As its botanical name suggests, damiana has been used for centuries to enhance sexual prowess and balance the hormones. Damiana is a unisex herb. It is traditionally considered valuable for increasing the sperm count in men, as well as for strengthening the ovaries of women.

This stimulating herb has also been used for nervousness, headache, chronic bed-wetting, weakness, and exhaustion. Damiana tea is considered particularly helpful in restoring energies lost to illness. It is reputed to revitalize the entire body.

DESCRIPTION AND PARTS USED

Damiana is a small plant that bears fragrant yellowish-white flowers. Its natural habitat is southern California, Texas, and Mexico. Damiana has been used “South of the Border” since ancient times, which explains why it is sometimes called “the Mexican aphrodisiac and tonic.” The medicinal properties of damiana are stored in the leaves.

Herbal BeautyHISTORICAL NOTES

A manuscript inscribed in Latin in 1552 by a native Aztec doctor who was educated by Spanish missionaries describes many of the herbs used by the medicine men of the times, including damiana. As the colonists settled in the New World, Mexican medical knowledge inched its way into North American consciousness.

In Mexico today, herbal doctors run thriving practices in many of the larger cities, and most open-air markets have vendors of medicinal herbs. In spite of four centuries of European medical practice, the population still depends on local plants.

Experience shows that damiana tea really can be considered a type of “love potion.” Taking the tea is said to cause the body to increase production of those pheromones (secretions that influence patterns of behavior) that attract the opposite sex. The effects of the tea are not immediate; they are cumulative. Before looking for those love-struck gazes from the one you wish to attract, you’ll need to drink one cup a day of this stimulating tea for about a week.

SCIENTIFIC FINDINGS

Damiana is classified in the Mexican pharmacopoeia as an aphrodisiac, tonic, and diuretic. Scientists have accepted it as a reliable remedy in cases of sexual impotence, especially when the condition is caused by overindulgence leading to exhaustion.

Authoritative medical herbalists agree. In Potter’s Cyclopaedia of Botanical Drugs and Preparations, the author says, “Damiana is very largly prescribed on account of its aphrodisiac qualities; there is no doubt that it has a very great and generally beneficial action on the reproductive system. It also acts as a tonic to the nervous system.”

TRADITIONAL USE

Internal. Damiana tea is prepared with one teaspoon (1/6 ounce or 4 grams) of dried leaves to one cup of freshly boiled water. Cover, steep for five minutes, and drink upon rising, before eating.

CONSIDERATIONS

Damiana interferes with iron absorption and should be used only on an occasional basis.

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