< previous page | page_51 | next page >
Page 51
| Cat'S Claw (Unearia tomentosa) or Una De Gato |
| In 1993, cat's claw was little known in America, but a year later it was making headlines and today this ''wondrous new medicinal herb from Peru's Amazon rain forest'' is recommended for nearly every illness known to pets and humans. |
| Cat's claw, known in Spanish as Uña de Gato, is a woody vine that grows over a hundred feet in length. Its sharp, curving thorns look just like a cat's claws. For centuries, native Indians have used the bark of the vine's root to prepare a medicinal decoction to treat tumors and other serious diseases. |
| Richard Gerber, M.D., believes that cat's claw shows "great promise for the treatment of arthritis when taken internally, either by making a tea or taking capsules of the herb. European research has found the herb has very low toxicity even in large amounts. It may be especially beneficial for individuals with painful joints, who cannot take conventional medicines because of stomach upset and other drug side effects." |
| Although cat's claw is available in capsules, that form may not be as effective as the tea. In addition to questioning the quality of cat's claw in capsules, the Austrian physician Klaus Keplinger, who has received patents for his cat's claw extracts, believes that the herb should never be taken raw, only cooked, |
< previous page | page_51 | next page >

If you like this book, buy it!