Characteristics

• Cat's claw is the common name for the species U. tomentosa and U. guianensis, both of which are woody vines found in Latin America in a range extending from Belize to Paraguay. U. tomentosa is used most frequently in America, while the European market is typically served with tincture derived from U. guianensis. Most of the cat's claw commercially distributed in the United States comes from the Peruvian rainforest.
  
  

Harvesting

• Cat's claw tincture is derived from the bark of the cat's claw stem. While the herb can be extracted from the vine's root, that method kills the vine, making it incompatible with sustainable cat's claw cultivation. Cat's claw used commercially is typically grown in managed forests, with new vines being grown from 8-inch cuttings from the stem of a mature plant. Cat's claw bark is typically stripped from the vine in the forest--the plant is heavy and cumbersome enough to make removal and transport too time and labor-intensive to be worthwhile.
  
  

Effects

• Cat's claw tincture shows therapeutic value as an anti-inflammatory. In clinical trials, including a study conducted at the University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru, cat's claw exhibited effective anti-inflammatory properties in treatment of patients suffering from osteoarthritis, but cat's claw tincture can't stop the disease's progression. It's a useful component of arthritis treatment, but not a cure.
  
  

Potential

• The efficacy of cat's claw in treating AIDS has been tested in several clinical trials, including research by Klaus Keplinger. Cat's claw exhibits properties that strengthen the immune system, making it a potentially attractive AIDS treatment. The experiments conducted in this area so far have been inconclusive, though results are promising enough to warrant further investigation. Other ongoing experiments are testing cat's claw's potential benefits to patients afflicted with Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.
  
  

Dosage

• The recommended dose of cat's claw tincture for adults is 1/4 to 1/2 tsp., two to three times daily. No clinical tests have been done with children, so administering cat's claw tincture to children is discouraged. Side effects are uncommon, but can include dizziness, nausea and diarrhea. Because of its immune system enhancement effects, cat's claw tincture shouldn't be taken by people who have had a recent transplant or are on immunosuppressive therapy.