Medicinal plants of the Amazon Rainforest, Cat's claw, Dragon Blood and Guayusa. You can lear more about them on our Rainforest Tour

Huella Verde Lodge rainforest tour on Medicinal plants of the Amazon rainforest

Cat’s claw - uña de gato

Cat's claw is a large, woody vine that derives its name from hook-like thorns that grow along the vine and resemble the claws of a cat. Cat's claw is indigenous to the Amazon rainforest and other tropical areas of South and Central America, including Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Trinidad, Venezuela, Suriname, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama.

TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES

Cat's claw has been used medicinally  to treat asthma, inflammations of the urinary tract, arthritis, rheumatism, bone pain and gastric ulcers; to recover from childbirth; as a kidney cleanser; to cure deep wounds; to control inflammation and gastric ulcers; and for cancer.

Cat's claw has been used  since the early 1990s as an adjunctive treatment for cancer and AIDS as well as for other diseases that target the immune system. In herbal medicine today, cat's claw is employed around the world for many different conditions, including immune disorders, gastritis, ulcers, cancer, arthritis, rheumatism, rheumatic disorders, neuralgias, chronic inflammation of all kinds, and such viral diseases as herpes zoster (shingles). Dr. Julian Whitaker, M.D. reports using cat's claw for its immune-stimulating effects, for cancer, to help prevent strokes and heart attacks, to reduce blood clots  COURSES

Sangre de Drago - Dragon’s blood

Sangre de grado is a medium-sized tree in the upper Amazon region of Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.  Its  name, sangre de drago (which means “dragon’s blood). When the trunk of the tree is cut or wounded, a dark red, sappy resin oozes out as if the tree is bleeding—earning this local name.  He is rich in active alkaloids, well-known medicinal plant used as purgative and tonics.

TRIBAL AND HERBAL MEDICINE USES

Sangre de grado's red sap or latex (and also its bark) has a long history of indigenous use in the rainforest and in South America. The earliest written reference dates its use to the 1600s, For centuries, the sap has been painted on wounds to staunch bleeding, to accelerate healing, and to seal and protect injuries from infection. The sap dries quickly and forms a barrier, much like a "second skin." It is used externally by indigenous tribes for wounds, fractures, and hemorrhoids, internally for intestinal and stomach ulcers, and as a douche for vaginal discharge. Other indigenous uses include treating intestinal fe vers and inflamed or infected gums, in vaginal baths before and after childbirth, for hemorrhaging after childbirth, and for skin disorders.

It is also used internally for ulcers in the mouth, throat, intestines and stomach; as an antiviral for upper respiratory viruses, stomach viruses and HIV; internally and externally for cancer. 

A type of blood cancer called leukemia: Sangre de Grado might make this condition worse. Avoid using Sangre de Grado if you have leukemia.

Guayusa

Guayusa is a native Amazonian tree leaf that has been brewed like tea for thousands of years by indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Guayusa Tea offers a clear, focused energy by balancing as much caffeine as one cup of coffee with twice the antioxidants of green tea.

Guayusa contains the same amount of the world’s most prized stimulant, caffeine, as one cup of coffee. However, guayusa also has other stimulating compounds- theophylline and theobromine that combined create a balanced energy effect. Guayusa offer a range of holistic health benefits from calming the nervous system to cardiovascular health.