Yohimbe is the name of an evergreen tree found in parts of central and western Africa, that contains a chemical called yohimbine, which is used to make medicine.
Yohimbine hydrochloride (HCL) is a form of yohimbine that is a prescription drug in the US, of which Yohimbe bark extract or yohimbine is the active ingredient.
Yohimbine pills are popular among bodybuilders and people who want to lose weight.
It is also used by men and women who want to enhance their sex drive and sexual performance.
Yohimbine HCL tablets are a standardized pharmaceutical preparation that is approved as a prescription drug in the United States, mostly for sexual dysfunction, particularly related to the use of selective-serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), which are a type of anti-depressant medication.
Yohimbe is taken orally and can arouse sexual excitement, for erectile dysfunction (ED), and sexual problems caused by medications for depression called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.
It is generally used for sexual problems in both men and women and is also used for athletic performance, weight loss, exhaustion, chest pain, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, diabetic nerve pain, and for depression.
Yohimbe Uses
Anxiety and Depression
There is mixed evidence about the effectiveness of yohimbine, for treating anxiety-related to phobias.
Some research even suggests that it does not improve anxiety when combined with therapy, but, other research suggests that it reduces fear related to certain phobias.
Early research suggests that taking yohimbine (the active ingredient of Yohimbe), daily for 10 days does not improve depression symptoms.
Erectile dysfunction (ED).
There is evidence that yohimbine can be helpful for erectile dysfunction. Some herbalists suggest that the Yohimbe bark actually works better than the yohimbine ingredient alone, but so far, Yohimbe bark has not been evaluated in research studies.
The result from many studies suggests that yohimbine, the active ingredient of Yohimbe, can improve sexual problems associated with medications used for depression.
However, this benefit of Yohimbe has not been described specifically for the Yohimbe bark, and more evidence is needed to rate Yohimbe for these uses.
How do Yohimbine Pills Affect the Body?
Yohimbe contains a chemical called yohimbine which can which has the ability to increase blood flow and nerve impulses to the penis or vagina.
It also helps control the sexual side effects of certain medications used for depression.
Yohimbine works by inhibiting a feedback loop that promotes the storage of fat and blocks receptors that are located in parts of the body where fat is typically stored.
Ingestion of yohimbine pills also results in an increase in levels of the hormone noradrenaline (norepinephrine), which increases the breakdown of stored fats, promoting an increased rate of lipid metabolism.
Thus, yohimbine products are commonly used to promote fat loss and are used by bodybuilders in an “ECY Stack” formula as part of a cutting cycle.
A three-week clinical study in 1991 involved 20 obese females who were given 20 mg of yohimbine daily while on a 1,000 daily calorie intake, showed that the group given the yohimbine lost three more pounds than the placebo group.
However, participants were on a very low-calorie diet, and as such, this study cannot be used to rate the specific efficacy of yohimbine for weight loss.
Yohimbine does speed up weight loss, but may only work for individuals training in a fasted state.
Research has also shown that a dosage of 0.2 mg per kilogram of body weight is sufficient for fat loss and ingesting it before exercise is more effective.
A systematic review and analysis of randomized clinical trials for erectile dysfunction indicated that yohimbine has a positive effect on ED.
Yohimbine ingestion increased blood flow to the genitals for a more rigid and sustained erection.
The FDA has also approved yohimbine HCL for the treatment of male impotence and erectile dysfunction, ED.
How safe is Yohimbine HCL?
Contraindications
This drug should not be used in the presence of renal or hepatic disease, and you should not use it during pregnancy and nursing.
Interactions with other drugs or medications are not well documented, but side effects of this drug may include severe hypotension, hypertension, abdominal distress, and weakness.
Yohimbe may also cause central nervous system stimulation and paralysis and may precipitate psychoses in predisposed individuals.