Damiana

Can an organic herb supplement give you relief from stress and promote a feeling of well-being and increase sexual desire? Can an organic herb supplement help women with less satisfying sex lives due to trauma overcome mental barriers and enjoy sex? (1)  Can an herb reduce the conversion of testosterone to estrogen in men and women, resulting in a rise in libido? (2)The herb Damiana has been classified as a  nerve tonic, anti-depressant, anxiety reliever (4), laxative and urinary antiseptic. Traditional uses have included applications for reduced sex drive, feelings of depression, weight loss (5), menopause and impotence.  Although some have promoted Damiana for its mild euphorbic effect, Damiana is also a mild laxative, which is a natural discouragement to overuse!

Clinical studies have documented that Damiana benefits include inhibiting (blocking) aromatase, an enzyme that promotes synthesis of estrogen in the body (beneficial for estrogen-dependent cancers). Other traditional uses of Damiana include anemia, cough, diabetes, digestive issues (3), respiratory and pulmonary diseases and women's health issues(1).  Damiana has been documented to contain active chemical constituents such as volatile oils, flavonoids, resins, tannin.  The volatile oils include x-copaene, [[beta]]- cadinene and calamene, l, 8-cineole, thymol x- and [[beta]]-pinenes and calamenene.  The flavonoids include  5-hydroxy-7 and 3, 4-trimethoxyflavone. The plant also contains arbutin (3), a hydroquinone, and miscellaneous substances such as damianin, resin, tannin and a bitter substance (cyanogenetic glycoside) of undetermined structure.

For those looking to use Damiana in combination with other herbs, Remedy's Women's Libido Support™ features Damiana in combination with other supportive herbs.  

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

1.  Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and bioactivity of the genus Turnera (Passifloraceae) with a focus on damiana--Turnera diffusa   (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24468305 )

2.  Turnera diffusa Wild (Turneraceae) recovers sexual behavior in sexually exhausted males." J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jun 25;123(3):423-9.

3.  Taha, M., et al. "Gastroprotective activities of Turnera diffusa Willd. ex Schult. revisited: Role of arbutin." J Ethnopharmacol. 2012 May 7;141(1):273-81.

4.  Kumar, S., et al. "Estimation of Apigenin, an Anxiolytic Constituent, in Turnera aphrodisiaca." Indian J Pharm Sci. 2008 Nov;70(6):847-51.

5.  Andersen, T., et al. “Weight loss and delayed gastric emptying following a South American herbal preparation in overweight patients.” J. Hum. Nutr. Diet. 2001; 14(3): 243–50.