Cat's Claw...
Miracle from the Rain Forest

The Rain Forest: Earth's Natural Heritage

The tropical rain forests are without exception the richest habitat on Earth. As many as 30 million species of plants and animals, more than half of all known life forms, live in tropical rain forests. At least two thirds of the Earth's plant species, including many plants with incredible medicinal value, occur in the tropics. This is the story of one of those exceptional plants!

Cat's Claw A healing Miracle From the Rain Forest
Cat's Claw or in Spanish, Una de gato, is the common name for this woody vine which wraps itself around trees in the Amazon rain forest. Native to the jungles of Peru, Cat's Claw thrives in the highlands from 12 degrees north to 12 degrees south of the equator.

Secrets of the Shamans
For centuries the miraculous healing properties of Cat's Claw were secret, known only to the shamans and medicine men of the Amazon. Modern knowledge of this herb began in the early 1970's when an Austrian scientist, Klaus Keplinger, on expedition in Peru was first introduced to Cat's Claw. Keplinger, eager to try Cat's Claw, began using it first to treat viral infections in cats and lambs and then to treat herpes simplex infections in humans. The positive results he experienced in both cases prompted further studies. In 1987 he gave Cat's Claw to AIDS patients and observed positive immunological signs after 20 days and improvement in the condition of the lymphatic glands and a reduction of AIDS symptoms after 30 days. In 1989 and 1990 Dr. Keplinger was granted US patents for isolating compounds in Cat's Claw that have positive effects on human immunity.

The Excitement Spreads to Europe!
Keplinger introduced the herb to European scientists and the excitement about Cat's Claw began to spread. Working with either the inner bark or standardized concentrated extracts of Cat's Claw, herbal practitioners around the world have treated a variety of conditions including arthritis, AIDS, allergies, dermatological problems, a wide range of digestive disorders including ulcers, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohns disease and conditions involving chronic inflammation, all with amazing results.

Research Documents a Variety of Benefits
The therapeutic benefits seen in most studies and reported by patients who use Cat's Claw have been attributed to a series of alkaloids called oxindole alkaloids. These alkaloids include isopteropodine and rhynchophylline. They are credited for the unspecified stimulation of the immune system including pronounced enhancement of phagocytosis. Cat's Claw boosts the bodies ability to fight infectious bacteria. Besides these alkaloids other researchers have isolated several polyphenols and triteripenes and the plant steroids beta sitosterol and stigmasterol and campasterol. These additional compounds help to explain the diverse benefits users of Cat's Claw report. Scientists have looked at Cat's Claw and have observed various healing activities that include lowering blood pressure, blocking fluid retention, reducing inflammation, preventing the spread of tumors and overcoming viral infections. Cat's Claw is used to correct problems of imbalance in the small intestine helping to normalize the balance of beneficial microbes and reverse conditions of intestinal dysbiosis. Many of the testimonials to the healing power of Cat's Claw describe wonderful results in the treatment of severe candidiasis and parasitic infections and also in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disorders and chronic digestive disturbances. Even more exciting are the implications regarding cancer and cardiovascular disease! Uncaria tomentosa has been shown to have strong antihypertensive effect and to prevent platelet aggregation, and it has strong antimutagenic properties also.

Healing with Cat's Claw
Here are two stories that illustrate the healing power of Cat's Claw:

Else was 58 years old had been diagnosed with cancer of the ovaries and uterus. Surgery was ruled out, chemotherapy was suggested, and she was told she had just three months to She began working with a physician in Amsterdam who was familiar with alternative cancer treatments. Her treatment began in November 1994, first using 714 X injections and Essiac tea. She was reevaluated in February 1995. Her condition was a little improved, the tumor was the same size but softer. The 714 X injections were stopped and S.O.D. (an antioxidant enzyme) was added. No improvement was noticed. On April 1, 1995, treatment with nine 350mg Cat's Claw capsules per day (Three capsules 30 minutes after each meal) was begun. By the end of May 1995, her blood work showed great improvement. By July 1995 she was feeling much better and the tumor had stopped growing. By November 1995 Else was stable on a combination of Cat's Claw and Essiac and was very much alive one year after having been told she had three months to live! She has returned to a normal life!

Another patient, Julia, an 11 year old girl with serious colitis was on antibiotics and prednisone and was not responding. She began Cat's Claw treatment under physician supervision on June 28,1995. (This was a progressive European physician who recommended two 350mg capsules twice daily after meals) on August 13th, Julia returned to school having discontinued the prednisone and the antibiotics. She was feeling better but still had some colitis. She continued her Cat's Claw treatment and by October she was completely healed. She returned to the hospital for examination and there was no sign of colitis. Her physician prescribed Cat's Claw as a maintenance treatment for an additional six months. Julia's story is a fine example of choosing an effective herbal approach as a more favorable alternative to harmful medications that have unwanted side effects.

I am very excited about the potential uses for Cat's Claw and I use it in my practice with great results. I currently have many clients with inflammatory bowel disease who are using Cat's Claw with significant results. I notice improvement in many of my clients who suffer with arthritis, and I had good results in one case where the woman was severely asthmatic.

What is the Recommended Dose of Cat's Claw?
The usual adult dose of Cat's Claw is 36 grams per day, in divided doses throughout the day. It is usually suggested that the herb be taken approximately 30 minutes after meals. Some people prefer to use a liquid extract or to brew a tea. When purchasing Cat's Claw be sure you are selecting Uncaria tomentosa and not Uncaria guianensis. (The ideal species is Uncaria tomentosa.)

Is Cat's Claw Safe for Everyone?
Cat's Claw is not recommended for people who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant. Cat's Claw is also not recommended for organ transplant recipients as it so stimulates the immune response it may cause a rejection of the organ or tissue.

To make the healing power of Cat's Claw available to more people, products are available in highly concentrated liquid, powdered, and standardized extracts and these products are available in natural foods stores and natural pharmacies all I across the United States and in Europe.

Preserving our Future
In selecting Cat's Claw products it is important to select products that honor the idea of sustainability. This would mean choosing Cat's Claw inner bark products and not Cat's Claw root. Harvesting the root destroys the plant. Harvesting inner bark does not. A conscious effort is needed to preserve the rich natural heritage of the rain forests. We need to honor sustainability. It is important to harvest these medicines without jeopardizing the future. Over consumption is a driving force behind deforestation. The concept of sustainability transcends the more traditional values of supply and demand and bids us to act with a sincere and genuine desire to preserve and protect our rain forest ecosystems.

. Cat’s Claw, 50/50 root & inner bark powdered extract
Assures the best balance of all the beneficial phytochemicals inherent in this wondrous herb from the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. Numerous anecdotal reports indicate that this remarkable botanical may help treat or alleviate the symptoms of a wide diversity of health problems, including: Crohn’s disease, ulcers, dysbiosis, parasites and inflammatory bowel, hayfever, asthma and other allergies, chemical and environmental sensitivities, arthritis, fibromyalgia, bursitis, shingles & canker sores, chronic fatigue, diabetes, candidiasis, circulatory problems, prostatitis, abnormal growths, multiple sclerosis, various viral and bacterial infections; including secondary infections in AIDS patients. There have also been reports of cat’s claw’s ability to reduce the side effects of conventional cancer therapies. Adding an additional 6,000 mg per day in divided doses, may further boost the effectiveness of Ezzeac plus Cat’s Claw .

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