I promised to post about cat's claw because it is such a panacea of healing that it belongs in (almost) everyone's medicine cabinet.
I first became familiar with cat's claw as a anti-inflammatory/pain reliever, which allowed me to (massively) reduce my ibuprofen intake. (My hips, knees, and ankles have always given me problems - long before weight ever became an issue.)
Once, I was in a Chinese herbal store and saw Una de Gato on the wall. Sure enough, the thorns on this thing look just like the claw of a cat! (I could only find one image of the herb in Creative Commons land - and that one was it all green and fresh. I wanted to also find a picture to show what I saw in the Chinese store... but alas.)
More recently, I have started becoming more familiar with some of the other uses of this amazing plant. Importantly to me at this point of my life is its affects on: high blood pressure, candida, chronic fatigue syndrome and irritable bowel syndrome. (I really need to get my husband taking this stuff!!!)
Do note: if you are on high blood pressure medication, take cat's claw with extreme caution - ideally, under the watchful eye of your doctor. You don't want to swing to low blood pressure!
Here is the graphic I made today. Feel free to print it out - along with any previous graphics I have made.
As you can also see, there are a few things that cat's claw is not recommended for. The relaxing of blood vessel walls would make it unsuitable for any bleeding disorders or before surgery. As it can cause miscarriage, it is also not for pregnancy. (Talk to your herbalist if you have hypertension in later pregnancy.)
Sources:
WebMD.com
HerbWisdom.com
VoxNature.com
Nootriment
Image from Vangeliq.petrova at Wikipedia
Graphic created by myself on Photoscape (free for Windows.)
Crossposted at Steem, Whaleshares, WeKu, Hyperspace
Past issues of Health and Healing
Wild Healing
Disease Prevention/Healing
Herbal Medicine
Disclaimer:
I am not a medical doctor. I am a solver of problems. I do the best I can to research and come up with possibilities that you may find useful, but I cannot diagnose your medical issue, nor can I tell you the best way to handle your situation. If in doubt, seek professional assistance.
When turning to nature, especially in the wild, you must take all responsibility to do due diligence. Using the wrong plant/herb/fungi can be extremely harmful or even fatal. When in doubt, seek experienced help. Note that identical plants/fungi found in a different country may be very different.
Lori Svensen
author/designer at A'mara Books
photographer/graphic artist for Viking Visual
verified author on Goodreads
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