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Damiana

Latin Name: Turnera diffusa L.
Found Where: Texas and Mexican Deserts
Family: Turneraceae
Genus: Turnera
Species: diffusa, aphrodisiaca
Synonyms: Turnera microphylla
Common Names: Damiana, damiane, oreganillo, the bourrique, Mexican damiana, Mexican holly, damiana de Guerrero
Parts Used: Aerial parts, leaves
Caution: Excessive long term use may lead to a toxic liver (similar to alchol)

Damiana affects primarily the urinary and reproductive systems. Tradittionally it has been used as an aphrodisiac by the native peoples of Mexico, including the Mayan Indians, for thousands of years. It is said to act as a sexual stimulant and produce a feeling of general well being. In the past 100 years, damiana has shifted from being primarily a male sexual remedy to also being prescribed for women. In women it is used to treat painful menstruation, menopause disorders, and headaches caused by menstruation. Damiana has also been used traditionally to improve digestion and to treat constipation, as in larger doses it has a mild laxative effect. Other uses include treatment of asthma, cough and flu, and nephritis. During the 1960s, damiana was touted as a recreational drug. Some users claimed that damiana produced a mild "high" or hallucinogenic effect similar to marijuana that lasts an hour to an hour and a half. The effects of Damiana are to stimulate the genito-urinary tract, acting as a mild aphrodisiac and also produces a euphoria like that produced by the THC in Marijuana for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Damiana can be prepared as a tea, using two heaping tablespoons of dried leaf and letting it seep for just under 5 minutes. It can also be prepared as a liquer, by mixing it with Vodka (1 ounce leaf to 1 pint vodka for 5 days before consuming), but may have a mild purgative result in some people. You can also place it within a brownie mix similar to marijuana, at about the same levels. This cuts the flavor, but not the effects as far as is known. It can also be added to a meade recipe, at about 1 ounce per gallon, at the start of fermentation process.

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