Damiana

Damiana acts as an antidepressant, aphrodisiac, circulatory stimulant, diuretic, mild laxative, muscle and nerve relaxant, restorative, testosterogenic and tonic. Some herbalists also regard damiana as a mild expectorant, as it helps to thin fluids resulting from colds and coughs, and as a blood purifier, similar in action to parsley.

Damiana is a tonic and restorative herb for the nervous system, as well as a mild antidepressant. Its tonic action is partly due to the constituent, thymol. Technically speaking, damiana is a thymoleptic—having a life-enhancing and stimulating action on the body and mind. Damiana has been given to people suffering from anxiety, mild to moderate depression, fatigue, and nervous exhaustion. Damiana’s stimulating and restorative properties make it valuable when anxiety and depression occur together, as often happens after long-term stress.

Due to its testosterogenic properties, damiana has always been seen principally as an herb for men, helpful in treating premature ejaculation and impotence. However, reputable research studies show enhancing testosterone activity just slightly in women improves sex-drive dramatically. Thus, damiana is now considered beneficial and restorative to the reproductive functions of both sexes. In fact, damiana is commonly recommended for painful and delayed periods, and is used specifically for headaches connected to menstruation.

As a diuretic and urinary antiseptic, damiana is useful in the treatment of urinary infections such as cystitis and urethritis, incontinence, nephritis and prostatitis. This action is partly due to the constituent arbutin, which is converted into hydroquinone (a strong urinary antiseptic) in the urinary tubules. This same substance is also found in a number of other plants, notably uva ursi.

Damiana is a mild laxative, useful in the treatment of constipation due to poor bowel muscle tone.

Although sound scientific studies are lacking regarding its reputed aphrodisiac action, damiana has a long history of folk use in this manner, especially among the Mayan people of Central America.

Damiana is a rich source of vitamins A, C and niacin (B3).