Yohimbine is a chemical extracted from the bark of the yohimbe tree. It was discovered in the nineteenth century and has been used in various medicinal and alternative healing applications. Yohimbine is often taken as an alternative to yohimbe tree bark when higher concentrations of the chemical are needed.
Sexual Stimulation
Yohimbine can be effective as a sexual stimulant. MedlinePlus lists it as a method of boosting the female libido, and it can be particularly effective at treating sexual dysfunction related antidepressant use. Yohimbe tree bark has been brewed as a tea for hundreds of years for this purpose, but yohimbine offers a more concentrated medication for this purpose.
Impotence
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, yohimbe tree bark has long been used as a way to treat impotence in men. However, MedlinePlus reports that greater success has been experienced in some medical trials by using yohimbine hydrochloride, a concentration of the chemical. Yohimbine induces mental stimulation and can thin out blood, making it easier for blood to fill the penis and create an erection.
Dry Mouth Treatment
MedlinePlus reports that yohimbine has been proven, in both animal and human studies, to increase saliva production and treat dry mouth. In these studies, the dry mouth often resulted from medications such as antidepressants. Yohimbine only proved effective at treating dry mouth in its concentrated form--it did not prove effective when administered as yohimbe tree bark.
Inhibits Platelet Aggregation
Platelet aggregation is the clumping of platelets to form clots in the blood. While this is an important characteristic of blood, since clotting helps to stop blood flow resulting from cuts or wounds, clots developed inside the body can be painful and potentially deadly. According to MedlinePlus, some limited research suggests that yohimbine can help inhibit the clumping of platelets.
