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Before taking Cat's Claw supplements, please read this meta-study first
We don't need to tell the readers of this free online magazine much about the uses of Cat's Claw - scientific name: Uncaria tomentosa. Supplementation with extracts of this plant inhibits a broad spectrum of inflammation, reducing the pain of damaged joints and potentially reducing the risk of chronic diseases. But which type of supplement works best?
Study
Brazilian biotechnologists from the University of Ribeirao Preto compiled two dozen previously published studies in which researchers fed laboratory animals extracts of Cat's Claw. If the animals had been adult humans, they would have received 2-3 grams of extract daily.
In the studies, researchers examined the effect of supplementation on the concentrations of interleukins 1, 6, and 10, TNF-alpha, and NF-kB.
The Brazilians aggregated the results and reanalyzed them.
Results
There was no effect on interleukins 1 and 10, or TNF-alpha, but Cat's Claw did have a fairly strong lowering effect on interleukin 6 and a strong lowering effect on NF-kB.
The figures below illustrate this. Click on them for a larger version.
Best extracts
The Brazilians distinguish between water-based extracts and hydroethanol-based extracts. In their article, they lump them together for unclear reasons, but we - unskilled & uncertified - do see a definite difference in effectiveness. Water-based extracts have no significant effect on interleukin 6 concentrations, but an even greater effect on NF-kB.
For healthy people who want to use Cat's Claw, it is better to opt for water-based extracts rather than hydro-ethanolic extracts.
Interleukin-6
Interleukin-6 is a surprisingly versatile cytokine. While excessive interleukin-6 production plays a role in numerous diseases, interleukin-6 also has another, beneficial side.
During and after exercise, muscles produce interleukin-6 - and this version of interleukin-6 plays a role in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, cancer, and other conditions induced by exercise. [Physiol Rev. 2008 Oct;88(4):1379-406.] For healthy people, inhibiting interleukin-6 may not be beneficial. It may even be detrimental.
NF-kB
Inhibiting NF-kB likely has fewer negative side effects than inhibiting NF-kB. Scientists suspect that reducing NF-kB activity slows the rate of aging and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, vascular disease, and cancer. [Aging Dis. 2011 Dec;2(6):449-65.] [Biomedicines. 2021 Jul 25;9(8):889.]
Lifestyle factors that suppress NF-kB activity include caloric restriction, exercise, and a diet rich in secondary metabolites such as quercetin, [Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Sep 18;99(38):e22241.] resveratrol, curcumin, and capsaicin.
Cancer
In 2025, the Brazilian authors published another study on Cat's Claw. [Front Pharmacol. 2025 May 14:16:1584840.] In it, the researchers examined the anticancer effects of various Cat's Claw extracts in vitro. The water-based extracts performed remarkably well.
Source:
Front Pharmacol. 2024 May 31:15:1378408.
More:
Combination of Maca, Cat's Claw, Boswellia serrata and leucine protects joints 13.05.2015
Echinacea and Cat's Claw work better when combined 15.08.2011
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Immune System
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