The Eight (8) Great Health Benefits of Devil’s Claw
Below are the eight great health benefits of Devil's Claw Plant.
1. Arthritis Relief
The most extensively researched of use devil’s claw benefits is its ability to reduce osteoarthritis symptoms. According to a Japanese study in
2010, devil’s claw (particularly the harpagoside compound) caused a
significant reduction of arthritic inflammation in a group of mice.
In general, devil’s claw is accepted
by many medical professionals as a “supportive treatment of
degenerative, painful rheumatism.” Rheumatism, or rheumatic diseases, includes diagnoses such as osteoarthritis (from wear and tear), rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune condition), lupus, ankylosing spondylitis
and Sjogren’s syndrome. All of these disorders are marked by chronic
inflammation and usually joint, muscle and fibrous tissue pain.
When tested on patients with various
rheumatic disorders, devil’s claw seems to significantly reduce pain in
the hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee and back. In addition, the
same study found that quality of life improved for most patients. In
fact, 60 percent of whom were able to reduce or stop taking their other
pain medications.
Another uncontrolled trial found an
improvement in pain ratings by over 22 percent and as high as 45 percent
for various types of osteoarthritis pain. With only two minor adverse
reactions (acid reflux and a “full” sensation) in 75 patients, the
research here suggests devil’s claw extract may be beneficial for
clinical treatment of arthritis, specifically of the hip or knee.
In 2014, an observational study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of a supplement that includes devil’s claw, turmeric
and bromelain on rheumatic pain. Results found all patients experienced
a reduction in pain, especially chronic joint pain. Researchers
discovered no side effects or withdrawal issues and find this
three-plant complex to be a safe alternative to NSAIDs (non-steroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs) for patients with degenerative joint disorders,
such as osteoarthritis.
In addition to reducing pain, it’s
possible that devil’s claw benefits arthritis sufferers by preventing
bone loss. Although tests thus far have taken place only in lab and
animal tests, there are promising results that suggest devil’s claw
prohibits bone loss in inflammatory osteoporosis. These results are conflicting when it comes to hormonally activated osteoarthritis.
2. Might Aid in Weight Loss
Interestingly, this anti-inflammatory root may also be a novel way to lose weight. A university study conducted in Ireland found devil’s claw can help to stop or slow ghrelin (known as the “hunger hormone”) production. By reducing hunger pangs, those with overeating issues may find their
appetites at a level closer to average, aiding their weight loss.
Another way devil’s claw may help those with obesity is by potentially helping to prevent weight-related atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) by the particular way it suppresses inflammation.
3. Natural Painkiller
While it seems to be effective for
arthritis pain, devil claw’s benefits for pain don’t stop there.
Although it isn’t understood well, devil’s claw reduces inflammation and
inflammatory pain in a variety of conditions, including acute (fast
onset) pain, with few adverse effects in somewhere around 3 percent of
patients.
In an animal study, neuropathic pain
(shooting or burning pain often the result of some type of nerve
damage) and postoperative pain were reduced after 21 days of treatment
with an extract of devil’s claw.
Research conducted in 2001 found that devil’s claw extract given for a period of eight weeks helped to relieve chronic back pain
and improve mobility in 117 patients — all of those evaluated within
the study — for a period of at least six months. No serious side effects
were recorded.
Some sources also recommend using devil’s claw as a treatment for sciatic nerve pain,
also referred to as sciatica. It should be noted, however, that no
studies have been conducted on the efficacy of devil’s claw on sciatica
at the time of this writing.
4. Potential Lymphoma Treatment?
While the research here is in its infancy, there is surprising evidence that devil’s claw may somehow help to impact follicular lymphoma.
In a cancer
unit at a hospital in British Columbia, a doctor noticed a partial
regression of one patient’s lymphoma after 10 months with no
chemotherapy. The patient shared that he was taking two supplements,
including devil’s claw. After hearing about this natural treatment,
another patient in a support group with the first began taking devil’s
claw, followed by a similar regression 11 months later, sustained for
four years.
The doctor is careful here to draw
conclusions, as a two-patient observation of regression is not solid
scientific evidence that devil’s claw can treat or cure cancer. In some
research, some 16 percent of lymphoma patients have spontaneous
regression of their cancer. However, the physician found the timing
curious enough to suggest more studies be done on the potential for
devil’s claw to support cancer treatment for follicular lymphoma
patients.
5. Fights Chronic Inflammation
One of the reasons devil’s claw is so valuable is its ability to help reduce inflammation, which is at the root of most diseases.
Current research indicates that devil’s claw can help to inhibit tumor necrosis factor alpha
(TNF-alpha), a cytokine (cell-signaling protein) that is involved in
the normal inflammation that occurs in the body as it regulates the
immune system.
This is significant because when
TNF-alpha is overactivated, chronic inflammation can occur and lead to a
variety of diseases. In fact, inhibition of TNF-alpha is a major
subject of study in the prevention of inflammatory diseases such as
rheumatic disease, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
6. Rich in Antioxidants
Another basic way devil’s claw can
help prevent disease is due to the many antioxidants it contains.
According to The Institute of Biochemistry and Microbiology in
Düsseldorf, Germany, devil’s claw is “particularly rich in water-soluble
antioxidants.”
In fact, some research suggests that
some of the anti-inflammatory benefits of devil’s claw may actually be
the result of these antioxidants because of the way they work
hand-in-hand.
7. May Aid in Digestion
Remember that I mentioned above how
devil’s claw benefits include inhibition of TNF-alpha, which is a
treatment consideration for inflammatory bowel disease? Inflammation has a great deal to do with digestion. The antioxidants and
anti-inflammatory properties of devil’s claw may be useful as a
supplementary treatment for these diseases, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
8. Supports Kidney Health
Another underdeveloped area of study
on devil’s claw benefits is the way it might help treat a group of
kidney diseases known as glomerular diseases. These illnesses are inflammation-related and refer to diseases that injure the kidney’s tiny filters that clean the blood. An extract of devil’s claw helped to
suppress the formation of nitrites as the extract’s antioxidants acted
in this lab test, suggesting to researchers that these extracts “may
represent potential anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of
glomerular inflammatory diseases.”
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