Cat's claw is starting to gain popularity

1. The rainforest holds many secrets for natural medicine that have yet to be discovered. One of the secrets that has already been discovered is a well-known indigenous Peruvian wonder drug, which has been used for nearly 2,000 years. Cat's claw (Uña de Gato in Spanish) is a thorny shrub that grows in the tropical regions of South and Central America and can reach a height of up to 35 meters. Its name comes from the round thorns that grow on the bush and look like a cat's claws.

1. The Asháninka tribe of Peru has the longest history of using this herb. In fact, Peru is also the largest commercial source of the herb today. The Asháninka use cat's claw to treat asthma and inflammation of the urinary tract, to recover from childbirth, as a cleaner for the kidneys, to heal deep wounds, against arthritis, rheumatism and bone pain, to treat inflammation and ulcers. to relieve cancer, and to support cellular health.

2. The Asháninka tribe of Peru has the longest history of using this herb. In fact, Peru is also the largest commercial source of the herb today. The Asháninka use cat's claw to treat asthma and inflammation of the urinary tract, to recover from childbirth, as a cleanser for the kidneys, to heal deep wounds, against arthritis, rheumatism and bone pain, to treat inflammation and ulcers. to relieve cancer, and to support cellular health.

1. Other native tribes also use cat's claw. The Cashibo tribe of eastern Peru believes that cat's claw keeps the body healthy and has used it to cleanse the system since ancient times. Other documented indigenous customs in Peru include the use of Uncaria tomentosa for blood purification (this is why you find the bark of cat's claw in Jon Barron's Blood Support formula) and for irregularities in the menstrual cycle.

1. In the 1970s after an Austrian researcher, Klaus Keplinger, traveled to the rainforests of Peru, it really started to gain popularity. He heard about the healing bush from the healing priests of the Ashaninka. He researched and eventually obtained patents in the US for isolating the active ingredients from the plant.

1. The herb became so popular that in 1997 it was ranked as the seventh most popular herb to be sold in America. This popularity led to too many roots being harvested from the plant. As a result, the Peruvian government bans the harvesting of the plant's roots. However, the same compounds found in the root are also found in the bark, so nowadays the plant is now harvested one meter above the ground. This preserves the plant so that it can be harvested again a few years later.

1. While the herb is used by Peruvian tribes for a wide variety of medicinal uses, most herbalists in the US and Europe use it for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Cat's claw helps protect the cartilage in the joints and has proven to be effective in relieving joint pain, indicating that it may be beneficial for people suffering from arthritis. Because it helps reduce inflammation, it is considered useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. A small study in people who were already taking drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis found that those who also used cat's claw had less painful, swollen joints than those who took a placebo.

2. While the herb is used by Peruvian tribes for a wide variety of medicinal uses, most herbalists in the US and Europe use it for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Cat's claw helps protect the cartilage in the joints and has proven to be effective in relieving joint pain, indicating that it may be beneficial for people suffering from arthritis. Because it helps reduce inflammation, it is considered useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. A small study in humans who were already taking drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis found that those who also used cat's claw had less painful, swollen joints than those who took a placebo.

1. Cat's claw is rich in three main groups of chemical compounds: alkaloids, terpenoids and flavonoids [!R].

1. The specific compounds found in cat's claw include:

1. The potential of cat's claw for boosting health comes mainly from the oxindole alkaloids, which are found in the roots and bark. These seven alkaloids are said to boost the immune system, leading to the various medicinal and curative benefits of this herb.

1. Isopteropodine or Isomer A is the most active alkaloid in cat's claw and is said to help remove free radicals from the body. In addition, the plant contains various compounds that can help eradicate harmful bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. Take a look at the effects of the cat's claw to see which part of the body it is good for.

Cat's Claw and Leaky Gut Syndrome

1. After the use of cat's claw by approximately 150 patients between 1988 and 1992, one scientist reported that "Uncaria tomentosa has the ability to treat severe intestinal disturbances that other available products do not. can remedy, break through. "

1. He refers to the herb as "the plunger" for its remarkable ability to clean the entire intestinal tract and patients suffering from many different gastrointestinal disorders, including leaky gut syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, fistulas, gastritis, ulcers, parasites and an imbalance in the intestinal flora.

1. By cleaning the intestinal walls, cat's claw can help the body to better absorb nutrients and correct nutritional imbalances caused by digestive blockages.

1. Many doctors today believe that cat's claw may have a profound ability to get rid of deep-seated infections in the intestine and perhaps even the mesentery, which can disrupt the uterus and associated anatomical parts such as the prostate, liver, spleen, kidneys, thymus and thyroid.

1. Cat's claw is a world-class herb that has the power to stop and reverse deep-seated pathology that can help you regain your health faster ... "

1. The Ashanika Indians of Peru have long considered tea made from cat's claw a sacred drink. It is used as a cleansing and tonic herb for the immune, intestinal and structural systems.

1. In traditional medicine in Peru, cat's claw is categorized as a 'warm plant' or rather a plant suitable for warm conditions (inflammation), including arthritis, gastritis, asthma and inflammation of the skin and genitals / urinary tract. It is also used to treat diabetes, cancer, tumors, viral infections, recovery from menstrual disorders and weakness. A few tribes also use cat's claw as a remedy for dysentery and at least one tribe uses the herb to treat gonorrhea.

Cat's claw and arthritic conditions

1. The anti-inflammatory effects of cat's claw have been proven to be beneficial for the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism, bursitis and gout. As an antioxidant, it also helps protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Its beneficial effects in treating arthritis pain may also be due in part to its ability to cleanse the digestive tract and help remove toxins from the body. Arthritis, joint pain and inflammation as well as chronic fatigue, allergies, immune deficiency and many other conditions are associated with gut permeability defects (leaky gut syndrome and toxic overload).

1. Some of the glycosides present in the herb may also provide protection against pain. This may partly explain how cat's claw is helpful in reducing the pain associated with chemotherapy, radiation, and the use of AZT.

1. Cat's Claw also contains a wealth of useful phytochemicals, including quinovic acid glycosides, various oxindole alkaloids, proanthocyanidines, polyphenols, triterpines and the plant sterols beta-sitosterol , stigmasterol and campesterol. Researchers believe that the activity of the whole plant extract is greater than the sum of its parts.

Cat's Claw and Immune System

1. The unique alkaloids in cat's claw appear to improve the immune system overall. These alkaloids have a pronounced effect on the ability of white blood cells to engulf and digest harmful microorganisms and foreign substances. Austrian researcher Klaus Keplinger has obtained two US patents for the isolation of some of the main components of the herb. According to these patents, six oxindole alkaloids have been isolated from cat's claw and four of these have been shown to be “suitable for the unspecified stimulation of the immune system”.

1. Laboratory tests have shown that these alkaloids have a marked improvement effect on phagocytosis (the ability of the white blood cells and macrophages to attack harmful microorganisms, foreign matter and waste products, to swallow and digest).

1. The most immunologically active alkaloid appears to be isoteropodine or isomer A. Cat's Claw has also been shown to increase the production of leukocytes and in particular T4 lymphocytes, blocking the advance of many viral diseases. The quinovic acid glycosides in cat's claw support the immune system and protect the body against viruses in general and viruses that cause cancer.

1. Cat's claw is the most powerful immune enhancer of all herbs native to the Peruvian Amazon. Preliminary studies suggest the herb has the ability to stop viral infections in the early stages, help patients sensitive to chemicals, fight opportunistic infections in AIDS patients, and reduce the visible size of some skin tumors and cysts . According to Dr. Satya Ambrose, ND, cat's claw appears to improve overall immunity while increasing stamina and energy in patients suffering from physical and mental exhaustion as a result of an overactive or stressful lifestyle.

Cat's Claw and Your Blood

1. In laboratory studies, rhynchophylline, one of the components of cat's claw, exhibits an ability to inhibit platelet aggregation and thrombosis. This suggests that cat's claw may be useful in the prevention of strokes and by lowering blood pressure and increasing circulation may reduce the risk of heart attack, plaque build-up on arterial walls, blood clot formation in can slow down the brain, heart and veins.

1. It is important to understand that most of the clinical research, clinical studies, and reports completed to date showing that the alkaloids are antiviral, anti-inflammatory, immunostimulant , are anti-mutagenic, antioxidant and have other advantages, are tests that determine the active principles of the alkaloids "in vitro". This means that they have been detected in the test tube and not "in vivo" or in the human body. While these in vitro assays show promise, many more in vivo assays will be required to determine the true efficacy of this plant for specific human diseases.

1. Three studies that could be considered in vivo were in fact studies in humans. Two were performed using "Kroontorn", an extract of cat's claw produced by a German company called Immodal. One of these documents is called a â € therapy sightâ € ™ and includes a ten-year study with 78 patients suffering from brain tumors who have been treated with Kroontorn. Another is a summary of a study of 32 HIV-infected patients treated with Kroontorn between 1987 and 1991. The third in vivo test was performed by an Italian group that studied the anti-mutagenic properties of the plant on smokers and non-smokers.

1. In vivo tests and trials are currently underway in different countries at various institutions and some preliminary results appear to be promising, but the final results are not yet known. Cat's Claw has not been clinically proven to cure AIDS or cancer.

1. One of the best sources for cat's claw is the book, The Saga of the Cat's Claw, by Dr. Fernando Cabieses.

1. Dr. Cabieses is a well-known neurologist and neurosurgeon from Lima, Peru. He is Professor Emeritus at the Universidad Mayor de San Marcos and Honorary Professor at the Universities of Trujillo, Piura, Cajamarca, Chiclayo, Cusco, Arequipa and Garcilaso de la Vega. He is also a clinical professor of neurosurgery at the University of Miami, Florida, a member of the World Health Organization Committee for Traditional Medicine, and is the chairman of the Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tradicional of Peru, a division of the Ministry of Health (The National Institute of Traditional Medicine of Peru).

1. Yes, that's quite a list!

1. He has extensively studied cat's claw as well as all available clinical study reports and studies on this. In his book, he provides a clear and easy-to-understand translation of each of the in vitro clinical studies and what they mean. We want to share his views on cat's claw regarding AIDS in his book:

1. Â € ¦That is why we already know 'in vitro' that the alkaloids of our plant stimulate the immune mechanisms. This is amazing. It opens a promising path for in vivo research to determine whether these substances are active in conditions where the immune system is weakened. None of us are unaware of AIDS, the terrible monster that stalks humanity, and much hope has arisen that the effects of Uncaria tomentosa could work as a panacea for this cursed condition. But so far such a remedy does not exist. Most of the alleged successes are the work of quacks, adventurers and downright crooks. Some of the rumors come from a few bona fide but ignorant doctors or others who have been influenced by things that are certainly interesting, but unfortunately poorly documented. The topic requires much more research and to speak of 'healings' now when the evaluation is still ongoing raises false hopes in desperate people. Several Peruvian groups, including Professor Eduardo Gotuzzo and Doctor Rosario Rojas, are currently conducting excellent research which should give us more reliable information soon…

1. - The Saga of the Cat's Claw by Dr. Fernando Cabieses

1. Cat's claw is not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. Due to its use for birth control, women trying to conceive should also refrain from using it.

1. Small amounts of cat's claw do not cause side effects in most people, but those allergic to plants of the Rubiaceae family should not use it, as it can be absorbed even through simple physical contact or if ingested may promote reactions such as mild irritation or itchy eyes.

1. There have also been rare reports of kidney problems associated with the use of cat's claw. Other health problems that can be made worse by cat's claw are:

1. People who are about to undergo surgery should also refrain from using the surgery for at least two weeks prior to the procedure. cat's claw, as it can make it difficult to control blood pressure.

1. While most people generally benefit from using cat's claw, if you fall into the above groups, it is better to refrain from using this herb . Additionally, cat's claw should only be used as a dietary supplement to supplement your healthy lifestyle and should not be used as the primary solution to your health problems.

1. Draxe.com/cats-claw/

1. Www.irishtimes.com/news/health/cat-s-claw-a-thorny-issue-of-a-lack-of-research-in-humans-1.943561

1. Www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S094471130470121X