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About Muira puama - Ptychopetalum olacoides Benth and Ptychopetalum uncinatum Anselmino

Muira pauma is a South American group of two trees used as aphrodisiac and as medical herbs with nerve regulation as the basic principle. Other names of the group are marapuama , potency wood or raiz del macho. The name Muira puama is of indigenous origin and means "potency wood".

Botannical facts

Muira pauma is a group (genus) of 2 small trees of the genus Ptychopetalum that usually get 15 feet high. The trees have white flowers. The species used as medical herbs and sexually stimulating herbs are Ptychopetalum olacoides Benth. and Ptychopetalum uncinatum Anselmino.

Botanically the trees used are placed as such: The Plantae Division - Magnoliophyta, the class - Magnoliopsida, the order - Santalales, the family - Olacaceae, and the genus - Ptychopetalum.

The herbs are threes, 5-15 m high, growing in the Brazialian rain forest. The leaves are leather-like with a dark browninsh-green color 6-8 cm long. They have small white flowers smelling of jasmine that give rize to orange or yellow fruits.

Products from still another tree are commonly called Muira Puama and are sold for the same purposes, but this is unrealted to the others both botanically and by effector substances.

Habitat and growth condition:

The trees grow natively in Brazil in the Amzonas region.

Production and preparation:

The bark and root of the treas are used to make ectracts. Also the leaves contain working substances. The ectracts are usually made by alcohol or similar chemicals that can disolve both fatty substances and water solluble substances. The ectract can then be made into a tincture, or dried to a powder.

A watery decoction of the bark, wood or root can also be made and then used orally, or as an external ointment. This is a common practise in the native populations where these plants grow.

Medical effects:

Muira pauma helps against a lack of sexual desire of men. By men with a normal libido, it makes the sexual dezire even stronger.

It helps against problems with achieving an erection. For men having a normal erection potencey Muira pauma also makes the erections even larger and stronger.

The effect of the herb by men are the best documented, but the herb also seem to have a similar effect on women.

The herb seem to help against health problems caused by an inefficient nerval regulation, or where a nerval dysfunction is present as a symptom. It also seem to help for conditions where a stronger nerval action upon an organ can help to compensate for a weakness.

It can help against mental tiredness, depression,  physical tirednes and poor memory. It also helps against neuralgic pain conditions.

It may help against problems realated to the nerval regulation of muscle functions, and motoric problems caused by nerval dysfunction.

It may also improve the total nerval regulation of the cardiovascular system and thereby make the blood circulation more efficient.

It seems to prevent or help against stomach ulcers. A causal component of stomach ulcers are a poor regulation of the production of gastric acid and gastric function, and thus a nerve regulating drug like Muira pauma extract may help against this problem.

It may be effective against other digestive problems like general poor digestion, diarrhoea, dysenteria and parasits in the digestive system

It may also help against rheumatic conditions, which also is a traditional use of Muira pauma.

The herbs may also help against baldness.

Usage and dose

1.5 g of ectract from the root seem to be the most efficient dose when ectract of this herb is used in professional therapy, according to research.

In modern herbal supplements a much smaller dose is commonly used, because the herb is blended with other herbs, and the total blending is the working unit.

Used as a home remedy a daily amount of  0.5 - 1.5 g of root, leaves or bark is used for a decoction. This contain much less working substances than 1.5 g of ectract.

Effective constituents and their basic reactions

Muira pauma has constituents that help the nerves to work more efficiently. The greater nerval efficiency are then the base of many of the specific medial effects. The herb contains volantile oily components and alcaloids.

One main group of possible effector substances in muira puama is triterepnes which are esters of beheninic acid, lignocerinic acid and the alcohols lupeol and other phytosterols. Another main group are eteric oils like alfa- and beta-pinen, alfa-copaen, camphor, camphen, elixen, alfa-humulen, beta-caryophyllene and limonen.  Other groups of possible effector substances are flavonoids, alkaloids and saponins.

The most abundant oily components are: α-pinene, α-humulene, β-pinene, β-caryophyllene, camphene, and camphor.

It is not clear what substances gives the medical effects. Probably the oily components stimulate nerve endings and sensual bodies, and the alcaloids give a more internally and centrally nerval stimulating effect.

Scientific findings about muira puama:

Relatively few clinical studies have beenmade of Muira puama. An article published in a Brazilian pharmacological journal in 1925 renders a study conducted by Rudolpho Dias Da Silva. This showed that Muir puama could be an effective treatment of problems in the nervous system like partial paralysis, of impotence and of rheumatism.

Clinical studies led by Dr. Rebourgeon in France have shown that Muira puama can be effective by digestive problems, poor blood circulation and impotence.

In a submission to the  First International Congress on Ethnopharmacology a study of 262 men bothered by poor libido and erection was reported. One let the men take 1000-1500 mg Muira puama extract daily. In the course of two weeks 62% showed good effect upon the libido and 51% good effect on the erections.

Dr. Jacques Waynberg of The Institute of Sexology  in Paris, conducted research about the effect of this herbs for improving libido and male sexual functions. He found good effects of the herb for these objectives and found the herb to be safe in use. Three studies were conducted.

Researches conducted in Brazil on mice in 2003-2004 concluded that muira puama was good at increasing the retrival of memory and had a protective effect upon brain cells. The study was perfomed both on young and aged mice.

Researchers have concluded that the effects upon the sexual functions prpbably is due to a hormone-like mechanisms, and due to a  general strengthening effect upon the nervous functions and blood circulation that in turn makes the sexual ability greater.

Side effects

Muira pauma may possibly sometimes cause anxiety. Anxiety is a nervous function, and also this function may become more efficient by taking this herb. However, serious side effects are not reported.

Traditional medical uses

Muira puama have since long a major application as a medical plant in the Amazonas region, and the herb was also adopted by herbal doctors elsewhere in South America, in north America and in Europe from 1920 and beyond.

Indians in South America has used the herb as a means to increase sexual lust and mend potency problems. They also use it for neuromuscular problems and rheumatism.

Uses in modern herbal drugs

In Brazil Muira pauma is a part of modern pharmacology as a means to help against problems regarding libido and potency. It is also widely used in modern herbal supplements to enhance libido and enlarge the eractions, and to help against lack of lust and erectile problems.