Dragon’s Blood Benefits: 7 Science-Backed Healing Properties of Sangre de Drago with Science Studies

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May 6th, 2026
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| Jessica Lewis

[This article was originally written in 2018, I have rewritten parts and added new science on Dragon’s Blood]

I was introduced to Dragon’s Blood many years ago after kambo, and was given a bottle afterwards to use, in case I ‘needed to use it for healing’. At the time, I had no idea how powerful Dragon’s Blood was, but after doing a bit of research I quickly realised it was more than just a skin healing agent. Croton Lechleri is a tree native to the North West of South America, more commonly known as Sangra de Drago, Sangre de Grado or Dragon’s Blood, and it gets its nickname because of the colour of the sap it produces, which looks exactly like blood.

The tree sap is made up of water, mineral elements and other nutrients that provide life force for the tree and protect it against infection and disease, protecting the tree from microbial infection and seals any damage on the trunk. Indigenous people of the Amazon have been using Dragon’s Blood for generations as their go to remedy for cuts, bites, stings, scratches, wounds, and so much more.

Dragon’s Blood contains a rich bunch of bioactive compounds, including the alkaloid taspine, which has been shown in pharmacological studies to promote fibroblast migration, support tissue regeneration, and exhibit anti-inflammatory activity.

The resin also contains protective polyphenols, lignans, diterpenes, tannins, and very high levels of oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPCs), which make up more than 90% of the resin’s dry weight. Some of these compounds have shown anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant, and properties that protect tissue in laboratory and pharmacological studies.

Proanthocyanidins in particular are recognised as some of nature’s most powerful plant antioxidants, helping protect tissues from oxidative stress while giving the body support in its natural healing and regenerative processes.

After a camping trip a few years I ended up with over 200 insect bites on my body and over 100 of them in my face, neck, ears and head. By the second day they were even worse and covering my whole face, I literally had bites on top of bites! I must‘ve been like an all you can eat buffet for them and it was beyond uncomfortable, I was constantly feeling like I wanted to scratch at the bites.

Just to see how powerful the Dragon’s Blood was, I decided to do a little experiment and only apply it to my face and leave the rest of the bites on my body so I could compare. I applied the Dragons Blood in quite generous amounts to all of the skin on my face, I then began to gently rub it in. Normally you would rub the Dragon’s Blood until it turns white, but my face was too itchy and painful that I couldn’t, plus I didn’t want to aggravate the bites. As soon as I applied it I immediately felt the benefits, the itching stopped immediately, which meant I wasn’t making the situation worse scratching. The bites on my body however, were driving me up the wall.

The Dragon’s Blood worked to form a protective layer my skin, and it began to heal the bites covering my face. It immediately stopped them from itching, which. The sap made my skin feel really tight, almost like wearing a face mask, and after two day’s the bites started to heal and disappear, I couldn’t believe how quickly the bites started to heal!

After 3 days I was pretty much back to normal, no spots, just a slight mark where some of the bites had been. However, the bites on my body stayed for over two weeks. Yikes! Now I literally take Dragon’s Blood everywhere with me, which comes in handy when you have a very active child!

I wanted to share how brilliant Dragon’s Blood is, so I decided to put together the science and studies to show all the way it can heal. Lets explore 7 different ways Dragon’s Blood can be used including human clinical trials, scientific papers, pharmacological reviews, and laboratory research, in the reference section at the end of the article. Of course, Dragon’s Blood has many more than 7 benefits, so I have included science study links in the reference section at the end, to show many of the other conditions and diseases Dragon’s Blood has shown to help with.

1. Dragon’s Blood for Wound Healing

When we get a cut, graze, bite, or minor injury, the first thing we usually do after cleaning the area, is apply a plaster. Plasters help to protect the wound from dirt, bacteria, and further irritation, creating a safer environment for the body to heal naturally. What they don’t do, however, is actively help the repair process itself.

Rather than covering the wound, research shows that Dragon’s Blood actively supports healingthrough multiple biological pathways that are involved in tissue regeneration, inflammation control, microbial protection, and collagen formation.

One of its most studied compounds, taspine, has been shown to stimulate fibroblast chemotaxis,, which is the movement of fibroblasts towards damaged tissue. Fibroblasts are the specialised repair cells responsible for producing collagen, elastin, and the extracellular matrix, the structural framework needed to rebuild healthy skin. Dragon’s Blood has also been shown to support granulation tissue formation, which is a critical stage in wound healing, where new connective tissue and microscopic blood vessels form at the base of a wound to repair tissue damage. Dragon’d Blood works to improve local tissue organisation, and create a protective resin-like barrier over damaged skin, helping to protect the area while repair takes place. And these mechanisms are not just theoretical, they have been shown in human clinical research.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine looked into the effects of Dragon’s Blood on 60 human participants aged between 14 and 65 undergoing skin wound recovery.

Participants were divided into two groups, the first group applied a topical cream containing Dragon’s Blood, and the second group were given an identical placebo cream.

By day three, researchers noticed significantly improved wound healing, reduced inflammation, and faster tissue recovery in the Dragon’s Blood group compared to placebo group. By the end of the study, the Dragon’s Blood group showed enhanced wound closure and improved healing progression.

This supports what Amazonian communities have known for generations, Dragon’s Blood doesn’t only cover a wound, it actually helps to orchestrate the body’s own repair intelligence, accelerating the natural processes of regeneration from the inside out.

2. Dragon’s Blood helps with ageing skin and stretch Marks

A 6-week study investigating Dragon’s Blood combined with an oil from a fruit, and found significant improvements in skin hydration, elasticity, and overall skin texture, suggesting benefits that extend far

beyond superficial moisturisation. Researchers believe this is linked to Dragon’s Blood’s amazing ability to support the body’s natural collagen building processes during tissue repair.

One of its most studied compounds, taspine, has been shown to stimulate fibroblast migration,the movement of special repair cells responsible for producing collagen, elastin, and other structural proteins that give the skin its strength, firmness, and flexibility. As we age, fibroblast activity naturally declines, leading to reduced collagen production, thinner skin, fine lines, and loss of elasticity.

Dragon’s Blood appears to support this regenerative process by enhancing granulation tissue formation, the new vascular connective tissue that forms during healing, and by encouraging the organised delivery of collagen to the site of tissue in need of repairing. At the same time, its extremely high concentration of proanthocyanidins (OPCs) and protective polyphenols helps defend newly forming collagen from oxidative stress and inflammation, two of the major biological drivers of premature skin ageing.

This combination of cellular repair signaling, collagen support, antioxidant protection, and barrier reinforcement could help to explain why Dragon’s Blood has been used not only for cuts, bites, wounds, and burns, but increasingly for ageing skin, stretch marks, scars, and overall skin regeneration.

3. Dragon’s Blood Is Anti-Bacterial and Anti-Microbial

One of the reasons Dragon’s Blood has been traditionally applied to cuts, bites, stings, ulcers, and open wounds throughout the Amazon is because it doesn’t just help seal damaged tissue,it also appears to help protect it from an unwanted invasion of bacteria.

Modern research has shown that Dragon’s Blood contains multiple bioactive compounds with antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiviral, and antifungal properties, helping to create an environment where damaged tissue can heal without being made worse by further infection.

In one study led by researchers in China, scientists isolated compounds from Dragon’s Blood and found that two of these compounds significantly inhibited the growth of Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria strongly associated with stomach ulcers, chronic inflammation, gastritis, and digestive discomfort.

Interestingly, the same study also identified eight additional compounds with anti-platelet activity, meaning they helped inhibit excessive platelet aggregation, which is the process involved in blood clot formation. While clotting is essential for wound healing, healthy blood flow and balanced circulation also play an important role in delivering oxygen, nutrients, and immune cells to damaged tissue.

Further evidence came from a 2011 study, where researchers found that Dragon’s Blood demonstrated significant antioxidant activity alongside strong inhibitory effects against multiple food borne pathogens, suggesting it may offer both protective and preservative benefits against bacteria contamination.

These findings help to explain why Dragon’s Blood has been used for generations, not just as a wound-healing agent, but also as a natural protector, supporting the body’s ability to defend damaged tissue from bacteria, environmental pathogens, and microbial stress while the healing takes place.

4. Dragon’s Blood Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Benefits

Inflammation is one of the body’s most important survival mechanisms,it helps us heal from injury, fight infection, and repair damaged tissue, but when inflammation becomes chronic, it can begin to work against us. Inflammation contributes to pain, accelerated ageing, tissue degeneration, digestive issues, and many of the inflammatory conditions commonly seen today.

One of the reasons Dragon’s Blood has been used for generations throughout the Amazon is because of its amazing ability to help wounds and irritated skin, while supporting the body’s natural healing response at the same time.

In a 2012 experimental study, researchers found that Dragon’s Blood showed significant anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and analgesic (pain-relieving) activity, suggesting it may have therapeutic potential in the management of chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain.

The study identified a bioactive compound known as cochinchinenin B, a naturally occurring flavonoid found in Dragon’s Blood, which appears to play an important role in these effects.

Researchers discovered that Dragon’s Blood helped to inhibit chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain responses by suppressing the synthesis and release of Substance P, a neuropeptide produced by the nervous system that acts as one of the body’s key messengers for pain, inflammation, and inflammatory signaling.

When Substance P is released in excess, it can contribute to chronic pain, inflammatory tissue damage, nerve hypersensitivity and prolonged healing times.

By helping regulate this pathway, Dragon’s Blood may support a more balanced inflammatory response, allowing damaged tissues to repair without being overwhelmed by high levels of inflammation.

Alongside this, Dragon’s Blood is extremely rich in proanthocyanidins (OPCs), polyphenols, and other antioxidant compounds, which help neutralise free radicals, unstable molecules that can damage cells, accelerate collagen breakdown and contribute to premature ageing and chronic disease.

Dragon’s Blood helps with calming inflammation while protecting cells from oxidative stress, and this could help to explain why Dragon’s Blood has been used, not only for wounds and skin healing, but also for pain, inflammatory conditions, digestive irritation, and tissue regeneration.

5. Dragon’s Blood for Gut Health and Digestive Support

Long before modern medicine began studying its properties, Dragon’s Blood was used by Indigenous communities throughout the Amazon to support digestive health, calm stomach discomfort, soothe intestinal irritation, and help manage diarrhoea.

In a 2001 pharmacological study, researchers found that Dragon’s Blood significantly reduced small intestinal transit, in other words, it helped slow the movement of fluid and contents through the intestines, giving the digestive system more time to absorb water, electrolytes, and nutrients.

Interestingly, researchers also discovered that this effect was independent of the opioid pathway, meaning Dragon’s Blood appeared to regulate digestive function through a completely different biological mechanism than many conventional anti-diarrhoeal medications.

The researchers concluded that Dragon’s Blood hase significant potential in the treatment of diarrhoea, a condition where the intestines release excessive amounts of water and electrolytes, often leading to dehydration, inflammation, and nutrient loss.

Human clinical research led to the development of crofelemer (a pharmaceutical drug), a purified plant compound derived from Croton lechleri, which has been studied in multiple human trials for diarrhoea and gastrointestinal support.

Rather than being absorbed throughout the entire body, crofelemer works locally within the gastrointestinal tract, where it helps regulate chloride ion channels in the intestinal lining, reducing excessive fluid secretion and helping restore balance to the gut.

6. Supports Immune and Antioxidant Defence

Every single day our bodies are exposed to oxidative stress, a natural biological process caused by unstable molecules known as free radicals. These molecules are produced not only through normal metabolism, but also through exposure to environmental pollutants, radiation, processed foods, chronic stress, poor sleep, toxins, and inflammation.

In small amounts, free radicals are a normal part of human biology, however, when they begin to accumulate faster than the body can neutralise them, they can contribute to cellular damage, accelerated ageing, inflammation, weakened tissue repair, and increased physiological stress, which is why antioxidants are essential.

Dragon’s Blood is exceptionally rich in proanthocyanidins (OPCs), polyphenols, tannins, and other protective plant compounds that help support the body’s natural antioxidant defence systems.

In a 2003 study, researchers found that Dragon’s Blood showed significant free radical scavenging activity, meaning its compounds were able to neutralise unstable oxidative molecules before they could damage surrounding tissues.

Rather than “boosting” the immune system, Dragon’s Blood helps support the body by reducing oxidative stress, protecting cellular integrity, and creating a more balanced environment in the body, so that the the immune system can function efficiently.

7. Dragon’s Blood May Help Protect Against Radiation Induced Oxidative Stress

One of the most amazing areas of Dragon’s Blood research has looked at, is its ability to help protect healthy tissues from oxidative stress and inflammation caused by radiation exposure.

In a 2014 experimental study, researchers found that Dragon’s Blood significantly reduced radiation-induced damage in bone marrow tissue, suggesting its protective effects may be linked to its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds.

Bone marrow is one of the most biologically active tissues in the body, responsible for producing red

blood cells, white blood cells, and many of the immune cells essential for repair, recovery, and defence.Because these rapidly dividing cells are particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage, protecting this tissue vital.

The research found that Dragon’s Blood significantly reduced levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), which is a major inflammatory messenger known to increase during tissue stress and radiation exposure.

Researchers also observed reduced neuronal apoptosis in the hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in memory, learning, and nervous system regulation. Apoptosis is the body’s programmed cell death mechanism, and excessive oxidative stress can trigger this process prematurely, leading to tissue damage.

While this research is currently limited to experimental and preclinical research, they suggest that Dragon’s Blood may

possess radioprotective properties, helping to defend healthy tissues against oxidative stress, inflammation, and cellular damage under extreme physiological conditions.

And this is only the beginning.

The deeper you dive into Dragon’s Blood, the more you begin to understand why Indigenous communities of the Amazon have worked with this medicine for generations. What appears to be a simple red tree sap, has actually revealed itself to be something far more powerful, a medicine that supports protection, repair, regeneration, and the body’s own intelligence to heal.

Today, modern science is beginning to catch up, validating many of the uses of Dragon’s Blood through studies on wound healing, gut health, inflammation, microbial defence, antioxidant protection, collagen formation, and cellular repair.

I could honestly spend days sharing the research, the stories, and the science behind this extraordinary gift from the Amazon, but this article would quickly turn into a book!

So below, I’ve compiled an extensive list of scientific studies for those who feel called to go deeper.

Explore them for yourself because the more you learn about Dragon’s Blood, the more remarkable it becomes.

I hope you have found this insightful!

Jessica Lewis