros of the high desert, but compared to the Chaparral bush they are mere infants. Botanically known as Larrea tridentata, the common chaparral plant can live up to 12,000 years! The fact this waxy-leaved bush can thrive in the harsh Arizona desert and dominate it's neighbors without being eaten or infected is testimonial to the potency of its chemical arsenal. The Native Americans of the Southwest long ago discovered this medical resource and used chaparral to treat everything from respiratory Problem created due to harmful organisms to arthritis.

To date, researchers have identified dozens of flavonoids in chaparral which act as cellular enhancers, as well as a powerful antioxidant called NDGA. Recently, researchers at Arizona State University discovered that chaparral demonstrates strong antiviral activity particularly on the Herpes family of viruses.