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Cat’s Claw has been shown to increase Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, fight inflammation and free radical damage, repair DNA, alleviate depression, and improve cognition and focus.

Cat’s Claw (Uncaria tomentosa, Uña de Gato, or Savéntaro) is a South American vine used as a nootropic with potent anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects that support DNA repair, immune function and normal cell division. [i]

For cognitive health, Uncaria tomentosa has been used to prevent inflammation, promote cerebral circulation , fight amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s and possibly even boost acetylcholine (ACh) .

Cat’s Claw is a member of the plant family Rubiaceae , genus Uncaria that consists of at least 34 different species found in tropical forests of Southeast Asia, Africa, Central and South America.

When choosing a Cat’s Claw nootropic supplement, you need to know that at least 12 different and unrelated herbs have been marketed as Uña de Gato or Cat’s Claw.

The two South American species are Uncaria guanensis , a lower altitude shrub, and Uncaria tomentosa , a higher altitude woody vine found particularly in Peru.

The root and inner bark of the stalk of Uncaria tomentosa contains 30 known constituents including at least 17 alkaloids, along with a number of other compounds.

Researchers first thought it was the oxindole alkaloids that provided Cat’s Claw health benefits. More recently, a water soluble extract called C-Med-100 ® (AC-11 ® ) was shown to possess strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. C-Med-100 ® does not contain a significant amount of alkaloids. Instead the bioactive nootropic benefits of this vine are quinic acid esters . [ii] When selecting a Cat’s Claw supplement for nootropic use, read the labels carefully. And choose only Uncaria tomentosa . We’ll have more about selecting the right supplement later in this post.Cat’s Claw helps: Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) . Research shows that Cat’s Claw boosts BDNF, tames NMDA activity, and repairs damaged DNA. Promoting an environment in your hippocampus for neurogenesis which is essential for learning, memory and mood. Low BDNF can lead to major depression, OCD, schizophrenia, and dementia. Neuroprotection . Cat’s Claw is a powerful antioxidant and […]

Cat’s Claw