Harpagophytum procumbens is a plant with a large hooked claw-like fruit, hence the name, native of Africa and especially of Southern Africa, widely used in the Kalahari and Namibian semi-deserts. The active ingredients of the roots are iridoid glycosides such as harpogoside, harpagide, and procumbine, various sugars, gum resin and beta-sitosterol.
- Anti-inflammatory. The anti-inflammatory action of devil’s claw appears to derive chiefly from harpagoside and beta-sitosterol. Not all studies have been conclusive, but the fact is that the whole plant is superior to its isolated components. The root is regularly used for indigestion and other alimentary canal problems in the Southern Africa semi-deserts, but also in sophisticated German health clinics, where it is also used against liver, gall bladder and kidney ailments, lymphatic system toxicity, blood diseases, diabetes, nervous malaise, and respiratory ailments.
- Pain-relieving. The root’s analgesic effects may derive from its anti-inflammatory properties. Devil’s claw has become a primary treatment for arthritis and rheumatism, edema and water retention, swelling and pain relief, spondylosis-induced lower back pain, and for improving the motility of joints and the feeling of wellbeing.
- Uric acid removal. The devil’s claw diuretic properties, its effect on the proper functioning of bile salts, the gall bladder, and the enterohepatic circuit, have proved effective in gout and the removal of uric acid from the body.
Caution: Devil’s claw should not be used by pregnant women, as the root may stimulate the uterine muscle.