Plant Medicine of the Amazon | Uña de gato (Cat’s Claw)

Uña de gato (Cat’s Claw) is a large tropical woody vine indigenous to the Amazon Rainforest. The inner bark of the vine and the roots has been used in the Amazon for generations to treat inflammations, colds, viral infections, arthritis, and tumours. It also has anti-inflammatory and blood-cleansing properties. It is used to clean out the intestinal tract to treat a wide array of digestive problems such as gastric ulcers, parasites, and dysentery. It is also used to heal arthritis, and rheumatism, and to enhance the immune system. It also strengthens bone marrow. Cat’s Claw can be used as tonic to boost the body’s immune system, and is considered by many as a ‘balancer’ returning the body’s functions to a healthy equilibrium.

Uña de gato has been used for many hundreds of years by traditional curanderos and shamans, and now the medicinal properties of this plant are officially recognized by the Peruvian government.