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Yohimbe
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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
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.