Damiana

Damiana

Latin Name: Turnera diffusa
Family: Turneraceae

Part used: Leaves and stems
Energetics: Pungent, bitter, neutral, dry
Iris: Lymphatic
Interactions: Please check with your Healthcare Provider.

Safe alongside Herb
  • Glipizide
  • Metformin

CONTRA-INDICATIONS

  • Caution: Take Damiana away from food, due to iron-binding effects
  • Avoid in pregnancy.

ACTIONS

  • Anti-bacterial
  • Anti-viral
  • Anti-depressant
  • Anti-ulcer
  • Diuretic
  • Aphrodisiac
  • Pituitary agent
  • Thymoleptic (thymus activating)
  • Nervine restorative
  • Stimulating to reproductive organs.

Main Constituents

  • Flavonoids
  • Volatile oil
  • Arbutin
  • Bitter acid damianin up to 7%
  • Sterol
  • Tannin up to 3.5%
  • Vitamin C
  • Beta-carotene
  • Iron
  • Manganese
  • Potassium
  • Zinc

Main Uses

Digestive System: Atonic constipation, Mucous membrane astringent
Mental/Emotional: Frigidity (male and female), Depression, Anxiety, Exhaustion, Panic, Fear, Nervous exhaustion
Musculo-Skeletal System: Physical weakness
Endocrine: Amenorrhoea, Dysmenorrhoea
Reproductive System: To enhance sexual performance (especially in the male, such as impotence, works through CNS to spine then through sacral-neural pathways), Sterility, Prostatitis, Premature ejaculation
Urinary System: Enuresis, UTI's.

More About Damiana

Damiana has caffeine- like alkaloids and an essential oil, which are responsible for much of its physiological effect. Damiana is one of the few remedies that is a yang tonic from both the Chinese and Western point of view.
It is a tonic to the nervous system and nourishes and regenerates the nerve cells. It can help in cases of stress -related chronic conditions with depressive tendencies and can help to strengthen the nerves when there has been high mental activity and ‘stress’.
It is a bitter substance which has a tonifying effect on the glandular system. Damiana can regulate the hormones through the pituitary gland, which can help improve menstrual and menopausal changes, although it is not a strong as Agnus castus.
It can help in cases of dysmenorrhoea, amenorrhoea, fertility issues and PMS, it can be used by males and females who are experiencing frigidity, low libido or lack of orgasm.
It can help men with erectile dysfunction and impotence.
The alkaloids have a testosterone-like effect and Damiana may improve progesterone and oestrogen receptors.

Recipes:


Damiana and Vanilla Cordial

Ingredients:

  • 2 vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) beans
  • 1 ounce dried damiana (Turnera diffusa, syn. Turnera aphrodisiaca) leaf
  • Approx. 236ml of brandy
  • Approx. 354ml of spring water
  • Approx. 236g of honey
  • Glass bottle or jar

Method:

  • Split vanilla beans lengthwise using a knife. Chop crosswise into smaller pieces if needed to fit them into the bottle.
  • Add damiana with vanilla beans to the jar.
  • Cover with brandy.
  • Let steep for 2-4 weeks, shaking every day or two.
  • Strain brandy and place in a clean jar, saving the plant material.
  • In the original jar, combine plant material and spring water, and let steep for 3 days in the refrigerator.
  • Strain spring water extract, composting the plant material.
  • Gently warm spring water extract with honey just until combined.
  • Combine spring water/honey mixture with the alcohol extract in a beautiful jar.
  • Age for one month in the refrigerator before enjoying as a sipping cordial. Store leftovers in the refrigerator due to the water content.

References


Hepatic Fibrosis

Turnera diffusa extract attenuates profibrotic, extracellular matrix and mitochondrial markers in activated human hepatic stellate cells (HSC)
Our results suggest that a methanolic extract of Turnera diffusa is associated with an antifibrotic effect by decreasing profibrotic and mitochondrial markers together with the possible induction of apoptosis through SNAI1 expression in activated HSC cells.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33220464/

Neuroactive/Antiglycation

Trichilia catigua and Turnera diffusa extracts: In vitro inhibition of tyrosinase, antiglycation activity and effects on enzymes and pathways engaged in the neuroinflammatory process
Overall, this work highlights the value of medicinal plant extracts as sources of bioactive flavonoid-rich extracts with neuroactive effects. Furthermore, these results support their application as alternative strategies to develop functional foods and therapeutics to fight chronic neurodegenerative disorders.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33485975/

Gastroprotective

Gastroprotective activities of Turnera diffusa Willd. ex Schult. revisited: Role of arbutin
Thus it can be concluded that Turnera diffusa possesses anti-ulcer activity, which could be attributed to lipid peroxidation inhibitory, immuno modulatory and anti-oxidant mechanisms of arbutin but not to the intervention with nitric oxide inflammation pathway.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22374081/

Anti-Diabetic

Acute Hypoglycemic and Antidiabetic Effect of Teuhetenone A Isolated from Turnera diffusa
Considering these results, we suggest that teuhetenone A, has potential as an antidiabetic compound, which could be further submitted to preclinical assays.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28397755/

Weight Loss/Gastric Emptying

Weight loss and delayed gastric emptying following a South American herbal preparation in overweight patients
The herbal preparation, YGD capsules, significantly delayed gastric emptying, reduced the time to perceived gastric fullness and induced significant weight loss over 45 days in overweight patients treated in a primary health care context.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11424516/

Oestrogenic and Neurodegeneration Prevention

Estrogenic Plants: to Prevent Neurodegeneration and Memory Loss and Other Symptoms in Women After Menopause
The review aims to highlight current evidence about estrogenic medicinal plants and their pharmacological effects on cognitive deficits induced by estrogen deficiency during menopause and aging.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34093183/

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