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| | CATUABA has been, maybe for thousands of years, the most loved and respected herb for men in that nation of passionate lovers - Brazil! Use for: Sexual impotency, sexual weakness Insomnia Exhaustion and fatigue Nervous debility, agitation, neurasthenia, poor memory or forgetfulness Pain related to the central nervous system Hypochondria
It is made from the bark of a powerful tree from the Amazon. The cambium layer - beneath the outer rind - is fibrous, and is shredded to make a tea taken throughout the day and last thing at night. In Brazil they often drop a whole piece of bark into a bottle of rum to make a relaxing night-cap, the alcohol drawing out the actives. These have been shown to be a relaxant of involuntary muscle, and a calmer of the mood. Increased blood-flow and the release of both mental and physical tension are often important steps in the re-awakening and maintenance of sexual potency in men. It is the most famous of all Brazilian aphrodisiac plants. In the Brazilian state of Minas there is a saying, “Until a father reaches 60, the son is his; after that, the son is catuaba’s!” A regular course is recommended, and the benefits usually come within the first four weeks. To date, no toxicity studies have been published on catuaba—but its long history of use in Brazil has reported no toxicity or ill effects. In fact, according to Dr. Meira Penna, the only side-effects are beneficial—erotic dreams and increased sexual desire! Clinical studies on catuaba also have shown results related to its antibacterial and antiviral properties. A 1992 study indicated that an extract of catuaba (Erythoxlyum catuaba) was effective in protecting mice from lethal infections of Escherichia coli and Staphlococcus aureus, in addition to inhibiting HIV significantly. The study found that the pathway of catuaba’s anti-HIV activity stemmed (at least partially) from the inhibition of HIV absorption into cells, and suggested that catuaba had potential against opportunistic infections in HIV patients. A U.S. patent was granted (in 2002) to a group of Brazilian researchers for a catuaba bark extract (Trichilia catigua). Its patent refers to animal studies it conducted that reported a vasodilating, vasorelaxant, and analgesic effect in rats, rabbits and guinea pigs. A study published in 1997 reported that catuaba bark had significant analgesic activity in vivo.
References: - van Straten, Michael. Guarana: The Energy Seeds and Herbs of the Amazon Rainforest. Essex, England: C. W. Daniel Company, Ltd., 1994.
- Garcez, W. S., et al. “Sesquiterpenes from Trichilia catigua.” Fitoterapia 1997; 68(1): 87–8.
- Satoh, M., et al. “Cytotoxic constituents from Erythroxylum catuaba. Isolation and cytotoxic activities of cinchonain.” Natural Med. 2000; 54(2): 97–100.
- Manabe, H., et al. “Effects of catuaba extracts on microbial and HIV infection.” In Vivo 1992; 6(2): 161–65.
- Vaz, Z. R., et al. “Analgesic effect of the herbal medicine Catuaba in thermal and chemical models of nociception in mice.” Phytother. Res. 1997; 11(2): 101–6.
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Rio Health The herbal preparations in the Rio Range have been sourced and prepared to the highest standards, and are manufactured in facilities licensed for pharmaceutical use. They contain the finest quality ingredients, tested at source for purity and active levels. Rio Health has specialized in the herbs of the Amazon Rainforest for over fifteen years. By far the greatest concentration of plant species on the planet is to be found in the Amazon basin.
It is estimated that over 80% of the earth's bio-diversity is located in this amazing profusion. Amongst this huge biomass there are thought to be many plant species with therapeutic possibilities.
Although from the air the jungle canopy may look like a wild diverse confusion, there are signs that hand the hand of man may once, thousands of years ago, have been involved in the selection and planting of species. Some food plants, for instance, not native to the Amazon basin, appear along clearly defined routes stretching hundreds of miles, as if they had been sketched to support travellers. So do some of the known medicinal plants. In the intervening centuries the pathways of this vast herb garden have become overgrown and unclear, but head westward from Manaus, along an ancient route may bring to light some very special new plant by the wayside. Herbs
For thousands of years, herbs have been used to help maintain many aspects of health and wellness. Today, research and technology are bringing herbalism into the modern age – with improved extraction, standardization, and farming methods. Clinical studies are beginning to validate herbal therapies, so even some in the medical community are starting to accept them. Many of today’s medicines were originally derived from botanicals. Aspirin once came from the white willow tree, quinine from the bark of the cinchona tree, and digitalis from foxglove. Herbs are still the basis for Chinese medicine and are important constituents of many European natural remedies. As Hippocrates said, “Let they food by thy medicine, thy medicine be thy food”. Some of the herbs available on this site are wild-crafted – grown in the wild – while others are meticulously cultivated on herb farms. |
