Cat's Claw: A curiously named herb with amazing potential
Summary:
The discovery and use of cat's claw for medicinal use dates back centuries and is deeply rooted in the traditional knowledge and practices of indigenous peoples in the Amazon rainforest.
The shape of curved thorns that protrude from this woody vine tree look like the claws of a cat, giving birth to its’ name.
The plant was traditionally used to address a range of health issues, including inflammation, and mild rheumatic aches and pains.
Since the late 20th century, Cat’s Claw has gained popularity in the forms of capsules, tinctures and teas for relieving inflammation, symptoms of mild osteoarthritis and reducing free radicals in the body.
Cat’s Claw is indigenous to the country of Peru, and early stories record Peruvian priests using the bark and root of the tree for various medicinal uses in their tribes. Over centuries, spiritual significance was attributed to the herb, drawing the attention of early European explorers who ventured in to the Amazon region.
As the decades progressed, amazing stories of Cat’s Claw travelled to the west, inspiring Austrian born ethnobotanist Klaus Keplinger to travel to the region in 1972 to speak with the native tribes. Keplinger followed up his research with published articles on its purported healing benefits, raising Cat’s Claws’ profile and creating a demand for its bark in modern medicine.
The popularity of Cat’s Claw has grown in our modern era to embrace the healing properties of this unusually named herb. We can now benefit from Cat’s Claw in tablet form to address a wide range of ailments. With further study we now know that Cat’s Claw contains several alkaloid constituents called isoteropodine and rhynchophyiline which have an anti-inflammatory action on the body. Proanthocyandins have also been isolated from Cat’s Claw and are known as polyphenols. These are also found in blueberries, cranberries and other foods often with a dark purple to red colour.
Let’s look at some of the ways Cat’s Claw may help you:
Mild Osteoarthritis
Mild osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease characterised by the breakdown of cartilage in the joints, leading to pain, stiffness and reduced mobility. It commonly affects weight-bearing joints such as the knees, hips, and spine, and is often associated with aging, joint injury and obesity. Cat’s Claw has been traditionally used in South American medicine for its ability to reduce inflammation in the body, and also to relieve the symptoms associated with mild osteoarthritis.
Increased mobility leads to a greater quality of life and independence, especially for our elderly loved ones which are typically at risk of mild osteoarthritis.
Wound Healing
Wounds are injuries that disrupt the integrity of the skin or other tissues in the body. They can vary in severity and may result from a wide range of causes, including trauma, cuts, burns, surgery, or underlying health issues. Would healing is a complex biological process involving multiple stages and cellular responses aimed at repairing damaged tissues and restoring normal function.
The process of wound healing naturally elicits an inflammatory response to draw white blood cells to the site of injury. When wounds exhibit excessive inflammation, it can impede the normal healing process and potentially lead to complications. The traditional South American use of Cat’s Claw to relieve inflammation can support wound healing when required, allowing the immune system to carry out its role as healer.
Antioxidant
We often hear about antioxidants and free radicals, but what do they do? Antioxidants protect the cells of our body from free radicals, which can enter the body in many ways. Both are necessary for the healthful balance of our body, but if free radicals get out of hand, they can cause damage to the cells, impeding their work. Factors such as aging, environmental exposures, poor diet, stress, and lifestyle habits can help to disrupt this balance.
Cat’s Claw is rich in antioxidants which help neutralise harmful free radicals and protect cells from their damaging effects. This antioxidant activity may support the body’s ability to support wound healing.
Supporting these minor health issues can have a major impact on our health and wellbeing. As such Cat’s Claw remains an intriguing botanical with a long history across the ages of amazing therapeutic potential.
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HERBAL MEDICINE
Cat's Claw: A curiously named herb with amazing potential
The popularity of Cat’s Claw has grown in our modern era to embrace the healing properties of this unusually nam...
Read more
Discover the power of Passionflower (Passiflora Incarnata) to help reduce excess nervous energy
Passiflora incarnata is the botanical name for the flowering plant, simply known as ‘Passion flower’. Common names of Passion flower include passion vine, apricot vine, maypop and may apple. In French, it is named ‘fleur de la passion’ and similarly in Italian, ‘fiore della passione’.
It belongs to the Passifloraceae family, where it is the largest genius in the plant family, consisting of over 500 Passiflora sub-species. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions throughout the world such as southern United States, Mexico, South and Central America, and is one of the few Passiflora sub-species that extends to eastern parts of North America, where the Passiflora incarnata plant is indigenous. The flowers are now often cultivated in tropical India and Guatemala.
Active constituents found within the plant are chemical compounds that provide therapeutic health benefits. Some of the constituents found in Passion flower include flavonoids, phytosterols, alkaloids, phenols, glycosides, polypeptides, and in smaller amounts, essential oils. There is also a unique constituent found in this species named passiflorin.
Passion flower is an evergreen, perennial wild flowering herb that grows as a creeping, climbing vine.
There are herbaceous shoots and the stems are thin and woody, yet sturdy, and have endings with spiralled coils. The leaves grow as long as they are broad, between 6-15 cm each, are ovate in shape and have finely serrated edges. Each leaf has an average of three lobes, however in wild variations, up to five lobes have been found. The leaves grow in an alternating pattern along the stem.
There are long, curling tendrils that radiate from the flower intelligently climbing up neighbouring trees or other upright surroundings. The plant can grow up to approximately 10 metres long. The flowers are vibrant, large and solitary, approximately 5-9 cm in diameter. The long peduncles support the flowers, which have five elongated petals. Petals are green on the outside and the colour variations are many, and can be unique to different sub-species. Petals are usually white, with hues of purple and violet, pink or pale red to red – regardless of the colour combination, they are striking and sure to catch the attention of the eye. The upper surface of the flowers have horn like extensions, which are green or yellow in colour and feature hairs along the stigmatic branch. Inside the petals a secondary corolla of petals is found, composed of four threaded wreathes, arranged in a way that forms rays surrounding the axis of the flower. The flowers are distinctively coloured and have a characteristic structure, and in addition to their beautiful appearance, they also carry a lightly sweet fragrance.
Spanish missionaries initially named the plant with reference to the Passion of the Christ due to its striking resemblance to Catholic religious elements symbolising the suffering of Jesus Christ. In Latin, ‘passio’ from ‘pati’ means “to suffer”. The corona is the layer of threaded filaments, which lay above the petals. They are thought to symbolise the crown of thorns worn by Jesus during his crucifixion. The tendrils are curling vines that help the plant to climb and resemble the cords of the whips. The five stamens are the male pollen producing structures, also known as the anthers, and align with the five major wounds of Christ. Above the stamen the female structure is found, known as the ovary, this resembles the hammer which was used. The three stigmas which rise from the ovary signify the nails on the Holy Cross. In addition, the five petals and five sepals combined represent the ten ‘true’ apostles. The Passion flower plant also has numerous fruiting berries, which we know as Passionfruit. The berry is oval and has many flattened seeds with a yellow to brown covering in the centre. Once the fruit ripens to berries, they turn an orange colour and a yellow coloured pulp can be found inside which is edible and sweet in taste. Overall, it is a deciduous plant, meaning that at the point of maturity it tends to shed its leaves, which happens seasonally after flowering and this is to reveal the fruit which carry its seeds. The prehistoric uses of Passion flower date back to 8000-2000 B.C., during the late Archaic period in North America. It was first cultivated by Native Americans for its edible fruit. The Aztecs of Mexico had used Passion flower for its health benefits, during the 16th century the explorers of South America first learned of its benefits from the Aztecs. In Peru, a Spanish doctor named Monardes had developed an admiration for the plant, not just for its beauty in the flowers but also the representation of Christ’s passion. He also learned about the uses of Passion flower from the indigenous people and he brought it back to Europe during the 16-17th century, where it became widely cultivated. It was then introduced into European Folk Medicine where it was used for many health conditions. During the mid 1800’s, Passion flower entered North American Medicine.
Passion flower is a plant that has been used for hundreds of years in various traditional paradigms such as Ayurvedic, Unani, Siddha, Native American medicine systems. Predating the entry into European and American conventional medicine, Passion flower has roots as a traditional medicine used as by various cultures, including the Cherokees of Southern Allegheny Mountains, the Houmas of Louisiana, the Aztecs of Mexico and also in American aboriginal medicine, which have all been well documented. In traditional Western Herbal Medicine, Passion flower is used as a nervous system relaxant. The calmative effects help to decrease excess nervous energy and reduce the symptoms of mild anxiety. Passion flower was also traditionally used in traditional Western Herbal Medicine to assist with relieving feelings of restlessness and sleeplessness, helping to reduce the time to fall asleep while also decreasing disturbed sleep.Today, Passion flower is recognised in traditional Western Herbal Medicine, mentioned in various official pharmacopeias including those from Germany, France, Switzerland and Egypt and is also included many in monographs, Materia Medica works, established documents, scientific studies and recognised across various official complementary medicine bodies throughout the world. Commercial Passion flower is available from both wild and cultivated plants. In both traditional and modern times, plant parts including the stem, leaves, flower, fruit and juice have been used, however with further research, the aerial plant parts have shown to be of most therapeutic value. Preparations can be made of fresh and dried plant parts. Common dosages include tablets and capsules, powders and liquids, tinctures, infusions and herbal teas. Passion flower also makes a great garden plant. They are easy to grow in garden soil or potting mix accompanied by an aid for which to climb. They produce fruit that can be harvested and not to forget, they have vibrant, beautiful flowers that also carry a gentle, sweet fragrance. Based on the benefits used in traditional Western Herbal Medicine, Passion flower can be used to help relax the nervous system and reduce excess nervous energy, which can be great to reduce nights of disturbed sleep. Its calmative effects can help to relieve symptoms of mild anxiety and feelings of restlessness.
References available on request
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HERBAL MEDICINE
Discover the power of Passionflower (Passiflora Incarnata) to help reduce excess nervous energy
Commercial Passion flower is available from both wild and cultivated plants. In both traditional and modern time...
Read more
