Cat’s claw, Uña de Gato, is a plant found primarily in the Amazon region. The liana-like plant has a long tradition among the indigenous people of Peru as a medicinal and cultural plant.
Occurrence and cultivation of cat’s claw
In order not to endanger the population, only certain quantities of the plant may be harvested. Cat’s Claw is called Uña de Gato in Latin American countries, and Cats Claw in English, a name that is understood and associated with this medicinal plant almost everywhere in the world. Due to its significant healing properties, cat’s claw has often been the subject of botanical and chemical research and studies. Its healing properties are now considered undisputed. The botanical name is Uncaria tomentosa, it is a liana-like climbing plant growing in the tropics of South America. The medicinal plant has claw-like thorny outgrowths, which gave it the name cat’s claw. The tropical plant requires the warm and humid climate of South America for its growth. Parts of the plant are imported to Europe, mainly from Peru, to make preparations and medicines for therapeutic purposes. The imported cat’s claw is exclusively wild growth. In order not to endanger the population, only certain quantities of the plant may be harvested. A cultivation of the cat’s claw has not taken place so far. Cultivation attempts in large greenhouses by a group of biologists from the University of Milan were unfortunately unsuccessful.
Effect and application
The use of cat’s claw takes place among the indigenous people of Peru by chewing fresh shoots and leaves and by making tea from the bark. Cat’s claw is non-toxic, but the taste is quite unpleasant due to the high concentration of bitter compounds. In the West, therefore, classical forms of preparation such as tea infusion have not prevailed. However, those who want to use the extraordinarily beneficial effects of cat’s claw for health purposes can resort to extracts, which are offered and sold by some pharmaceutical manufacturers in capsule form. Only preparations in capsule form that contain a whole plant extract and are free of pesticides or other residues should be taken. In a long-term study at the University of Milan, the effect of cat’s claw, especially as a power plant for the immune system, could be confirmed. It was shown in a patient collective suffering from lung cancer that the mutagenic activity in the urine of smokers decreased significantly after only a few days of taking cat’s claw extract. The Milan study is therefore still considered the basis for the presumed anticarcinogenic effect of cat’s claw. Cat’s claw also seems to have a particularly beneficial effect on the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract. This empirical folk knowledge of the Indians could thus be confirmed by scientific medicine. The immunological mechanism behind it assumes that the medicinal plant has the potential to keep the intestines healthy. And a healthy intestine guarantees a healthy immune defense, which prevents many diseases from developing in the first place. From this point of view, taking cat’s claw extract is also recommended from a prophylactic point of view. However, tumor patients can also take advantage of the immune-stimulating properties by taking cat’s claw extract as a supplement to chemotherapy, for example. The side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy could be significantly alleviated in many cancer patients. The intake of cat’s claw extract is extraordinarily well tolerated, risks, side effects or interactions with other drugs are practically unknown. Initially, there is also nothing to be said against long-term use; tumor patients should nevertheless inform their treating oncologist about the intake.
Significance for health, treatment, and prevention.
Cat’s claw possesses an extraordinarily high significance for health due to its highly potent healing properties. The largest volume concentration of health-promoting ingredients is found in the inner bark of the medicinal plant, but all other parts of the plant, including the root system, also have proportions of the healing substances. Depending on the concentration of the ingredients, the capsules are taken up to five times a day with meals. In a Milan study, quinovic acid glycosides, sterols, terpenoids, flavonoids, and triterpenes, among others, were extracted from cat’s claw.However, the high content of complex alkaloids is held responsible by experts for the actual health effect. Phytosterols and so-called secondary plant compounds have an anti-inflammatory and carcinoprotective effect. The immune-stimulating effect results in the healing effect of cat’s claw in a variety of diseases. Cell toxins and metabolic products can be neutralized by the ingredients of cat’s claw. Infections caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi are also amenable to treatment with cat’s claw extract. This is because the bacteriostatic effect was also demonstrated in the Milan study in in vitro tests. So far, it remains unclear how these research results can be directly transferred to humans. In summary, however, it can be assumed that medicinal preparations from cat’s claw can serve to strengthen the immune system, support wound healing, provide traditional blood cleansing and detoxification, and fight infectious diseases. Cat’s claw extract not only stimulates the body’s self-healing powers, but also has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Cat’s claw extracts also provide lasting relief from hay fever and asthma, chronic fatigue, gastritis and herpes. Its effect as an immune stimulant has been studied in even greater detail. It was found that the oxindole alkaloids contained in cat’s claw bark directly influence the functioning of certain white blood cells. The phagocytosis capacity, i.e. the ability of these leukocytes to eliminate invaders such as bacteria or viruses, is increased many times over by the influence of the oxindole alkaloids. This process could be observed in detail under the microscope.
