adaptogenEVIDENCECUSOTC

Damiana

aka Turnera diffusa

Mexican herb (Turnera diffusa) traditionally used for libido and mood. Often combined with other aphrodisiacs.

Dose range200–800mg

Half-life—h

Onset—min

Safety4/5low evidence base

Mechanism of action

Multiple constituents including flavonoids, caffeine, alkaloids. Mild stimulant effect. Some serotonergic and dopaminergic activity. Estrogenic-receptor binding activity. The combined effect produces mood elevation and modest libido enhancement.

History

Damiana has been used in Mexican and Central American traditional medicine for centuries as a tonic and aphrodisiac. Western herbalism adopted it in the 19th century. Modern clinical evidence is limited but the compound is widely available as a supplement and is found in some commercial liqueurs. Unscheduled globally.

Benefits

Libido (combined with other ingredients)
EVIDENCEC
Ito 2006.
Mild mood elevation
EVIDENCEC
Animal models.

Side effects

Mild stimulant effectsuncommonmild

Cited research

Damiana plus arginine and ginseng for sexual function (Ito)2006
PMID 16942521 ↗
Turnera diffusa phytochemistry review2016
PMID 27114065 ↗

Where to buy

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Vendor	Product	Size	Price	Per unit
Nootropics DepotFeatured 4.8	Damiana — Nootropics Depot	—	See vendor	—	Shop Ad
Double Wood Supplements 4.4	Damiana — Double Wood	—	See vendor	—	Shop Ad
Amazon Marketplace 3.5	Damiana — Amazon	—	See vendor	—	Shop Ad
iHerb 4.2	Damiana — iHerb	—	See vendor	—	Shop Ad

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