Yohimbe (Pausinystalia yohimbe)
Extracted from the bark of a West African evergreen tree (Pausinystalia yohimbe), yohimbe has a long and controversial history as a sexual stimulant. Folk healers brewed a tea from the bark to also help reduce prostate inflammation, treat menstrual pain, and anesthetize skin for minor surgical procedures.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, European researchers placed the bark under the microscope and isolated a compound that supports the traditional use of yohimbe for enhancing sexual performance. Dubbed ‘yohimbine’, this isolated alkaloid increases blood flow into the penis. It does this by increasing adrenal output of norepinephrine, a hormone needed for erections. The popular impotence pill Viagra works its magic in a similar way.
Traditional Uses
Natives to West Africa have used yohimbe for centuries by making a bitter tea from bark shavings. Drinking the tea allowed warriors who were preparing for battle become more fearless and aggressive and have more stamina. Africans used yohimbe tea selectively to help promote love as well as war. Male members of some tribes would take yohimbe as part of marriage and mating rituals and during special week-long fertility celebrations when sexual relations would be encouraged. Yohimbe gained a reputation for increasing libido as well as improving male sexual performance by enhancing the size and staying power of erections. Some tribes also used yohimbe to help treat such conditions as fever, high blood pressure, and coughs. Scientific studies on yohimbe conducted since the 1930s have confirmed that the herb has definite effects on aspects of sexual performance. The alkaloid yohimbine isolated from yohimbe has become generally accepted by the medical establishment as an effective drug to treat some types of male impotence. Yohimbe (though not the whole herb) has been the subject of at least two-dozen scientific studies, most of which have confirmed its ability to increase blood flow to the penis and cause "erectile stimulation." Today yohimbine is approved by the FDA for treatment of male impotence, whether due to vascular problems, diabetes, or psychogenic causes. Even some veterinarians now turn to yohimbine to treat impotent breeding stallions, for example. Studies have determined that yohimbine is useful for arousing animals (including horses, elk, cats, and dogs) and shortening their recovery after they have been sedated or anesthetized. A few studies have also explored yohimbine's potential in the treatment of narcolepsy (uncontrollable sleepiness) and congestive heart failure. A growing category of use of the whole herb is in bodybuilding and weight-loss formulas, though only a few studies (again, done with yohimbine) have suggested potential benefits on thermogenesis (fat burning) and others have shown no effect on such factors as body weight, body fat, increase muscle and strength. Some people take yohimbe as a stimulant or mood brightener. Yohimbe may also play a role in helping to treat or prevent exhaustion and mild depression.
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