There’s a mysterious vine, a plant native to the Amazon known as “Una De Gato” or in English, this translates to cats claw. Cats claw is an herb that has many medicinal and therapeutic qualities that give it this wonderous and incredible benefits. The vine has thorns on it that resemble the claws of a cat, which is why it’s called cat’s claw.
An interesting trait about cat’s claw is that in the Amazon it isn’t generally found by roads or civilizations. The closest plants are typically found 3-5 kilometers inland from the road. It’s as if they are smart enough to avoid pollution from cars.
Una De Gato (Cat’s Claw) Studies Include:
1. Boosting White Blood Cells:
A study with 27 men who took 700mg of cat’s claw for 2 months found that their number of white blood cells increased during that time. White blood cells are immune cells that combat infections. A second study with 4 men had the same results, of white blood cell production increased.
2. Reducing Arthritic Pain:
In a study with 45 people with osteoarthritis in their knees, they were given 100 mg cats claw for 4 weeks straight and this resulted in reduced pain during physical activity with no side effects being reported.
Scientists believe that una de gato is beneficial in the reducing of arthritis pain because of the alkaloids in una de gato that have anti-inflammatory properties.
3. Reducing Viral Infections:
A study with 31 volunteers showed that those with cold sores (a viral infection) had reduced swelling, redness, and pain in comparison to an antiviral drug. Additionally, there are no reported side effects.
Another study with 261 people who had warts on areas of the body that aren’t too pleasant found that it reduced the incidence of these warts.
Yet another study found that una de gato enabled the body to strengthen the immune system so that these cells would not be infected with the dengue virus. It also showed to reduce inflammatory cytokines. Cytokines are immune cells that bring inflammation to an area but then that inflammation needs to heal and come back down properly. The inflammatory response is natural but the downregulation of inflammation at that infection site is where the healing occurs.
4. Gut Inflammation & Stomach Health
Una De Gato (Cat’s claw) has been known to help to support in healing the gut and reducing inflammation in the gut. The big thing here is ‘leaky gut’ as it leads to many other challenges in the body including a variety of autoimmune diseases.
In a study with rats it was found that cats claw protected against inflammation in the stomach and also reduced TNF-a (tumor necrosis factor) production which has to do with cell proliferation and death.
Bacterial toxins also release specific inflammatory molecules which wreak more havoc on the body. Cat’s claw actually blocked the release of these pro-inflammatory bacterial toxins in mice. In other words, even the by-product of bacteria and inflammation triggers more of it and Una De Gato stopped it in its tracks!
Also, a clinical trial with 50 people also found that it reduced gum inflammation. The inflammation that leads to a dysbiosis in oral health is directly correlated and connected to gut health.
5. Reducing Blood Pressure
A trial with 300 people utilized a few different Chinese medicines in conjunction with cats claw and found that together they lowered blood pressure in this group. That’s a large group, so results are promising.
Cat’s claw contains a specific compound known as hirsutine that has been known to reduce blood pressure. It acts as a blocker of calcium which is beneficial for both the heart and blood vessels, this slows down the heart rate and helps to support the relaxation of blood vessels.
Beyond this Una De Gato was found to protect red blood cells from damage associated from oxidative stress. It also prevented damage from pesticide damage to red blood cells as well as prevented cellular death. Remember, red blood cells carry oxygen throughout the blood into all areas of the body through the hemoglobin and myoglobin molecules. Preserving and protecting red blood cells is an important ability of the body to promote oxygenation of the body.
Beneficial compounds in Cats Claw include terpenoids, flavonoids and alkaloids. These compounds have been researched and shown to benefit the body in the following ways:
- Immunomodulator (Adaptive for the immune system boosting it up or calming it down)
- Alkaloids with immunostimulant properties.
- Reducing Inflammation
- Easing Arthritis Pain
- Viral infections
- Has Been Used During Cancer To Support Immunity
- Numbness
- Lightheadedness
- Reducing Hypertension
- Quinic Acid Has Antioxidants That Enhance DNA Repair & Protect The Brain
- Quniovic Acid, a compound from the bark may reduce heart rate
- + More!
As you can see this powerful herb from the amazon rainforest has a lot of therapeutic and healing potential. Its why we included it in our Radiate Immunity formula! A blend of 18 roots, herbs, saps, berries, flowers and oils from all over the world to create a more adaptive and robust immune system. The plants included come from Amazonian medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, Chinese medicine and Native American medicine. Grab yours today at RadiateImmunity.com. Use the discount code ‘gratitude’ for 10% off your order.
