A First Hand Look at Traditional Plant Medicines...Part 2

Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients May '98


Paddling back across the river took about 30 minutes because we were going against the current. We all joked about how none of us knew quite what we were doing and that we could have used a couple of longer paddles.

Back on Arce’s truck we stopped at a cafe’ about half way back to town to have lunch. Though Coca-cola and Pepsi-cola have invaded Peru and can be found everywhere, Inca-cola is local and has it’s own distinct flavor. It is clear with a slight apple taste. I decided to have some with my rice, bean and vegetable dish.

After lunch, Arce dropped us off at Ari’s and we decided to head back to the Beilin marketplace by taxi. Once there, we strolled by the many now open booths to look at more traditional medicines and pay a brief visit to Lucia’s. We discussed a few of the more popular traditional medicines like Chuchuhuasi, which is used for arthritis, rheumatism, diabetes, diarrhea and stomach problems, menstrual irregularities, tumors, boosting general immunity, etc. Like Uña de Gato, Chuchuhuasi seems to have a wide range of use. We also talked about Chanca piedra, an herb traditionally used to break-up bladder, kidney and gallstones. It is also used for inflammatory bowel, ulcers, acne, calcification of the ovaries, leucorrhea, diabetes, hepatitis, tumors , diseases of the skin, and as a general anti-inflammatory agent.

Of all the herbs known and used in Peru, Uña de Gato is the most popular by far. It can be found in virtually every marketplace, pharmacy, clinic and health store and has been commercially packaged in tea, tablet, capsule and extract forms. When purchasing Uña de gato in Peru as well as in the U.S., one has to be very careful to be certain they are purchasing the correct species, because there are over 20 different herbs native to the region that are commonly known as Uña de gato. Also the quality can very tremendously, dependent upon what part of the plant is used and what part of the country it originated from. There has also been much controversy over which part of the vine is the most beneficial, the root or the inner bark and whether or not it is legal to harvest the root. Though Peruvians in general frown on harvesting the root and believe that the inner bark is every bit as beneficial, the fact remains that the outer root sections and root bark can generally be relied upon to contain a higher alkaloid content. There is also an additional glycoside found in the root sections that possesses anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, I learned that though severely restricted and monitored by The Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture, it is not illegal to harvest or export the root of either Uncaria tomentosa or Uncaria guianensis. I should point out however, that I am aware of one U.S. supplier who has a station in central Peru, where they have consistently obtained inner bark material containing an alkaloid content similar to that of root and another supplier who manufactures a root & bark combination extract that when using applied kinesiology, generally muscle tests better than products made solely from the inner bark.

Traditionally, Peruvians have used Uña de gato to treat tumors and growths, ulcers, gastritis, arthritis and rheumatism, menstrual disorders, prostate problems, asthma, diabetes, viral infections, general debility, gonorrhea and cirrhosis.. In addition to the above, doctors in the United States have found the herb to also be effective for treating Crohn’s disease, diverticulitis, hemorrhoids, other inflammatory bowel conditions and dysbiosis; fistulas, bursitis, gout and fibromyalgia; hay fever and other allergies; chemical toxin exposure and environmental sensitivities; circulatory problems, chronic fatigue, shingles and canker sores; candidiasis, parasites, multiple sclerosis, iritis, secondary infections in AIDS patients and reducing the side affects of radiation and chemotherapy, when used in conjunction with these conventional cancer treatments.

The next day was Wednesday October 9th and Alan had some unexpected business he had to attend to. Consequently, Eddie, Gary and myself spent most of the day relaxing and planning our last two full days together.

Thursday October 10th: Because Alan was going to be unavailable for the next couple of days, Juan took over as our guide and interpreter for the day. After having breakfast at Ari's, we again hopped taxi’s to the main boat dock for another trip up the Amazon to a small village about 10 minutes away. The village was situated in a beautiful open area about a 5 minute walk through a short valley, up a hill, where we had a panoramic view of the Amazon river.

This was home to approximately 2000 people. They had their own school that provided primary education through high school. Like most of Iquitos, and surrounding village’s, buildings were old and in disrepair, alluding to the fact that Peru is a very poor country. However, there is a warmth, friendliness and curiosity among the people that I found refreshing.

We were invited to sit on the front open porch of one of the villagers small homes which were made of rough cut wood and lumber, with tin and thatched roofs, window and door openings; but no windows or doors to shut out the elements. This was a typical dwelling for the majority of Peruvian’s living in rural areas. We discussed the availability of Uña de Gato and the possibility of purchasing large amounts from the villagers on an ongoing basis. One of them informed us that both species, Uncaria guianensis and Uncaria tomentosa grew in abundance throughout the surrounding jungle and that they could supply us with essentially any amount we desired. At this point, Eddie made a commitment to purchase several hundred kilos of Uncaria tomentosa for testing and analysis in the United States.

We then left the village and headed back to Ari's, where we meet Freddy Valle, a Peruvian businessman from Iquitos, who spoke excellent English. When he learned of our interest in the regions medicinal plants, he offered us his services for the next couple of days. Since we had a few hours open, we decided to go with him to visit his mother. She was a retired physician who was very knowledgeable about the use of traditional medicines. In fact, she reportedly cured her own diabetes with Guisador, an herb also used to treat hepatitis. We sat with her discussing some of the more important herbs she was familiar with.

After about 40 minutes, we thanked her for sharing her experiences, got back in Freddy’s truck and headed back to our hotel where we were to meet Engineer Luis Lopez. We thanked Freddy for introducing us to his mother and suggested that we meet later for dinner.

At our hotel, Engineer Lopez arrived in a rented 4 x 4 pick-up truck with a full rear bench seat in the cab. I discovered that this type of vehicle was the most popular among those Peruvians who could afford one.

Besides the numerous taxi’s, there are many motorcycles in Iquitos with a much smaller number of cars, mini-vans and pick-up trucks. Because of the high volume of taxi’s and motorcycles, air pollution is a problem in the central part of the city.

It was now mid-afternoon and we were scheduled to visit another botanical reserve about one hour out of town where many Uña de Gato vines were being grown for research and possible future commercialization. With Lopez, was his wife, two other female associates and one of their young sons. Also joining Gary, Eddy and myself, was Juan, who was the only one of the group that could speak both Spanish and English.

When we arrived at the reserve, we walked down a path that had been cut through the jungle. After about 300 feet we came to an open area where many different varieties of medicinal herbs had been planted. It was surrounded by jungle which was also part of the reserve. I was immediately struck by the natural beauty and peaceful presence I felt all around us. It was like entering the Garden of Eden. There was no question that before us lay a perfect example of man’s ability to have a harmonious relationship with his natural surroundings.

Off To one side were many Uña de Gato vines, both Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianensis. The oldest were only three years old. Lopez informed us that these vines could be harvested in approximately one more year; but that it takes twenty plus years for a vine to reach it’s maximum length of about 100 feet. Vines that eventually reach this length can have a diameter at the base of over two feet.

As we walked around the garden area, Lopez explained many of the herbs traditional uses, as we took photographs. After about one hour, now close to 5 p.m., we realized it would soon be getting dark, so we decided to begin the drive back to Iquitos and visit a natural vitamin and herb store before going to dinner. Upon entering the store, I was surprised to see both American as well as Peruvian made vitamins and herbal products. It was a small store of about 500 square feet.; but very well stocked. The proprietor was the sister of one of Engineer Lopez’s associates. She showed us some Sacha jergon that had been encapsulated and mentioned it’s use for cancer and AIDS.

That evening we met with Freddy Valle who took us to one of the finer restaurants in the same general vicinity of Ari’s burger and our hotel. Eddie and Gary then discussed ideas for exporting Uña de Gato and other Peruvian herbs to Japan and America. Since Freddy was a close friend of the mayor of Iquitos, it was decided that we should all have a meeting with him on Friday.

Friday October 11th: Again we met for breakfast at Ari’s about 8 a.m. and then walked over with Freddy to the City hall, basically catty-corner and across the street from Ari's. In the city hall was a very wide tall stairway which lead to the mayor’s office. The mayor, Jorge S. Chavez, greeted us with a warm and sincere smile and though he spoke no English, it was easy for me to soon recognize in him, a genuine and caring leader who sought the best for the people of Iquitos and the surrounding state of Loretto, which was under his political domain. After a brief meeting, Mayor Chavez invited us to join him a little later for a brief boat ride on the Amazon river within the outskirts of Iquitos.

Since we had a few hours before our scheduled boat ride, Freddy suggested that we visit The Cultural Association of Healthy Living, an alternative medical clinic that had been using herbs, nutrition and lifestyle modification to treat people suffering from cancer and AIDS.

At the clinic, we met Victoria Rodregiuz, one of the clinics directors. She spoke with us about the clinics holistic approach to wellness, incorporating a cleansing vegetarian diet, iridology, colonic irrigation, massage, reflexology and medicinal herbs. She informed us that they prepare their herbs fresh daily. I asked her if they were having much success in treating AIDS patients. She answered that she had seen some success in slowing down the progression of AIDS; but that most AIDS patients were not self disciplined enough to stick with their recommended program. The main reason she explained, is that most AIDS patients believe they are going to die and therefore, because of a lack of faith, give up and return to their destructive lifestyles. We thanked her for sharing her time with us and then headed back to the mayor’s office for our scheduled boat ride. After a brief wait, we were escorted to the dock by truck and were joined by the mayor, his wife and several associates. On the boat we passed through a poorer section of Iquitos right on the river where approximately 10,000 people live; the majority being of pure Indian decent. Their homes and dwellings were shabby, made from rough lumber with thatched roofs similar to the village we had visited the day before. It was quite a contrast to the concrete and brick buildings throughout the downtown and central portions of Iquitos. This area was called Beilin and was directly connected to the Beilin marketplace. At this point I realized that these were the same people who operated the booths and kiosks and that they were a distinct and separate culture from the rest of Iquitos. It reminded me somewhat of the poor black neighborhoods in American cities, like Chicago or Los Angeles; however, here, violence and crime did not seem to be a major issue.

Within the same area on the river, we came upon an old large double-decker boat that served as a studio for Philippe Lettersten, an internationally renowned sculptor. Philippe had been born and raised in Lima, Peru and was of Swedish descent. For the last eleven years he has been traveling the Amazon and adjoining rivers, making excursions into very remote areas to caste in plaster, then later in fiberglass and bronze, life size figures of remote Indian tribesmen.

We stepped onto his boat to briefly look at some of his work and were invited to come back in the evening.

With Freddy as our interpreter, Mayor Chavez discussed with Eddie and Gary the possibility of establishing a manufacturing facility in Iquitos, that Natural energy could own and operate. He was also very interested in offering them land for growing their own herbs. It was decided that we would all meet again Saturday morning before we left Iquitos on our flight back home to Miami.

In the evening, Gary was the only one who made a visit to Philippes’ boat; but on Saturday morning October 12th, we all visited Philippe, including Freddy and the mayor. After a short visit, we headed to the airport to board our plane which was flying south to Lima, where we would then board a plane for Miami. As fate would have it, Philippe was going home to Lima on the same airplane; so he invited us to have lunch at his home if time permitted. After saying our goodbyes and the two hour flight to Lima, we had about three hours before our plane was scheduled to leave for the United States. So we accepted Philippes’ invitation.

At his home, he escorted us into a very large room that contained numerous sculptures representing the majority of his work over the past eleven years. It was and is, truly an amazing body of work. We also took a stroll through his large organic vegetable and herb garden. After lunch, Philippe presented us each with a copy of a documentary video about his accomplishments, that had been produced by National geographic in 1991. He then took us to the airport for our flight back to the United States.

Thus our adventure to the land of Uña de gato was coming to a close. As we were leaving, I reflected on what a privilege it had been to have met so many interesting people, the many new friends I had made and the beauty of the Amazon rainforest. It was an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life.



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