Catuaba Bark Extract: The Optimum Prescription
A large amount of confusion exists today regarding the actual species of tree that is harvested in Brazilian forests and sold around the world as "c...
A large amount of confusion exists today regarding the actual species of tree that is harvested in Brazilian forests and sold around the world as “catuaba.” Experienced Brazilian harvesters will refer to two species: a “big catuaba” and a “small catuaba.” The confusion thickens when relating these trees to approved botanical species names. “Small catuaba” is Erythroxylum catuaba (A. J. Silva ex. Raym.-Hamet – the name was accepted in 1936), which grows 2-4 m tall and sports yellow-to-orange flowers and, in Brazil, is referred to as catuaba. “Big catuaba,” in the mahogany family, is Trichilia catigua (A. Juss.), which grows 6-10 m tall, has cream-colored flowers and – in Brazil – is referred to as catigu and angelim-rosa.
Catuaba bark is one of several herbs that contains many beneficial compounds that can be helpful to a number of health conditions. Catuaba bark refers to the bark of the Catuaba tree, which grows in the rainforests of Brazil.
The catuaba tree is a small tree with orange and yellow flowers. It produces an oval-shape fruit that is not edible. The catuaba tree belongs to the genus erythroxylum, which contains several species from which cocaine is derived.
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).
According to Dr. Meira Penna, catuaba “functions as a stimulant of the nervous system, above all when one deals with functional impotence of the male genital organs . . . it is an innocent aphrodisiac, used without any ill effects at all.” In Brazil it is regarded as an aphrodisiac with “proven efficacy” and, in addition to treating impotence, it is employed for many types of nervous conditions including insomnia, hypochondria, and pain related to the central nervous system (such as sciatica and neuralgia).
For generations, indigenous people have used catuaba bark not only as an aphrodisiac but also for many health benefits. It has been used to lessen pain, improve memory, calm anxiety and alleviate fatigue, among other benefits.
According to Michael van Straten, noted British author and researcher of medicinal plants, catuaba is beneficial to men and women as an aphrodisiac, but “it is in the area of male impotence that the most striking results have been reported” and “there is no evidence of side effects, even after long-term use.
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