Cat's Claw

Cat's Claw is a large woody vine that sometimes reaches heights of 100 feet and is native to the Amazon rainforest and other places in South and Central America. Cat's Claw got its name from the curved, claw-like thorns that grow on its stem. The bark is fissured and ranges from a yellow to yellowish-green in color. The thorny spines are woody, paired and curved like a Cat's Claw. The sap has a watery and astringent taste. The root and bark of Cat's Claw are the parts people usually use. Cat’s Claw includes six types of alkaloids. Isopteridine alkaloid has powerful stimulating properties in immune system functioning. Other alkaloids demonstrate their ability to enhance phagocytosis (the property of white blood cells to destroy bacteria, toxins, viruses). Alkaloid rincophilin has the property of preventing the formation of blood clots.