I should probably clarify the question that exists within the title of today’s post. When I say cat’s claw, I’m not referring to a literal cat claw that can be found attached to the pad of their foot; rather, I’m making reference to cat’s claw as an herb, and if you haven’t heard of it, don’t stress over it. I just educated myself on this shit recently, and if I had to guess, most people are not aware there is an herb in existence with the same name as a lethal weapon, as understood by cat owners.
“Cat’s claw is a woody vine that grows wild in the Amazon rainforest and other tropical areas of Central and South America. Its thorns resemble a cat’s claws. The two most common species are U. tomentosa and U. guianensis. Most commercial preparations of cat’s claw contain U. tomentosa. Use of cat’s claw dates back 2,000 years. Indigenous people of South and Central America used it to ward off disease. Today, cat’s claw is promoted as a dietary supplement for a variety of health conditions, including viral infections (such as herpes, human papilloma virus, and HIV), Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, arthritis, diverticulitis, peptic ulcers, colitis, gastritis, hemorrhoids, parasites, and leaky bowel syndrome,” according to nccih.nih.gov.
I’ve been exploring the herbal tea realm as of late because herbal tea can work wonders in terms of alleviating Lyme disease symptoms, and cat’s claw was continually recommended when I was searching for herbal teas that benefit folks with Lyme disease. I ordered a box of cat’s claw tea from Amazon and have had it twice now – at first, there really isn’t much of a taste. Once you approach the bottom of your mug, however, the taste is a little more detectable, and it tastes a lot like dirt. And, yes, I have tasted dirt, for anyone wondering how I can properly compare the two.
I will keep you all posted on this new and exciting cat’s claw tea adventure.
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ontheedgeofeverything 
