Damiana

Damiana is a small shrub listed in the AHPA's "Herbs of Commerce" as having two varieties - Turnera diffusa var. aphrodisiaca and Turnera diffusa var. diffusa. [2]

Use of Damiana in history

The use of Damiana as an aphrodisiac appears to have been handed down to us from Mexican traditional herbalism. The Medical Record (1876) states "The Damiana herb has been a domestic medicine of Mexico, where it is generally used to invigorate the system. As far back as the year 1699, in the reports of the Spanish missionary, Padre Juan Maria de Salvatierra, we find it was known to the Indians as a cure for inability to exercise the reproductive functions in both sexes. The medicinal qualities of the shrub were first noticed by Indian hunters, who, after wearisome journeys through parched countries, made a decoction of the Damiana... the herb became familiar to all the inhabitants of Mexico..." [3]

Rain Tree's Tropical Plant Database states that Damiana leaves were recorded as used by the ancient Mayan civilisation as an aphrodisiac as well as for giddiness. [5] Other modern product sales pages mention proudly that Damiana was used by both Maya and Aztecs - but once again, I have yet to find the original source of this information.

Damiana seems to have "surfaced" some time around the 1860's - and the plant has over 140 years' recorded history of use in herbal medicine. Many orthodox physicians of the later 19th century testified in their medical journals to its efficacy as a sexual tonic and restorer of libido. [6] Damiana is not mentioned in Culpeper's 1801 "The English physician enlarged: With Three Hundred and Sixty Nine Medicines made of English Herbs That were not in any impression until this."

In his article Damiana - the New Aphrodisiac (1875), Chas M'Questin, M.D. states "This remedy, Damiana, I have used extensively in Mxico [sic], where the Mexicanese employ it as a domestic medicine. I can bear testimony to the efficacy of this plant in cases of sexual debility, or lethargy of the sexual organs. In these cases, the results are all that could be desired. An infusion is made of one once of the dried leaves to a pint of water, and this amount is given daily. In a few days the effects are manifest.... as to its aphrodisiac properties there can be no question. [4]

In the 1876 edition of Medical Record, Damiana is described as a "New Remedy... now doubtless engaging the general attention of the profession." Several cases are listed in which use of Damiana was not only accompanied by a marked increase in sexual ability, but by general health improvements and mood elevation. (In one terrifying account of 19th century medical practices, a patient had previously been treated with "phosphorus, strychnia, ergot, and electricity, without any apparent effect in restoring his virile power." ) [7]

Damiana - Scientific Research

Some scientific research has been done into Damiana's claimed aphrodisiac powers. A 2009 paper from the Laboratorio de Fitofarmacología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz of Mexico City, found Damiana to have a pro-sexual effect on male rats. Interestingly, the study investigated both Damiana and Yohimbine, suggesting flavonoids common to both plants as a possible active component. [8] This study would appear to replicate results found in 1999 at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. [9]

A 2006 placebo-controlled trial on 108 women of a product called ArginMax, which contained L-Arginine, ginseng, ginkgo, damiana, multivitamins, and minerals, showed results of significant improvement of sexual desire satisfaction with overall sex life. This is of interest but the result may of course be attributable to the other ingredients, so it is not conclusive for Damiana. [10]

In a 2003 study of several herbs, it was suggested that one action of Damiana works on the smooth muscle of the corpus cavernosum, a mechanism similar to that of the well-known erectile dysfunction treatment Sildenafil citrate - however I have not been able to locate the source of the original research, and it was not clear from the abstract whether this was performed by the writers or cited from elsewhere. [11]

In summary, it would seem that the aphrodisiac case is stronger for Damiana than for many other herbs. It's also been in popular use for a long time.

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