Catuaba

Catuaba is an active ingredient produced from various plants, including Trichilia Catigua, Anemopaegma Arvense and plants of the Erythroxylon species. Catuaba is used by some people as a medicine. Catuaba is used to increase sexual arousal and to treat sexual performance problems in men. Catuaba is also used for arousal, sleep problems associated with high blood pressure, nervousness, persistent mental and physical fatigue, poor memory, forgetfulness and skin cancer, and as a tonic.

How does catuaba work?

Catuaba contains chemicals that may be effective against certain bacteria and viruses.

How effective is catuaba?

There is not enough scientific data to assess the effectiveness of catuaba for problems with sexual performance in men, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia, nervousness, poor memory, forgetfulness and skin cancer. Further scientific research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of Catuaba in these applications.

Safety and side effects

There is not enough information to say whether catuaba is safe and harmless or what side effects it may have.

Precautions and warnings

Pregnancy and lactation: Not enough is known about the use of catuaba during pregnancy and lactation. For this reason, pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid Catuaba.

Interactions

At this time, there is no information on interactions of Catuaba with medications or supplements.

Dosage

An appropriate dosage of Catuaba depends on various factors such as age, state of health and others. At this time, there is insufficient scientific data to make a statement about appropriate dosage ranges for Catuaba. For this reason, you should follow the dosage instructions on the label and/or consult a doctor or pharmacist before use.

References

1. Agri Res Svc: Dr. Duke's phytochemical and ethnobotanical databases. www.ars-grin.gov/duke (Accessed 3 November 1999).
2. Manabe H, et al. Effects of Catuaba extracts on microbial and HIV infection. In Vivo 1992;6:161-5.