Cat's Claw Una de Gato Herbal Tea Alzheimer's Healthy Natural Tisane Infusion

Uncaria tomentosa, is a wonder-herb from the Peruvian Amazonian rainforest. It’s a scrambling liana that can climb over 100 feet to reach the forest canopy, using little claw like protrusions along its stem. Una de Gato has long been used by the Ashaninka Indians as indeed a wonder-herb. However in the west the greatest interest has been in its use in the treatment of Alzheimer’s. A 2019 study published in Nature found that specific phytochemicals in Una de Gato had an inhibitory effect on the formation of beta-amyloid plaques and tau protein ‘tangles’, both having been posited as a primary cause of Alzheimer’s Disease. This led the authors to conclude; Uncaria tomentosa represents a potential breakthrough for the natural treatment of both normal brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Critics have suggested that the enthusiasm is unwarranted as of 2022 no Alzheimer’s patients have had their disease significantly reversed or its progression halted. The dried ‘tea’ is made from the root bark of the vine and has a smell reminiscent of our Lapacho tea and has a taste that is very ‘woody’, Helen, and I both quite liked it.

It goes without saying that if you're pregnant (or are under the doc for anything) caution should be exercised with herbal decoctions.