The damiana plant grows natively in Mexico and other Central American regions. The leaves are used in traditional herbal medicine for a variety of purposes. Although damiana leaves were primarily used for aphrodisiac remedies in the past, today the herb is also sometimes used for a variety of health problems. You should consult your doctor before taking any herbal remedy containing damiana or damiana leaf powder, because the herb may pose certain health risks or interact with some medications.
History
Native people in Mexico have used damiana leaves for centuries mainly as an aphrodisiac, but also to treat respiratory conditions such as bronchitis and asthma, neurosis and sexual problems, according to the University of Michigan Health System. Herbalists in the 1800s used damiana as a “tonic” to strengthen the body as a whole, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Modern Uses
Today, you might use damiana leaf powder to help in treating depression, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, constipation, diabetes and kidney conditions, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. You might also take damiana for other digestive problems and respiratory conditions such as asthma. The typical dosage of damiana leaf powder in the form of tablets or capsules is 2 to 4 grams taken two to three times per day, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. But you should consult your doctor for a proper dosage before taking a damiana leaf remedy.
Function
Damiana contains several compounds that have estrogenic activities to suppress certain enzymes involved in creating estrogens in the body, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. These compounds in damiana may be responsible for the herb’s purported uses in treating sexual dysfunction problems and erectile dysfunction in men. Additionally, the terpenes in damiana may help to bind progesterone receptors, indicating a potential use in treating menstruation problems and other female sexual conditions, says the University of Michigan Health System. Damiana’s constituents also have hypoglycemic actions that suggest the herb may be helpful in treating diabetes.
Scientific Evidence
Very little medical evidence exists on damiana’s potential medicinal uses, and nearly all the studies available have been performed in test tubes or on animals, not in humans. A 2005 study of mice published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that damiana may provide anti-anxiety actions, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Another study published in 1999 in the journal Psychopharmacology discovered that damiana stimulated sexual behavior in male rats. Damiana also lowered blood sugar in mice in a 1998 study published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology. Finally, a test tube study published the same year in the journal Experimental Biology and Medicine found that damiana could bind progesterone receptors, says the University of Michigan Health System.
Warnings
Because damiana is often used as a food flavoring, it’s generally considered safe for consumption, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Damiana’s laxative effects may cause some gastrointestinal discomfort, including loose stools and diarrhea. Damiana leaf powder can enhance the effects of certain drugs, such as diuretics and hypoglycemic medications, so you should talk with your doctor before taking damiana if you also take these types of medicines, warns the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Also, if you’re pregnant, you shouldn’t take damiana due to the herb’s potential effects on female sex hormones.
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