What Is the Drug Yohimbe?

Yohimbe is a popular product sold in health and alternative medicine stores. While it has been used for generations to treat a number of ailments, recent research has shown that reckless use of this powerful alkaloid can cause a number of heatlh problems.

Identification

Yohimbe is an evergreen tree that grows wild in certain parts of western Africa, including Gabon, the Congo, Cameroon, and Nigeria. The bark of the yohimbe tree contains an alkaloid known as yohimbine; it is this substance that has been used in African medicine and rituals for hundreds of years.

History

In Africa, yohimbe has been traditionally used to treat fever, leprosy, and chronic coughs. However, it has always been most popular as an aphrodisiac. The inner bark shavings of the yohimbe tree were eaten by men of the Bantu tribes as an integral part of mating rituals. Both men and women of western Africa ate ground yohimbe powder as part of fertility rites and to increase their sexual pleasure and endurance. High doses of yohimbe were also used in sacred spiritual rituals.

Function

Yohimbe is mainly used today for three purposes: as a treatment for erectile dysfunction, weight loss, and depression.
Yohimbine, the alkaloid contained in yohimbe bark, has long been thought to specifically dilate the blood vessels of the penis as well as directly stimulating the areas of the brain associated with sexual arousal. Yohimbe is thought to increase the body's ability to burn fat and, due to its natural ability to block the enzyme monoamine oxidase (an enzyme elevated in people suffering from depression) it is also thought to be an effective natural anti-depressant.

Considerations

While a standard form of yohimbine, yohimbine hydrochloride, is an FDA approved prescription medication for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, research studies of yohimbe's general effect on sexual arousal, weight loss, and depression are greatly conflicted. For instance, while some studies seemed to indicate that yohimbe promoted fat loss, other controlled studies showed no effect on weight, BMI, body fat, or cholesterol levels after regular yohimbe usage. And while yohimbe may be beneficial in treating depression, the high doses needed to achieve this effect were also connected with reports of seizures and kidney failure.

Warning

Be aware that many scientists, researchers, and healthcare professionals warn strongly against the use of yohimbe. In Germany, yohimbe is of such concern that the country's herbal regulatory agency, Commission E, has placed yohimbe on its list of unapproved herbs. Severe side effects can result from even as little as 40 mg of yohimbe a day. Discontinue use immediately and seek help if you experience any of the following symptoms: dizziness, nausea, insomnia, anxiety, increased heartbeat, or hallucinations. Because yohimbe blocks monoamine oxidase, anyone choosing to take yohimbe must avoid any food or product containing tyramine; these include red wine, liver, most cheeses, and any medications containing phenylpropanolamine (such as nasal decongestants). Yohimbe in any amount should not be taken by pregnant or nursing women, children, the elderly, people taking anti-depressants, or anyone suffering from the following ailments: kidney disease, liver disease, stomach ulcers, heart disease, high or low blood pressure, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, or diabetes.

Resources

• Drug digest provides detailed information about the possible benefits and dangers of yohimbe use