The herbal and health information provided in this Web Site is intended as historical information only. The historical uses are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Nothing listed within this Web Site should be considered as medical advice for dealing with a given problem. You should consult your health care professional for individual guidance for specific health problems. Persons with serious medical conditions should always seek professional care.
Damiana leaves are harvested from the plants Turnera diffusa, a small shrub native to Mexico, the American Southwest, and the West Indies. Damiana is also known by the name Turnera. The common name Damiana includes the species Turnera aphrodisiaca, which is used interchangeably with Turnera diffusa. Besides being used in the production of a popular Mexican liqueur called "Damiana", this herb has enjoyed a long and unwarranted history of use as an aphrodisiac, supposedly able to stimulate the libido of men and women alike. Damiana was used by the Mayans and Aztecs as a sexual stimulant, and also to treat several respiratory disorders. In the past, some people have smoked Damiana in a waterpipe as a prelude to lovemaking. It was also burned ceremoniously to enable participants to see visions. Damiana was used in the 1930s by livestock breeders.
Damiana has also been regarded historically as an important folk medicine in Mexico, often used to support treatments of sterility, impotence, diabetes, bladder infection and asthma. Damiana is also said to possess mild sedative qualities, able to induce a state of relaxation and to aid in falling asleep.
Damiana is generally available as a tea, tincture, and in capsules. The primary properties of this herb are considered to be alterative, aperient, aphrodisiac, carminative, cholagogue, diuretic, emmenagogue, laxative, nervine, stimulant, urinary antiseptic, and yang tonic. Primary known constituents of Damiana include essential oils (containing cineol, cymol, pinene), cyanogenic glycosides, damianin, thymol, tannin, and trace amounts of phosphorus.
Modern studies of the chemical composition of Damiana also list tannin, resin, and volatile oils as the active constituents which, while considered relatively safe for consumption, offer no evidence to support the host of claims for this plant. Indeed, the data suggests that it is the high alcohol content of Damiana liqueur and its tinctures that is the responsible agent for most, if not all, of its perceived effects.
Damiana has been used in the past as a tea to help teenagers overcome the shyness & self-consciousness that sometimes accompanies puberty. Damiana has also be used for sexual performance anxiety in adults. The bitter principle, damianin, stimulates the nervous system and genitals, and thus allows nerve messages to more readily spread through the body.
Consume no more than one cup of Damiana tea, or one dropperful of the tincture, or two capsules daily, so as to avoid stressing the liver, since its effects are cumulative. It is generally considered safe, but avoid using Damiana in cases of urinary tract diseases or liver disease.
