Medical Questions » Cold, Flu Questions » Question No. 1589
Question:Aside from echinacea, are there any other herbs that cure colds?
Answer:Cat' s claw, the bark of the Uncaria tomentosa plant from the Peruvian rainforest, is a particular favorite of mine. Cat' s claw is so called because the thorn on the plant resembles the claw of a cat. A woody vine, it can wind its way over 100 feet up through the trees in its search for light in the dense forests. The Native Americans have long used it to treat cancer, joint problems and many other diseases.

Although research on the plant is still in its infancy, the studies that have been done has been so convincing that the plant has been overexploited. It is now an endangered species, and in 1989 the Peruvian govemment banned the harvesting and use of the root of the two main species, which would of course kill the living plant. In any case, the bark contains most or all of the medicinal properties, and harvesting some of this will allow the plant to grow back afterwards. It is still feared that worldwide demand for this bark exceeds production so, as with ginseng, the purchaser needs to be aware of substitutes.

Components of cat' s claw have been shown to increase the ability of white blood cells to carry out phagocytosis, that is, to engulf, digest and so destroy an invading bacterium or virus. It has also been shown to contain other chemicals which reduce inflammation. It is potentially a super-plant, with immune-stimulating, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and antimicrobial properties.

Austrian researchers have also identified extracts which they have been using to treat cancer and viral infections. One problem they have come across is that different samples contain different amounts of these therapeutic chemicals, which makes dosage difficult to calculate; it is not yet known whether this is due to variations in location, season or species.

Cat' s claw comes either as capsules, with 2g a good daily dose for a cold, or as tea (loose or in teabags) - two cups a day should be sufficient. You can get more out of the loose tea by boiling it for five minutes and then adding a little blackcurrant and apple juice concentrate to improve the taste.

       
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