WHAT IS DAMIANA AND WHAT EFFECTS DOES IT HAVE?

Damiana is a plant traditionally used for various purposes. The main one: improving your sex drive and bed performance. Literally a potent plant! Besides boosting your libido, it is said to reduce anxiety and stress, calm your stomach and stomach and can give a slight high. Read here which of these claims about damiana are proven effects.

Damiana: origin and history

Damiana (Tunera diffusa or Tunera Aphrodisiaca in Latin) is a flowering shrub that grows in Central and South America and the Caribbean. Of this, its leaves are used for medicinal purposes. For instance, 100 years ago, its traditional use was already published by the Mayans, who used it for dizziness and balance disorders. Traditionally, it has been known as a powerful aphrodisiac. In other words, a way to boost your libido and potency. This is also how it was promoted when it was marketed in the United States back in 1874.

The effects of damiana: how healthy is it?

Damiana has several potential effects, some of which have been known for centuries. Below is an overview of its main effects.

Wide range of uses

Traditionally, damiana leaves are used not only as an aphrodisiac, but also for a variety of other ailments such as depression, gastrointestinal, bladder and kidney problems and menstrual complaints. It can also lower blood sugar levels.

As written earlier in this article, damiana is full of so-called flavonoids. These are antioxidants: super healthy substances found in fruits and vegetables, among others. They help clean up free radicals, which are substances that can actually cause damage to your cells and body.

Libido boost and better in bed with damiana

First, let's turn to the effect of damiana that most users care about: improving your libido and sex life. Firstly, it is said to make you feel more like sexual exploits. So handy for both men and women who suffer from low libido. For men, it would have the added bonus of also having positive effects on stamina and potency. And these claims don't seem so crazy at all, when you consider what causes erection and libido problems: hormones. Sex hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone are especially important here. A drop in your testosterone levels, for instance, causes a lower sex drive.

Damiana is known to be rich in flavonoids. These are substances that are not only very healthy in general, but can also influence your sex hormones and their receptors. And so it can ensure that your hormone balance is optimised and thus boost your sex life. It even seems to be able to help men who suffer negative effects in that area due to the use of antidepressants. Studies with rats showed another interesting thing... Male rats that were rather passive and slow 'in bed' became a lot more active after a dose of damiana. Also, impotent rats suddenly became sexually active again thanks to this little plant. Since humans and rodents are pretty similar on the inside, this offers hope for our species!

Relaxation

Besides improving libido, damiana can also induce relaxation. It can therefore help reduce anxiety and stress. For example, a study showed that damiana extract reduced anxiety levels in mice. This is probably due to one of the 22 flavonoids it contains, called apigenin. This compound is known to reduce anxiety and stabilise hormones. In a study with mice exposed to stress, this substance even had a similar effect to diazepam - a strong prescription-only sedative. Apigenin, by the way, can be found in all kinds of plants. For example, in camomile, which is also known to calm people down.

Whether damiana has demonstrable long-term benefits for your overall health, however, is not yet 100% certain. For that, more (and longer) research will have to be done first. Fortunately, thanks to scientific research, it is becoming increasingly easy to find out which claims are justified and why this little plant works for various complaints.

How do you take it?

Damiana can be smoked, taken in a capsule or dissolved in hot water. Most people use the leaves to make tea. You can also buy damiana-10x-extract in powder form or as damiana 1:1-Extract Turnera Diffusa drops. This is stronger, so adjust your dosage accordingly! You can find damiana leaves and extract in several of our aphrodisiac products, such as Indian Elements Aphrodite Blend.