The herb Cat’s Claw is a large woody vine found in the Amazon rain forest and other tropical regions of South and Central America.

For hundreds of years the native tribes used cat’s claw bark and root for asthma, arthritis, urinary tract infections, kidney problems, inflammation and cancer. The herb was used for fever, intestinal ailments, STDs and as a form of birth control.

In today’s modern world of herbalism, cat’s claw is used as a powerful immune system stimulator. It’s now being used for fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, mononucleosis and shingles due to its very potent anti-inflammatory properties. So many today are using cat’s claw for joint pain associated with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis as well as gastritis, ulcers and neuralgia. Cat’s claw is very effective to those who use NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) for pain relief as the herb may protect against gastrointestinal damage associated with this class of drugs.

Cat’s claw also seems to possess tumor-fighting properties and have been a popular complement to cancer treatments. It was a go-to herb for those with HIV back in the 1990s and other conditions linked to a weakened immune system.
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For more about cat’s claw, watch the above interview with Medicine Hunter Chris Kilham who travels to the Amazon on a regular basis searching out new remedies before we lose our rain forests. 

The herb goldenseal is the member of the buttercup family and is found in the eastern United States. Native Indians used goldenseal to produce a beautiful yellow dye.

The therapeutic uses of goldenseal consists of being a digestive, stopping diarrhea and for its most popular use as an antimicrobial. Did you know back in the 19th century, companies such as Parker Davis, Eli Lilly  and Squibb manufactured goldenseal products, so the healing properties of this herb has not been lost, but have now been extended to the general public as all of the pharmaceutical giants have left nature and its healing splendor behind in the past and what a shame!

Studies at the University of Chicago found in test tube studies that goldenseal are highly active against multiple strains of Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that is responsible for the majority of peptic ulcers and gastric cancers. The most studied property found in goldenseal is called berberine, a yellow alkaloid that is the primary infection fighter. Berberine destroys many microorganism that cause diarrhea caused by Giardia lamblia and Entamoela histolytica. Goldenseal is so effective against these bacteria that 20% of the world’s population is chronically infected and could be helped with such a simple remedy.
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Other uses for goldenseal can be found in it being combined with the herb Echinacea for colds and flu as well as salves to heal skin infections.
 
How to Use
Tea: It’s bitter as a tea, so combining with a bit of the herb Licorice can be helpful.
Capsule: Take 1000mg twice daily
Tincture: 40 drops twice daily

Some 50 years ago, researchers were looking into Milk Thistle’s liver-protecting properties that include an array of compounds that we now know can protect us from the dangerous side effects of prescription drugs.
In a world of over-the-counter drugs that millions of people feel are free of side effects and the myriad of television drug commercials that rattle off the side effects at the end with blinding speed, have led many to take Milk Thistle on a daily basis for healthy liver protection.

Milk Thistle has been used for over 2,000 years by the earliest of herbalists, shamans and physicians, and was the go-to herb when your eyes or skin turn yellow (jaundice). History tells us they used the herb for hepatitis and cirrhosis and other ailments associated with liver and gallbladder function. Germany’s Commission E recommends milk thistle for liver damage caused by toxins or cirrhosis of the liver and as therapy for liver inflammation.

This healing herb contains compounds called flavonolignans also known as silymarin and silybum, which protect liver cells from damage caused by alcohol, acetaminophen and many drugs, toxins and food chemicals and can protect against ‘death cap mushroom’ poisoning or anything that can affect the liver. Milk Thistle is known to protect, strengthen, detoxify and regenerate the liver when taken daily as a tea or standardized extract in supplement form.

​According to the National Cancer Institute, silymarin in the herb protects the liver by preventing toxins from entering cells and by improving enzymatic function that detoxify toxins in the liver. Silymarin can protect liver cells during chemotherapy and appears to boost the effect of certain chemotherapy drugs.

Other uses for Milk Thistle
Another amazing effect of milk thistle it protects the kidneys against drug injury, radiation and prevents ultraviolet damage to the skin.