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Yohimbe
The medicinal herb Yohimbe as an alternative herbal remedy for erectile dysfunction - The yohimbe tree is a tall evergreen that is native to western Africa. The bark of the tree contains a chemical called yohimbine. The amount of yohimbine in dietary supplements may vary; some yohimbe products have been found to contain very little yohimbine. However, a standardized form of yohimbine--yohimbine hydrochloride--is available as a prescription medicine that has been studied and used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
- Common Names--yohimbe, yohimbe bark
- Latin Names--Pausinystalia yohimbe
What Yohimbe Is Used For
- Yohimbe bark has traditionally been used in Africa as an aphrodisiac (to increase sexual desire).
- The herb is currently used for sexual dysfunction, including erectile dysfunction in men.
- Yohimbe dilates the blood vessels and can lower blood pressure.
How Yohimbe Is Used
- As a dietary supplement, the dried bark of the yohimbe tree is used as a tea and taken by mouth. An extract of the bark is also put into capsules and tablets.
How to grow yohimbe
The yohimbe tree grows naturally in regions of West Africa. The bark contains a substance that may improve sexual functioning and libido. In its natural habitat, the yohimbe tree may grow as tall as 100 feet, although the average size for trees grown outside of their forest habitat is closer to 50 feet in height. They require a warm, semi-tropical environment. While these trees grow naturally from seeds, young seedlings are prone to dampening off, a condition caused by a fungal disease.
- Create a loamy growing medium by using 1 part potting soil and 1 part peat moss. Fill your biodegradable seed pots with this mixture. Pat the loose medium with your fingertips to provide an even surface. Lay two or three seeds over the top of the soil in each pot. Sprinkle a light covering of soil over the tops of the seeds, covering them to a depth equal to about three times the diameter of the seeds.
- Place the seed pots in a deep drip tray. Bottom-water your potted seeds by filling the drip tray with water until the moisture soaks through the soil in the pots. Drain any standing water from your drip tray to minimize the possibility of bacterial and fungal growth. Place your pots in a sunny location that receives at least eight hours of direct sunlight every day.
- Water your seedlings as often as necessary to keep the soil barely moist, not wet. Depending on your climate and level of humidity, you may need to water them once or twice each day. Continue to use the bottom-watering method to avoid soaking the soil near the sprouting seeds.
- Thin your yohimbe plants as soon as they develop their first set of leaves. Pull out all but the strongest seedlings from each seed pot. Turn your pots one-quarter turn each day to ensure even growth and good airflow to all parts of the developing seedlings.
- Transplant your yohimbe seedlings into a sunny to slightly shady location in your yard. Place a 3-inch layer of vegetative compost, such as shredded pine bark, over the top of your planting site. Work this soil additive into the top 8 to 12 inches of soil, mixing well. Set your biodegradable seed pots into the soil, keeping the surface of the pots even with the surrounding soil.
- Fertilize your yohimbe trees in the early spring. Use a time-release fertilizer labeled for use with deciduous trees, following the instructions on the label.
- Trim off any dead or diseased branches as they appear. Although your yohimbe tree doesn't require pruning, removing damaged branches can discourage the growth of bacteria and disease pathogens.
Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_7829014_grow-yohimbe-plants.html
What the Science Says about Yohimbe
- It is not known whether yohimbe is effective for any health conditions because clinical trials have not been conducted on the bark or its extract. *Side Effects and Cautions of Yohimbe
- Yohimbe has been associated with high blood pressure, increased heart rate, headache, anxiety, dizziness, and sleeplessness. Yohimbe can be dangerous if taken in large doses or for long periods of time.
- People should use caution if taking yohimbe with MAO inhibitors or medicines for high blood pressure. Yohimbe should not be combined with tricyclic antidepressants or phenothiazines (a group of medicines used mostly for mental health conditions such as schizophrenia).
- People with kidney problems and people with psychiatric conditions should not use yohimbe.
- Tell your health care providers about any complementary and alternative practices you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.
Indications of Yohimbe
- source verbatim: wikipedia
Sexual
The NIH states that yohimbine hydrochloride is the standardized form of yohimbine that is available as a prescription medicine in the United States, and has been shown in human studies to be effective in the treatment of male impotence.
Yohimbine Hydrochloride, USP—a standardized form of yohimbine—is a prescription medicine that has been used to treat erectile dysfunction. Controlled studies suggest that it is not always an effective treatment for impotence, and evidence of increased sex drive (libido) is anecdotal only.
Yohimbine blocks the pre- and post-synaptic alpha-2 adrenoceptors. Blockade of post-synaptic alpha-2 adrenoceptors leads to minor corpora cavernosa smooth muscle relaxation. In fact the majority of adrenoceptors in the corpora cavernosa are alpha-1. Blockade of pre-synaptic alpha-2 adrenoceptors leads to increased release of neurotransmitters in the central nervous system and in the corpora cavernosa penis such as nitric oxide, noradrenaline, and dopamine. Whether nitric oxide released in the corpora cavernosa has a relaxing effect, noradrenaline has a much powerful constricting effect by stimulating the unblocked alpha-1 adrenoceptors. Concomitant use of an alpha-1 blocking agent will prevent constriction caused by the increased adrenergic stimulation.
In addition to yohimbine, Pausinystalia yohimbe contains approximately 55 other alkaloids, of which yohimbine accounts for 1% to 20% of total alkaloids. Among them corynanthine is an alpha-1 adrenoceptor blocker. Hence the use of Yohimbe extract in sufficient dosages may provide concomitant alpha-1 and alpha-2 adrenoceptors blockade and thus may better enhance erections than yohimbine alone.
Yohimbine has been shown to be effective in the reversal of sexual satiety and exhaustion in male rats. Yohimbine has also been shown to increase the volume of ejaculated semen in dogs, with the effect lasting at least five hours after administration. Yohimbine has been shown to be effective in the treatment of orgasmic dysfunction in men.
Fat loss
According to one study, oral yohimbine supplementation may actuate significant fat loss in athletes. Numerous bodybuilding supplement companies sell formulations of yohimbine for transdermal delivery to effect a local reduction of adipose tissue, although the experimental evidence for its efficacy is limited.
Production
Yohimbine is the principal alkaloid of the bark of the West African evergreen Pausinystalia yohimbe (formerly Corynanthe yohimbe), family Rubiaceae (Madder family). There are 31 other yohimbane alkaloids found in Yohimbe. In Africa, yohimbe has traditionally been used as an aphrodisiac. However, it is very important to note that while the terms yohimbine, yohimbine hydrochloride, and yohimbe bark extract are related, they are not interchangeable.
The main active chemical present in yohimbe bark is yohimbine HCl (indole alkaloid), found in the bark of the Pausinystalia yohimbe tree. However, the levels of yohimbine that are present in yohimbe bark extract are variable and often very low.[2] Therefore, although yohimbe bark has been used traditionally to reduce male erectile dysfunction, there is not enough scientific evidence to form a definitive conclusion in this area.
The tree is currently threatened with extinction in its native habitat due to international demand.[citation needed] Its conservation is difficult because the bioactivity of the tree has led many Western governments to declare it a proscribed species.
What ENTHEOLOGY says about Yohimbe
- Article below from www.entheology.org verbatim
From as far back as ancient times, the bark of the yohimbe tree, also known as Pausinystalia yohimba, johimbe, yohimbé and yohimbébaum, (among other popular names throughout the world), has been employed in Africa as an aphrodisiac, especially among the Bantu people. It is probable that the ancient Egyptians may have been aware of, and even imported, the bark of the yohimba tree through trade channels with West Africa. The yohimbe tree has long been held in high regard as an aphrodisiac and stimulant in Cameroon. The tree is native to the tropical forests of Nigeria and Cameroon, and in the jungles of the Congo.
The yohimbe tree is an evergreen which can grow to a height of almost one hundred feet tall, and it bears a slight resemblance to the oak tree. It has oval attenuated leaves with bushy inflorescences that produce winged seeds. The light brown or gray-brown bark is about a third of an inch thick with horizontal and vertical fissures and is usually overgrown with lichens. It is the bark of the tree that is the source of alkaloids which have significant pharmaceutical value.
The German chemist Spiegel isolated the alkaloid yohimbine from the bark of the yohimbe tree in the late 19th century. The chemical compound has been subsequently utilized in Western medicine as a treatment for impotence and as a local anesthetic. The psychoactive properties of the yohimbe tree is derived from its bark, and the alkaloids can only be extracted from its bark after it has dried.
The bark of the trunk of trees that are older than fifteen to twenty years contains two to fifteen percent indole alkaloids that consists of yohimbine, coryine, quebrachine, corynanthidine, isoyohimbine, mesoyohimbine, rauwolscine, amsonine, yohimbinine, corynanthine, corynanthein, dihydrocorynanthein, alloyohimbine, pseudoyohimbine, tetrahydromethylcorynanthein and ajmalcine.
In addition to its sexual stimulant and aphrodisiac qualities, the bark of the yohimbe tree has been reported to also be hallucinogenic when smoked. The psychoactive effects are primarily due to the main active constituent yohimbine. Yohimbine has sympatholytic and local anesthetic effects much like those of cocaine. It also has vasodilating effects, especially on the sex organs. Yohimbine stimulates the release of noradrenaline at the nerve endings. This makes noradrenaline available in the corpus cavernosum, resulting in sexual stimulation and ultimately in an erection in men.
In Cameroon, the bark of the yohimbe tree is used in folk medicine to treat impotence resulting from black magic and witchcraft. Preparations containing yohimbe are used in modern phytotherapy and in Western medicine to treat frigidity and impotence. It is also used in veterinary medicine. In homeopathic medicine, it has been sited as arousing the sexual organs, and affecting the central nervous and respiratory systems. Homeopathically, it is said to be able to help with congestive conditions of the sexual organs, including hyperemia of the mammary glands, resulting in stimulating milk production.
It’s likely that yohimbe was once used in western Africa as an initiatory drink in fetish and ancestor cults, as well as in initiations into secret societies. An initiation ritual was described by an explorer in West Africa who witnessed it during the late nineteenth century. Black magic sorcerers would give their followers a yohimbe drink to prepare them for a great fetishistic initiation. After imbibing the potion, the subject’s nerves would tense up in an extreme manner and an epileptic-type fit would overcome them. During this fit, the subjects would begin to unconsciously utter words that, when heard by the initiated, held prophetic meaning and demonstrated that the fetish successfully now dwells within them.
The Masai of East Africa call their warrior ritual drug “motoriki” or simply “ol motori,” meaning “the soup.” It is cooked from the bark of the yohimbe tree together with the roots of Acokanthera – a substance they also use as a poison for arrow heads. Since most archaic drug rituals almost always include an animal sacrifice, the warlike Masai kill a bull on such occasions. They collect its blood in a vessel, and then mix it into the finished brew of yohimbe bark and root pieces.
The motoriki drink produces an epilepsy-like tetanus in which the Morani – the young Masai warriors enduring this initiation – are visited by horrible visions in which they fight with demons and wild, savage animals. The terrible hallucinations are so strong that they must be watched over and held onto so that they will not injure themselves or others. However, there are reportedly numerous deaths due to Morani running amok while under the influence, or from respiratory failure. However, it is said those that survive this ritual will no longer fear anything.
In the early 20th century, yohimbe bark and yohimbine enjoyed great popularity in Germany as a psychoactive aphrodisiac. Today, yohimbe is used chiefly in North America but also throughout Europe for sexual magic rituals that borrow from the Indian Tantra and the techniques of various occultists such as Aleister Crowley. Yohimbe has also been known to be used as a sacrament for pagan wedding ceremonies.
The dried bark can be prepared as an extract in alcohol as a tincture, or brewed as a tea. To make tea, six teaspoons of dried yohimbe bark should be boiled with water and 500 mg of vitamin C per person, then sipped slowly. A recipe that can be used to decoct a tea which will produce a firm erection includes one tablespoon of dried yohimbe bark, one teaspoon of crushed dita seeds (Alstonia scholaris), one tablespoon of broken up cola nuts and one tablespoon of sasparilla. All ingredients should be boiled together for ten minutes, then sipped slowly.
The pharmaceutical industry uses yohimbe extracts to manufacture aphrodisiacs and medicines to treat impotence. These extracts are usually combined with atropine, Tunera diffusa, Strychnos nux-vomica, Stychnos, Lirisoma ovata or other substances. The bark is also used in aphrodisiac smoking blends, mixed with other herbs that soothe, while still others stimulate. Most preparations of the bark also produce mild, subtle euphoric effects.
The bark is available without restriction, while the pure alkaloids require a prescription. Ten drops of a pure 1% solution of yohimbe extract is said to stimulate the sexual organs of both men and women, although the resulting erection in men makes these effects more obvious than those experienced by women. Both sexes report feelings of mild euphoria and when taken in high concentrations, yohimbe extract has been reported to produce hallucinations and other-worldly experiences.
POTENTIAL DANGERS OF YOHIMBE / YOHIMBINE
There are widely varied reports about the dangers of Yohimbine, partly because, we suspect, it reportedly has been used as a hallucinogen by African tribes throughout history. The governments of Canada, Australia, Norway, Finland & United Kingdom have banned the trade of Yohimbe because of it’s potential to be life threatening, and the FDA in the United States is looking into ways of banning it, just like Ephedra, but it is presently still legal.
Yohimbe is reportedly showing up more and more in the recent past possibly due to its ability to reportedly provide both hallucinogenic and highly stimulating experiences when taken in dosages of 50-100 mg. Often mixed with other substances like ephedrine, the herb can be quite dangerous when taken in doses over 50mg. Yohimbe is also used in tantric rituals and when taken in excess, is also dangerous and unpleasant, causing many side effects such as severe nausea, intense irritability as well as stomach and colon reactions. In some cases Yohimbe can cause dangerously altered blood pressure. A drug that can both dilate or collapse veins, preventing blood flow can be quite dangerous for people with blood pressure or heart issues.
So, when working with any herbal product or unfamiliar entheogen, start off small, and test any reaction. It's better to feel nothing, than to find yourself in an unpleasant or worse; a dangerous situation.
News About Yohimbe
Warm shudders along the spine
- (John Newton Writes. Eat Your Own Words)
In many ways, human sexuality is unique among primates. Here are a few of the reasons:
Human males have larger testes, produce more ejaculate and have a higher sperm count than most primates.
Humans spend more time copulating and copulate more often than most primates.
Because the signs of the human female oestrous – time of ovulation – are hidden, humans copulate throughout the reproductive cycle.
And – here’s the killer – after a human male has ejaculated, a hormone is released that has a sedative effect. Not so with human females. After orgasm, they can want more. And more.
Is this at the base of male feelings of insecurity? Is this one of the main reasons why men have sought for some substance, plant or chemical that will allow them to last longer stay harder since first they began to think.
Reflect on what a joy the sexual act would have been for early humans. Their lives consisted of being chased by wild animals who wanted to eat them or – for the men – chasing wild animals so they could eat them They had little shelter, little pleasure and no leisure, the one release, the one joy maybe even the one thing that kept them going was sexual pleasure.
Any survey of the history of aphrodisiacs will show that almost without exception (and we’ll get to that one exception) all aphrodisiacs, from ambergris to Viagra are to be used to increase the sexual pleasure and potency of men.
The one exception produces, according to Adam Gottlieb, in Plants of Love (among other pleasant effects ‘warm shudders along the spine backbone which are especially pleasurable during coitus and orgasm.’
If there is an aphrodisiac that works for both men and women, could it be yohimbe? The evidence points to a cautious maybe—if, indeed, aphrodisiacs do exist outside the realms of speculation, mythology and yearning.
Yohimbe bark contains the active alkaloids yohimbine and yohimbiline, and is taken, mostly as inner shavings, from Pausinystalia yohimbe (previously Corynanthe yohimbe), a tree of 9–15 metres (30–50 feet) that grows in tropical west Africa, especially Nigeria, Cameroon and the Congo.
Although the scientists have, as usual, spent more time on testing its effect on male erectile function, one reports says ‘Yohimbine hydrochloride (a refined powder processed from the bark) has been proposed to increase female libido (sexual interest). There is only limited poor quality research in this area, and more study is needed before a recommendation can be made’.
That’s no pill pusher talking—that’s Medline, the website of the US National Library of Medicine. Evidence or no, the experience of the users of the drug in its place of origin would suggest it might work for both men and women.
Yohimbe is used by the Bantu-speaking tribes of the regions where P. yohimbe grows during their traditional wedding ceremonies, which have been described as ‘orgy rituals’ that can last up to 15 days. It has long been known to the tribespeople, bushmen and pygmies of the region, and beverages containing it are dispensed by magicians and fetish priests, especially to tribal chiefs who have to exhibit public potency (which would make them, literally, potentates).
The yohimbe story became known to the wider world in the late nineteenth century, when colonists living in German southwestern Africa (now Namibia) began experimenting with it and gave P. yohimbe the title of ‘the love tree’. German merchant seamen took it home, where a researcher named Spiegel isolated the active alkaloids in 1896. It was tested on the male inmates of an insane asylum, all of whom, it was reported at the time, ‘exhibited hard and long lasting erections’.
But it was not until the 1950s that the pure alkaloid was first synthesised, and not until the 1960s that it was studied scientifically. Laboratory research at the time confirmed that it was a demonstrably effective aphrodisiac and erectile function agent for men (no experimentation was done with women), but this was coupled with strongly psychoactive effects. It became very popular in the drug culture of the 1960s and 70s, and Richard Alan Miller, author of The Magical & Ritual Use of Aphrodisiacs records one user saying ‘it makes you high and horny—they’ll have to ban it’. Curiously, they didn’t: yohimbine hydrochloride is approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the United States, although yohimbe, the bark itself, is not.
A trawl through the internet for scientific papers will reveal scores of tests on yohimbine, most agreeing that it does work on erectile dysfunction. The scientists, however, differ from the pleasure seekers in their opinions of the drug. Dr Julian Davidson of Stanford University, where the drug was trialled, said ‘yohimbine does help men get an erection but they don’t know what to do with it because they feel so lousy’.
Then there is the first hand report from Adam Gottlieb in Legal Highs: ‘First effects after 30 minutes … warm, pleasant spinal shivers, followed by psychic stimulation, heightening of emotional and sexual feelings, mild perceptual changes without hallucinations, sometimes spontaneous erections. Sexual activity is especially pleasurable. Feelings of bodies melting into one another. Total experience last 2-4 hours. After effects: pleasant, relaxed feeling with no hangover’. Gottlieb reported similar but not quite so intense reactions with yohimbine hydrochloride pills.
Yohimbe—or yohimbine—is also used in bodybuilding and weight-loss supplements, to sexually arouse animals for breeding, and in treating depression. In 2004, the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute released the findings of a study demonstrating that mice treated with yohimbine overcame their fear four times faster than those given a standard anxiety medication. The result of all this is that the market in Cameroon and Nigeria is booming—and there is now a black market in ‘fake’ yohimbe bark, because, as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation has warned, ‘the destructive harvesting methods employed and the rapidly-growing market for aphrodisiac remedies’ are endangering the resource. The FAO, in cooperation with the Centre for Research in Agro Forestry (ICRAF), has reportedly begun a research programme in Cameroon to investigate the potential of the tree for domestication.
But is it the long-sought aphrodisiac for men and women? The problem is that all the serious research on the drug has concerned erectile function or dysfunction; erotic pleasure has not been on the research agenda. And there is one big hurdle to any further research being carried out.
Dr Alvaro Morales is a distinguished urologist at Queen’s university in Ontario, Canada, who has done extensive research into yohimbine’s effectiveness with erectile function. In 2000, he wrote in the International Journal of Impotence Research that yohimbine ‘has been used for over a century in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. In-depth, systematic studies in animals have shown that the drug has a remarkable positive effect on sexual performance. Meta-analyses of the few controlled, randomized human studies have consistently shown an advantage of yohimbine over placebo’.
The problem, as he points out later in the same article, is that because yohimbine is an ‘old’ drug, it does not enjoy patent protection or commercial viability. ‘Until molecular/formulation changes can be brought about (as recently happened with two other agents: phentolamine and apomorphine)’ he writes, ‘serious investigations of yohimbine will remain in limbo. It could be that the nay-sayers are right and yohimbine, indeed, lacks clinical activity as a treatment for men with erectile dysfunction. As long as it remains an orphan drug, we will never know’.
This is a modern twist on our relationship with the plant world. Unless someone can own a potentially useful naturally occurring substance, we will never know the extent of its usefulness—so science becomes the handmaiden of commerce. And the possibility of pleasure is left waiting, panting, in the wings. I have only one question.
Why did I not discover this when I was in my twenties?
Dietary Supplement, Currently Used For Sexual Enhancement, Could Be Fatal For The Kids
- By Partha Das
A recent report has warned that a popularly known dietary supplement could be very harmful to the kids. Usually, adult persons intake this supplement for the sexual enhancement.
Poison Control centers received 275,000 calls between 2002 to 2012 because of the exposure to all types of dietary supplements. The Central Ohio Poison Center and the Center for Injury Research and Policy reported this fact. Both the centers are associated with the Nationwide Children's Hospital. This report is published recently in the popular Journal of Medical Toxicology.
The researchers have recently pointed out the bark extract of the Yohimbe tree. The extract can be very dangerous for the kids who accidentally ingest it, and interestingly dietary supplements of it are currently available. A major portion of the said calls made to the poison control centers reveals the Yohimbe exposure. Ingestion of the Yohimbe tree's bark extract has shown serious outcome in the children, like kidney failure and abnormal rhythm of the heart beats.
Yohimbe tree is visible in the Western and the central Africa, and bark of this evergreen tree contains a specific chemical substance called yohimbine. Usually, medicine is prepared from this chemical substance, NBC News reported. For many years Yohimbe tree has been playing a significant role in treating leprosy, and fever in Africa, even it is used as an aphrodisiac. But, now consumers can acquire it as dietary supplements.
But, currently, it plays an important role in treating men's erectile dysfunction, and the low libido problem in women. Interestingly, there is not sufficient evidence that supports the effectiveness of the bark extract to treat this problem in men and women. The dried bark is now available as dietary supplements in tablets and capsules, and also in the form of tea.
A little dose of this dietary supplement doesn't work, but excessive dose could cause the toxic problem. Even the safe dosages could create several health problems, like rapid heartbeat, anxiety, dizziness, high blood pressure, nausea, and others. That means overdose is very fatal. The important fact is The Food and Drug Administration has already availed the reports of kidney failure and seizures due to Yohimbe consumption.
Senior author of this current study, Dr. Gary Smith, opines that many people think dietary supplements are safe and maintain the efficacy. But, the truth is dietary supplements don't need any clinical trials because they are not considered as drugs. That is why these supplements don't need any FDA approval prior to the sale. Dr. Gary Smith is also the Director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's.
The dietary supplements prepared for the therapeutic use only need prior approval of the FDA. According to Popular Science, FDA doesn't evaluate the safety or efficacy of a dietary supplement. It is the responsibility of the dietary supplements' manufacturers to make sure that their product should be safe and simultaneously effective.
The manufacturers should also be very careful to ensure that the supplements are not at all contaminated. The current study reveals 1,818 cases that reported Yohimbe exposure during the past ten years, and among them, 512 cases were very serious. The concerning fact is a major portion of the exposure that is 78 percent occurred in the kids, though they were mostly unintentional.
Most of the children of the supplement exposures are less than six years old. Among them, 3.2 percent children got treatment in the medical care unit with the death report of one child. Apart from this, 1,3 percent were serious. In a word, the FDA regulation is necessary for the Yohimbe and also for other various dietary supplements or the energy supplements.
African medicinal tree bark Yohimbe remains a top-seller in the United States
- (Market Insider)
Yohimbe (Pausinystalia johimbe) tree bark is a product of African biodiversity. The yohimbe tree is native to Middle African regions of Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabonese Republic, Republic of Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, and Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
In the United States, products that contain yohimbe bark or yohimbe bark extract (alone or in combination with other ingredients) are marketed as herbal dietary supplement products generally labeled as athletic performance and/or sexual enhancement products.
Once annually, the non-profit organization American Botanical Council (ABC) publishes its HerbalGram herb market report that is based on herb supplement sales statistics obtained from the Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ) and market research firms IRI and SPINS. The report published this week shows that yohimbe dietary supplement products ranked at #2 in mainstream multi-outlet channel for 2013. Retail sales of yohimbe products in this channel in the United States amounted to US$67,393,961, a 19.2% increase over 2012 sales.
The HerbalGram report covers only retail sales of herbal dietary supplements and does not reflect the sales of most herbal teas (even if they are regulated as dietary supplement products), botanical ingredients in natural cosmetics, or government-approved herbal drug ingredients in over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription herbal medicinal products.
If global demand should continue to increase for this African tree bark, sustainable harvesting practices, resource management and monitoring, and sustainable use remain considerable challenges and issues for the herb trade and consumers to deal with.
A Centuries-Old Aphrodisiac Might Help People With Sleep Apnea
- By Sarah DiGiulio
Scientists say this is the first step in designing a drug for the chronic sleep disorder.
As many as one in four U.S. adults between 30 and 70 suffer from obstructive sleep apnea, a chronic disorder that causes small pauses in your breathing during sleep.
And 90 percent of those cases go undiagnosed, which means being chronically sleep deprived and facing increased risks of accidents and other chronic health problems, like high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, obesity and diabetes.
For the ten percent of Americans with sleep apnea who do seek treatment that means using clunky mouthpieces or breathing machines every night when you sleep (so air can flow unobstructed in and out of the throat).
But now a new study has found that a chemical located in the bark of the African Yohimbe tree ― yohimbine ― may be able to actually reverse the cause of the breathing problem.
The yohimbine stops the tongue from relaxing during sleep, preventing it from falling back and blocking the airway in the throat, study author Chi-Sang Poon told The Huffington Post.
“Yohimbine reactivated the nerve impulses to the tongue,” said Poon, who is a research scientist in Health Sciences and Technology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
As a dietary supplement, yohimbine has long been used to treat erectile dysfunction, as an aphrodisiac and as a performance enhancer for body builders. These supplements claim to increased energy and speeds up fat loss ― but supplements are not regulated, so these formulations of the chemical are not approved by the FDA for any of these purposes.
This study is the first time that researchers are aware of that the chemical has been used to help to treat sleep apnea, Poon said.
The recent experiments were done in rats ― so a drug available for people is still a long way off. (The chemical still needs to be formulated into a drug and then be tested on humans.) But the scientists are excited because if the chemical does have the same effect in people, it may be pivotal in designing the first drug to target the root cause of obstructive sleep apnea.
- The chemical ‘woke up’ the tongue muscles
In people with sleep apnea specific motor neurons (the nerve cells that control muscle movement) become inactive, which causes the tongue to relax and block breathing.
Previous studies show that yohimbine fires up the cells in the brain that produce norepinephrine, the chemical that stimulates specific nerve responses throughout the rest of the body. Now this study shows that yohimbine has this same effect on the nerve cells that control movement of the tongue ― the hypoglossal nerve cells.
It’s critical to point out that rats do not naturally get sleep apnea. But for this study, researchers were able to simulate a sleep apnea effect in rats by using breathing machines. They sought to confirm which specific nerve cells were involved ― and then show that yohimbine turned those nerve cells back on. The researchers used electrical sensors to measure nerve activity in rats.
They found that when the rats fell asleep the sleep apnea simulation caused the tongue muscle to relax and block airflow (the same thing that happens to people with the condition).
And then when the researchers injected the rats with yohimbine, those nerve cells that are inactive during sleep apnea became active again.
“It’s almost like turning on a switch,” Poon said.
- The next step for treating the disorder
The next step is more research to figure out if the chemical has the same effect in people as in the rats, Poon explained. And then researchers need to design a drug that delivers the right dose of the chemical to people with sleep apnea ― and that needs to be tested in clinical trial before any such drug was approved by the FDA and available to patients, he said.
The researchers are currently in the process of finding a pharmaceutical company to help develop and test such a drug.
- "An effective and safe drug for obstructive sleep apnea is on the way." -- MIT research scientist, Chi-Sang Poon
Even though yohimbine is currently available in supplement form, the researchers caution it’s not necessarily safe to try using it to treat sleep apnea yet. The wrong dose can cause serious (and dangerous) side effects, like increased blood pressure and heart rate and potentially kidney failure.
The bottom line for people suffering from sleep apnea (and their family and friends affected by the illness): “Be patient. An effective and safe drug for obstructive sleep apnea is on the way,” Poon said.
Six Traditional Aphrodisiacs You Should Know
- Source:http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/history/six-traditional-aphrodisiacs-you-should-know.aspx
- By Lulu Morris
From oysters to scrotums, which aphrodisiacs actually work?
Before the invention of Viagra, loss of libido has been treated with a variety of foods and herbs. Below are some of the more traditional fixes for sexual woes.
- Chocolate
Unexpected news for chocoholics.
Historically the ancient Aztecs were the first to use chocolate or the cacao bean as a sexual stimulant. Emperor Montezuma was said to eat as much as he could to keep up his many romances. Unfortunately, this may have been in vein.
Chocolate contains tryptophan, a predecessor to everyone’s favourite neurotransmitter; serotonin, our mood regulator and sexual stimulator. It also has the neurochemical phenylethylamine fondly referred to as the “love molecule”. If that wasn’t enough chocolate contains the messenger molecule anandamide, a molecule that induces bliss.
Despite all this, scientists dismiss chocolate as a stimulant.
- Oysters
The ancient Romans praised oysters for their aphrodisiac properties.
Oysters are high in zinc, an important mineral in the production of sex hormones. Oysters and bivalve molluscs have both been proven to increase sexual activity, mainly due to the D- partic acid (D-Asp) and N-mthyl-D-asparate (NMDA), types of rare amino acids, that are in them. Scientists tested the theory by injecting these amino acids in rats. The injection raised the levels of both progesterone and testosterone in males and females. When the level of both of these hormones increase in the bloodstream, the libido will lift.
- Yohimbe
The people of Western Africa have used the bark of the Yohimbe tree as a stimulant for generations. Traditionally, it has been used to treat every illness from leprosy to erectile dysfunction. According to WebMD the miracle drug has been known to increase the blood flow to the sexual nerves in both men and women, however, this is all here say, as no clinical trial has been conducted.
- Scrotums
Many cultures believe that scrotums have aphrodisiac properties. In parts of China eating tiger and deer penis is believed to improve sexual performance. Many people in America’s West believe in eating bull’s testicles or “Rocky Mountain Oysters” sometimes raw, sometimes cooked, they’re thought to help cure a cowboy of his erectile dysfunction. Neither penis nor scrotum has been medically tested.
- Ginseng
The root has been used as an aphrodisiac in China for centuries. A study conducted in 2000 found that when rabbits were given Ginseng their sexual organs relaxed, inducing neurogenic effects conducive to sexual activity. The results showed that ginseng enhanced cellular activity, directly affecting erectile dysfunction and low libido. Horns and Tusks
Perhaps the saddest of all the traditional aphrodisiacs. All through history people have been slaughtering animals for their horns and tusks. And although it has been proven that neither horns nor tusks have any healing qualities, animals are still being murdered for their ivory.
What Is Yohimbe: Sleep Apnea Patients May Find Relief In All-Natural Aphrodisiac
- By Melissa Matthews
A natural aphrodisiac thought to help with erectile dysfunction and weight loss could now get a third use: sleep apnea cure. Researchers found that yohimbe, a dietary supplement derived from tree bark, could provide a more comfortable alternative to the continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine that while effective, is also inconvenient and annoying for sleep apnea sufferers.
“It works very well, but the problem is everybody hates it,” says Chi-Sang Poon, a research scientist at MIT in a story on the school’s website. “It’s very uncomfortable and inconvenient. Almost half of the people prescribed never use it.”
Sleep apnea occurs when the tongue or other tissues shift and block the airway, according to the University of California at Berkeley. Researchers have been working on drugs to stimulate the hypoglossal nerve, which controls the tongue, but so far attempts have been unsuccessful.
Instead, the MIT researchers targeted two neurons they believed dropped in activity during sleep. So, they used yohimbine — another name for the active chemical in the yohimbe tree's bark — to reactivate the neuron groups. Though researchers are not entirely sure how it worked, they found the supplement targeted the neurons, which stimulated the hypoglossal neurons and helped with sleep apnea. The experiment was conducted in rats, so it is still a ways from becoming a mainstream treatment.
Yohimbe is used by bodybuilders to burn fat and has long been used as an aphrodisiac to help with erectile dysfunction and low sex drive, however it is not FDA approved for any of these uses.
Poon warns sleep apnea patients from taking matters into their own hands and trying out the treatment at home.
“Yohimbine is a centuries-old drug that people have been using for other reasons,” he says. “The drug itself is relatively safe in healthy subjects, but in patients that have heart disease, hypertension, or stroke, or have anxiety problems, they could be at risk because nobody has done long-term studies to show how safe the drug is for these patients.”
10 Benefits Of Yohimbe Extract For Health And Bodybuilding
- (vkool)
Yohimbe also called Pausinystalia Johimbe as a scientific name, is a tree genus found in Central Africa but it has been well known all around the world due to its very powerful chemical from the bark. Yohimbine is actually the precious chemical making various benefits of Yohimbe for the health also has been researched by international drug agencies. And because of its potent effects on the human body systems, it has emerged various traditional uses as other herbal medicines.
Yohimbe bark has been naturally prepared or abused as an aphrodisiac and so on. This herb, in common, is very beneficial in improving circulation, protecting the heart health, boosting sexual energy, aiding in weight loss, and stimulating mood. Yohimbe, with its valuable barks and extracts, has been over-harvested and this results in a significant drop in the tree availability, especially in certain West Africa. That means you should pay attention to products of Yohimbe, safely chosen from a trusted health food store or a certified herbal practitioner because of a wide range of applicable conditions.
It is time VKool showed you health benefits of Yohimbe extract for systems and bodybuilding. All of the mentioned benefits of this herb have been consulted from reliable sources of information and will explain why this herb deserves for appropriate doses in daily diets. For those who don’t know or wonder what the benefits of Yohimbe are, just spend a few minutes reading our article to get more information!
- 10 Benefits Of Yohimbe Extract For Health And Bodybuilding
1. Aid In Weight Loss
Aiding in weight loss is known as one of the important benefits of Yohimbe for health. For people who have to work out frequently, there may be some certain problem spots on their body also called stubborn fat. As you know, this fat does not go away easily no matter how hard they try. Fortunately, Yohimbine herb is able to block certain adrenoreceptors in the body thereby leading higher levels of norepinephrine that prevent the fat from mobilizing to take effect and allows more fat breaks in difficult areas like thighs and belly in the body.
In fact, Yohimbine has been well known for its ability to reduce stubborn body fat and highly recommended to boost athletic performance just by consuming it before exercise. And some studies before have also indicated that this herb can give minimal effect not only on the athletic performance but also on the body composition as well as fat loss in some. To be clear, a study conducted among professional athletes to find out the efficiency of Yohimbe on weight loss showed that soccer players who took a Yohimbe dose of 20 micrograms a day experienced an improvement in the body performance and unnecessary fat compared to the others.
The reason that the benefits of Yohimbe include the ability to enhance the body performance is that it can improve the quality and efficiency of exercise when immediately consumed before exercising, which leads greater fat loss. In the scientific aspect, this herb can boost lipolysis or serum levels when taken before exercise thereby contributing to fat loss. However, the effects of Yohimbe on the hormone levels should be carefully monitored, so make sure to consult a medical professional before consuming it in your workout regimen.
2. Improve Circulation
Improving circulation is another of the health benefits of Yohimbe. If you are suffering from a sluggish circulatory system that causes slow healing rates, low energy levels, and cognitive cloudiness, you really need a vasodilator. It is because when you improve the blood flow throughout the body, there will be more oxygen and necessary nutrients reaching cells and organ systems. By this way, you can improve healing, promote cognition, and boost energy levels provided that you take an adequate amount of Yohimbe extract in the herbal supplement regimen.
In fact, Yohimbe is considered as a vasodilator that allows the blood vessels to expand, which means that blood can flow more easily and efficiently throughout the body. And there have been studies asserting the active compound yohimbine is very effective in boosting the blood flow to the extremities as well as the delivery of nutrients to all the cells and organs.
3. Aid In Sexual Health
The health benefits of Yohimbe also include the ability to improve the sexual health. This herb is considered as an aphrodisiac for both men and women, especially fighting impotence. According to the studies before, yohimbine has been indicated to be a great treatment for orgasmic dysfunction particularly Erectile dysfunction that is an increasing problem nowadays. Impotence is really a complicated and embarrassing situation for men in which they need an increase in circulation to affect the blood flow to the genitals essential for the Erectile dysfunction treatment, an increase in fertility, and a significant boost in libido which are all managed by Yohimbe extracts indeed. It is also the reason why it gains a reputation for male as a treatment of impotence indeed.
The earliest studies conducted to identify the effects of yohimbine hydrochloride on a number of impotent males showed that after a month of treatment with about 40 mg of Yohimbe extract then 14% experienced full erections and restoration, 20% had a partial response and the remained majority reported no improvement. Therefore, it was concluded that the powerful benefits outweighed the risks while this herb was really a worthy first line treatment for severe cases of impotence. In addition, some recent studies have shown that yohimbine could boost the blood flow to the penis in single doses of 5 to 10mgs and gave positive effects on erectile dysfunction. In other words, Yohimbe is effective for the treatment of sexual dysfunction that is the result of prescribed serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In addition, this herb can be combined with L-arginine to deal with this symptom.
Despite the benefits of Yohimbine for sexual function, it is necessary to get a real source of its products and a proper dose. This herb appears in the US and some other countries to prescribe for erectile dysfunction. The doses of maximum 10 mg each day have been indicated to be safe for the patients of this symptom.
4. Treat Hypertension
Treating hypertension is known as another of the health benefits of Yohimbe. This herb is able to ease the tension on the arteries and blood vessels, which does wonder not only for cardiovascular health but also for the overall health. While the heart has to work too hard to bring blood through constricting and tight blood vessels, the blood pressure is caused to increase and blood vessels become blocked, which is considered as the main reason for strokes, heart attacks, and other heart diseases. And it is advised to add yohimbine to your daily diet in order to improve the heart health in common and inhibit the development of coronary heart disease.
5. Ease Diabetes
The recent research has shown that Yohimbe is beneficial for those with type-2 diabetics because it can increase insulin secretion. Especially, the benefits of Yohimbe are specific to type-2 diabetics patients with an ADRA2A gene owning specific insulin reducing type.
6. Relieve Anxiety
The benefits of Yohimbe also include the ability to relieve anxiety. This herb can enhance the natural release of adrenaline thereby quelling anxiety among people. According to the researcher, adrenaline aids in the physiological changes related to fear and anxiety such as metabolism rates and increasing heart rates in response to mental and physical stress. In addition, Yohimbe outperformed propanolol, which makes it used as a natural medication to blunt the effects of adrenaline so as to treat any symptoms of anxiety disorders indeed.
7. Improve Dry Mouth
Treating dry mouth is also one of the benefits of Yohimbe for health. It has also been indicated through preliminary research that this herb contains certain supplements that can improve dry mouth symptoms, particularly for those taking antidepressants. However, the efficiency of Yohimbe bark on this aspect has not been clearly examined, so you can consult the herb specialist before taking it as a treatment for dry mouth condition.
8. Be A Stimulant
As mentioned above, Yohimbe has the ability to aid in fat loss which is tied to the primary fat burning method with the stimulation of adrenaline release. In fact, Adrenaline can not only relieve the anxiety but also boost the production of energy for people. It is the reason why Yohimbe is considered as a stimulant that absolutely interacts and potentiates with other stimulants.
9. Used As A Test Booster
Being used as a test booster is another of the benefits of Yohimbe. As you know, many test boosters contain natural herbal ingredients like Yohimbe. Although it is not the best choice for tests in common, it is sometimes used as a booster to improve the test levels as well.
10. Some Side Effects
Besides various benefits of Yohimbe, you should pay attention to some side effects of this herb if consumed in wrong ways. This herb is considered to be safe when taken in for a short time with moderate doses but able to cause some adverse side effects if consumed in high doses, so you should take in Yohimbe only under medical supervision.
The side effects of Yohimbe also include profuse sweating, rapid and irregular heartbeat even heart attack, seizures, and kidney failure. It can also cause raised blood pressure, stomach upset, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and anxiety. And there are some other points to notice as follows:
- • Children should avoid taking Yohimbe as well as its products.
- • Yohimbe can take effects on the blood pressure:low doses can raise the blood pressure while high doses can cause very low blood pressure.
- • Extremely high doses, over 40mg, of Yohimbe can cause even more serious symptoms like hallucinations and paralysis.
- • People with a medical history of heart, liver, or kidney diseases should not consume Yohimbe.
- • People with depression or anxiety issues are advised to avoid Yohimbebecause it can exacerbate the symptoms.
- • Yohimbe is not recommended for pregnant women and nursing mothers because the herb can damage the uterus and trigger the pregnancy.
- • The mixture of Yohimbe and caffeine is believed to increase the potential side effects on weight loss.
Some Yohimbe Supplements Stronger than Labeled
- By Kristina Fiore (Staff Writer, MedPage Today)
Pharmaceutical-grade yohimbine, used for sexual dysfunction, is passing for a botanical supplement
Patients who think they're taking a botanical extract from the bark of a west African evergreen tree may actually be getting a pharmaceutical-grade product -- as well as the side effects that come with it, researchers said.
In an analysis of nearly 50 of the most popular brands of yohimbe supplements, about 40% didn't contain other alkaloids that would be commonly found in yohimbe extract, suggesting a highly processed form of the active ingredient yohimbine, according to Pieter Cohen, MD, of the Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, and colleagues.
"If you have yohimbine that's highly refined to higher-than-prescription doses, you're selling a drug," Cohen told MedPage Today. "You shouldn't be able to make a pharmaceutical drug -- even if it is found in a plant -- and put it in supplements and sell it over-the-counter."
Cohen, who is earning a reputation as a critic of the way the U.S. handles its $36 billion supplement industry, and his colleagues published an analysis of the most common yohimbe supplements sold at seven of the top retailers in the U.S. in a special edition of the journal Drug Testing and Analysis.
He said the findings add to the mounting evidence that the Dietary Supplement and Health Education Act (DSHEA) is too lax and offers little consumer protection.
"Manufacturers are given free rein to do anything they want in terms of processing their product," Cohen said. "What consumers think is a simple botanical extract is closer to a pharmaceutical ingredient. The law allows this mischief."
Joshua Sharfstein, MD, associate dean of public health at Johns Hopkins and a former FDA official, who wasn't involved in the study, said the findings "reflect a serious problem in the market for dietary supplements," with many products being spiked with pharmaceutical ingredients.
"There's a growing awareness, even inside industry, that more needs to be done to assure safety," Sharfstein said.
Extract from the bark of the Pausinystalia johimbe evergreen tree common to west Africa has long been used as an aphrodisiac or to enhance sexual performance. Its main active ingredient is yohimbine, one of many alkaloids in the plant, but only 1% of yohimbe bark is active yohimbine, Cohen said, which is why supplement makers are tempted to concentrate the product.
Prescription yohimbine was available in the U.S. for many years, but its popularity has fallen off -- possibly due to the widespread uptake of PDE5 inhibitors like sildenafil (Viagra), he said. It hasn't been part of the Physicians' Desk Reference since 2005.
Studies of pharmaceutical-grade yohimbine have shown some efficacy in sexual dysfunction, but at the cost of side effects such as panic attacks, hypertension, and headaches. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements says studies have shown "significant safety concerns" and that the supplement "can be dangerous," causing cardiac failure and death at doses of 200 mg or higher.
Such findings have led some countries, including the U.K., the Netherlands, Canada, and Australia, to ban yohimbe supplements.
But yohimbe supplements are widely available in the U.S., with some 550 products on the market -- and they're popular, too, ranking in the 30 top-selling botanical ingredients, Cohen said.
He became interested in yohimbe after seeing unusual symptoms in patients. When one came in flushed and with chest discomfort, Cohen suspected supplements spiked with Viagra-like drugs, which can cause flushing.
However, when Cohen had the patient's supplements analyzed, there was no rogue Viagra, just "a lot of yohimbine," he said.
So he and his colleagues decided to take a closer look, and sampled 49 brands of supplements that claimed to contain yohimbe or yohimbine that were sold in seven popular stores: GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid, and Whole Foods.
They sent the products to the University of Mississippi's National Center for Natural Products Research for analysis via ultra high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to photodiode and quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry detectors.
And they didn't only look for yohimbine: they checked for two of the other alkaloids that commonly occur in the plant as well: rauwolscine and corynathine. If the supplement did indeed contain only botanical extract, those compounds should be present.
They found that the actual dose of yohimbine in each product ranged all the way from 0 to 12 mg -- although the dosing tended to skew toward higher concentrations than labeled, Cohen said -- and that latter figure is higher than the 5 mg or 10 mg doses that prescription yohimbine was available in.
More than a third (39%) of the supplements didn't contain the two other alkaloids, suggesting that the yohimbine was either synthetic, or heavily processed.
"They should have been there if this were simple extract from a tree," Cohen said.
Some of the brands specifically put the pharmaceutical-grade name "yohimbine hydrochloride," or "yohimbine HCL," on their labels. Among all 16 brands that did so, none of them contained the two other alkaloids. On the other hand, 88% of the brands that didn't put this more technical name on the label had at least one of the two other alkaloids.
When it came to labeling active ingredients and adverse events, only 22% of products actually listed the quantity of yohimbine on the label. Even when they did, there was a good chance of mislabeling, with doses often running far higher than what was stated, Cohen said.
Although the majority of producers put information about side effects on their labels, about one in five still did not. And overall, only two brands accurately labeled both the quantity of yohimbine and adverse effects. (These, however, did not contain the other two alkaloids, suggesting they were highly processed.)
The researchers acknowledged that their study was limited because they only analyzed one sample from each brand of supplement, but Cohen said this kind of practice wouldn't be unusual in a system that doesn't require companies to report how much active ingredient is in the product or what its side effects might be.
Cohen has been aggressively taking on the supplement industry, and Science recently dubbed him "The Supplement Sleuth."
Last spring, his study that found a designer amphetamine called BMPEA in several over-the-counter products made headlines and subsequently led to the FDA sending warning letters to five manufacturers. As is the case with yohimbine, BMPEA is not allowed on the market in several countries but is not banned in the U.S.
Although some say reforming DSHEA and beefing up regulation of supplements -- particularly if it should fall squarely on the shoulders of the overtaxed FDA -- is futile, Cohen doesn't seem deterred. He lists several steps that could go a long way, including requirements to list all ingredients and adverse effects on product labels, mandatory registration of all products with the FDA, and standardizing supplement recipes so there's less variation in composition.
Even the simple step of cutting the "structure function claims" that are allowed to appear on supplement labeling could have a huge impact, he said. These are the claims that the product "supports" or "boosts" all types of health from sexual health to immune function.
"If you couldn't sell a product that 'improves sex life' and you just had to sell 'yohimbe, ...'" Cohen said, "you don't have perverse incentives to try to create something from a botanical extract that looks more like a pharmaceutical."
Green Tea Extract Vs. Yohimbe Bark Extract
- Source:http://www.gnet.org/yohimbe/
- By Clay McNight
Green tea extract and yohimbe bark extract are both used as dietary supplements for a variety of purposes. Green tea extract is often used to enhance weight loss and burn body fat, while yohimbe is most often promoted for erectile dysfunction. There are numerous studies evaluating the efficacy of green tea, but such clinical studies are lacking with respect to yohimbe bark extract.
- Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract, produced from the Camellia sinensis plant, has been touted for treating and preventing cancers and medical conditions, including genital warts, Crohn's disease, Parkinson's disease and diseases of the heart and blood vessels. According to MedlinePlus, however, the only purposes green tea is likely effective for include treating genital warts and increasing mental alertness, due to its caffeine content. MedlinePlus has assigned green tea a rating of "possibly effective" for reducing the risk of Parkinson's disease, lowering blood pressure, decreasing cholesterol and triglyceride levels, helping prevent certain cancers and reducing the growth of cells in the cervix caused by the human papilloma virus.
- Green Tea Extract for Fat Loss
A study published in 2007 in "Obesity" found that green tea extract, high in catechins, might help reduce both body fat and low-density lipoprotein and thereby lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. A study published in 2008 in "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" had similar findings, noting that green tea extract can increase fat burning during moderate-intensity exercise while improving insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance. In addition to promoting fat loss during exercise, green tea extract may also protect against oxidative damage that occurs during training, according to a study released in 2011 in "Nutrition Research."
- Yohimbe Bark Extract
Yohimbe bark extract, also known as yohimbine, comes from the yohimbe tree in Cameroon, Zaire and Gabon. Primarily promoted as enhancing sexual excitement and treating erectile dysfunction, yohimbe bark extract may be able to counteract sexual side effects associated with a class of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In addition, yohimbe bark extract is used for weight loss, athletic performance, high blood pressure and low blood pressure. MedlinePlus rates yohimbe as "possibly effective" for treating erectile dysfunction and sexual problems caused by the reuptake inhibitors. According to MedlinePlus, there is insufficient evidence that yohimbe is effective for any other use. Yohimbe Bark Extract for Erectile Dysfunction
Unlike green tea extract, yohimbe lacks a lot of clinical evidence supporting its use. But it has a history of anecdotal evidence, primarily related to yohimbe bark extract's use as an aphrodisiac. According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, yohimbe bark is traditionally used in Africa to increase sexual desire. According to New York University Langone Medical Center, a study published in 2002 in "European Urology" found that yohimbe bark extract, when combined with the amino acid arginine, was able to improve erectile function when used one to two hours before intercourse. Both substances were taken at a dosage of 6 grams.
Sexual Benefits of Yohimbe – Should I take It?
- Source:http://www.gnet.org/yohimbe/
- By Michael Donelly
Hello, my name is Yohimbe and I come from the African continent where I grow very tall. I’m the bark on an evergreen tree you see, but a very special bark used as a wonderful supplement. I’m also available by prescription in the United States. But you really need to find out much more about my work so a few minutes of your time would be greatly appreciated. Please read on.
- What Do I Do?
I can help men who suffer from any form of erectile dysfunction, but women can benefit from me too in terms of sexual enhancement. I’m a really good natural replacement for drugs like viagra and levitra. I actually have a formidable reputation as being the most potent natural sexual stimulant on the market as I quickly dilate blood vessels and stimulate the nerve endings of the genitals.
My active component is an alkaloid called yohimbine, and in fact native Africans have used me to improve their sex lives for hundreds of years. I’m still on trial with many experts but I’ve helped people suffering from clinical depression and even weight loss, but this has yet to be fully proven. I’ve been declared unsafe in Germany, because I can increase heart rates and raise blood pressure and also interact with other drugs, food and alcohol.
- How to Use Me?
I really should be taken in small doses two or three hours before intimacy, and this means I work very well for you. Women will get better sensations in their organs which is why females use me as a supplement too. But if you’re not used to taking herbs then take it easy at first.
I’m sold in various concentrations of extract and these range from 4 per cent right across to 20 per cent. The higher my concentration the more potent I will be to the user. I can also come in either capsule or powder form.
- A Word of Caution
I’ve been a little controversial in some people’s eyes because I can cause unwanted side effects, but this is only when I’m not used properly. I’ve been known to cause some anxiety and headaches, abdominal cramps and palpitations, dizziness and nausea. I certainly don’t want to do this to you so please take the correct medical advice. If you have any medical condition, especially involving the heart or diabetes then you must talk to your doctor before even thinking about using me in any form.
I certainly shouldn’t be taken when you’re operating machinery, driving or performing any hazardous activities. I should point out however, if I’m taken in the right dosage then there won’t be any problems. Just don’t take too much of me! You shouldn’t take me as a supplement late at night as you may have problem sleeping, and I definitely shouldn’t be used with caffeine or alcohol.
Being sensible will bring the best out in me. The problem is I have the ability to make your heart race just a little faster, so you can see why I must be used in a proper responsible fashion.
- Sexual benefits
I can be used to do things healthily but I can help increase your libido and give you healthy sexual thoughts. I can be used to help with erectile dysfunction and sexual sensation as well as orgasms and climaxes. I can also give you extra energy and stamina to help with prolonged intimacy.
Basically I carry extra blood to the genital areas and this is what helps you feel much better about yourself. What I really want to do is create more happiness for you, and this can be done by sensible use over time. You’ll notice I can work quite quickly for you at the right time.
In West Africa I not only enhance virility but I can also treat the symptoms of colds, fevers and leprosy.
I hope now you understand a lot more about me and I’d love to be of service to you in the future, but only if I can make a positive difference in the long run. I’m one of nature’s great gifts and it’s always a nice feeling to be able to enhance people’s lives. Why not do more research on me and try and discover more? Thank you for reading my story and take care in the future.
Please remember to take proper advice from a medical professional or your doctor before using me so you can be sure I’m right for you as a supplement. I want to stay friends with you for sure!
Herb Profile: Yohimbe
- By Steven Foster
In these days of Viagra, the recently approved impotence pill, interest in herbal aphrodisiacs seems to be waning. When faced with impotence, even consumers who generally prefer natural substances are likely to choose a more predictable synthetic alternative. Nevertheless, some interest still exists in the herb yohimbe, which is thought by some to treat impotence.
Yohimbe is derived from the bark of a West African tree called Pausinystalia yohimbe that grows in Cameroon, Gabon, and Congo. For centuries, yohimbe bark was reputed to restore erections to impotent men. Scientists scoffed, but several studies during the 1980s showed that a chemical in the bark, yohimbine, did indeed raise erections in some impotent men by increasing blood flow into the penis.
Despite this recent research and the herb’s traditional use, yohimbe is surprisingly absent from many important historical herbal references and recent major English-language works on the medicinal plants of Africa. According to Herbs for Health editorial adviser James A. Duke, Ph.D, yohimbe’s reputation appears to have come from a different source: German books on herbal medicines, including Hager’s Handbook. The handbook notes that the herb is an aphrodisiac in addition to being useful in treating painful menstruation and prostate inflammation with bladder complaints, and serving as a local anesthesia for eye, ear, and nose operations. In the United States, yohimbe’s use as an herbal remedy appears to have started in the early 1970s, when plants reported to enhance sexual desire or somehow affect the psyche were brought to the forefront by the counterculture.
- A Compound Emerges
Recent interest in yohimbe has come largely from medical use of yohimbine, the bark alkaloid once widely used as a prescription drug. Much of the controversy surrounding yohimbe has resulted from equating the bark with the drug. Yohimbine is synthesized in the laboratory, from the bark itself.
Some years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved yohimbine as a treatment for impotence. The compound is now available in eleven prescription drugs, including Aphrodyne, Erex, Yocon, Yohimex, and Yovital.
Yohimbine was discovered in 1896, and the first physiological study on the compound appeared in 1900, when researchers found that it’s an active excitant to sexual organs in both animal and human studies. Another study published at the same time reported conflicting results, however, concluding that yohimbine did not produce aphrodisiac effects in either humans or animals. Since that time, the aphrodisiac attributes of both yohimbine and yohimbe have remained controversial.
A prescription drug containing synthesized yohimbine hydrochloride has been available for decades. It has been used as an alpha-adrenergic blocker and has an antidiuretic action. To stimulate erection, it has been combined with strychnine, thyroid, methyltestosterone, caffeine, and other substances.
A 1981 letter to the editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association stimulated new interest in the drug yohimbine after reports that it successfully treated impotence in four out of six diabetic patients. Then a 1984 animal study on rats concluded that the alkaloid did increase sexual arousal of animals. A recent review of sixteen studies shows that yohimbine is an effective treatment for erection impairment. Yohimbine affects the autonomic nervous system and helps with male erection by increasing blood flow to the penis.
Yohimbine prescriptions are generally accompanied by some cautions. It’s not to be used if liver or kidney disease is present, and it’s considered a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor, so tyramine-containing foods such as cheese, liver, and red wine should be avoided. Participants in some clinical trials on the whole herb reported side effects, including anxiety, increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, flushing, hallucinations, and headaches.
- Where’s The Yohimbine?
Since its FDA approval, yohimbine has continued to be assailed by some medical naysayers as ineffective. And they may have a point, at least about the yohimbine products sold in supplement shops and health-food stores.
In 1995, the FDA sponsored a study of twenty-six over-the-counter yohimbine products, among them Super Man, Hot Stuff, and Yohimbe Concentrate. Researchers found only trace amounts of yohimbine in the products tested, ranging from less than 0.1 to 489 parts per million (ppm), probably not enough to have much effect, and considerably less than the yohimbine content of yohimbe bark, which is 7,089 ppm. If you want yohimbine’s benefits, go with either the bark from a source you trust, or with a prescription drug.
- Dosage Yohimbe
- Pausinystalia yohimbe
What it does: Improves erectile function by affecting the autonomic nervous system and increasing blood flow to the penis. Also used to treat painful menstruation and prostate inflammation, and as a local anesthesia for eye, ear, and nose operations.
How we know: Clinical studies, although not all researchers concur.
Dosage: No information available.
Cautions: According to The Botanical Safety Handbook, yohimbe should be avoided by people with liver or kidney disease. Yohimbe has demonstrated some MAO interaction, so avoid tyramine-containing foods such as cheese, liver, and red wine, and don’t combine with MAO inhibitors. It also shouldn’t be used long term or in cases of chronic inflammation of the sexual organs or prostate gland. In high doses, yohimbe may lower blood pressure, produce unpleasant digestive and central nervous system symptoms, or potentiate hypotensive drugs. In some clinical trials on the whole herb, participants reported side effects, including anxiety, increased heart rate, elevated blood pressure, flushing, hallucinations, and headaches.
- The Many Facets Of Arousal
It’s important to understand that compounds that aid erection—no matter whether they’re herbal medicines or pharmaceuticals—are not aphrodisiacs per se. There’s a difference between male erection and male sexual arousal. And these compounds may cause other problems too; the erection drug Viagra has spawned a new sex problem in women—“viagravation,” the irritation women feel when their chemically erect lovers won’t leave them alone. This sort of lesson could apply to yohimbe as well—there’s more to good sex than an improved erection.
Supplement Knowledge and Safety for Women
- By August McLaughlin
- Overview
Many women take one or more dietary supplements routinely. While a healthy, balanced diet is the optimal way to reap the nutrients you need, you may require supplements to help fill in the gaps, says the Office of Dietary Supplements. Because they can cause side effects and interact with medications, and the safety and effectiveness of many supplements remains unknown, seeking pre-approval from your doctor is important.
- Can Women Take Yohimbe?
Yohimbe supplements contain the dried bark of the yohimbe tree, which has been used traditionally in Africa as as aphrodisiac and sexual dysfunction remedy. The safety and effectiveness of yohimbe supplements remains unknown, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, or NCCAM. It has been linked with side effects including dizziness, anxiety, nausea, vomiting and insomnia. The NCCAM warns against taking yohimbe if you take blood pressure medications, certain antidepressants, have a chronic illness or are breast-feeding or pregnant.
- Can Women Consume Whey Protein?
Whey protein is a type of protein in cow's milk. It's a highly digestible protein source, according to the Mayo Clinic, and is used to add flavor, nutrients and enhanced texture to a variety of foods, including ice cream, breads and protein shakes. If you do not have an allergy or intolerance to dairy products, you can safely consume whey protein in food or supplement form. Potential benefits include improved appetite and blood sugar control, both of which can enhance weight management.
- How Much Potassium for Women?
Potassium is a mineral that helps all of your cells, tissues and organs function properly. Women ages 19 and older should consume 4,700 milligrams of potassium per day. Breast-feeding women require 5,100 daily milligrams, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Fruits and vegetables, including potatoes, bananas, plums and beans, are the richest sources, providing 485 to 1,000 milligrams per serving. Although supplements vary, a moderate supplemental dose provides 500 milligrams per day.
- How Much Whey Protein Is Needed for Women?
Whey protein dosage depends on your goals. For reduced hunger, whey protein should account of 50 percent, or up to 50 grams, of a meal, says the Mayo Clinic. The standard dosage for tablets and capsules is 1/2 gram of whey protein per kilogram of body weight daily. For improved bone density, consume beverages containing 40 milligrams of whey protein daily for six to eight months or 30 to 60 milligrams through oral supplements daily for 24 weeks. For enhanced workout recovery, a dose may provide 25 milligrams of whey protein, diluted in water.
- What Is a Healthy Amount of Weight for Women to Lose in One Month?
Losing weight too quickly, or more than 3 pounds per week after the initial two weeks, increases your risk for health problems, such as fatigue, heartbeat abnormalities, nutrient deficiencies and gallstones. The best way to lose and keep excess pounds off, according to the Weight-control Information Network, involves losing 1/2 to 2 pounds per week -- or 4 to 8 pounds per month -- by making healthy food choices, eating moderate-size portions and working physical activity into your daily life.
- Can Women Take Super Advanced Whey Protein?
Super Advanced Whey Protein is a protein powder that provides 52 grams of protein per serving. According to the product packaging, adults should mix one scoop into 6 to 8 ounces of water or another beverage, once daily. Athletes and bodybuilders are advised to consume two scoops mixed with liquid immediately after exercise. Super Advanced Whey Protein is considered safe for women, unless you are pregnant. If you have a medical condition, seek approval from your physician.
- Can 2000 IUs of Vitamin D Be Used by Women Over 55?
Women ages 51 to 70 should consume 600 IU of vitamin D daily, says the Office of Dietary Supplements, and 800 IU daily beyond age 70. The maximum tolerable intake is 4,000 IU per day for adults. If you have a deficiency, which usually stems from eating too few vitamin D-rich foods, such as fish and dairy products, or too little sun exposure, your doctor may prescribe supplements. While supplemental vitamin D remains controversial, some researchers and physicians recommend 1,000 to 2,000 IUs daily for improved bone strength and possible disease prevention.
- How Many B Vitamins Should Women Over 50 Take?
After age 50, women require 1.1 to 1.5 milligrams of the B-vitamins thiamine, riboflavin and vitamin B-6, daily. You should also consume 14 milligrams of niacin, 400 milligrams of folate, 2.4 milligrams of vitamin B-12, 5 milligrams of pantothenic acid, 30 milligrams of biotin and 425 milligrams of choline, each day. If you don't consume a diet rich in grains, fruits and vegetables, you may require supplements, according to the American Cancer Society. Standard B-complex vitamins more than fulfill adults' daily recommended intake.
- How Much B6 Should a Women Take at the Age of Forty?
Vitamin B6, also called pyridoxine, helps your body metabolize protein and maintain strong immune function. It's prevalent in fish, meats, grains, fruits and vegetables, as well as many dietary supplements. A 40-year-old woman should take 1.3 milligrams of vitamin B6, while women over age 50 should consume 1.5 milligrams of vitamin B6 per day, according to the ODS. Supplemental vitamin B6 is found in single nutrient supplements, multivitamins and B-complex supplements in varying amounts.
- How Much Vitamin D Should Women Over 40 Years Old Take?
Vitamin D is particularly important as you age, because it helps your bones stay strong, guarding against fractures. Women ages 19 to 50 require 600 IU of vitamin D daily, according to the ODS, and 800 IU daily after age 70. Your supplemental needs vary, depending on your eating and lifestyle habits. If you have a deficiency or wish to prevent bone loss, some doctors recommend taking 1,000 to 2,000 IU of vitamin D in supplement form per day.
5 Ayurvedic herbs to help you last longer in bed
- By Pavitra Sampath
If you have been wondering what you can do to perform better in bed, have a stronger erection and last longer, then we have the answer for you. Here are a few Ayurvedic herbs, recommended by our expert Dr Gowthaman, Ayurvedacharya and CEO of Rvita, that can help.
Ginseng Rt. (Panax quinquefolius): Known as one of the best herbs for men, Ginseng root is considered to be one of the best male sexual tonics. Experts say that it helps support a healthy libido, enhances your performance in bed and is great at beating erectile dysfunction.
Tribulus fruit (Tribulus terrestris): Traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic practitioners say that Tribulus is very effective in improving sperm count, motility, and morphology when combined with dietary and exercise changes. Known as gokshura in Sanskrit, Tribulus is used in the powdered form and is believed to help strengthen the penile tissue and improve your performance in bed.
Maca root: This root helps maintain a good hormonal balance -- especially the functioning of your thyroid hormone, gives you strength, energy and helps improve your sexual functioning.
Pausinystalia yohimbe: This bark helps improve circulation within the penis and surrounding organs, helping in a stronger erection. What's more, it also helps you maintain an erection for a long time.
Saw palmetto berry: Apart from strengthening your immune system and preventing chronic fatigue, this berry also helps increase sperm count and nourishes your body so you have the stamina to last longer in bed.
Yohimbe Benefits and Side Effects
- By Marc Seward
Yohimbe Benefits
Yohimbe is an herbal remedy extracted from the bark of the Pausinystalia Yohimbe tree; a very tall evergreen that grows in certain African countries including Cameroon, Nigeria and Gabon. Yohimbe bark contains an active chemical ingredient called yohimbine which is the ingredient responsible for its purported use for sexual dysfunction.
As well as its use as an arousal enhancer, yohimbe might enhance athletic performance, aid weight loss and improve focus. In the US yohimbine hydrochloride has been approved by the FDA and is available as a prescription medication to treat erectile dysfunction.
Some people claim that Yohimbe bark extract contains potent antioxidants and can be used to prevent heart attack. While most studies suggest that yohimbe is safe in moderate doses, there is a very real risk of adverse side effects when Yohimbe supplements are taken in high doses which we will look at in more detail later in the article.
It should also be noted that all of the studies into yohimbe have been done with regard to yohimbine hydrochloride (HCL) as opposed to the yohimbe bark extract.
- For Weight Loss
With obesity becoming such an enormous societal health issue in the Western world, there is huge interest in discovering a treatment which will help get the problem under control. Whether yohimbe can actually help you to lose those unwanted pounds is still a matter of some dispute but yohimbe has become relatively popular among bodybuilders cutting weight prior to competition.
The alkaloids present in yohimbe bark extract are believed to block alpha-2 receptors in the body which inhibit the loss of fat. Several studies have been conducted into yohimbe’s potential as a weight loss aid with mixed results.
A small scale study published in 1991 observed the effects of yohimbine on 20 obese women undergoing strict calorie control diets of 1.000 calories a day. At the end of the 3 week experiment, those who received a daily 20 mg dose of yohimbine hydrochloride lost around 3 pounds more than the placebo group. While this is not a huge amount of weight, researchers concluded that the results merited further research into yohimbe to manage and treat obesity.
- Fat Loss and Exercise
Yohimbine has developed a reputation for its ability to target and reduce stubborn body fat. Many people have also suggested that yohimbe may be able to boost athletic performance when taken before exercise and a few studies have explored the truth of this claim. Results have demonstrated that yohimbe has minimal effect on athletic performance but it does have an impact on the body composition and fat loss in those who take it.
When taken immediately prior to exercise, yohimbine might enhance the efficiency and quality of exercise leading to greater fat loss. Research has demonstrated that when taken before exercise, yohimbine boosts lipolysis as well as serum levels and contributes to fat loss.
A relatively recent study published in 2006 was conducted to explore the effect of yohimbine supplements on exercise performance and body composition in professional athletes. 20 high level soccer players were given a daily yohimbine dose of 20 mgs for 21 days. No improvements in performance or body weight were observed however there was a significant decrease in the body fat percentage of subjects who took the supplement compared to the control group.
- For Sex Drive and erectile dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction to one extent or another is an ever increasing problem. Some 30 million men in the US alone are afflicted. Yohimbe has developed a reputation as a treatment for male impotence and for increasing sexual arousal in both men and women. Yohimbe and other herbs like “Horny Goat Weed” have been touted as herbal Viagra alternatives.
According to research yohimbe or more specifically its active compound, yohimbine stimulates the body’s central nervous system resulting in an increased production of noradrenaline and nitric oxide. This process causes the body’s blood vessels to dilate and the combination of raised energy and blood flow gives the herb its aphrodisiac qualities.
Nearly all of the known research has focused on yohimbine and it is still unclear whether yohimbe bark itself has the same effects yohimbine. As well as its aphrodisiac effect, yohimbine has been tested for its effects on impotence and erectile dysfunction against a placebo in a number of randomized trials with mixed results depending on the severity of erectile dysfunction.
Yohimbine is available in the US and certain other countries in prescription form for ED. In the US it is strictly regulated by the FDA and is only prescribed for erectile dysfunction. Doses of up to 10 mg a day have been tested and are considered to be safe. There are some suggestions and anecdotal reports that yohimbe bark has a greater effect than the yohimbine ingredient but there have been no studies to determine whether this is the case.
One of the earliest studies published in 1989 studied the effects of yohimbine hydrochloride in 82 impotent male participants. Following a month of treatment with 42 mg doses of the extract, 14% of the subjects experienced full restoration of erections, 20% reported partial response while the majority experienced no improvement at all. Researchers concluded that the potential benefits outweighed the risks and that yohimbine was a worthy first line of treatment to overcome severe cases of impotence.
Several more recent studies have found that yohimbine in single doses as low as 5 to 10mgs stimulated blood flow to the penis and had a positive effect on erectile dysfunction though the extent of the effect depended on the severity of the dysfunction. There is also some evidence that when sexual dysfunction is caused by prescribed serotonin reuptake inhibitors that yohimbine is an effective treatment. Yohimbe can be safely combined with L-arginine to treat ED.
- Circulation
Yohimbe is a known vasodilator meaning that it allows the body’s blood vessels to expand. This means that blood is able to flow more efficiently and smoothly around the body. Studies into the active compound yohimbine have demonstrated that it is especially effective in improving the flow of blood to the extremities and also aid the delivery of nutrients to the cells.
- Dry Mouth
Preliminary research has indicated that yohimbine supplements can improve dry mouth symptoms for those taking antidepressants. The effect of yohimbe bark has not been examined and remains unclear. Diabetes
In some type 2 diabetics Yohimbine can increase insulin secretion (10). The research is in a very early stage. The benefits are specific to type 2 diabetics with a ADRA2A gene of a specific “insulin reducing” type.
- Yohimbe side effects
Yohimbe is considered safe when taken in moderate doses and for a short period but as was mentioned at the beginning of the article; yohimbe is not risk free. In higher doses it is known to cause a number of adverse side effects and should be taken only under medical supervision.
Reported side effects include rapid and irregular heartbeat, profuse sweating, seizures, kidney failure and even heart attack. It might also cause stomach upset, dizziness, anxiety, raised blood pressure, nausea and vomiting. The extent of the problem can be seen by the dramatic rise in the number of adverse drug effect cases reported to the California Poison Control system between 2000 and 2006.
- • Children should not take yohimbe or yohimbine products.
- • Extremely high doses of yohimbe (over 40mg) can result in even more serious side effects like hallucinations and even paralysis.
- • Yohimbe is considered unsafe for pregnant women as it may damage the uterus and put the pregnancy at risk. Nursing mothers are also recommended to avoid taking yohimbe.
- • People with pre-existing liver, kidney or heart disease should not take yohimbe.
- • Yohimbe can affect the blood pressure. High doses can result in very low blood pressure while low doses are known to raise the blood pressure.
- • People with anxiety issues or depression are advised not to take yohimbe as it might exacerbate the symptoms.
- • Some fat loss supplements mix yohimbe and caffeine—which can increase the potential side effects.
If you are going to take Yohimbe I’d recommend starting with a small dose to see how you respond to the side effects. While there is research showing it is effective—there is as much research showing it has potentially serious side effects on the level of prescription drugs. If you take Yohimbe—take it seriously!
What Is Yohimbe?
- (Berkeley Wellness, Medically reviewed by: John Edward Swartzberg, M.D.)
Made from the bark of a West African tree, yohimbe has been used as an aphrodisiac for centuries. In pre-Viagra (sildenafil) days, it was sometimes prescribed to treat erectile dysfunction. A standardized extract is still available by prescription, though little used today. What the science says: Yohimbe dilates blood vessels and increases blood flow, and thus may improve erections. It has been shown to increase sexual arousal in rats, but has had mixed results in human studies.
Special precautions: Dangerous when taken long term or in large doses. Should not be used if you have kidney problems or a psychiatric condition.
Common side effects: Serious side effects include a boost in blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms. Yohimbe may also cause headache, anxiety, dizziness, stomach upset, tremors, and sleeplessness.
Possible interactions: Antidepressants, antipsychotics, antihypertensives, stimulants.
Our advice: Because of safety concerns and the variability of the active ingredient, yohimbe should not be used.
Yohimbe Tea Benefits
- (Healthy Tea 101)
Yohimbe Tea Benefits have long been in the consciousness of Africans as being a potent aphrodisiac. Yohimbe tea made from the bark is commonly sold as an herbal supplement to improve erectile function.
Yohimbe is a small evergreen tree native to the central African nations of Cameroon, Gabon and Zaire. Its scientific name is pausinystalia yohimbe and belongs to the Rubiaceae family.
The main active chemical present in yohimbe bark is yohimbine HCl (indole alkaloid), found in the bark of the pausinystalia yohimbe tree. It also contains pigments and tannins.
To make yohimbe tea, boil about 6 teaspoons of shaved yohimbe bark in 1 pint of water for about 10 minutes. Strain the tea and then sip slowly. The desired effects of the yohimbe tea usually come after 30 minutes. These are said to include pleasant spinal shivers, psychic stimulation, enhanced emotional and sexual sensations and even spontaneous erections.
However, yohimbe tea is very bitter and unpleasant tasting. So chasers like mint leaves or lemon are often recommended after drinking the tea.
A tincture of the yohimbe bark can also be used and a dosage of 5 to 10 drops are often taken three times per day. A typical safe daily amount of yohimbine from any product is 15 to 30 mg.
It is best to use yohimbine, yohimbe and yohimbe tea under the supervision of a nutritionally-oriented doctor. Yohimbe / yohimbine are not recommended for people with high blood pressure, heart problems, kidney disease, peptic ulcer, anxiety and panic attacks. It should not be taken with any stimulant. Pregnant and nursing women are also cautioned against taking yohimbe.
The following are the health benefits attributed to yohimbe tea:
- • Yohimbe tea is said to stimulate sexual desire.
- • Yohimbe tea is said to enhance sexual performance.
- • Yohimbe tea is said to correct erectile dysfunction caused by tension, stress or fatigue.
Yohimbe
- (bodyandsoul.com.au)
The bark of the West African yohimbe tree is considered a great herbal remedy for a number of conditions, most notably sexual dysfunction.
Yohimbe is a tree found in West Africa. The bark of the yohimbe tree is used as an herbal remedy for various conditions, most notably sexual dysfunction. Some studies indicate that yohimbine extract can be effective in treating erectile dysfunction in men. It’s also thought to help with painful menstrual cramps.
- Where it's found
Yohimbe is the name of an evergreen tree that is found in parts of West Africa - but predominantly in Zaire, Cameroon, and Gabon. The bark of yohimbe contains a chemical called yohimbine, which is extracted and used to make medicine. It is widely distributed over-the-counter as a herbal aphrodisiac.
- How it can benefit you
Yohimbe as a herbal remedy can be used to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) and sexual problems caused by medications for those suffering from depression. It is also used for athletic performance, and helping with weight loss and obesity.
It is also used for the following conditions:
- • exhaustion
- • chest pain
- • high blood pressure
- • diabetic nerve pain
- Naturopath Mim Beim says:
“A herbal aphrodisiac!”
Health Benefits of Yohimbe (Pausinystalia johimbe)
- (Sasha, Vox Nature)
Yohimbe is a tree that is native to Central Africa, and it has become famous for the medicinal benefits of its bark. The chemical responsible for these interactions is called yohimbine and has actually been approved and used by many international drug agencies. Health benefits of Yohimbe
Let’s take a closer look at some of the used for and benefits of yohimbe. 1. Circulation Improvement
If your circulation is lagging, you may be suffering from a foggy brain, low energy levels, and more. By improving circulation in the body, you are actually improving the amount of oxygen being fed to the various organs and muscles. This will translate to increased energy, mental clarity, faster healing of pain and injuries, and more. Increased circulation also decreases your risk for blood clots and deep-vein thrombosis. You can improve circulation and boost energy levels if consumed in the correct amount. 2. Aids in Weight Loss
Many of us struggle with losing those last few stubborn pounds. Yohimbine is very effective in aiding those that work out regularly to shed those last 5-15 pounds, and that’s because it is able to block particular adrenoreceptors, which translates to increased breakdown of fat in the body. Yohimbine is also used to increase muscle mass and is often utilized by weight-lifters. Because this process does alter the hormones in your body, use it with caution and get professional advice before utilizing yohimbine for weight loss. 3. Hypertension
Related to the improvement in circulation, yohimbine is also able to improve circulation through the heart as well as reduce tension in the arteries and vessels of the body. When the vessels and arteries are relaxed, the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to push blood through them. Reducing hypertension can dramatically decrease your risk for heart attacks and strokes, as well as less-obvious side effects of hypertension like kidney failure. 4. Improve Sexual Health
The bark of the yohimbe tree was originally used for its natural aphrodisiac properties, and it is still a valid use today. The improvement in circulation relates to healthy blood flow to the nether-regions for both men and women. Yohimbe extract is also believed to increase fertility and boost libido. How to Use Yohimbe
Yohimbe plant bark has valuable properties that can be consumed orally through liquid or capsules. There’s also the option of using it directly after dehydrating the root and using it to make a delicious tea.
To make Yohimbe tea, grind the bark, add 6 teaspoons of the crushed bark into 16 oz. of water and let it boil for approximately 10 minutes. Strain your tea and you’re good to go.
Some people find adding honey and cinnamon helps them get past the unusual taste, so it’s okay to be creative.
For safety and efficacy reasons, be sure to get your yohimbe extract from a certified herbalist or health food store. You can also consult with professionals regarding appropriate dosage size for you. Caution
Please note that Yohimbe bark contains an ingredient called Yohimbine that can cause extreme reactions attributed to psychosis and other neurological disorder symptoms. It’s important to avoid taking Yohimbine with other medications that impact the nervous system.
Do not use yohimbe if you are using another vasodilator. Because this effective medicinal plant does interact with the hormone levels in your body, be sure to run it by your physician first before incorporating yohimbe into your day.
People with high anxiety levels should also avoid this herb since it will most likely worsen their symptoms. High doses of this herb in general should be avoided as it can cause breathing problems, blood pressure irregularities, paralysis, and even death.
These 3 Natural Supplements Are Guaranteed To Improve Your Sex Life
- By Zeynep Yenisey
We already told you about the one foolproof way to get better at sex, but aside from that, a little herbal encouragement never hurts in the bedroom. And no, we’re not talking about weed, even though it is considered an aphrodisiac.
Sure, Viagra is cool and all, but unless you suffer from erectile dysfunction, natural supplements might be a better option to up your sex game. And unlike pharmaceuticals, you don’t need to face your pharmacist as you pick up your sex pills - you can just get them from Whole Foods.
So, as outlined by Elite Daily, here are three natural supplements you can take to get hornier, harder, and yes, even better at sex than you already are.
1. Maca
Looks delicious. Looks delicious.
Maca is a root herb that grows in the Andes, and is known to boost libido and increase sperm count. Numerous studies have confirmed the aphrodisiac properties of maca, and a Peruvian study revealed that just 3 grams the stuff per day is enough to get you all hot and bothered.
The best way to take maca is in capsule form, but if you’d rather buy maca powder, you can put it in smoothies or sprinkle it on your steak, or something. But FYI – it tastes pretty bad. But that’s a small price to pay for an all-natural trip to boner-ville.
2. Yohimbine Yohimbe bark, or playground wood chips? Yohimbe bark, or playground wood chips?
Yohimbine, the active ingredient of yohimbe bark, has been used as an aphrodisiac in Africa for a really long time, and for good reason. Yohimbine not only makes your boners harder by increasing blood flow, but it also sends your sex drive through the roof.
However, we should also mention that yohimbine is known to cause a little bit of anxiety and nausea, thanks to the norepinephrine surge it causes. But if you take a relatively small dose, around 14mg, the only thing you’ll feel is horny.
3. Kava
Ground kava root. Ground kava root.
Kava root is known for its relaxing properties, and has a long history of being used as a remedy for anxiety. Since stress and anxiety are huge cockblocks and and can sometimes be as bad as whiskey dick, some kava tea or kava capsules can make your sex life a lot better.
In fact, if your special lady friend is having trouble orgasming, stress might be to blame. Or you just might be employing some bad sex tactics, like jackhammer finger-banging. If you swear you’re good at sex and she’s just stressed, give her some kava, help her relax, then get busy. Because chill sex is the best sex.
Have fun, gentlemen, and remember: only take the recommended dosage. These supplements may be herbal, but herbs are powerful stuff.
What is actually in erectile dysfunction supplements?
- By Bob Tedeschi
In western Iran and other parts of the Middle East, some men forcefully strike their penises to generate stronger erections.
“We hear a lot of things” men will try to treat erectile dysfunction, said Dr. Landon Trost, head of andrology and male infertility at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. “That’s probably the most violent.”
The ground-up bodies of blister beetles known as Spanish flies and extracts from the ginkgo biloba tree are perhaps the best-known folk remedies for erectile dysfunction, or E.D. But they are hardly the only ones.
The journal International Society for Sexual Medicine recently reviewed ingredients found in top-selling “nutraceuticals” — a category that includes nutritional supplements and herbal teas — promoted as remedies for E.D.
As the authors note, consumers face a “dizzying array of formulations available and little regulation on the dosage, purity, or ingredients found in these products.”
In fact, some nutraceuticals marketed as E.D. treatments have been found to contain hidden traces of prescription E.D. drugs. That increases the odds that consumers will find them effective, but also increases the dangers to men with cardiovascular disease, or those who take prescription nitrates.
“This tends to be the Wild West of therapies,” Trost said. “It’s very difficult to get something that’s not adulterated Viagra.”
Nutraceuticals don’t require approval from the Food and Drug Administration or other regulators, making it easier for manufacturers to reach consumers with their products before safety issues are detected. Despite repeated warnings from regulators, nutraceutical sales have surged.
Meanwhile, even E.D. treatments that are safe and free of pharmaceuticals aren’t necessarily working for the reasons consumers suspect, said Dr. Ryan Berglund, assistant professor of surgery and urologic oncology at the Cleveland Clinic.
“If I give you a sugar pill, there’s a 20 to 30 percent chance it works,” he said. “Admittedly, it’s not fair of me to completely dismiss this stuff. I just don’t think these approaches have been subjected to rigorous scientific evaluation.”
The authors of the paper in the International Society for Sexual Medicine set out to review existing medical literature about the ingredients commonly found in E.D. nutraceuticals.
Here are some of their key takeaways:
- Red ginseng
The most common ingredient among popular sexual-health supplements, this extract increases production of nitric oxide and, as a result, can increase blood flow to the erectile tissue known as the corpora cavernosa. While ginseng “appears to be well tolerated, affordable, and reasonably safe, there is presently not enough quality evidence of efficacy to recommend it as first-line therapy for E.D.” Horny goat weed
An extract of the Epimedium plant, it has not been well studied in humans. Toxicity is rare and generally mild. “Despite promising animal studies,” there is “no evidence of improvement in sexual health among humans.” Fenugreek
Also known as “methi,” fenugreek comes from the Fabaceae plant family. In one double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 60 men, fenugreek yielded significant increases in “sexual arousal and orgasm domains,” among other benefits, while experiencing no adverse events. “Further human clinical trials certainly seem worthwhile,” the authors note, “before recommending it for men.”
- Maca
This root vegetable has been used for male sexual health for decades, the authors say, but is little studied in animals. Maca supplements seem safe, the authors say, but given the “limited hard evidence” that they improve sexual health, the authors don’t recommend it for routine use. Dehydroepiandrosterone
A naturally occurring steroid produced in the adrenal glands, it has been the subject of at least two randomized, controlled trials — one of which showed positive effects. “Data on efficacy for treating sexual health problems is still lacking,” the authors conclude. Ginkgo biloba
Promoted as a treatment for a wide range of conditions, including hypertension and Alzheimer’s dementia, it has been widely studied as an E.D. treatment. Results have been mixed, however. “There is no convincing clinical data to support its routine use in men with E.D.,” the authors conclude.
- Yohimbine
Derived from the African yohimbe tree, yohimbine “is one of the more promising natural products for treatment of E.D.,” the authors write. Research “showed improved erectile function with a low incidence of adverse reactions.” Still, the authors write, yohimbine hasn’t yet been tested alongside first-line pharmaceuticals such as Viagra, so it should “not be considered a first-line therapeutic choice.”
Yohimbe supplements found to be dangerously strong
- (Harvard Health Publications)
- Yohimbe
Yohimbe is actually the name of a tree found in Central Africa that has the scientific name Pausinystalia johimbe, but the reason that so much of the world now knows about this tree is because of a very powerful chemical found in the bark of this particular species of tree. This chemical is known as yohimbine, and it has been approved by international drug agencies for various health issues. It has a powerful effect on our systems, and like so many herbal medicines, yohimbe emerged from traditional uses. The bark used to be prepared naturally and used as an aphrodisiac, among other things.weightloss
The unfortunate part of the story is that over-harvesting of yohimbe trees for its valuable bark and extracts has resulted in a dangerous drop in the availability of trees, particularly in certain West African countries. Always be sure to get a yohimbe tree extract, or anything claiming to contain yohimbine, from a certified herbal practitioner or health food store. Due to its range of applicable conditions, you want to ensure that you are dealing with a proper dose size, as too much yohimbine can be dangerous. Now, let’s take a closer look at the many health benefits of yohimbe.
- Health Benefits of Yohimbe
Weight Loss: One of the most valuable and widely relied on uses of yohimbe relates to its effect on losing weight. For people that frequently work out, there can be certain problem spots on the body, namely where the fat is “stubborn”, and simply won’t go away, no matter how hard you work. Yohimbine is capable of blocking certain adrenoreceptors in the body, which allows for higher norepinephrine levels in the body. Norepinephrine doesn’t allow for fat mobilizing to take effect, which leads to additional fat break down in those difficult areas of the body. These effects on your hormone levels should be monitored carefully, however, so be sure to speak with a medical professional before adding this to your workout regimen.
Circulation Improvement: If you have a sluggish circulatory system, which might be evidence by low energy levels, slow healing rates, and cognitive cloudiness, then you may need a vasodilator. If you can improve the flow of blood through your system, then you will receive additional oxygen and necessary nutrients to cells and organ systems. You can improve cognition, boost energy levels, and improve healing if you add an appropriate amount of yohimbe extract to your herbal supplement regimen.
Hypertension: Related to the above health benefit, this easing of tension in arteries and blood vessels does wonders for your overall cardiovascular health. Your heart has to work extra hard to pump blood through tight, constricting blood vessels, causing a rise in blood pressure. This can be a major contributor to heart attacks and strokes, as constricted blood vessels are more likely to become blocked. By adding yohimbine to your diet in some way, you can improve your overall heart health and prevent an acceleration of coronary heart disease.
Sexual Health: For men suffering from symptoms of impotence, it can be an embarrassing and complicated situation. The increase in circulation that you receive from yohimbe extract also affects the flow of blood to the genitals, which can help to treat erectile dysfunction, increase fertility, and significantly boost libido. If your sex life has been suffering as of late, perhaps a natural solution is in order. Pharmaceutical aphrodisiacs can have a number of side effects as well, so yohimbe is frequently turned to. After all, this was the traditional use of yohimbe!
A Final Word of Warning: While the effects of yohimbe are impressive and well documented, combining this herbal element with other drugs can be dangerous, particularly due to its impact on hormone levels and blood pressure. If you combine this drug with another vasodilator, then you can suffer a variety of side effects. A range of symptoms have been reported, particularly from people who have taken too large of a dose; effects range from nausea and lightheadedness to increased blood pressure and frequent urination. Use of yohimbe is banned or restricted by some of the countries such as UK. Always speak with a medical professional before adding a powerful herbal treatment to your health regimen.
Yohimbe supplements found to be dangerously strong
- (Harvard Health Publications)
Dietary supplements containing the herbal ingredient yohimbe often contain prescription-strength active ingredients that are potentially dangerous, according to a study in Drug Testing and Analysis.
Scientists analyzed 49 popular brands of supplements with yohimbe. They found evidence that 39% of the products tested appeared to contain a pharmaceutical-grade extract of the herb.
Yohimbe, often marketed as an aphrodisiac and male sexual performance enhancer, is found in more than 550 supplements in the United States. Lesser known is the fact that yohimbe can have harmful side effects, including high blood pressure, anxiety, racing heartbeat, and headaches. At high doses, purified yohimbe can cause heart failure or death.
This study shows that some products available at GNC, Vitamin Shoppe, Walgreens, Walmart, CVS, Rite Aid, and Whole Foods could be much more potent than the person buying them realizes.
The active ingredient in yohimbe supplement products is a chemical called yohimbine. The products tested appeared to contain a highly concentrated form of yohimbine that does not occur in nature. That means these so-called natural supplement products are anything but natural—or safe.
3 Natural Supplements You Should Take If You Want To Have Better Sex
- By Mansal Denton
You enjoy sex. I enjoy sex. Most of Generation-Y does, too. Whether you are a man or a woman, there are plenty of ways to have better sex, and I’m not speaking of positions, role-play or toys (though these are all fun).
I’m speaking about learning how to last longer in bed, how men can have multiple orgasms and how women can have a G-spot orgasm.
Personally, I’m a fan of all of these things, but I realize working on them takes time, patience and commitment. I’m also acutely aware that Generation-Y loves instant gratification, which is why you’ll love these three simple supplements to make your sex life more enjoyable.
I’m faced with people daily looking for a “magic pill.” Operating a nootropics (brain health supplements) information website has given me firsthand experience of this phenomenon in action.
Instead of disparaging the desire for a quick fix, I’ll give you some options to rock your world.
1. Maca Powder
Gender: Male and female Benefit: Libido (sex drive), erection strength Dosage: 2 to 3 grams
Maca is a root vegetable native to South American highlands in Peru and Ecuador. Used by traditional societies as an aphrodisiac, modern research is finally catching up. A study from 2002 showed that 12 weeks of maca powder in healthy adults increased sex drive and libido.
I’ve been including maca powder in my daily smoothies for months (it tastes atrocious), and it has made a noticeable difference in my sex drive. From personal experience, I have a shorter refractory period and need less time between sessions.
2. Kava
Gender: Women Benefit: Libido (sex drive) Dosage: 250 mg collective kavalactones (active ingredient in kava)
For women, one of the hardest things to do during sex is relax. Anxiety is one of the main reasons some women can’t have an orgasm, and it generally detracts from the presence of a good sexual experience.
Kava is a root native to the Pacific islands, such as Fiji, and it has a long history as a anti-anxiety and calming drink. You can find kava bars popping up in many cities (at least in Austin, Texas), but there may be secondary sexual benefits. According to a study evaluating via the Arizona Sexual Experience Scale (ASEX), reduction in anxiety can increase a woman’s sex drive and libido.
3. Yohimbine
Gender: Men Benefit: Erection strength Dosage: 14 to 18 mg per day (if you have no heart conditions)
A hard, blood-filled erection is exciting for both partners, but particularly for the man. Instead of seeking Viagra, men can use yohimbine as a natural alternative. This is an extract derived from the bark of a tree in Africa, but can assist in improving blood flow and the strength of an erection.
This may not occur with every man, especially those who suffer complete erectile dysfunction. However, if you want to be a little bit harder, this may be a good option to try.
Given that I started having sex much later than most, I’m biased and excited about sex in a way many people are not. You don’t need to have a lot of sex in order to see the benefits of these natural extracts and herbs. If you relish quality over quantity, these are some of the easiest tools you can use to achieve that.
Are these three options going to change your sex life completely? No, but if you can take nootropics or supplements to improve your sex life even just a little bit, why not take a stab at it? You have little to lose and a whole lot of fun to gain.
What Are the Dangers of Yohimbe Extract?
- By Janet Renee, MS, RD (Demand Media)
You may have come across yohimbe extract as an ingredient in some dietary supplements. Yohimbe became popular after proponents claimed it improved athletic performance and helped with weight loss. Yohimbe use declined greatly because of reports of potentially dangerous adverse effects. Clinically significant toxic effects were most frequently reported with products containing yohimbe, according to a dietary supplement report published in the June 2008 issue of the "Journal of Medical Toxicology." The NYU Langone Medical Center advises you to avoid using yohimbe without your doctor's supervision.
- Basically a Stimulant
Yohimbe is an evergreen tree native to West Africa. The bark contains an active chemical called yohimbine, which is responsible for its effects, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Yohimbe is a nervous system stimulant. The extract is used for athletic performance, weight loss and exhaustion, according to MedlinePlus. Yohimbe hydrochloride is a standardized form used to treat erectile dysfunction. It is available as a supplement and by prescription.
- Cardiovascular Dangers
Yohimbe may increase heart rate, according to the American Cancer Society. Avoid taking yohimbe if you have existing cardiovascular issues. Doses below 40 milligrams per day can cause an increase in blood pressure, while doses above 40 milligrams can cause a severe drop in blood pressure, according to the NYU Langone Medical Center. Yohimbe has been linked to heart attacks and deaths, according to the American Cancer Society.
- Dangerous Complications
Yohimbe can be dangerous if you have certain medical conditions. Yohimbe can trigger or worsen panic attacks, anxiety and psychotic episodes in people with existing psychiatric conditions, according to the American Cancer Society. Yohimbe may worsen existing kidney and liver problems, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Even if you are free of medical conditions and take normal doses, dizziness, anxiety, overstimulation and nausea are common side effects.
- Dangerous Interactions
Yohimbe may interact dangerously with certain medications, according to the American Cancer Society. Avoid yohimbe if you take antidepressants, anti-psychotics, methadone or opioid pain medication. Yohimbe may interact with certain nausea medications as well, warns the American Cancer Society. It is possible for yohimbe to interact dangerously with medications not listed in this article. Consult your doctor if you are currently taking prescribed medication and are considering taking yohimbe.
Yohimbe Supplement Labels Lack Accurate Information
- Source:http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/24/supplement-yohimbe-low-on-accurate-information/?_r=0
- By Nicholas Bakalar
People who use the herbal supplement yohimbe may be getting more, or less, than they bargain for.
Yohimbine, the alkaloid derived from the bark of the African yohimbe tree and the active ingredient in yohimbe supplements, is sold despite little or no evidence for its effectiveness as a weight-loss aid and for treating erectile dysfunction, depression, low libido in women and other ailments. It is banned in Great Britain, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, but widely sold under many different brand names in the United States.
A study in Drug Testing and Analysis evaluated 49 brands of supplements presumably containing yohimbine and found that only 11 listed the quantity contained. Most did so inaccurately, and the actual quantities ranged from 23 percent to 147 percent of what was on the label.
Nine of the products provided no information about adverse effects. Only two offered accurate information about both the quantity and side effects.
The lead author, Dr. Pieter A. Cohen, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard, said that he was not taking a position against botanicals. “If it’s just simple bark extract, that’s great, people should have access to it,” he said.
But he added: “With over-the-counter drugs, companies aren’t left to prepare or label the drug any way they want. There are guidelines. A simple reform would be to apply the same standards to botanicals.”
What Really Turns Women On? Female Viagra, Or Flibanserin, Won't Be Your Only Option — Here Are 5 Natural Aphrodisiacs
- By JR Thorpe
Gird your loins: the FDA's decision on the first female Viagra supplement came Tuesday, and "female Viagra," officially known as flibanserin, was approved. And not a moment too soon. Aphrodisiacs have been part of human society for thousands of years (and ladies need them as much as men), but the current landscape of natural aphrodisiacs is often less about immediate libido-boosting, and more about creating the right conditions for arousal. Your sex drive and enjoyment are based on a combination of many different conditions in the body, including skin sensitivity and blood flow so foods or substances that enhance one of those can claim to (indirectly) get your motor running. (Hence dark chocolate's claim to fame — it's chock-full of dopamine and other "pleasure chemicals"). But some substances allege a bigger, more direct impact. So what does turn women on?
Some traditional aphrodisiacs, like oysters, base their reputations on a combination of rarity and texture or shape. Foods that resemble either male or female sex organs have had a pretty strong place in the pantheon of aphrodisiacs across many human societies. Unfortunately, most of this is complete bunkum — and it can backfire. The power of suggestion does play a hand in arousal, but seeing somebody messily fellate a banana or tongue a fig may make you want to run off and become a nun. Other aphrodisiacs, like avocado, base their claims on the fact that they feature certain minerals (like zinc) and amino acids that help normal body function — including sexy times.
A 2013 review of herbal aphrodisiacs in the journal Pharmacognosy Review divided them into three groups: affecting libido, potency or sexual pleasure. If you're going to claim that gingko bilbao improves sex, for example, it has to fall into at least one of those categories. Most will fall into the last one. But there's one big problem: a lot of natural aphrodisiacs, like date palms, have only shown real results on males. Here are some aphrodisiacs that seem to turn ladies on as well.
1. Nutmeg
The news on nutmeg is that, according to a 2005 study, administering a dose of 500mg to male rats turns them into mating machines. The interesting element about this – and the one that may lead to its application to female libido, too — is that nutmeg's boost for the male mice appears to have been based its potent effect on the nervous system, rather than on any male-specific body part. It turns out that this little spice can be a serious brain stimulant. The bad news? Over-ingesting nutmeg can lead to serious hallucinations and toxic effects — so don't go raiding the spice cabinet until more studies have been done.
2. Black Truffles
This is an interesting one, as it's not actually tied to making good conditions in the body: it's a direct pheromone hit. Truffles are a fungus that grow on the roots of trees, and they come in both black and white varieties. It's now been found that the black kind has a spike of androstenol in it, a pheromone that's also found in humans — and the smell of androstenol is highly present in male sweat, an alluring scent to females. There's a viable chance, therefore, that the smell of black truffles may make you go slightly wild for no visible reason. Or you may just smell rotten mushroom. Up to you.
3. Ginseng
Ginseng gets a special inclusion because it's a one-two punch. It's an overall system-booster, improving vitality and energy, while also increasing blood flow to the genitals. A 1980 study in the British Medical Journal found that ginseng actually acts very similarly to oestrogen, which — along with testosterone — plays a huge role in sex drive. It boosts the sensitivity of the vaginal lining (known as the epithelium), but it also increases blood flow in the brain and other organs, meaning that you generally feel healthier and more alert. That's pretty potent sexy cocktail.
4. Yohimbine
Yohimbine is one of those ingredients that works as a marketer's dream. Found in the bark of a particular West African tree, it's been used as an aphrodisiac locally for centuries, and increasing pharmaceutical evidence suggests it may be that rare thing: a stimulant for both men and women. It's been shown to help with male erectile dysfunction, but, more interestingly for us, a 2002 study also gave yohimbine to post-menopausal women with sexual arousal disorder.
The results? While the women didn't necessarily report feeling different, their bodies certainly did: their vaginas pulsed remarkably fast and showed a great increase in blood flow and sensitivity. It's called vaginal pulse amplitude, and it's a pretty good indication that sex will be awesome. Careful about dosage, though: it can have serious and damaging side effects.
5. Maca Root
Maca root, a root vegetable found in the Andes, is probably one of the aphrodisiacs you've actually heard of – and that fame is reflected in the amount of studies that have been done on its aphrodisiac potential. Yet another foodstuff that attracted attention after locals reported its ancestral libido-boosting reputation, it's been subject to a bunch of science about its value – and the results are pretty positive for ladies.
The round-up in Pharmacognosy Review includes several studies that demonstrate its boosting effect for desire in both sexes. And over at Psychology Today, a researcher found studies that show it's effective in postmenopausal women and in those who've lost their libido because of anti-depressants. And it doesn't seem to have many quoted side affects. Excellent.
Safety Concerns of Yohimbe
- By Cathy Wong, ND
- What is Yohimbe?
Yohimbe is an evergreen tree that grows in western Africa in Nigeria, Cameroon, the Congo and Gabon. The bark of the tree contains the active compounds called alkaloids. The principal alkaloid is called yohimbine.
Yohimbine is a prescription drug in the United States for the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Its popularity has waned since the introduction of Viagra.
Yohimbe bark extracts are also sold in health food stores and online.
In Germany, it is not approved for use. Yohimbe can cause a dangerous rise in blood pressure, as well as anxiety and other side effects.
The latin name for the herb yohimbe is Pausinystalia yohimbe. Why Do People Use Yohimbe?
Traditionally, yohimbe was used in Africa for fever, coughs, leprosy, and as an aphrodisiac. So far, scientific evidence supporting the potential benefits of yohimbe is lacking.
1) Erectile Dysfunction
Yohimbe bark extracts are widely promoted online and in health food stores as a natural aphrodisiac to increase libido and treat erectile dysfunction. However, there is no evidence to show that the herbal supplements are effective. Most clinical studies have looked at the drug yohimbine and not the herbal extract yohimbe.
Studies on the effectiveness of yohimbine have had conflicting findings. For organic erectile dysfunction (erectile dysfunction due to a physical problem), one small uncontrolled study found that yohimbine was beneficial for men with organic erectile dysfunction.
Another study found it was no more effective than a placebo.
A German study examined whether 30 mg/day of yohimbine for 4 weeks would help men with erectile dysfunction not due to a physical problem. Yohimbine was found to be more effective than placebo (71% vs 45%).
2) Weight Loss
Yohimbine has been found in preliminary research to increase lipolysis by increasing the release of norepinephrine available to fat cells and blocking alpha-2 receptor activation. However, a controlled study found that 43 mg/day yohimbe had no effect on body weight, body mass index, body fat, fat distribution, and cholesterol levels.
Learn about 15 Natural Weight Loss Supplements.
3) Depression
Yohimbe has been promoted as a herbal remedy for depression, because it blocks an enzyme called monoamine oxidase. However, this is only found in higher doses (over 50 mg/day), which is potentially unsafe.
- Caveats
It is imperative that you consult your physician if you are considering using yohimbe.
In Germany, yohimbe is on the Commission E (the country's herbal regulatory agency) list of unapproved herbs because of concerns about the herb's safety and effectiveness. In the United States, the FDA has had a number of reports of seizures and kidney failure following the use of yohimbe.
Yohimbe is not recommended because it has a very narrow therapeutic index. There is a relatively small dosing range--below it, the herb doesn’t work and above it the herb is toxic.
Side effects of normal dosages may include dizziness, nausea, insomnia, anxiety, rapid heartbeat, and increased blood pressure.
As little as 40 mg a day can cause severe side effects, such as dangerous changes in blood pressure, hallucinations, paralysis. Overdose can be fatal.
Because yohimbe blocks the enzyme monoamine oxidase, people taking yohimbe must avoid all tyramine-containing foods (e.g., liver, cheeses, red wine) and over-the-counter products that contain the ingredient phenylpropanolamine, such as nasal decongestants.
People with kidney or liver disease, stomach ulcers, heart disease, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, post-traumatic stress disorder, and panic disorder should not take yohimbe.
Yohimbe should not be taken by pregnant or nursing women, children, or elderly people.
Yohimbe should not be combined with antidepressant drugs unless under the supervision of a physician.
Yohimbe supplements haven't been tested for safety and keep in mind that the safety of supplements in pregnant women, nursing mothers, children, and those with medical conditions or who are taking medications has not been established. You can get tips on using supplements here, but if you're considering the use of yohimbe, it is essential that you talk with your physcian first.
'Natural' Supplements Often Contain High And Synthetic Doses Of Yohimbine
- By Ed Cara
An ingredient commonly found in dietary supplements is often times improperly labeled and fraudulently marketed as "natural," according to a new study published Tuesday in the journal of Drug Testing and Analysis.
Sifting through the contents of 49 different dietary supplement brands, the study authors concluded that the quantity of yohimbine, a supposed aphrodisiac extracted from the yohimbe tree, is rarely displayed accurately on the accompanying label, if at all. Troubling still was their discovery that these brands frequently contain high, pharmaceutical levels of yohimbine, but seldom include information about the chemical's side-effects.
“If safe consumption of a product requires that both accurate quantity as well as known adverse effects be provided on the label, then only 4.1% of the yohimbine supplement brands analyzed provided sufficient safety information for consumers,” the authors concluded. “This is a particularly concerning finding given that many countries have already banned yohimbine from all over-the-counter products due to its potential serious health effects.”
To conduct their study, the authors purchased supplements known to be stocked in seven major retail chains across five different states, including CVS, Rite Aid, and Vitamin Shoppe. Though yohimbine, an alkaloid, exists in nature, it was once often prescribed to patients as a means of aiding erectile dysfunction or low libido — a souped up version known as yohimbine hydrochloride (HCI). Due to its “limited efficacy for sexual dysfunction and significant adverse effects including headaches, hypertension, and panic attacks,” and the advent of drugs like Viagra, however, yohimbine HCI fell out of favor among the mainstream medical community.
That hasn’t stopped supplement manufacturers from adding yohimbine, supposedly the “natural”, weaker version, to their products, intended as either sexual or sports enhancement, according to the authors. As they go on to note, adding the synthesized, pharmaceutical version of yohimbine to a supplement, legally considered a food by the FDA, is actually illegal under US law. And yet, that’s exactly what they found evidence of in 39 percent of the supplements tested, explaining that natural yohimbe bark extract contains two other alkaloids, rauwolscine and corynanthine, in addition to yohimbine — neither of which were found in those select products.
“This suggests that the yohimbine in these products may be highly refined from P. johimbe (yohimbe) bark extract or synthetically produced,” they wrote.
Additionally, the supplements had wildly varying amounts of yohimbine per pill, from 0 to 12.1 milligrams, the latter dose 21 percent stronger than what’s available in the prescription version.
Though the authors only had the opportunity to test one bottle of a particular brand each, they felt that their findings have further illuminated the reality that dietary supplements are poorly regulated and mistakenly assumed to be safer than conventional drugs. Left unanswered is whether any of the other ingredients found in these supplements — the authors noting that the majority contain more than 5 — are similarly mislabeled or potentially dangerous.
“While dietary supplements often contained pharmaceutically relevant quantities of yohimbine, the supplement labels very infrequently provide consumers with accurate information regarding quantity of yohimbine or known adverse effects,” the authors wrote. “Our study demonstrates that consumers in the USA are unable to obtain adequate safety information from the overwhelming majority of yohimbine supplement brands offered for sale by seven mainstream retailers.”
The Truth About Yohimbe
- By Lisa Freedman
Can this herb boost your sex drive?
Where it comes from: Yohimbe is derived from the bark of a west African evergreen tree. Yohimbine is an active chemical (an alkaloid) found in said bark and is cultivated into supplement form. Yohimbine hydrochloride is a standardized form of yohimbine that is available as a prescription drug in the United States. These terms are all related but are interchangeable. What it’ll do for you: “Yohimbe dilates the blood vessels and can lower blood pressure,” says Dr. Patrick M. Fratellone, an integrated physician with a practice in Manhattan. “So experts figured, if it can do that, it must give you an erection and treat erectile dysfunction.” Some proponents say that yohimbe extracts are powerful antioxidants that can prevent heart attacks, act as a stimulant and an anti-depressant, and an aid to weight loss. Here, a closer look at the key benefits:
Treats erectile dysfunction: In some countries, the extract is used as a prescription drug to treat erectile dysfunction. A 2002 study in Germany found that pro-erectile effects of the bark extract may predominantly be caused by the yohimbe. But it’s unclear if the yohimbe is enough on its own to help.
Aids in fat loss: Yohimbe and other alkaloids in the bark extract are said to block specific receptors that actually inhibit fat loss. A three-week study in 1991 observed 20 obese females on 1,000-calorie diets. They were given 20 mg of yohimbe each day and lost three pounds more than the group receiving placebos. Not a drastic weight loss, but enough to give experts hope that yohimbe can help with weight loss. Other studies have found that yohimbe increases the amount of non-esterified fatty acids, a result of fat breaking down. More research is needed. Most other studies in the field are done using the drug yohimbine. Extracted chemicals are not the same as yohimbe bark. Studies with yohimbine are expected to give different results than studies that used the raw plant.
Suggested intake: “The problem with yohimbine is that you can’t regulate the amount in a dosage,” says Fratellone. “It all depends on what part of the tree it comes from, how it’s cultivated, how it’s exported, and so on. The amount of extract you get will vary.” FDA researchers analyzed a number of over-the-counter yohimbe bark products. They found that the supplements contained only seven percent or less of the amount of yohimbine that would be found in actual yohimbe bark, which suggests that they contained little or no yohimbe. However, the prescription form of yohimbine is strictly regulated by the FDA. It is approved only for the treatment of impotence, and is available in tablets and capsules. For erectile dysfunction, 5.4 to 10 milligrams three times daily has been studied and regarded as generally safe. Associated risks/scrutiny: “A dose of yohimbine that’s too big could drop your blood pressure, cause dizziness, facial flushing and nausea,” warns Fratellone. Yohimbine and yohimbe bark may also increase heart rate and raise blood pressure. “No one should experiment with herbs without talking to their doctor,” reminds Fratellone. “If you’re taking Flomax and you start taking yohimbe, you’re going to dilate your penal vessels and you’ll pee more.” Other potential interactions between yohimbe and other drugs and herbs should be considered. Some of these combinations may be dangerous.
Yohimbe tree bark: Herbal Viagra better gotten by Rx
- (Encognitive)
Long before Viagra, there was yohimbe, derived from the bark of the West African tree, Pausinystalia yohimbe. Valued as an aphrodisiac in folkloric medicine for centuries and widely used in Europe for the past 75 years, yohimbe is said to stimulate sexual appetite and enhance performance in men. Can it really perk up a sagging love life?
What It Might Do: Small amounts of yohimbine, the active compound in yohimbe bark, increase sexual drive in male rats. The same results have not been shown in humans. However, claims that yohimbine can alleviate impotence have garnered more reliable scientific support. A recent review of seven well-controlled clinical trials found yohimbine more effective than a placebo in treating erectile dysfunction of both psychological and physical origin. One-third to almost one-half of men reported some benefit.
How It Works: Yohimbe bark contains several alkaloid compounds. The main one, yohimbine, may increase blood flow to the penis, and may also affect the central nervous system, specifically in the lower spinal cord region where sexual responses are conveyed.
If You Take: The isolated compound yohimbine is sold as a prescription drug under the brand names Yocon and Aphrodyne. The usual dose is 5.4 milligrams, three times a day. Benefits may not appear for two to three weeks, yet most drug manufacturers do not recommend long-term use. The whole herb is readily available as a dietary supplement, but nonstandardized preparations may not deliver consistent amounts of the active ingredient and may also contain other alkaloids that are potentially harmful.
Caution: Yohimbe is not an herb to mess around with. It can cause major changes in blood pressure, increased heart rate, tremors, anxiety and panic attacks, even psychosis, in susceptible people. Nausea, vomiting, insomnia, dizziness, increased urination and skin flushing have also been reported. Side effects may actually be fewer with the prescription drug form.
Ironically, yohimbe is not recommended for men who may seek it most--older men and those with cardiovascular disease, hypertension and prostate problems. Neither should it be used by those with liver or kidney disease, psychiatric illness or in combination with mood-altering drugs like antidepressants. With both the herb and the drug, it's important to avoid foods containing tyramine, like aged cheeses, red wine and liver, and drugs containing phenylpropanolamine. And get your blood pressure checked regularly.
EN Weighs In: Yohimbe bark is one of the best studied herbs for relief of impotence and may be a treatment option for some men (after medical evaluation). In this case, however, EN favors the isolated herb compound in prescription form over the whole herb available over the counter. That ensures consistent amounts of the herb's active ingredient in a pure state, with fewer side effects. In Coming Issues
Bad-boy selenium makes good as cancer fighter. ... What yogurt can do for your health, plus a head-to-head comparison of brands. ... Lowdown on lycopene and licorice. ... How does fanned fish compare to fish from the wild?
UCLA Study Finds Properties of Yohimbe Tree Bark Hold Promise for Revolutionizing Treatment of Anxiety Disorders
- By Dan Page
New findings at the UCLANeuropsychiatric Institute demonstrate the potential of a substance found inyohimbe tree bark to accelerate recovery from anxiety disorders suffered bymillions of Americans.
In the latest in a series ofstudies of how mice acquire, express and extinguish conditioned fear, the UCLAteam finds yohimbine helps mice learn to overcome the fear faster by enhancingthe effects of the natural release of adrenaline. Adrenaline promptsphysiological changes such as increased heart and metabolism rates in responseto physical and mental stress.
Writing in the March/April editionof the peer-reviewed journal Learning and Memory, the team reported that micetreated with yohimbine overcame their fear four times as fast as those treatedwith vehicle or propanolol, a medication commonly used to treat symptoms ofanxiety disorders by blunting the physiological effects of adrenaline.
Yohimbine is most commonly used to treat erectiledysfunction. It can cause anxiety in susceptible persons, and should never beused without a doctor's recommendation and supervision.
These new findings come on theheels of evidence published by the same UCLA research team last fall (Journalof Experimental Psychology, October 2003) that suggests full, frequent exposureto a fear during behavioral therapy may be more effective in treating anxietythan the standard practice of gradual, spaced exposure. For example, it may bemore effective to treat fear of heights by taking a patient straight to the topof a tall building in rapid succession, rather then taking them to increasinglyhigher floors over a lengthy period of time.
"We are at the threshold of a newera in our understanding and treatment ofanxiety disorders," said Dr. Mark Barad, the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute'sTennenbaum Family Center faculty scholar and an assistant professor ofpsychiatry and biobehavioral sciences. "Current treatment protocols usemedications intended to blunt the physiological effects of fear and usebehavioral therapy designed to space exposure to the fear stimulus over time.Our findings show treatment may be more effective if we do exactly theopposite.
Anxiety disorders affect about 19million Americans per year, consuming about one-third of total U.S. mentalhealth costs of $148 billion in 1990. They include obsessive-compulsivedisorder, panic disorder, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder,generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobias. Although these diseases aregenerally not deadly, they take an enormous toll in morbidity. Sufferersconstantly avoid fearful circumstances and pay an enormous price in socialisolation, poor job performance and advancement, and time wasted on worries andfears.
Both acquiring and overcoming, orextinguishing, conditional fear are forms of active learning. A unique pairingof an initially neutral conditional stimulus with an unpleasant unconditionalstimulus is needed to acquire a conditional fear. In both UCLA studies, theconditional stimulus was a tone and the unconditional stimulus was a mild footshock.
Although extinction, the reductionof conditional responding after repeated exposures to the conditional stimulusalone, might initially appear to be a passive decay or erasure of thisassociation, many studies indicate that extinction is new inhibitory learning,which leaves the original memory intact.
- The National Institute of MentalHealth is funding the research.
Other UCLA investigators involvedin the ongoing research are Chris Cain and Ashley Blouin of the UCLA InterdepartmentalProgram in Neuroscience. Barad also is affiliated with the UCLA Brain ResearchInstitute.
The Tennenbaum Family Center atthe UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute encourages research into brain plasticityby supporting the work of a faculty scholar, providing seed money to promisingresearch projects and offering graduate student and post-doctoral fellowshipsupport.
The UCLA NeuropsychiatricInstitute is an interdisciplinary research and education institute devoted tothe understanding of complex human behavior, including the genetic, biological,behavioral and sociocultural underpinnings of normal behavior, and the causesand consequences of neuropsychiatric disorders. Information about the instituteis available online at www.npi.ucla.edu.
Bark From Yohimbe Tree Has Potential To Treat Anxiety Disorders
- By Kate Melville
Research from the Neuropsychiatric Institute at UCLA demonstrates the potential of a substance found in yohimbe tree bark to assist in the recovery from anxiety disorders.
In the latest in a series of studies of how mice acquire, express and extinguish conditioned fear, the UCLA team found yohimbine helps mice learn to overcome the fear faster by enhancing the effects of the natural release of adrenaline. Adrenaline prompts physiological changes such as increased heart and metabolism rates in response to physical and mental stress.
Writing in the journal Learning and Memory, the team reported that mice treated with yohimbine overcame their fear four times as fast as those treated with propanolol, a medication commonly used to treat symptoms of anxiety disorders by blunting the physiological effects of adrenaline.
Yohimbine is most commonly used to treat erectile dysfunction.
The researchers stress that it can have undesirable side-effects and should not be used without a doctor's recommendation and supervision.
These new findings come on the heels of evidence published by the same UCLA research team last fall that suggests full, frequent exposure to a fear during behavioral therapy may be more effective in treating anxiety than the standard practice of gradual, spaced exposure. For example, it may be more effective to treat fear of heights by taking a patient straight to the top of a tall building in rapid succession, rather then taking them to increasingly higher floors over a lengthy period of time.
"We are at the threshold of a new era in our understanding and treatment of anxiety disorders," said Dr. Mark Barad, assistant professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences. "Current treatment protocols use medications intended to blunt the physiological effects of fear and use behavioral therapy designed to space exposure to the fear stimulus over time. Our findings show treatment may be more effective if we do exactly the opposite."
Anxiety disorders affect about 19 million Americans per year, consuming over thirty percent of total American mental health costs. They include obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobias. Although these diseases are generally not deadly, they take an enormous toll in morbidity. Sufferers constantly avoid fearful circumstances and pay an enormous price in social isolation, job performance and time wasted on worries and fears.
Both acquiring and overcoming, or extinguishing, conditional fear are forms of active learning. A unique pairing of an initially neutral conditional stimulus with an unpleasant unconditional stimulus is needed to acquire a conditional fear. In both UCLA studies, the conditional stimulus was a tone and the unconditional stimulus was a mild foot shock.
Although extinction - the reduction of conditional responding after repeated exposures to the conditional stimulus alone - might initially appear to be a passive decay or erasure of this association, many studies indicate that extinction is new inhibitory learning, which leaves the original memory intact.
Chewing stick - The Natural Viagra?
- (Ghana Web)
Chewing stick heightens sexual drive, improves blood level
SINCE the beginning of time, people have searched high and low for substances they could use to stimulate and heighten sexual desire in themselves and others.
Many of such herbs, man has found useful in stimulating and heighten sexual desire include Yohimbe and Ginseng.
Yohimbe comes from the bark of West Africa’s Yohimbe tree and as a sexual stimulant (aphrodisiac) that even veterinarians have used to threat impotence in stallions. It has also become widely available for human use because of the claim that this herbal remedy helps men overcome impotency by stimulating the nerve centre in the spine that controls erection.
Ginseng’s reputation as a sexual stimulant has not been substantiated however, but its use most likely stems from its resemblance to the male organ. Also, its components such as ginsenosides is believed to promote sperm formation, stimulate sexual glands, increase male hormone production, and increase sexual capability, frequency and equality of male erection.
Also, a promising herbal remedy that stimulates sexual capability is the bark of Sphenocentrum jollyanum, an erect shrub occurring from the Ivory Coast to southern Nigeria.
This plant was first discovered by Diels in England. Locally, it is called Obalabi or Obanabe in the southern part of Nigeria. Yorubas calls it Ajo or Akerejupon. The plant occurs mainly in the rain forest areas, usually in damp places under forest cover. Its fruit tastes like mango and is edible.
Sphenocentrum jollyanum is believed by medicine men to have unusual leading properties, so explaining why the root extract is swallowed for constipation and to increase appetite as well as a stomachic in southern Nigeria and Ghana.
Even the root pulped with salt, fruit of maniguette and palm oil into a soft paste is eaten for abdominal troubles in Ivory Coast. A cough drop is prepared from the fruits together with the fruits of Piper guineanse (black pepper) and lime juice. Similarly, the fruits are used as anti -fatigue snack.
Dr. Yinusa Raji, a senior lecturer with the Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, speaking on this wonder herb for stimulating sexual drive confirmed its ability to act as an aphrodisiac.
The use of the plant’s root as a chewing stick he said has been found effective in boosting sexual drive in men due to its tendency to boost the blood’s testosterone level. Basically,the secretion of the hormone ,testosterone, is needed for the expression of sexual characteristics or virility and to stimulate male sexual organs.
He said that basically all aphrodisiacic substances can be classified into four main types: Narcotics, used to intoxicate the user’s object of desire. The second type are substances that irritate the mucous membrane of the genitals, producing a warm, itching feeling similar to sexual arousal.
The other group tends to have the effect of directly increasing sexual desire and prowess, even increasing the intensity of the sensations felt during organism. The last group are herbs that alleviate medical problems that interfere with normal sexual function.
Such herbs alleviate the symptoms of a variety of genito-urinary tract infections, or supplies badly needed vitamins or minerals that are lacking in the diet, so allowing the individual with previously physical problems to function normally.
On Sphenocentrum jollyanum, much as the herb is able to boost sexual drive, he said people that use it needs to be cautious because some of its chemical constituents can also affect fertility negatively, creating a marked reduction in sperm quality and quantity.
The word of caution Dr. Raji said is based on the fact that when the herb was tried on rats, there was a significant reduction in sperm’s ability to move. The reduction in the sperm’s ability to move in the male organ of the rats was also dependent on the amount of the herb the rat was fed.
Also, there was an overall decrease in the total sperm count, depending on the amount of the herb the rat was given. Similarly, many of the sperms were also found to have become abnormal – headless tail, tailless head, bent tail, curved mid-piece and bent mid-piece.
Given the deleterious effects of the herb on sperm quality and testicles, Dr. Raji said men still wanting to have children should be careful to use the herb regularly to boost their sexual drive.
“We known defective sperm is the most common cause of male infertility and this is difficult to treat,” he said.
While the plant was found to help to boost blood level (packed cell volume and red blood cell count), he said like researchers such as Iwu did find out, the aphrodisiac quality of the plant many be due on its neurological effect (ranging from relaxation to euphoria) as well as ability to increase blood flow to the male sex organ.
Similarly, almond, a large deciduous tree can help to boost sexual drive. The kernel of Indian almond was not only shown to have aphrodisiac activity, it is also useful in the treatment of some forms of sexual inadequacies (premature ejaculation).
Also, clove has been used in Unani medicine since ancient times as an aphrodisiac for the treatment of male sexual disorders. Scientists that worked on it in BMC complement Alternative medical journal found 50 per cent ethanolic extract of clove produced a significant and sustained increase in the sexual activity of normal male rats, without any adverse effects.
The effects of black pepper and Aframomum melegaueta to enhance the orientation of male rats towards the female ones by increasing mounting and anal sniffing behaviour of rats has also been proven scientifically.
Is Yohimbine a testosterone booster or fat metabolizer?
- By Paul Cribb Ph.D. CSCS.
Yohimbine is derived from the bark of several trees, most notably Pausinystalia yohimbe and Corynanthe yohimbe. Yohimbine has been marketed as a testosterone booster but I’m not sure how that one came about ― there is no science-based evidence to suggest yohimbine has any effect on anabolic hormone production. However, some researchers suggest that yohimbine can have a very favorable impact on fat metabolism.
Yohimbine is a highly unusual compound as it is a natural alpha-2 antagonist that promotes sympathetic activity by central as well as peripheral mechanisms to promote fat loss.
Additionally, research has shown that supplementation with yohimbine does not raise heart rate, increase blood pressure or induce any other undesired side effect that is characteristic of other stimulants. Best of all, when taken before exercise, yohimbine is shown to boost lipolysis (the process of mobilizing fat from cells) and increase blood free fatty acid levels both during and after exercise. This is why the highest quality yohimbine is a key ingredient in Dymetadrine Xtreme.
The Benefits of Yohimbe Bark for Women
- Source:healthyeating.sfgate.com/benefits-yohimbe-bark-women-10325.html
- By K.T. Parker (Demand Media)
Yohimbe is a type of evergreen tree native to parts of Africa, including Ghana, Cameroon and Zaire. More commonly used by men, yohimbe is a powerful sexual stimulant for women as well, according to Chris Kilham, author of "Hot Plants: Nature's Proven Sex Boosters for Men and Women." People with certain conditions shouldn't take yohimbe bark, so consult a health care provider before use. Benefits for Both Genders
Yohimbe bark may increase sexual pleasure and interest for both genders, according to Ray Sahelian, M.D., author of "Natural Sex Boosters." MedlinePlus states yohimbe could be effective for sexual dysfunction caused by using selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, a type of antidepressant. Other unproven uses for yohimbe in both genders include for complications of diabetes, for enhancing athletic performance, as a sedative and for exhaustion. How It Works
Yohimbe bark appears to have a stimulatory effect on sex organs. In women, it might increase arousal and sensitivity of the clitoris. Yohimbine, the active ingredient in yohimbe bark, stimulates the central nervous system, especially the nerves in the lower spine, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. This causes increased circulation to the genital area and might promote greater clitoral sensation, per Kilham. How to Use
The bark of the yohimbe tree is used medicinally by boiling strips and drinking the brew, but a capsule may be more convenient. Sahelian suggests a starting dose of 300 milligrams. He cautions that different brands will have different amounts of yohimbe, but there is no way to know the effectiveness of each extraction percentage, so start with a lower dose and work up. Yohimbe typically absorbs within 45 minutes of taking it and may be used daily or as needed. Sahelian recommends using it one to three hours before sex rather than every day. Side Effects
Side effects of yohimbe bark could include anxiety, nausea, dizziness and increased need to urinate. According to Sahelian, higher doses can cause greater side effects, including disorientation, confusion, increased heart rate and tremors. MedlinePlus warns serious reactions associated with yohimbe bark include insomnia, paralysis, increased blood pressure and death. Yohimbe bark should not be used by nursing mothers or pregnant women because of the likelihood of fetal harm or miscarriage.
The Benefits of Yohimbine
- By Brian Willett
- Overview
Yohimbine is a chemical that is derived from the bark of the yohimbe tree, a tall evergreen. While the tree is native to Western Africa, supplements containing yohimbine are sold across the world due to the chemical's wide variety of benefits. Yohimbine is a common ingredient in energy drinks and sports nutrition supplements. Circulation
Yohimbine is a vasodilator, which means that it expands blood vessels. This allows for easier blood flow and superior circulation. In particular, studies have shown that yohimbine is effective in improving blood flow to extremities, such as your hands and feet. Lower doses of yohimbine can also lower blood pressure and increase heart rate, which can help your body deliver nutrients to working cells. Fat Burning
Yohimbine is also a popular ingredient in weight-loss and fat-burning products. This is because some studies have shown yohimbine to be effective in removing "stubborn fat"--slimming down problem spots like the abdomen and thighs.
Yohimbine's slimming effect is due to its blockage of alpha(2) andrenoreceptors, which prevent the release of a fat-mobilizing hormone, norepinephrine. Yohimbine ensures higher norepinephrine levels, which causes your body to break down fat cells. This also increases blood flow to fat tissue, which causes less fat to be retained
- Appetite Suppressant
Yohimbine also has another advantage for dieters--appetite suppression. Studies have shown that supplementation with yohimbine reduces overall calorie intake by neutralizing feelings of hunger.
Interestingly, one study found that yohimbine reduced carbohydrate and fat intake, but not protein intake. This assists in appetite suppression because protein increases feelings of fullness. Your body also burns more calories digesting protein than it does digesting carbohydrates or fat.
- Sexual Health
Supplements that promise to optimize sexual health and battle erectile dysfunction also contain yohimbine. This is because of yohimbine's tendency to increase blood flow to extremities--in this case, your genitals.
In addition, yohimbine can slightly increase testosterone levels in men. Women can benefit from yohimbine as well, as the chemical can increase feelings of sexual arousal.
New uses for West Africa's miracle yohimbe tree
- Staff writer (Afrol News)
Bark from West Africa's yohimbe tree, mainly commercially grown in Cameroon and Nigeria, already has a large Northern market as an aphrodisiac. New findings in the US suggest that yohimbe tree bark may revolutionise the treatment of anxiety disorders, but West African growers are not ready for an increased production of the already over-exploited tree.
According to a much published study issued today by the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute at the University Of California, yohimbe tree bark may find an enormous new market. The institute maintains the West African bark "holds promise for revolutionising treatment of anxiety disorders."
Writing in the March/April edition of the journal 'Learning and Memory', a UCLA team reported that mice treated with yohimbe bark overcame their fear four times as fast as those treated with vehicle or propanolol, a medication commonly used to treat symptoms of anxiety disorders by blunting the physiological effects of adrenaline.
- We are at the threshold of a new era in our understanding and treatment of anxiety disorders, said Dr Mark Barad, at the UCLA Institute. Treatment with yohimbe bark, according to Mr Barad, revolutionised the way of thinking around overcoming fears and anxieties.
These disorders are an enormous health problem. Only in the US, anxiety disorders affect about 19 million people each year. They include obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, social phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and specific phobias, according to Mr Barad. These disorders are consuming about one-third of total US mental health costs of US$ 148 billion in 1990.
According to the Californian scientists, yohimbine - the active ingredient in yohimbe bark - treats anxiety disorders in a totally new manner as it in fact causes anxieties by enhancing the effects of the natural release of adrenaline. This anxiety helps learn to overcome the fear faster as part of the treatment.
Yohimbine is currently most commonly used to treat erection dysfunction. In Europe, America and Asia, there is a large market for the West African bark, said to produce a "sexual enhancement." In West Africa, yohimbe has been used as a medical plant for centuries and continues to widely used.
There is even a growing black market of yohimbe bark in the North, mostly trading in false products. The reason behind the growing trade in false yohimbe bark is found in West Africa, where producers cannot meet the international demand. In Cameroon and Nigeria, the main yohimbe tree growers, natural occurrence of "the miracle tree" is almost depleted.
The fast-growing yohimbe tree takes at least ten years to become harvestable and its only desired product is its bark. When producers cut the bark, the yohimbe tree dies. Over-exploitation of this resource has been reported for years. Therefore, the tree is becoming increasingly hard to find and growth on plantations has yet to start in a larger scale.
Cameroon has been the main supplier of yohimbe bark during the 1990s, with some production reported from Nigeria. As export markets have grown, the commercial exploitation of the tree is now also considered in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, where yohimbe densities are equal to Cameroon.
According to a recent FAO study, the majority of bark is collected by local people who are paid at the roadside for the delivery of bark. The Cameroonian pharmaceutical plant Plantecam is the only producer of yohimbe tablets and the sole supplier of yohimbe to international markets. It has an annual production of an estimated 100 tonnes of yohimbe bark.
FAO has warned about "the destructive harvesting methods employed and the rapidly-growing market for aphrodisiac remedies," suggesting that the unique resource soon may become endangered. The UN agency, in cooperation with the Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), has reportedly begun a research programme in Cameroon to investigate the potential of the tree for domestication.
Meanwhile, the growing market for yohimbe bark products is increasingly difficult to satisfy. A "revolutionised" treatment of anxiety disorders based on yohimbe bark would lead to an enormous increase in the demand for the West African tree, with a large potential for West and Central African growers.