CAT'S CLAW (SAMENTO)
Updated: 1 hour ago
Cat's claw is one of the most talked-about herbs in the Lyme world. It was one of the standouts in a Johns Hopkins lab study on Lyme bacteria, and several Lyme-literate doctors use it.
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These three herbs are often used together. See all three here:
CAT'S CLAW | BLACK WALNUT | CHINESE SKULLCAP
WHAT IS CAT'S CLAW?
- Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) comes from the inner bark of a vine.
- Samento is sold as a TOA-free form of cat's claw. TOA is one of the plant's groups of natural compounds. Some feel this makes it stronger. Stephen Buhner disagrees and feels the whole herb, with all of its natural compounds, works very well for Lyme.
CAT'S CLAW OPTIONS
Buy here (Pure Encapsulations Cat's Claw: capsules):
Buy here (Douglas Labs Cat's Claw: capsules, a lower-priced option):
Buy here (NutraMedix Samento: liquid drops):
Buy here (Researched Nutritionals Myc-P: liquid blend with cat's claw, Chinese skullcap, sida acuta and more):
WHAT LYME-LITERATE DOCTORS SAY
- Dr. Bill Rawls describes cat's claw as helping balance the immune system and calm inflammation. He shares that it needs stomach acid to work well, so take it with food.
- Dr. Rawls calls herbs like cat's claw immune balancers, meaning they help boost the parts of the immune system that are underactive and calm the parts that are overactive. He feels this kind of herbal approach can be kept up over the long haul, even for months or years.
- Dr. Rawls also lists cat's claw among his favorite herbs for Lyme-related nerve pain (neuropathy).
- Dr. Marty Ross has paired cat's claw with otoba bark tinctures for Lyme since 2010. He uses them at different stages of treatment and to help prevent relapse. He starts low, holds the amount if a die-off (herx) reaction happens, and suggests taking them away from food.
BANDEROL (OTOBA BARK)
LYME LAB RESEARCH
- In a 2020 Johns Hopkins lab study of 14 natural products against Lyme bacteria, cat's claw was one of seven with good activity against the resting (non-growing) form of the bacteria. It did not fully clear the bacteria in the follow-up test.
- A 2023 review of 18 herbs used for Lyme found cat's claw was one of seven with lab activity against Lyme bacteria, and noted that studies in people with Lyme are still lacking.
- In a 2021 Johns Hopkins lab study on Babesia, cat's claw did not show much effect. It was not part of the Bartonella study.
- These were lab studies, so studies in people are still needed.
INFLAMMATION AND JOINT PAIN
- A 2024 review of 24 animal studies found cat's claw lowered certain inflammation signals (IL-6 and NF-kB), with low toxicity. It did not change some others, like TNF-alpha.
- Older study (2002): in 40 people with rheumatoid arthritis who were already on their usual medicines, a TOA-free type of cat's claw extract for 24 weeks lowered the number of painful joints by 53%, compared with 24% on placebo. The researchers called it a small, early study.
- Older study (2001): in 45 people with knee arthritis, a closely related species (Uncaria guianensis) lowered pain during activity compared with placebo, with benefits starting in the first week. It did not lower pain at rest or knee swelling.
ARTHRITIS
A note from me: this list doesn't cover everything. Cat's claw may offer more benefits than I've included here. I'm sharing the uses that are best known or most studied as of today, from sources I trust. Research keeps growing, and one post can only cover so much.
BEFORE YOU START
- Read the warning on each bottle.
- Ask your doctor before using cat's claw, especially if you take any medicines, have an autoimmune condition, or are pregnant or nursing.
- The liquids contain alcohol.
MY EXPERIENCE
I've never taken cat's claw on its own. I believe it was in a few combination tinctures I've used in the past, but I can't say for certain.
RELATED POSTS
CHINESE SKULLCAP (BAIKAL SKULLCAP)
LYME DISEASE - POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
NUTRAMEDIX
SOURCES
Dr. Bill Rawls, LymeDisease.org, herbal therapy vs. antibiotics (2024)
Dr. Bill Rawls, LymeDisease.org, natural remedies (2021, older source, still worth reading)
Dr. Bill Rawls, LymeDisease.org, Lyme neuropathy (2021, older source, still worth reading)
Johns Hopkins, Lyme lab study, Frontiers in Medicine (2020, older source, still worth reading)
Bay Area Lyme Foundation, seven herbs capable of killing Lyme bacteria in the lab (2020, older source, still worth reading)
Johns Hopkins, Babesia lab study (2021, older source, still worth reading)
Review of 18 herbs used for Lyme, Integrative Medicine (2023)
Review of 24 animal studies on cat's claw and inflammation (2024)
Mur et al., rheumatoid arthritis trial (2002, older source, still worth reading)
Piscoya et al., knee arthritis trial (2001, older source, still worth reading)
Disclaimer: Rise Above Lyme makes no claims about any possible benefit of using any product mentioned within this site. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything. The information shared is based on personal experience, years of accumulated researched resources from Lyme Literate doctors and polls conducted within Lyme groups from actual patient experience using these solution ideas.
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