Devils Claw Root 100 g, 50 g, 25 g

Devils Claw Root – 100 g ($16.99), 50 g ($10.99), 25 g ($7.99)

Benefits:
Devil’s claw is an anti-inflammatory and painkilling agent when used in its recommended form. It also inhibits the production of inflammatory compounds that worsen many diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes. In folk medicine, devil’s claw has been used in an ointment for skin injuries and disorders. As a dried root, it is used for pain relief, pregnancy discomforts, arthritis, allergies, and disorders of the kidney, bladder, liver, and gallbladder. It has also been used in South Africa as an appetite stimulant. As a homeopathic remedy, it can be used for chronic rheumatism. According to the German Commission E, it is approved for stomach complaints, loss of appetite, and rheumatism. However, there are numerous conflicting reports in clinical studies on its use as an anti-inflammatory agent. It may be that it is more effective when combined with an anti-inflammatory herb, such as willow bark.

Arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, gout, and tendinitis. The use of devil’s claw in the treatment of pain required a number of tests before the herb was accepted within the scientific community. Animal tests showed that it relieves inflammation and stops pain, but the first set of tests with healthy human volunteers found no significant anti-inflammatory or analgesic power. Moreover, chemical analysis of the herb found that it did not act in the same way as aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The resolution of the conflicting findings concerning devil’s claw is that the analgesic components of the herb break down the longer they are in contact with the gastric juices of the stomach. Taking devil’s claw in an enteric-coated form protects it from digestion in the stomach. This increases its usefulness in controlling pain.

Repeated clinical trials found enteric-coated tablets of the herb effective against pain. Questions about the pharmacology of the herb were clarified when it was discovered that devil’s claw contains chemicals, like those in many other pain-relieving herbs, that stimulate circulation and carry inflammatory chemicals away from affected tissues.

Devil’s claw has been most extensively tested for relief of lower back pain. In an open label study, seventy-five patients with knee or hip osteoarthritis took 2.4 grams of devil’s claw from a product called Doloteffin for twelve weeks. Standardized measurements of pain and disability were reduced by 25 percent and adverse side effects were minor. A randomized, double-blind study in Germany with 183 subjects produced the surprising result that not only was devil’s claw effective in relieving lower back pain, it was most effective for people who had the most severe, radiating pain, with numbness in the extremities.

 Recommended Use:
To relieve pain, devil’s claw has to be taken in the form of an enteric-coated capsule. Enteric-coated capsules should be taken one hour before meals. Since the pain-relieving chemicals in the herb are activated by intestinal bacteria, the herb is less effective during and for one to two weeks after antibiotic treatment of any kind. It can also be used in an ointment or a liquid extract. The daily dosage for appetite loss is 1.5 grams of the herb. In homeopathy, devil’s claw doses are 5 to 10 drops, 1 tablet, or 5 to 10 globules, one to three times a day. The ointment should be applied one to three times a day.

Devil’s claw should not be used in the presence of stomach or duodenal ulcers because it stimulates gastric juices. If you have gallstones, consult a doctor before using this herb. It may interact with and decrease the effectiveness of anticoagulants and cardiac anti-arrhythmic drugs. Devil’s claw may also interact with antacids, rendering them less effective, and with digoxin by weakening heart muscle contractions. It may slow heart rate in people with congestive heart failure. Occasionally, devil’s claw causes mild diarrhea. If this happens, you should take the next dose on an empty stomach. You should not use devil’s claw if you are pregnant or nursing.

Botanical Name: Harpagophytum procumbens
English: Devil’s Claw Root
Also, known as: Harpagophytum, Harpagophytum burchelii Decne, Grappl Plant, Wood Spider, Afrikanische Teufelskralle, beesdubbeltjie, devil’s claw, duiwelsklou, grapple plant, grapple vine, harpagophytum, kanako, khams, khuripe, legatapitse, sengaparele, Teufelskralle, Trampelklette, wood spider xwate
Origin: Namibia
Harvested: Wild
Parts Used: Root

General Information:
Harpagophytum procumbens inhabits deep, sandy soils, and occurs in areas with low annual rainfall. It is a perennial, tuberous plant with annually produced creeping stems. It is native to the southern part of the African continent and may be found in the Kalahari Sands of Namibia,

Botswana, South Africa, Angola, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Tuber up to6 cm in diameter, bark yellowish-brown, longitudinally striated. The above-ground stems emerge after the first rains and die back during droughts or after frosts. The stems grow from a persistent primary tuber and several secondary tubers grow from the primary tuber at the end of fleshy roots. Leaves are large, have 3-5 lobes, and are covered in white mucilaginous cells, making them appear a grayish-green colour. Flowers are trumpet-shaped and pink, red, or purple with a yellowish center. Fruits characteristically large, hooked, claw-like, tardily dehiscent Splitting or bursting open) two-locular capsules, flattened at right angles to the septum. The plant gets its scientific and common names from the hooked spines of its woody capsules.

The sustainability of the trade-in the devil’s claw has been questioned for several years. The governments of each of the countries in which it occurs (range states; Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa) have developed policies and regulations to protect the species, to determine a sustainable harvest, and to provide for continued livelihoods for the harvesters. At various times, the species has been proposed for protection by the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). However, the range states have implemented measures to manage the trade sustainably and the proposal to protect the species by CITES was withdrawn.

How to use:
We make these suggestions to help you get the best benefit from the herbs that you’re choosing to improve your health. Also we make these ideas and recommendations so that consuming them easier and better fit into your lifestyle by adding them to the food that you already eat.
For the full health benefit, it is best to consume (or use the whole herb in poultices) the whole herb. All of the compounds in the herb act best together, as nature intends. Extracts draw out the most prominent beneficial compounds and may concentrate them. What is not extracted can be helpful in ways that we do not yet understand.

Cut Pieces or Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use cut pieces or powdered herb.
Food Preparation: You can add powdered or pieces of herb (if the pieces you buy are bigger than you like, a coffee or herb grinder will quickly reduce) to any yogurt, smoothie, apple or other sauces, spreads, salads or other foods more familiar to you that don’t use heat. Heat can be damaging to the beneficial compounds in the herb. Other options like oatmeal, scrambled eggs, pasta sauce, soup, cookies and anything else that fits your lifestyle, but minimizing (by adding near the end of cooking) the heat is helpful.
Also, for children, you can mix powdered herb with honey or glycerin to make paste. The thicker the paste, the more potent and herbal in taste. The sweet taste of honey and glycerin will help medicine go down. The resulting liquid is called an electuary.
For seeds in general, but especially small seeds, it’s best to grind these to break the protective hulls a short time before consumption. This makes all the benefits available, rather than some remaining locked inside the hulls that are unbroken by insufficient chewing.
To make adding herbs even easier, you could add a week’s worth of your chosen herb(s) to an amount of, for example, yogurt that you would eat in a week. Mix thoroughly and eat this each day of the week. So you make once /week and just eat each other day.
Hot Infusion: The basic method for dried herbs and flower is, take 2-3 tablespoons of dried herb in a cup or teapot. Pour hot water over it and cover it with lid for 10-30 minutes. The heat from making tea can degrade some of the beneficial compounds in the herb. This method minimizes this effect. For the full health benefit, it is recommended to consume what is left over after making tea.
Decoctions: Decoctions are suitable for roots, barks, large seeds & berries, and other dense material. The simple way to make decoction is, in a saucepan, add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs to 1 cup of water, Bring the water to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30-60 minutes with the pot covered. Squeeze out as much as liquid as possible. Best practice is to drink the liquid and also consume the solid material that remains. Herb pieces can also be used.
Powdered Herb:
There are different ways to use powdered herb.
Capsules: HerbsCrafters makes capsules guaranteed to be filled with the pure herb with no filler or any other products. You can also use powdered herb to make your own capsules at home. These capsules are best taken with liquid to aid in digestion and absorption and to ensure it doesn’t stick in your throat.
Poultice: Poultice can be made with an herbal powder and liquid (mostly water) to form a paste which is then applied to the skin. This method is very helpful for skin conditions.
Herbal shot: Powdered herb can be mixed with water, fruit juice or other liquid to make herbal shot.

Tips:
You can sweeten your herbal decoctions with bit of honey, natural fruit juice, stevia leaves powder or licorice root powder.

Precautions:
You should consult with a qualified healthcare practitioner before using any herbal products, particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, or on any medications.
All information on this website is for educational purpose ONLY.
This information has not been evaluated by Health Canada.
This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.