Damiana: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

Damiana (Turnera diffusa) is a wild shrub that grows in Mexico, Central America, and the West Indies. The leaf and stem are used to make medicine.

Damiana contains chemicals that might improve stomach health and reduce ulcers. It might also have effects like an aphrodisiac.

People use damiana for depression, indigestion, obesity, sexual dysfunction, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Uses & Effectiveness

We currently have no information for Damiana overview.

Side Effects

When taken by mouth: Damiana is commonly consumed in foods. It is possibly safe when used in larger amounts as medicine. Side effects seem to be rare.

Special Precautions and Warnings

When taken by mouth: Damiana is commonly consumed in foods. It is possibly safe when used in larger amounts as medicine. Side effects seem to be rare.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if damiana is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Surgery: Damiana might affect blood sugar levels. This might interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. Stop using damiana at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

Interactions

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with Damiana
Damiana might lower blood sugar levels. Taking damiana along with diabetes medications might cause blood sugar to drop too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely.

Dosing

There isn't enough reliable information to know what an appropriate dose of damiana might be. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult a healthcare professional before using.

View References

REFERENCES:

Newall CA, Anderson LA, Philpson JD. Herbal Medicine: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals. London, UK: The Pharmaceutical Press, 1996.

McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, eds. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, LLC 1997.

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Title 21. Part 182 -- Substances Generally Recognized As Safe. Available at: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?CFRPart=182

Andersen T, Fogh J. Weight loss and delayed gastric emptying following a South American herbal preparation in overweight patients. J Hum Nutr Diet 2001;14:243-50.

Zhao J, Pawar RS, Ali Z, Khan IA. Phytochemical investigation of Turnera diffusa. J Nat Prod 2007;70:289-92.

Alcaraz-Melendez L, Delgado-Rodriguez J, Real-Cosio S. Analysis of essential oils from wild and micropropagated plants of damiana (Turnera diffusa). Fitoterapia 2004;75:696-701.

Arletti R, Benelli A, Cavazzuti E, et al. Stimulating property of Turnera diffusa and Pfaffia paniculata extracts on the sexual-behavior of male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1999;143:15-9.

Alarcon-Aquilar FJ, Roman-Ramos R, Perez-Gutierrez S, et al. Study of the anti-hyperglycemic effect of plants used as antidiabetics. J Ethnopharmacol 1998;61:101-10.

Ito, T. Y., Trant, A. S., and Polan, M. L. A double-blind placebo-controlled study of ArginMax, a nutritional supplement for enhancement of female sexual function. J Sex Marital Ther 2001;27(5):541-549.

Alarcon-Aguilar, F. J., Roman-Ramos, R., Flores-Saenz, J. L., and Aguirre-Garcia, F. Investigation on the hypoglycaemic effects of extracts of four Mexican medicinal plants in normal and alloxan-diabetic mice. Phytother Res 2002;16(4):383-386.

Piacente, S., Camargo, E. E., Zampelli, A., Gracioso, J. S., Souza Brito, A. R., Pizza, C., and Vilegas, W. Flavonoids and arbutin from Turnera diffusa. Z Naturforsch.[C.] 2002;57(11-12):983-985.

Polan, M. L., Hochberg, R. B., Trant, A. S., and Wuh, H. C. Estrogen bioassay of ginseng extract and ArginMax, a nutritional supplement for the enhancement of female sexual function. J Womens Health (Larchmt.) 2004;13(4):427-430.

Alarcon-Aguilara, F. J., Roman-Ramos, R., Perez-Gutierrez, S., Aguilar-Contreras, A., Contreras-Weber, C. C., and Flores-Saenz, J. L. Study of the anti-hyperglycemic effect of plants used as antidiabetics. J Ethnopharmacol. 1998;61(2):101-110.

Avelino-Flores Mdel C, Cruz-López Mdel C, Jiménez-Montejo FE, Reyes-Leyva J. Cytotoxic activity of the methanolic extract of Turnera diffusa Willd on breast cancer cells. J Med Food 2015;18(3):299-305.

Szewczyk K, Zidorn C. Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and bioactivity of the genus Turnera (Passifloraceae) with a focus on damiana--Turnera diffusa. J Ethnopharmacol 2014;152(3):424-43.

Ana María DB, Rosa María VV, Lilian MN, Lucía MM, Oscar GP, Rosa ER. Neurobehavioral and toxicological effects of an aqueous extract of Turnera diffusa Willd (Turneraceae) in mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2019;236:50-62.

Cai T, Palumbo F, Miacola C, Ceruti C, Rizzo M, Liguori G, et al; Italian Society of Andrology (SIA). Icarifil® in Association with Daily Use of Tadalafil (5 mg) versus Standard Tadalafil Daily Dose (5 mg) or Alone: Results from a Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial. J Clin Med. 2024;13(9):2564.

CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is licensed from Therapeutic Research Center, LLC. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.
Licensed from Therapeutic Research Center, LLC
Copyright © 1995-2025 by Therapeutic Research Center, LLC. All Rights Reserved.