What Damiana Is
Damiana is Turnera diffusa, a small aromatic shrub from Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, used traditionally as an aphrodisiac and as a tea. Remedy's Damiana supplies 1000 mg of leaf per vegan capsule, with 60 capsules per bottle, as a single ingredient.
It has a long tradition and a thin research base, and this page states both.
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1000 mg per capsule: Single-ingredient damiana leaf.
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60 capsules: Two months at 1 daily.
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Contains: Flavonoids, and caffeine as a documented constituent.
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Traditional use: Aphrodisiac and relaxing tea.
The full claim map is in our damiana overview.
Supplement Facts
Serving size: 1 Vegan Capsule. Servings per container: 60.
| Amount Per Serving |
Amount |
% Daily Value |
| Damiana leaf (Turnera diffusa) |
1000 mg |
* |
* Daily Value not established.
Other ingredients: Cellulose, Glycerin, Water (vegan capsule)
Directions: One capsule daily, earlier in the day.
Made in the USA.
What the Evidence Actually Shows
The definitive review of the genus is unusually direct, and we would rather print its conclusion than a benefits list.
| What the review reported |
Detail |
| Species in the genus |
135 accepted, about 6 used medicinally |
| Bioactivities identified |
12, from antianxiety to aphrodisiac |
| How most were tested |
Chemical, cell-based or animal assays only |
| Human studies |
2, both using multi-ingredient preparations |
| Compounds identified |
22 flavonoids, caffeine, 7 cyanogenic glycosides |
| Compound linked to an effect |
Apigenin, in an animal pain model |
Most of damiana's reported activities have been investigated only in chemical, cell-based or animal assays, and both human studies used preparations containing other ingredients.[1]Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and bioactivity of the genus Turnera (Passifloraceae) with a focus on damiana - Turnera diffusa — Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2014) View source That leaves no trial of damiana on its own.
The Aphrodisiac Question
This is the reputation the plant is sold on, and it deserves the two facts that actually sit behind it.
| Study |
What it tested |
Result |
| Rat study, 2009 |
Turnera diffusa at 20 to 80 mg per kg |
More males resumed a second series at 80 mg/kg |
| Same study |
Locomotor activity and anxiety |
No associated increase in either |
| Same study |
Main compounds in the active extract |
Caffeine, arbutine, flavonoids |
| Human trial, 2001 |
A formula with 6 ingredients |
73.5% improved against 37.2% on placebo |
| That formula |
Ingredients |
Ginseng, ginkgo, damiana, L-arginine, vitamins, minerals |
The rat result is real and it is in rats.[2]Turnera diffusa Wild (Turneraceae) recovers sexual behavior in sexually exhausted males — Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2009) View source The human result is real and it belongs to a six-ingredient formula in which damiana was one component.[3]A double-blind placebo-controlled study of ArginMax, a nutritional supplement for enhancement of female sexual function — Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy (2001) View source The detail is in is damiana an aphrodisiac.
Hormones: What We Do Not Claim
Whether damiana changes oestrogen is one of the most searched questions about it, and the laboratory answer points two ways at once.
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Aromatase inhibition: The extract inhibited it, IC50 63.1 micrograms per millilitre.
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Estrogenic activity: 3 compounds showed it in a yeast screen.
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Both findings: In vitro, and in opposite directions.
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Human hormone measurements: 0.
We make no hormone claim for this herb.[4]Anti-aromatase activity of the constituents from damiana (Turnera diffusa) — Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2008) View source The reasoning is in damiana for women and hormones.
How to Use It
There is no established dose, because there is no human trial of damiana on its own.
| Question |
Practical answer |
| How much |
1 capsule of 1000 mg daily, per the label |
| When |
Earlier in the day, since caffeine is a constituent |
| With food |
Either; food helps if it upsets your stomach |
| Bottle life |
2 months at 1 daily |
| Trial dose in humans |
None exists |
Amounts and why no conversion is possible are in dosage and how to take it.
Safety and Who Should Avoid It
With no large human safety trial, the honest cautions come from tradition and from what the plant contains.
| Situation |
Position |
| Pregnant or planning pregnancy |
Avoid; Turnera species are traditionally used as abortives |
| On glucose-lowering medication |
Ask first; antidiabetic activity is reported in animals |
| Liver disease |
Ask, as with any herbal product |
| Caffeine sensitive |
Avoid an evening dose |
| Heavy daily tea drinking |
Moderate it; the genus contains 7 cyanogenic glycosides |
| Smoking or vaping the leaf |
We do not recommend it; 0 studies support it |
The full list is in side effects and who should avoid it.
Capsules, Tea and the Rest
Tea is how most people meet damiana, and it is searched far more than the capsule.
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Capsule: 1000 mg, identical every time.
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Tea: Varies by leaf, amount and steeping.
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Liqueur: A culinary use, not a medicinal one.
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Smoking blends: 0 studies, and we do not recommend it.
Brewing and tradition are in damiana tea benefits and how to make it, and the intoxication question in does damiana make you high.
Why Choose Remedy's Damiana
One ingredient, a stated amount, and an evidence summary that does not oversell a tradition.
| What you get |
Why it matters |
| 1000 mg damiana leaf per capsule |
A stated amount, not a proprietary blend |
| Single ingredient |
Any effect or reaction traces to 1 thing |
| Vegan capsule |
Cellulose, glycerin and water |
| 60 capsules |
Two months at 1 daily |
| Honest positioning |
A traditional herb, with 0 human trials of its own |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does damiana do to the body? +
Very little is established in humans. A 2014 review found its 12 reported activities were tested mostly in cell or animal assays.
Is damiana a real aphrodisiac? +
It is a real traditional one. The best evidence is in rats at 80 mg per kg, and the human study tested a formula with 6 ingredients.
Does damiana increase estrogen? +
In a dish it did 2 opposite things: inhibited aromatase and showed estrogenic activity. There are 0 human hormone measurements.
Does damiana increase testosterone? +
There are 0 human trials measuring testosterone with damiana. It is a marketing claim rather than a research finding.
Is damiana psychedelic? +
No. In the rat study its effects were not associated with increased locomotor activity or anxiety-like behaviour, which is 2 relevant measures.
Does damiana cause a high? +
No controlled study describes one. Caffeine is 1 documented constituent, which is the most mundane explanation for any mild lift.
How much should I take? +
One capsule of 1000 mg daily. There is no established dose, because 0 human trials of damiana alone exist.
Is it safe to take damiana daily? +
Everyday use appears undramatic on a thin evidence base. The 2 firm exclusions are pregnancy and glucose-lowering medication without asking.
Who should avoid damiana? +
Anyone pregnant, anyone on glucose-lowering medication, and anyone with liver disease. Those are 3 clear exclusions.
What is damiana tea good for? +
Traditionally, relaxation and as an aphrodisiac. There are 0 human trials of damiana tea for any outcome.
Does damiana contain caffeine? +
Caffeine was 1 of 3 main compounds identified in the extract that worked in rats, and it appears in the genus generally. Take it earlier in the day.
How long does 1 bottle last? +
Sixty capsules is 2 months at 1 daily.
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