Reviewed by Dr.Vijaykumar Kamat & written by
Dr. Gauri Mane.
Harpagophytum Procumbens, meaning hook plant has earned the obnoxious nickname “Devil’s Claw”. However, this creepy-looking plant with hooks on its fruit is a valuable herb for medicinal purposes. This plant is native to South Africa and has been used historically for its anti-inflammatory properties, pain relief, and metabolic enhancement.
It is important to know that Devil’s Claw has been approved as a non-prescription medicine by the German Commission E. The herb has proven beneficial in supporting healthy joints, the lower back, the knee, and the hip.
Devil’s claw, also known as wood spider or wool spider, is a perennial herb that belongs to the Pedaliaceae (or Sesame) family. Other names include grapple plant (also known as a wood spider), wool spider, harpago (also known as sengaparile), and Kanako.
Devil’s Claw Nutritional Properties
The Devil’s Claw roots and tubers contain active constituents such as Iridoid-glucosides and flavonoids and are responsible for their therapeutic properties.
Health Benefits of Devil’s Claw Include
- The benefits of a healthy diet for bones, joints, and arterial strength
- Inflammatory conditions of the body: How to regulate them
- Detoxifying the body and flushing out toxins
- Immune system regulation and boost
- It helps to cleanse the blood, liver, kidneys, and digestive organs
- Improves the function of the joints, liver, kidneys, prostate, and urinary bladder
- Digestion-enhancing properties
- Enhancing liver health by stimulating the production of bile
The Clinical Evidence also Supports the Potential Therapeutic Effects Of Devil’s Claw
The therapeutic efficacy of the devil’s claw was identified through various clinical studies. Modern medicine is now beginning to understand why the devil’s claw was so popular in the past. Growing research is looking at the use of devil’s paw for conditions that affect the immune system, joints, and kidneys. It may also be used to treat liver, urinary bladder, arthrosis, indigestion, blood diseases, allergies, lumbago, neuralgia, and fever. The herb is also used to treat degenerative disorders, such as dyspepsia and peptic ulcers heartburn, arthrosis, and tendonitis. It has been tested for blood diseases, headaches, allergies, and fever. The following studies are not intended to be a treatment. Only your government or FDA can determine if it is. This herb can be used to improve your digestive, circulatory, and metabolic systems, as well as your defense system.
A Snippet of some of the studies conducted
- Osteoarthritis: An uncontrolled multicentre drug surveillance study for about 12 weeks conducted on 75 patients with arthrosis of the hip or knee reported that the Devil’s Claw extract had a clinically beneficial effect with the patients reporting improved physical functioning and pain reduction. 1
- Backache: Results of an open, multicenter study highlighted that 90% of the patient group suffering from chronic non-radicular back pain and treated with 2 daily doses of the devil’s claw extract for a period of 8 weeks showed a significant improvement of pain symptoms and mobility of the affected sections of the spine in the course of treatment. 2
- Muscle pain: A randomized, double-blind, 4-week, placebo-controlled study to investigate the effects of Devil’s Claw on sensory, motor, and vascular mechanisms of muscle pain reported that the herb had a significant influence on sensory and vascular muscular response and successfully alleviated muscle stiffness in the patient group. 3
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Clinical evaluation to determine the antioxidant properties of Devil’s Claw along with other herbs reported that the herb possessed potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and could prove a valuable alternative in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. 4
Biogetica’s goal is to provide holistic solutions. It researches and blends the best ingredients, ensuring that they all work together for results that go beyond any medical tradition. Our protocols for immunity, joints, nerves brain, digestion skin kidneys, and reproductive organs have been formulated with Devil’s Claw and other powerful natural ingredients.
Browse our range of Natural Health Protocols which combine Devil’s Claw and other powerful, bioavailable ingredients that are clinically proven.
- Brain health Protocol
- Nerve Health Protocol
- Female Health Protocol
These are just some of our protocols that include Devil’s Claw; to see the entire range, get more information, ask any health-related concern or get personalized recommendations please consult with our doctors available round the clock at www.biogetica.com now!
References
- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.1322/full
- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ptr.898/full
- http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/11810324
- http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-2036.2002.01157.x/full
