Cat's Claw
Herb ·Exploratory record · not publication-reviewed ·Updated July 13, 2026
Amazonian vine used for immune support and joint inflammation.
Exploratory record, not a reviewed medical publication.
See the editorial and medical-review policies for the publication gate.
This generated database record has not completed a claim-level review by a qualified human medical reviewer. Bibliography links and evidence labels are not approval. The page remains available for reference and is excluded from search indexing.
What the research says.
A quick, data-only summary. The full evidence, dosing, and sources are below.
Cat's Claw is a herb most often used for immune support, joint health, anti-inflammatory. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as emerging. A typical adult dose is 250-1,000 mg daily, commonly taken as inner bark extract (pentacyclic alkaloid chemotype preferred). This profile indexes 18 sources.
The bottom line
Evidence rating emerging. Most-documented uses: immune support, joint health, anti-inflammatory. 18 sources indexed (1998–2024), with 0 interaction records on file.
How it works, mechanistically.
Core mechanism
Pentacyclic oxindole alkaloids stimulate immune cell proliferation. Quinovic acid glycosides provide anti-inflammatory action. Inhibits TNF-alpha and NF-κB.8,9
Dosing & protocol.
Take with food
What it actually costs.
Real-world pricing across three quality tiers. Assumes Inner Bark Extract.
Assumes 250-1,000 mg/day. Vendor basis: NOW/iHerb, Vitacost, Amazon marketplace, and specialty herb brands; POA-focused extracts cost more. Updated 2026-05-28.
The same dose, as food.
How much you'd eat to match a supplemental dose.
Cat's claw is a medicinal vine bark extract and is not an ordinary dietary food.
Full safety detail.
Sources, by evidence tier.
Numbered references. Citations throughout the page link here.
Meta-analyses & systematic reviews
1- 1Anti-inflammatory and/or immunomodulatory activities of Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw) extracts: A systematic review and meta-analysis of in vivo studiesPMIDBatiha GE et al. · Journal of Ethnopharmacology · 2024
Extracts decreased NF-kB and IL-6 with low toxicity; findings suggest potential to treat inflammatory diseases where these markers are elevated.
Randomized controlled trials
3- 2Evaluation of different treatment methods against denture stomatitis: a randomized clinical studyPMIDTay LY, Jorge JH, Herrera DR, Campanha NH, Gomes BP, Andre Dos Santos F · Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol · 2014
RCT of 50 patients with denture stomatitis found 2% Uncaria tomentosa gel was equally effective as 2% miconazole gel in treating denture stomatitis, reducing both severity and Candida colony counts.
- 3Efficacy and safety of freeze-dried cat's claw in osteoarthritis of the knee: mechanisms of action of the species Uncaria guianensisPMIDPiscoya J et al. · Inflammation Research · 2001
In 45 patients, freeze-dried cat's claw significantly reduced pain with activity; benefits occurred within the first week of therapy.
- 4Efficacy and safety of freeze-dried cat's claw in osteoarthritis of the kneeSource linkedPMIDPiscoya J, Rodriguez Z, Bustamante SA et al. · Inflamm Res · 2001
Reviews & position papers
9- 5Changes in Human Erythrocyte Membrane Exposed to Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts from Uncaria tomentosaPMIDDuchnowicz P, Pilarski R, Michałowicz J et al. · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021
Duchnowicz P, Pilarski R, Michałowicz J et al.. Changes in Human Erythrocyte Membrane Exposed to Aqueous and Ethanolic Extracts from Uncaria tomentosa. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland). 2021
- 6A spray containing extracts of oat plantlets and Uncaria tomentosa relieves pain associated with chronic inflammatory skin diseases and dermatological proceduresPMIDReich A, Lopez Estebaranz JL, Bahadoran P et al. · Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV · 2020
Reich A, Lopez Estebaranz JL, Bahadoran P et al.. A spray containing extracts of oat plantlets and Uncaria tomentosa relieves pain associated with chronic inflammatory skin diseases and dermatological procedures. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology : JEADV. 2020
- 7Investigating Potential Inhibitory Effect of Uncaria tomentosa (Cat's Claw) against the Main Protease 3CL(pro) of SARS-CoV-2 by Molecular ModelingPMIDYepes-Pérez AF, Herrera-Calderon O, Sánchez-Aparicio JE et al. · Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2020
Yepes-Pérez AF, Herrera-Calderon O, Sánchez-Aparicio JE et al.. Investigating Potential Inhibitory Effect of Uncaria tomentosa (Cat's Claw) against the Main Protease 3CL(pro) of SARS-CoV-2 by Molecular Modeling. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. 2020
- 8Quinovic acid glycosides purified fraction from Uncaria tomentosa induces cell death by apoptosis in the T24 human bladder cancer cell linePMIDDietrich F, Kaiser S, Rockenbach L et al. · Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association · 2014
Dietrich F, Kaiser S, Rockenbach L et al.. Quinovic acid glycosides purified fraction from Uncaria tomentosa induces cell death by apoptosis in the T24 human bladder cancer cell line. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association. 2014
- 9Effect of Uncaria tomentosa Extract on Apoptosis Triggered by Oxaliplatin Exposure on HT29 CellsPMIDde Oliveira LZ, Farias IL, Rigo ML et al. · Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2014
de Oliveira LZ, Farias IL, Rigo ML et al.. Effect of Uncaria tomentosa Extract on Apoptosis Triggered by Oxaliplatin Exposure on HT29 Cells. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM. 2014
- 10Reversible worsening of Parkinson disease motor symptoms after oral intake of Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw)PMIDCosentino C, Torres L · Clinical neuropharmacology · 2008
Cosentino C, Torres L. Reversible worsening of Parkinson disease motor symptoms after oral intake of Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw). Clinical neuropharmacology. 2008
- 11Cat's claw: an Amazonian vine decreases inflammation in osteoarthritisPMIDHardin SR · Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice · 2007
Pain associated with activity, medical and patient assessment scores were all significantly reduced with cat's claw treatment.
- 12Cat's Claw (Uncaria tomentosa) for osteoarthritis: a systematic reviewMehta K, Gala J, Bhasale S et al. · J Altern Complement Med · 2007
- 13Cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa) and its anti-inflammatory activity: a reviewSource linkedPMIDSandoval M, Charbonnet RM, Okuhama NN et al. · J Ethnopharmacol · 2000
Mechanistic & preclinical
3- 14Uncaria tomentosa acts as a potent TNF-alpha inhibitor through NF-kappaBPMIDAllen-Hall L et al. · Journal of Ethnopharmacology · 2010
U. tomentosa inhibits TNF-alpha production through NF-kB-dependent mechanism; LPS-dependent TNF-alpha expression inhibited 5.5-fold.
- 15Cat's claw inhibits TNFalpha production and scavenges free radicals: role in cytoprotectionPMIDSandoval M et al. · Free Radical Biology and Medicine · 2000
Cat's claw species are effective antioxidants; anti-inflammatory properties result from ability to inhibit TNF-alpha and PGE2 production.
- 16Antiinflammatory actions of cat's claw: the role of NF-kappaBPMIDSandoval-Chacon M et al. · Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics · 1998
Cat's claw inhibits NF-kappaB activation, which is a key mechanism underlying its anti-inflammatory effects.
Reference material
2- 17Marques O, Figueirinha A, Pina ME et al.. Uncaria tomentosa as a Promising Natural Source of Molecules with Multiple Activities: Review of Its Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry and Pharmacology. International journal of molecular sciences. 2025Source linkedPMID
- 18Yepes-Pérez AF, Herrera-Calderon O, Quintero-Saumeth J. Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw): a promising herbal medicine against SARS-CoV-2/ACE-2 junction and SARS-CoV-2 spike protein based on molecular modeling. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics. 2022Source linkedPMID
Common questions.
Quick answers about Cat's Claw, drawn from the data on this page.
What is Cat's Claw?
Amazonian vine used for immune support and joint inflammation.
What is Cat's Claw used for?
Commonly cited benefits of Cat's Claw include: Immune support; Joint health; Anti-inflammatory. NutriStack rates the overall evidence as emerging.
What is a typical dose of Cat's Claw?
A typical adult dose of Cat's Claw is 250-1,000 mg daily. The commonly recommended form is Inner bark extract (pentacyclic alkaloid chemotype preferred). These are general ranges, not personalized advice; confirm the right dose with a clinician.
What are the side effects of Cat's Claw?
Reported side effects include gi upset, dizziness, low blood pressure. This is educational information; check with a healthcare professional before use.
How strong is the evidence for Cat's Claw?
NutriStack rates this as Emerging, meaning early RCT signal, mechanistic data, or limited human evidence. Full tier criteria are at https://nutristackapp.com/methodology/evidence-tiers.
Use this with your stack
Cat's Claw in NutriStack.
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