Damiana

Scientific Name(S): Turnera diffusa Willdenow et Schultes var. aphrodisiaca Urban. Also known as T. aphrodisiaca Ward. and T. microphylla Desv. Family: Turneraceae

Common Name(S): Damiana, herba de la pastora, Mexican damiana, old woman's broom, rosemary (not to be confused with the spice Rosmarinus officinalis L.)

Damiana, traditionally recognized as a female herb, but it is now being shown to have a diversity of other uses that arouse many people's interest in this herb, particularly male libido support. Solaray Damiana can give you natural support to lift your performance in the bedroom. The promise of the Solaray Rainbow inspires hope and renewal in harmony with nature. The use of herbs can create a powerful and unique bond with nature when incorperated into one's pursuit of optimal health.

Botany: Damiana is a Mexican shrub also found throughout the southern US and many parts of South America. It has small, yellow-brown aromatic leaves. The leaves are broadly lanceolate, 10 to 25 mm long with three to six teeth along the margins. The red-brown twigs are often found mixed in the crude drug along with the spherical fruits.

History: The scientific literature on the plant dates back more than 100 years when reports described its aphrodisiac effects. Damiana history began with its early use by the Maya (under the name mizibcoc) in the treatment of giddiness and loss of balance. Its primary use in the last century has been as an aphrodisiac. Father Juan Maria de Salvatierra, a Spanish missionary, first reported that the Mexican Indians made a drink from the damiana leaves, added sugar and drank it for its love-enhancing properties. In the 1970s, it was imported into the US as a tincture and advertised as a powerful aphrodisiac, to improve the sexual ability of the enfeebled and the aged and to provide increased activity to all the pelvic secretions. Suffice to say that in this patent medicine era, it enjoyed some success.

Damiana was admitted into the first edition of the National Formulary (NF) in 1888 as an elixir and fluid extract. However, it never made it into the US Pharmacopeia and the elixir was finally dropped from the NF in 1916. The fluid extract and the crude drug (leaves) were listed in the NF until 1947. Although some commercial companies continued to sell it to the American market, damiana had almost disappeared until the 1960s "hippy" movement brought it back into popularity.

Today, damiana has found its way into a number of herbal GTC products, in particular those claiming to induce a legal herbal "high." In the Caribbean, damiana leaves are boiled in water and the vapors inhaled for the relief of headaches. Teas are said to aid in the control of bed wetting.

Uses of Damiana

Damiana is reportedly an aphrodisiac and hallucinogen.

Conceivably, those suffering from sexual dysfunction resulting from stress or emotional troubles could benefit from supplementation with this herb. But again, there is not enough scientific evidence to support its use as a medicinal herb.

Side Effects of Damiana

The leaves have a minor laxative effect and may cause loosening of the stools at higher amounts. Until more is known about damiana's effects on the female hormonal system, it should be avoided during pregnancy.

Dosage and Administration

While damiana is commonly used in herbal combinations most experts do not feel that traditional use of this herb is justified by modern research.

Toxicology: No significant adverse effects have been reported in the literature. However, persons claiming to experience damiana-induced hallucinations should be monitored closely and the possibility of ingestion of other drugs should be considered.

Summary: Damiana is a plant that has received considerable attention for its purported aphrodisiac and hallucinogenic effects. Although there are anecdotal reports of these effects, the plant lacks any verifiable pharmacologic activity. No new significant chemical or pharmacological studies could be found in the scientific literature up to mid-1996.