Harpagophytum Virtues
Behind this weird name hides a hook-shaped fruit nicknamed “devil’s claw” used for centuries by South African healers and sorcerers. Let’s discover all about the harpagophytum virtues of this saving plant and its various benefits!
Origin
The name comes from the Latin harpagos which means grapple. This in relation to the shape of the hooked fruits, which cling to the legs of horses. Seeking to get rid of them, they arch their backs and dance wildly, hence their nickname of devil’s claw. This herbaceous plant, which belongs to the Pedaliaceae family, a cousin of sesame, is native to the Kalahari desert, Namibia and South Africa. It is the deep secondary roots of the plant that contain the highest concentration of its active ingredients.
The indigenous peoples of South Africa (Bantus, San and Khoi) used this plant for several hundred years to treat many ailments including joint, rheumatic and digestive pain.
The first Western descriptions of the plant date from the beginning of the 19th century. However it was not until a century later, in 1907, that a German discovered its medicinal properties after having witnessed a spectacular healing of a patient treated with that famous devil’s claw.
The harpagophytum is a wild plant, quite difficult to cultivate. Today, some 700 tons of devil’s claw roots are sold annually throughout the world. Faced with a threat of survival, the producing countries (Namibia, Botswana and South Africa) have set up policies governing its harvest in order to preserve its resource.
Active subtances
Harpagophytum contains many active ingredients that contribute to its multiple benefits.
- Monoterpene glycosides (harpagoside, harpagide, procumbide) with anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antispasmodic properties.
- Flavonoids (luteolin and kaempferol) and phytosterols (sitosterin, stigmasterin) antioxidants that potentiate the anti-inflammatory effect of harpagoside.
- Phenols with diuretic properties
- Many essential minerals: calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and copper.
- Vitamins: antioxidant beta-carotene and vitamin C, and all the B group vitamins that play an important role in cell metabolism.
harpagophytum virtues
– Joint pain
Devil’s Claw is best known for relieving symptoms of inflammation, especially pain related to osteoarthritis. It is the harpagoside which would be responsible for the anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties of the plant.
A first French study conducted in 2000 compared the effectiveness of harapdol, a drug based on harpagophytum, with that of diacerein (a classic treatment for osteoarthritis) on 122 patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee. The results of this study demonstrate that harpadol is comparable in efficacy and superior in safety to diacerein.
Then, another study from 2007 tested the effects of harpagophytum for 8 weeks on patients suffering from rheumatism. It reveals statistically significant reductions in mean pain scores for hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, hip, knee and back pain” with a marked improvement in their quality of life and for more than half, a reduction or even a cessation of their drug treatment.
– Lower back pain
A first study carried out in 2002 on 250 patients suffering from non-specific lumbar pain, treated with doloteffine (a patented extract of Harpagophytum) dosed at 60 mg of harpagoside per day, concluded that “doloteffin deserves to be taken into account in arthritis pain in the knee and hip and in non-specific low back pain
A year later, another German study compared doloteffin and Vioxx (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory treatment). According to the results of this study, doloteffin proves to be as effective as anti-inflammatory treatment.
– Intestinal disorders, loss of appetite
It is its strong bitterness that gives devil’s claw its effectiveness on the appetite and the secretion of digestive juices (choleretic action) necessary for good digestion. ESCOP, WHO (World Health Organization) and Commission E recognize the use of harpagophytum in the symptomatic treatment of loss of appetite and digestive disorders. The European Medicines Agency recognizes the traditional use of harpagophyton “to relieve minor joint pain, as well as bloating, flatulence and temporary loss of appetite”.
Contraindication, side effects
Regular consumption of devil’s claw can cause mild intestinal problems, including an acceleration of transit. The plant can also irritate the stomach, hence the need to take it with food. Harpagophytum is contraindicated in case of gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer, as well as diabetics and people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Pregnant women should also avoid starting a harpagophytum treatment.
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