Yohimbe is an herbal remedy that's most often used in traditional medicine as an aphrodisiac, but it's also marketed as a substitute for steroids to improve athletic performance. Although you might take yohimbe to help treat sexual dysfunction, you could also take it to support weight loss by boosting your exercise endurance. Since conclusive scientific evidence is lacking, you should talk with your doctor before taking the herb.
Description
Yohimbe is an herbal remedy made from the bark of the Pausinystalia yohimbe tree, which is native to West Africa. Yohimbe is an ancient herbal treatment that's been used mostly as an aphrodisiac. It is also used to treat coughs, fevers, leprosy and heart disease. Herbalists in western Africa also used yohimbe bark as a hallucinogen and a local anesthetic.
Function
The active substance contained in yohimbe bark is called yohimbine, and it is extracted for use in a prescription drug to treat impotence. Yohimbine and other alkaloids contained in yohimbe bark appear to dilate blood vessels, inhibit monoamine oxidase or "MAO," and block alpha-2 adrenergic receptors in the sympathetic nervous system.
Uses
Although the most common use for yohimbe in traditional herbal medicine is for treating erectile dysfunction, the herb is also sometimes recommended for improving weight loss and athletic performance. Herbalists also use yohimbe for sedation and for treating sexual dysfunction in women. Yohimbe might also have the potential to treat depression, because it has similar actions as prescription depression medications known as MAO inhibitors. For exercise, yohimbe is typically marketed as part of herbal formulas touted as steroid substitutes. Little scientific evidence supports the use of yohimbe bark or yohimbine extracts for any medicinal purpose, however.
Dangers
Taking yohimbe bark or yohimbine is possibly dangerous if you have kidney or liver disease, angina, heart disease, anxiety and schizophrenia. You shouldn't take yohimbe products if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, or if you have peptic ulcers, post-traumatic stress disorder or panic disorder. In some cases, yohimbe can cause serious side effects like vertigo, chills, muscle-function loss and hallucinations, as well as temporary anxiety, heart palpitations and high blood pressure. These side effects usually occur when you take high doses of yohimbe, and hypertension can occur when you eat large amounts of tyramine-containing foods and beverages like red wine, cheese and liver while you're taking yohimbe . Yohimbe may also interact negatively with certain medications, such as tricyclic antidepressants, central nervous system stimulants, hypertension drugs, phenothiazines and buproprion.
Member Comments