Cat's Claw
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Cat's Claw (Uncaria tomentosa) is a dietary supplement with 11 published peer-reviewed studies involving 304 participants, researched for Joint Health & Arthritis, Anti-inflammatory & Immune Function, DNA Repair & Cellular Protection and 1 more areas.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
Joint Health & Arthritis
StrongAnti-inflammatory & Immune Function
StrongDNA Repair & Cellular Protection
ModerateNeuroprotection
ModerateResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
Joint Health & Arthritis
To evaluate Cat's Claw extract on pain and disability in knee osteoarthritis
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate Cat's Claw extract on pain and disability in knee osteoarthritis
Dose
100 mg/day freeze-dried Cat's Claw
Participants
45 osteoarthritis patients
Duration
4 weeks
Results
Significant reduction in pain with activity (p=0.03) and WOMAC pain subscale. Night pain and resting pain reduced.
How They Measured It
WOMAC, VAS pain, paracetamol rescue use
To assess Cat's Claw in rheumatoid arthritis alongside standard therapy
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess Cat's Claw in rheumatoid arthritis alongside standard therapy
Dose
60 mg/day Cat's Claw extract (pentacyclic alkaloids)
Participants
40 RA patients on stable DMARDs
Duration
24 weeks
Results
Significant reduction in painful joints (p=0.044) and swelling. Pain VAS reduced. CRP trending lower vs placebo.
How They Measured It
ACR criteria, DAS28, joint tenderness count, CRP
Application of the Extracts of Uncaria tomentosa in Endodontics and Oral Medicine: Scoping Review
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
Application of the Extracts of Uncaria tomentosa in Endodontics and Oral Medicine: Scoping Review
Dose
As per study protocol
Participants
See full study
Duration
See full study
Results
Statistically significant findings reported — see full study for complete results.
How They Measured It
See full study for endpoints and measurement methods
Systemic therapies for preventing or treating aromatase inhibitor-induced musculoskeletal symptoms in early breast cancer
Study Type
Systematic review and meta-analysis
Purpose
Systemic therapies for preventing or treating aromatase inhibitor-induced musculoskeletal symptoms in early breast cancer
Dose
As per study protocol
Participants
See full study
Duration
See full study
Results
Statistically significant findings reported — see full study for complete results.
How They Measured It
See full study for endpoints and measurement methods
Anti-inflammatory & Immune Function
To evaluate Cat's Claw immunostimulant effects in healthy adults
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate Cat's Claw immunostimulant effects in healthy adults
Dose
300 mg/day Cat's Claw bark extract
Participants
52 healthy adults
Duration
6 weeks
Results
Significant increase in NK cell count (+24%, p=0.02) and lymphocyte proliferation. IL-2 production increased.
How They Measured It
NK cell count, lymphocyte proliferation, cytokine production
To evaluate Cat's Claw in dengue fever patients
Study Type
Randomised, controlled trial
Purpose
To evaluate Cat's Claw in dengue fever patients
Dose
20 g/day Cat's Claw bark decoction
Participants
60 dengue fever patients
Duration
7 days
Results
Platelet count recovered faster (p=0.03). Fever duration shorter by 1.3 days. Anti-viral and immunomodulatory properties demonstrated.
How They Measured It
Platelet counts, fever duration, symptom scores
To assess Cat's Claw antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in healthy subjects
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To assess Cat's Claw antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in healthy subjects
Dose
250 mg/day Cat's Claw extract
Participants
40 healthy adults
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Significant improvement in antioxidant capacity (ORAC +27%). CRP reduced by 18% and lipid peroxidation markers reduced.
How They Measured It
ORAC, lipid peroxidation, CRP, SOD
DNA Repair & Cellular Protection
To evaluate Cat's Claw effects on DNA repair in smokers
Study Type
Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To evaluate Cat's Claw effects on DNA repair in smokers
Dose
250-350 mg/day Cat's Claw extract (C-Med-100)
Participants
27 healthy adult smokers
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Significant reduction in DNA strand breaks (p=0.001) and 8-OHdG levels. DNA repair capacity improved.
How They Measured It
Comet assay, 8-OHdG levels, lymphocyte DNA damage
To examine Cat's Claw effects on leukocyte DNA repair post-irradiation
Study Type
Randomised, placebo-controlled
Purpose
To examine Cat's Claw effects on leukocyte DNA repair post-irradiation
Dose
250 mg/day C-Med-100
Participants
12 healthy volunteers
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Cat's Claw significantly enhanced DNA repair capacity following gamma irradiation (p<0.05). Micronucleus frequency reduced.
How They Measured It
Micronucleus frequency, DNA repair rate, comet assay
Neuroprotection
To assess Cat's Claw supplementation in Parkinson's disease patients
Study Type
Randomised, placebo-controlled pilot
Purpose
To assess Cat's Claw supplementation in Parkinson's disease patients
Dose
300 mg/day freeze-dried Cat's Claw
Participants
28 Parkinson's disease patients
Duration
12 weeks
Results
Significant reduction in oxidative stress markers (MDA, 8-OHdG) vs placebo. Non-significant trends toward improved motor scores.
How They Measured It
UPDRS motor scores, oxidative stress markers
To review clinical evidence for Uncaria tomentosa across health outcomes
Study Type
Systematic review
Purpose
To review clinical evidence for Uncaria tomentosa across health outcomes
Dose
Various
Participants
Systematic review
Duration
Various
Results
Evidence supports anti-inflammatory and immunostimulant effects. DNA repair and antioxidant benefits well documented. Modest evidence for joint pain relief. Good safety profile.
How They Measured It
Systematic review of clinical trials
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cat's Claw research
There are currently 11 peer-reviewed studies on Cat's Claw (Uncaria tomentosa), involving 304 total participants. Research covers Anti-inflammatory, Joint health, Immune function and 1 more areas. The overall evidence strength is rated as Strong.
The evidence is currently rated as "Strong Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (9 human studies), and reported outcomes.
Cat's Claw has been researched for: Anti-inflammatory, Joint health, Immune function, Antioxidant status. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 9 out of 11 studies are human trials. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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