YOHIMBE

Native to the Congo, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Gabon, this tall and possibly endangered evergreen provides a wide variety of medicinal benefits. The bark of the yohimbe was used originally to treat problems including leprosy, fever, and coughs by West Africans. It has also been used to dilate pupils, as an anesthetic, as a way to prevent heart disease, and as a hallucinogen and an aphrodisiac.

During the rainy season from May to September, Yohimbe bark is harvested. This is the time that it has the greatest alkaloid content. Yohimbe trees usually die after they have been stripped of their bark requiring the planting of numerous new trees. Yohimbe trees grow quickly and sometimes sprout from dead trees.

The alkaloid yohimbe is the main chemical in the yohimbe’s bark. Yohimbe is said to prevent various depressive disorders as it inhibits monoamine oxidase (MAO) and dilates blood vessels. Yohimbe also stops alpha-2 adrenergic receptors that belong to the sympathetic nervous system. Today yohimbe is frequently used to treat erectile dysfunction. No research has been completed that supports yohimbe’s medicinal uses.

Dosage and Administration

15 to 30 mg daily of yohimbine is recommended to treat most conditions including erectile dysfunction. 5-10 drops three times daily of yohimbe bark tincture is a common supplementation.

Precautions & Side Effects

Side effects while using yohimbine and yohimbe may include nausea, increased blood pressure, dizziness, anxiety, rapid heart beat, and insomnia. You should not use yohimbe if you are pregnant, have peptic ulcers, or suffer from kidney disease. Because yohimbe can cause anxiety disorders, children and adolescents should not use it. No more than 40 mg should be taken daily or serious side effects could result.

Yohimbine and yohimbe can possibly cause birth defects or miscarriage when ingested by pregnant women. Breast-feeding women and children should not take either because they might cause anxiety disorders. Those with high blood pressure, prostate hyperplasia, or kidney diseases should refrain from taking yohimbe products because they can heighten these conditions. Schizophrenia and depression can be aggravated or triggered by yohimbine and yohimbe.