Uña de Gato

Digestive System For stomach health or irritation of the digestive system, take an extract of Uña de Gato (Uña de Gato, Arcozon™, Recovazon™, Shipibo Treasure Tea™) daily.   For Immune Support Uña de Gato is known to stimulate various aspects of immune functions. Take Uña de Gato daily to help maintain a strong immune system (Arcozon™) daily.   For Joint and Muscle support For the management of joint and muscle health, take Uña de Gato orally (Uña de Gato, Recovazon™, Shipibo Treasure Tea™) or apply topically (Recovazon Gel™).

When the vine is cut at about three feet above the ground, the root remains undisturbed and the vine will grow back to its full size within a few years. This is the environmentally friendly manner with which the Shipibo tribes harvest Uña de Gato for Amazon Herb Company.

Traditional Use
Many cultures native to the Amazon Rainforest have used Uña de Gato for hundreds of years. The plant is considered a valuable medicinal resource and is protected in Peru. Although Uña de Gato has been used by many Peruvian tribes such as the Aguaruna, Asháninka, Cashibo, Conibo and Shipibo for more than 2,000 years, it is the Ashaninka who are considered the most knowledgeable about the use of this plant and refer to it as the “Sacred Herb of the Rain Forest."

The Ashaninka have the longest recorded history of use with the plant, using it to treat the respiratory system, various forms of joint pain, to recover from childbirth, as a kidney cleanser, to cure deep wounds, to control stomach irritations and maintain a strong digestive system.

One of the common historical uses of Uña de Gato is for contraception. Dr. Fernando Cabieses, a noted authority on Peruvian medicinal plants, explains in his notes how the Ashaninka boil 11-13 pounds of the root in water until it is reduced to about a cup. This decoction is then taken daily during the period of menstruation for three consecutive months. This practice is reported to cause sterility for three to four years. Obviously, such levels are far beyond the normal consumption of Uña de Gato, which has no effect on fertility.

Key Benefits
In May, 1994, the World Health Organization sponsored the first international conference on Uña de Gato in Geneva, Switzerland. At the conference, Uña de Gato was recognized as one of the most important medicinal plants of the whole world pharmacopoeia.

The oxindole alkaloids found in the bark and roots of Uña de Gato have so far drawn the greatest attention for their effect on the immune system. A scientist, Dr. Klause Keplinger made their discovery in the 1980s. He isolated six oxindole alkaloids from the root of Uña de Gato and four of them were shown to enhance immune function, namely
to stimulate phagocytosis by macrophages. “Phago” comes from the Greek “to eat” and “cytosis” is the process by which a cell engulfs another cell or a particle. So phagocytosis is the ability of macrophage to engulf, eat and digest – literally – bacteria and microorganisms. With this function, macrophages constitute the first line of defense of the
immune system.

Another alkaloid named rynchophylline was shown to inhibit platelet aggregation. Platelets are not true cells by definition, though they play a very important role. They circulate in the body and whenever they encounter a wound where there is blood loss, they immediately aggregate, and then secrete compounds called cytokines that trigger blood coagulation. Without platelets, the slightest injury could become life threatening. However, with our modern lifestyle and diet, many people have deposits in their arteries, which give arteries irregular surfaces. At times this may be interpreted by platelets as a wound and it may trigger the coagulation cascade, increasing the risk of a stroke or thrombosis. For this reason, people suffering from cardiovascular problems are often put on drugs that “thin” the blood, and some of them work by inhibiting platelet aggregation. Therefore, Uña de Gato may help maintain a strong and healthy cardiovascular system.