Cat's claw

Related Terms

3,4-dehydro-5-carboxystrictosidine, ammonia treated quinic acid (QAA), ancajsillo, ancayacu, aublet, auri huasca, bejuco de agua, beta-sitosterol, campesterol, cat's claw inner bark extract, cell line green Uth-3, C-Med-100?, deixa paraguayo, gambir, garabato, garabato amarillo, garabato blanco, garbato casha, garbato colorado, garbato gavil?n, garra gavil?n, geissoschizine methyl ether, Gou-Teng, griffe du chat, hawk's claw, isorhynchophylline, isorotundifolune, jijyuwamy?ho, jipotatsa, Krallendorn?, kugkuukjagki, life-giving vine of Peru, misho-mentis, mitraphylline, nature's aspirin, Nauclea aculeate, Nauclea oculeata, Nauclea tomentosa, oleanolic acid, Ourouparia guianensis, Ourouparia tomentosa, paotati-mosha, paraguaya, pentacyclic oxindoles, Peruvian cat's claw, pole catechu, popokainangra, quinic acid (QA), quinovic acid glycosides, radix Uncariae tomentosae (Willd.), rangayo, rhynchophylline, rotundifoline, Rubiaceae (family), samento, saventaro, stigmasterol, tambor hausca, tannins, tetracyclic oxindoles, tomcat's claw, tor?n, tsachik, tua juncara, u?a de gato, u?a de gato de altura, u?a de gato del bajo, u?a de gavil?n, u?a huasca, Uncaria guianensis, Uncaria tomentosa, uncarinic acid C, uncarinic acid D, uncarine C, uncarine E, ursolic acid, unganangi, unganangui, UT extract, UTE, vegicaps.
Note: There are 34 Uncaria species other than Uncaria tomentosa. Other species are also referred to as u?a de gato: Anadenanthera flava, Bauhinia aculeata, Berberis goudotii, Byttneri hirsuta, Caesalpinia sepiara, Celtis uguanae, Clerodendrum aculeatum, Doxantha ungis catti, Macfadyena undis catti, Mimosa albida, Mimosa acantholoba, Mimosa montana, Mimosa pigra, Piptadenia colubrina, Piptadenia flava, Pisonia aculeate, Pithecellobium unguis catti, Rubus urticaefolius, Smilax species, Zanthoxylum panamensis, and Zanthoxylum rigidum.
Combination product examples: CognoBlendT (Bacopa monniera, Ginkgo biloba, cat's claw, gotu kola, rosemary), Krallendom? (cat's claw mixed with zidovudine [AZT]).

Background

Cat's claw is a woody vine native to the Amazon rainforest and other tropical areas of South and Central America. It has been used as birth control, an anti-inflammatory, an immune enhancer, a cancer remedy, and an antiviral.
Many plant species are marketed under the name cat's claw, the most common being Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianensis. Both are used to treat the same conditions, although Uncaria tomentosa is thought to be more effective.
There are reports that a possibly toxic plant, Acacia greggii, has replaced cat's claw in some commercial formulas. Cat's claw may be contaminated with other Uncaria species, some that may lower blood pressure, slow heart rate, or affect the nervous system.
Cat's claw has been studied as medicine for many conditions, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. While results have been promising, evidence is still lacking.

Evidence Table

These uses have been tested in humans or animals. Safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider. GRADE *
These uses have been tested in humans or animals. Safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider. GRADE *


At this time, evidence is lacking in support of the use of cat's claw for any allergic condition. More research is needed in this area.

 C


At this time, evidence is lacking in support of the use of cat's claw for any allergic condition. More research is needed in this area.

 C


Early study suggests that cat's claw may reduce inflammation. Cat's claw has been found to improve arthritis pain; however, effects on overall stiffness and swelling were lacking. One study reported an extract of cat's claw to be safe and effective for people with rheumatoid arthritis who were taking prescription drugs. Cat's claw may also reduce pain from knee osteoarthritis. More research is needed before further conclusions can be made.

 C


Early study suggests that cat's claw may reduce inflammation. Cat's claw has been found to improve arthritis pain; however, effects on overall stiffness and swelling were lacking. One study reported an extract of cat's claw to be safe and effective for people with rheumatoid arthritis who were taking prescription drugs. Cat's claw may also reduce pain from knee osteoarthritis. More research is needed before further conclusions can be made.

 C


A trial reports that a combination Chinese product containing cat's claw may help improve circulation and reduce swelling. However, more research is needed to understand the potential effects of cat's claw alone.

 C


A trial reports that a combination Chinese product containing cat's claw may help improve circulation and reduce swelling. However, more research is needed to understand the potential effects of cat's claw alone.

 C


Early study has found promising evidence that cat's claw may have anticancer benefits, especially in smokers. However, high-quality trials are needed before a firm conclusion may be made.

 C


Early study has found promising evidence that cat's claw may have anticancer benefits, especially in smokers. However, high-quality trials are needed before a firm conclusion may be made.

 C


Early studies suggest that cat's claw may help lower blood pressure. However, results are conflicting. More evidence is needed before cat's claw may be considered effective for this purpose.

 C


Early studies suggest that cat's claw may help lower blood pressure. However, results are conflicting. More evidence is needed before cat's claw may be considered effective for this purpose.

 C


Cat's claw may boost immune function in people who have HIV. However, there have been mixed results. More evidence is needed before the use of cat's claw may be supported for immune effects.

 C


Cat's claw may boost immune function in people who have HIV. However, there have been mixed results. More evidence is needed before the use of cat's claw may be supported for immune effects.

 C


Studies suggest that cat's claw may reduce inflammation. Research has been conducted on the possible benefit of cat's claw for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Further study is needed.

 C


Studies suggest that cat's claw may reduce inflammation. Research has been conducted on the possible benefit of cat's claw for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. Further study is needed.

 C


Cat's claw may have benefits in treating tooth disease. More high-quality research is needed before firm conclusions can be made.

 C


Cat's claw may have benefits in treating tooth disease. More high-quality research is needed before firm conclusions can be made.

 C
* Key to grades

A: Strong scientific evidence for this use
B: Good scientific evidence for this use
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use
D: Fair scientific evidence for this use (it may not work)
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use (it likley does not work)
* Key to grades

A: Strong scientific evidence for this use
B: Good scientific evidence for this use
C: Unclear scientific evidence for this use
D: Fair scientific evidence for this use (it may not work)
F: Strong scientific evidence against this use (it likley does not work)

Tradition / Theory

The below uses are based on tradition, scientific theories, or limited research. They often have not been thoroughly tested in humans, and safety and effectiveness have not always been proven. Some of these conditions are potentially serious, and should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare provider. There may be other proposed uses that are not listed below.

Dosing

Adults (18 years and older)
Traditionally, cat's claw has been by mouth as a tea, capsule, decoction, extract, or tincture.
To treat arthritis, 100 milligrams of a freeze-dried aqueous cat's claw extract has been taken by mouth daily. Krallendorn? capsules (containing 20 milligrams of radix Uncariae tomentosae) has been taken by mouth three times daily. Vincaria? has been taken by mouth as 100 milligrams daily for four weeks. A dose of 60 milligrams of Uncaria tomentosa extract has been taken by mouth daily for 24-52 weeks. Six cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) capsules (Primal Nature Products) have been taken by mouth daily for six months. An extract of 100 milligrams of Uncaria guianensis has been taken by mouth daily for four weeks.
As a cancer treatment, 6.5 grams of dried cat's claw bark has been boiled in water for three hours and taken by mouth for 15 days.
To stimulate the immune system, 250-350 milligrams of C-Med-100? (an aqueous extract of cat's claw) has been taken by mouth 1-2 times daily for 6-8 weeks.

Safety

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not strictly regulate herbs and supplements. There is no guarantee of strength, purity or safety of products, and effects may vary. You should always read product labels. If you have a medical condition, or are taking other drugs, herbs, or supplements, you should speak with a qualified healthcare provider before starting a new therapy. Consult a healthcare provider immediately if you experience side effects.

Interactions

Interactions with Drugs
Cat's claw may increase the risk of bleeding when taken with drugs that increase the risk of bleeding. Some examples include aspirin, anticoagulants ("blood thinners") such as warfarin (Coumadin?) or heparin, anti-platelet drugs such as clopidogrel (Plavix?), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Motrin?, Advil?) or naproxen (Naprosyn?, Aleve?).
Cat's claw may cause low blood pressure. Caution is advised in people taking drugs that lower blood pressure.
Cat's claw may interfere with the way the body processes certain drugs using the liver's "cytochrome P450" enzyme system. As a result, the levels of these drugs may be increased in the blood, and may cause increased effects or potentially serious adverse reactions. People using any medications should check the package insert, and speak with a qualified healthcare professional, including a pharmacist, about possible interactions.
Cat's claw may interact with agents that may affect blood vessel width, agents that may affect heart rate, agents that may affect the immune system, agents that may affect nervous system function (anticholinergics), agents that may harm the kidneys, agents that may promote urination, agents that may treat abnormal heart rhythms, agents that may treat arthritis, agents that may treat Parkinson's disease, agents that may treat retrovirus infections, agents that may treat seizure, anesthestics, antibiotics, anticancer agents, antigout agents, antihistamines, anti-inflammatory agents, antiviral agents, birth control, calcium channel blockers, cholesterol-lowering agents, Disulfiram (Antabuse?), hormonal agents, Metronidazole (Flagyl?), nervous system agents, pain relievers, radioactive agents used to diagnose diseases, scopolamine, and stomach agents.

Attribution

This information is based on a systematic review of scientific literature edited and peer-reviewed by contributors to the Natural Standard Research Collaboration (www.naturalstandard.com).

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