Devil's Claw as an Herb

(Harpagophytum procumbens)

Devil's claw is native to South Africa, named because of its peculiar appearance. Its claw-like roots are used in medicines after they are chopped and allowed to dry in the sun for at least 3 days.

Early research results for Devil's Claw appeared in 1958. In a paper, devil's claw was reported to be effective in reducing inflammation and swelling in experimentally induced arthritis. Using simple water extracts, the researcher was able to reduce swelling from 300 to 800 percent in a matter of days.

Medicinal Uses for Devil's claw

Devil's Claw has been used as a tonic, as a treatment for arthritis and rheumatism, reduce fever, ease sore muscles, reduce cholesterol, and externally the ointment is used to treat sores, boils, and ulcers. It is also used to cleanse the lymph system, and to remove toxins from the blood.

The tribal herbal traditions of South Africa employed devil's claw to relieve pain and stimulate digestion.

To this day, Devil's claw continues to be widely utilized to stimulate the appetite and as an aid to digestion - largely in the continent of Europe. Side effects are absent and the devil's claw is believed to be free of toxic effects - remedies from the herb are therefore quite safe for long term use by patients.

Scientists don't know exactly how devil's claw works at this time, other than that it is not a COX-2 inhibitor like Celebrex or Vioxx, and therefore is not potentially injurious to the heart.

This herb has approval status by the German Commission E.

Recommended daily dosages in Germany are as follows:

• 1.5 g of the herb for loss of appetite
• 4.5 g herb, otherwise

Culinary

This herb is not generally used for culinary purposes.

Cautions

Devil's claw can promote the production of stomach acid. For this reason, people affected by gastric or duodenal ulcers should avoid using the herb in any form, as it may result in unpleasant and painful side effects.

Don't use devil's claw if you take Coumadin (warfarin) or Plavix.

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DISCLAIMER: These pages are presented solely as a source of INFORMATION and ENTERTAINMENT and to provide stern warnings against use where appropriate. No claims are made for any historical herbal treatment. In no way can the information provided here take the place of the standard, legal, medical practice of any country. Some plants are extremely toxic and should be used only by licensed professionals. Some plants used for illness in the past have proven to be ineffective for the problems to which they were applied.