Damiana in HoneyBoost: 10 mg of Leaf Extract, With No Human Data

The label line, the studied amount and the caution, in one place.

Damiana (Turnera diffusa) is a small shrub from Mexico and Central America. Its leaves are brewed as a tea and sold as an extract, and it is one of the best-known traditional plant aphrodisiacs. A 2014 review of the genus calls it one of the most highly appreciated plant aphrodisiacs in traditional use (Szewczyk and Zidorn 2014).

The panel lists "Damiana (Turnera diffusa) Leaf Extract 5:1" at 10 mg per gummy, equivalent to 50 mg of damiana leaf. The 5:1 ratio is a manufacturing ratio, not a measure of active compounds, and the label names no marker compound.

Damiana leaf is brewed as a tea, tincture or liqueur in Mexico and Central America.

The tea is mild and herbal. A traditional cup uses grams of dried leaf, which is far beyond 50 mg of leaf equivalent. That does not make the gummy wrong; it means the traditional use cannot be read as support for the gummy. Traditional use shows that people have used a plant for a long time. It does not show that it works, or at what dose.

The 2014 review of the genus lists many compounds, among them flavonoids and essential oils, and notes that most tests were done in cells or animals (Szewczyk and Zidorn 2014). The review does not prove any effect in men.

Who should ask a clinician or pharmacist first.

Memorial Sloan Kettering says damiana may affect blood sugar based on animal studies (MSK, Damiana). If you take a diabetes medicine, that is a reason to ask your pharmacist before adding any damiana product. The 2014 review also lists cyanogenic glycosides among compounds found in the Turnera genus; we found no report of harm from the small amount on this label, and we do not claim it is risk free.

A short list of who should ask first: people on nitrates or other heart medicine, on blood pressure medicine, on ED drugs, on MAO inhibitors or Parkinson medicine, on diabetes medicine (damiana may affect blood sugar), on aromatase inhibitors or other hormone or cancer medicine, and on tetracycline or quinolone antibiotics (zinc can lower their absorption). People with heart disease, a hormone-sensitive condition, or a psychiatric condition should ask as well.

Stop and ask a clinician if a rash, swelling, a racing or irregular heartbeat, dizziness, a strong headache, stomach upset that does not pass, mood changes or trouble sleeping show up after you start. These are listed under the ingredients' cautions, and they are the reason the label tells you to speak to a physician. You can report a problem with any supplement to FDA through MedWatch (FDA, MedWatch).