Herbs for virility: natural ways to spruce up your sex appeal - includes recipe and precaution tips - The Herbalist

Vegetarian Times, May, 1997 by CJ Puotinen

Whether it's kava for stress, ginkgo for improved circulation, ginseng for the entire system or the aphrodisiacs yohimbe and damiana, traditional herbs can improve most modern men's lives. With a little help from your friends in the plant world, you too can look forward to living to a ripe old age with your eye not dimmed, nor your natural force abated.

Herb Precautions

Through usually nontoxic and free of adverse side effects, some herbs are powerful and should be used with care.

Among the herbs recommended for men, the most controversial is yohimbe. Anyone on anti-depressant drugs should not take the herb, experts say. Those suffering from prostate problems, low blood pressure, diabetes, heart, liver or kidney disease and anyone taking tranquilizers, narcotics, antihistamines or large quantities of alcohol should also stay away from the herb. Yohimbe may produce anxiety, and in cases of schizophrenia, it may actually activate psychoses. Because so little is known about yohimbe's safety and long-term side effects, it is important to treat this herb with respect. Only take yohimbe in small doses for short periods of time.

Overdosing on an herb like ginkgo may cause gastrointestinal distress, but overdosing on kava can put you in the news. Consider the 44-year-old man stopped last summer for swerving through traffic in Salt Lake City, Utah. Although his blood alcohol level was zero, his speech was slurred and his reaction time impaired. When questioned, the man confessed to drinking 16 cups of kava that evening. He was found guilty of "driving under the influence" in the first known kava arrest.

Although most herbs have exceptional safety records, any plant can cause an allergic reaction. If you consume the recommended amount of an herb and experience nausea, diarrhea, numbness, dizziness, a headache or other unpleasant symptoms, reduce the dosage or discontinue use.

Yohimbe Tea

This recipe has been used for years to increase virility.

1 tsp. of dried yohimbe (if using tincture or other preparation, see variation) 1 cup of water 500 to 1,000 mg. of ascorbic acid vitamin C)

Simmer 1 teaspoon of dried herb and water in covered pan for 5 to 10 minutes, strain and add up to 1,000 mg. ascorbic acid (vitamin C) to help avoid nausea and improve herb's assimilation. Drink 1 to 2 cups approximately one hour before desired effects.

Note: Because responses to yohimbe vary widely, depending on quality of herb and individual reactions, herbalist James Green suggests beginning with suggested proportions and adjusting quantity of yohimbe up (to as much as 2 tablespoons) or down after a cautious trial. Drink a maximum of 2 cups per day for no more than two weeks.

Variation: If using tincture, place 1 to 3 teaspoons in cup and add boiling water to evaporate most of the alcohol before drinking. Follow same schedule as for tea. If using tablets, capsules or other preparations, follow label instructions but observe cautions listed above.