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Yohimbe has been used for centuries in African folk medicine to treat fevers, leprosy, coughs, and as a local anesthetic. But its most popular use has been as an aphrodisiac, appetite surpressant and a mild hallucinogen. It has been widely used in Europe for about 75 years to treat male erectile dysfunction, formerly called impotence. More commonly its used by body builders for it fat burning and appetite surpressant qualities.
Yohimbine Definition
Pronounced: Yoh Him Been.
Checmical: C21H26N2O3
1, An alkaloid, C21H26N2O3, derived from the bark of a tree, Corynanthe yohimbe, and formerly used as an aphrodisiac, a local anesthetic, and a mydriatic..
Ref. Dictionary.
2, An alkaloid, the active principle comes from the bark of Corynanthe johimbe. It produces a competitive blockage of limited duration of α-adrenergic receptors. It has also been used for its alleged aphrodisiac properties. Ref. Dictionary.
Yohimbe Definition
Pronounced: As Per In.
Chemical: C9 H8 O4
Yohimbe (Corynanthe yohimbe) is an herb derived from the bark of the yohimbe tree found primarily in the West African nations of Cameroon, Gabon, and Zaire.
The major active constituent of the bark is yohimbine. In prescription doses, the active ingredient is yohimbine hydrochloride..Ref. Dictionary
The U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved yohimbe as a treatment for impotence in the late 1980s. It is sold as an over-the-counter dietary supplement and as a prescription drug under brand names such as Yocon, Aphrodyne, Erex, Yohimex, Testomar, Yohimbe, and Yovital.
There is no clear medical research that indicates exactly how or why yohimbe works in treating impotence. It is generally believed that yohimbe dilates blood vessels and stimulates blood flow to the penis, causing an erection. It also prevents blood from flowing out of the penis during an erection. It may also act on the central nervous system, specifically the lower spinal cord area where sexual signals are transmitted. Studies show it is effective in 30-40% of men with impotence.
It is primarily effective in men with impotence caused by vascular, psychogenic, or diabetic problems. It usually does not work in men whose impotence is caused by organic nerve damage. In men without erectile dysfunction, yohimbe in some cases appears to increase sexual stamina and prolong erections.
Yohimbe is also used for weight loss, although not to the extent it is used for treating impotence.
Some alternative health practitioners believe it is more effective and safer than the stimulant ephedra (also known as ma huang) in achieving weight loss. Yohimbe is often prescribed for weight loss by natural health practitioners at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington. "It's my number one choice for weight loss," Lise Alschuler, medical director of the school's natural health clinic, said in a January 1998 article in Vegetarian Times. "I prescribe it in very small doses and slowly increase intake while monitoring patients' tolerance levels." Dosing starts at 1 mg of yohimbine three times a day.
A 1994 study by the Eastern Virginia Medical School also found yohimbine may be effective in treating narcolepsy. While the study involved only eight people with the sleep disorder, seven of them given yohimbine were able to stay awake for an eight-hour work day. The researchers believe yohimbine works by counteracting the brain chemistry that causes narcolepsy, and remains effective even after a few weeks of regular use.
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