Catuaba/Horny Goat Weed/Maca Root

Catuaba is a medium-sized vigorous growing tree in the Amazon Rain Forest. In Brazilian herbal medicine, Catuaba is considered a central nervous system stimulant with aphrodisiac properties and used for sexual impotency, agitation, nervousness, poor memory or forgetfulness, sexual weakness and lowered libido in both men and women. Catuaba produces pretty yellow and orange flowers and small, oval, dark yellow fruit. It is rich in active and beneficial phytochemicals which occur naturally in this plant. For thousands of years, the Native Amazon Indians have used Catuaba as a strong tonic for the entire body, but primarily for the nervous system. Herbalists and health practitioners in the United States use Catuaba in much the same way: as a tonic for the genitals as well as a central nervous system stimulant, for sexual impotence, general exhaustion and fatigue, for insomnia related to hypertension, agitation and poor memory. Catuaba belongs to the family Erythroxylaceae, whose principal genus Erythroxylum contains several species and varieties of which are the source of cocaine. Catuaba, however, contains none of the active cocaine alkaloids. The constituents found in Catuaba include a bitter substance, alkaloids, tannins, aromatic oils and fatty resins, phytosterols, cyclolignans, which a Brazilian scientist named Ioimbina. Clinical studies on Catuaba have found very interesting results involving its antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Horny Goat Weed is a low growing, deciduous perennial with leathery leaves (up to a foot long) spreading by underground stems. The leaves of the plant contain a variety of flavonoids, polysaccharides, sterols and an alkaloid called magnaflorine. Many cultures have reported that Horny Goat Weed supports increased libido, improved erectile function and relief from menopausal discomfort. While the scientific community has focused mainly on men and treatments for erectile dysfunction, women's sexual performance and loss of sex drive (in both sexes) are also hot issues today. In recent studies, a daily dose of Horny Goat Weed extract has shown significant results as a sexual performance enhancer for both men and women - boosting sexual energy and stamina. Horny Goat Weed is thought to lower blood pressure by dilating capillaries and blood vessels while slowing the adrenal production that can hinder blood flow to the sex organs. Men achieve better erections due to this effect and it is thought that women benefit from the increased blood flow as well, and perhaps from other testosterone-like alkaloids and sterols within the plant. Research has also shown that Horny Goat Weed significantly increases testosterone in mice. Horny Goat Weed is a traditional Chinese herb of long-standing use by those in the health care profession, where it has been used in the past to relieve liver, joint, knee and back problems.

Maca is a hardy perennial plant cultivated high in the Andean Mountains at altitudes between eleven- to fourteen-thousand feet, where the land is exposed to intense sunlight, violent winds and a rough climate below freezing temperatures. Archeological evidence has been found that Maca was domesticated over two-thousand years ago by the predecessors of the Incas, and primitive cultivars of Maca were even found in places dating back to 1605 years before Christ. Legend tells us that Inca warriors would consume Maca before entering into battle. This would make them extremely strong. But after conquering a city, the Incan soldiers were forbidden from using Maca to protect the conquered women from the warrior's powerful sexual impulses. Maca has been used successfully by native Peruvians as an aphrodisiac and as an adaptogen to increase energy levels. Its fertility-enhancing properties were supported clinically as early as 1961, when researchers discovered it increased the fertility of rats. A study published in the April, 2000 issue of Urology, the prestigious medical journal that first published the Viagra studies, found Maca's sexual performance powers to be consistent with the legendary reports coming from Peru for hundreds of years. A chemical analysis conducted in 1981 showed the presence of biologically-active aromatic isothiocyanates, especially p-methoxybenzyl isothiocyanate, which have reputed aphrodisiac properties.