Damiana

Damiana herb (Turnera aphrodisiaca) is an aromatic perennial shrub native to Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Damiana leaf has been used traditionally by herbalists as a tea.
The damiana leaf has been used as an aphrodisiac and to boost sexual potency by the native peoples of Mexico, including the Mayan Indians. The two species used in herbal healing, both of which are referred to as Damiana, are Turnera aphrodisiaca and Turnera diffusa.
Damiana is an excellent strengthening remedy for the nervous system. It is a useful anti-depressant and is considered to be aspecific in cases of anxiety and depression where there is a sexual factor. It may be used to strengthen the male sexual system.
A mild nerve tonic claimed to be valuable in the treatment of sexual impotence, physicians praise Damiana highly for its influence in sexual neurasthenia, and it is said to correct frigidity in the female.
Damiana has long enjoyed a local reputation as a stimulant tonic of the sexual apparatus among the natives of Mexico, before it attracted the attention of the medical profession. Besides its peculiar action on the sexual appetite and function, it is a general tonic, some what cathartic and is slightly cholagogue.
Dr. Reid uses Damiana in all conditions where a general tonic is needed, especially if there be enfeeblement of the central nervous system. He esteems it most highly, prescribing it constantly for this purpose. It is valuable in renal and cystic catarrh and in general irritation of the urinary passages, through its influence in soothing irritation of mucous membranes. This latter property renders it valuable in the treatment of respiratory disorders, especially those accompanied with profuse secretion.
In animal studies, extracts of damiana herb had the benefit of speeding the mating behaviour of "sexually sluggish" or impotent male rats. It had no effect on sexually potent rats. It is possible that damiana herb has additional benefits in humans that may be uncovered with further research.
Damiana has a long history of traditional medicinal and food use with no harmful consequences reported.
Historically, Damiana has been used to relieve anxiety, nervousness, and mild depression, especially if these symptoms have a sexual component. The herb is also used as a general tonic to improve wellness. Damiana has also been used traditionally to improve digestion and to treat constipation, as in larger doses it is thought to have a mild laxative effect.

Damiana works like Viagra but without the harmful side effects. Research confirmed that the plant is able to improve sexual dysfunction in men by relaxing the small muscles within the walls of the arteries of the penis. This is important because when the arteries are relaxed they widen and allow more blood to pass through them, which is what causes an erection.
This is exactly how Viagra works, but fortunately the similarity between the two ends here, as Damiana does not cause the drug’s harmful side effects. These include:

• Urinary-tract infection
• Diarrhoea
• Increased blood pressure
• Irregular heart rhythm
• Heart attack
• Strokes and even sudden death

Scientists also found that all of the plants studied, including Damiana, relaxed the arteries of the penis by 90 per cent on average, whereas Viagra caused only a moderate degree of relaxation – barely reaching 46 per cent. 
In another study, researchers from the Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, in Italy, studied the effects of Damiana and Pfaffia on a group of impotent rats.
The group was treated with different amounts of Damiana and Pfaffia and then assessed by the scientists. The scientists found that both herbal extracts, given either on their own or in combination, improved the sexual performance of the impotent rats – this included an increase in the number of rats achieving ejaculation and a shortened interval between sexual intercourse.
Damiana increases sexual desire in women too and encourages more intense orgasms.