Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa or Una do Gato) is a medicinal plant from the Amazon River basin that is widely used for inflammatory disorders. Cat's claw contains gluco indole alkaloids.

NOW foods Cat's Claw "5000" - Cats claw is a natural extract of the highest quality inner bark of authentic Uncaria tomentosa, an exciting herbal discovery from the Peruvian Rainforest. Also called Una de Gato, cat's claw herb has been used for hundreds of years by the native Ashanica Indians.

Cat's Claw "5000" is a concentrated water and alcohol extract standardized to contain a minimum of 3% total alkaloids (calculated as mitraphylline) and 15% total Polyphenols.

Cat's Claw studies
Anti-inflammatory benefit
Cat's claw is a remarkably potent inhibitor of TNFalpha production. The primary mechanism for cat's claw anti-inflammatory actions appears to be immunomodulation via suppression of TNFalpha synthesis.

Antioxidant
Cat's claw is an effective antioxidant. Other supplements of interest include Devils-Claw and the very popular Turmeric.

Antitumor benefit
Cat's claw extracts exert a direct anti-proliferative activity on MCF7 (a breast cancer cell line).

Arthritis
This plant is an effective treatment for osteoarthritis and probably rheumatoid arthritis (see bottom of page). The species, U guianensis and U tomentosa are equiactive. They are effective antioxidants, but their anti-inflammatory properties may result from their ability to inhibit TNFalpha and to a lesser extent PGE2 production.

DNA repair
Human volunteers who took cat's claw for 8 weeks had improved DNA repair.

Memory
Cat's claw total alkaloids exert a beneficial effect on memory impairment induced by the dysfunction of cholinergic systems in the brain and that the effect of the total alkaloids is partly attributed to the oxindole alkaloids tested.

Cat's Claw Research Update
Randomized double blind trial of an extract from the pentacyclic alkaloid-chemotype of uncaria tomentosa (Cat's Claw) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
J Rheumatol. 2002 Apr;29(4):678-81. Mur E. Innsbruck University Hospital, Austria.
To evaluate safety and clinical efficacy of a plant extract from the pentacyclic chemotype of Uncaria tomentosa (UT) in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Forty patients undergoing sulfasalazine or hydroxychloroquine treatment were enrolled in a randomized 52 week, 2 phase study. During the first phase (24 weeks, double blind, placebo controlled), patients were treated with UT extract or placebo. In the second phase (28 weeks) all patients received the plant extract. Twenty-four weeks of treatment with the UT extract resulted in a reduction of the number of painful joints compared to placebo (by 53% versus 24%). Patients receiving the UT extract only during the second phase experienced a reduction in the number of painful and swollen joints and the Ritchie Index compared to the values after 24 weeks of placebo. Only minor side effects were observed. This small preliminary study demonstrates relative safety and modest benefit to the tender joint count of a highly purified extract from the pentacyclic chemotype of cat's claw in patients with active RA taking sulfasalazine or hydroxychloroquine.

Readers ask questions
I'm reading alot of good things about cat's claw herb especially helping with asthma. My 16 yr old son has asthma, and runs alot on xc and track. How much should he use to control is asthma, and I see it helps with joints, also an issue with running.
    Thanks for asking but we can't give specific dose suggestions, that is the role of a doctor who examines the patient.

Cat's claw herb and occasional use of yohimbe bark extract should not cause any untoward interactions.