Recipe
Damiana tea
- Herb:
- Damiana Turnera diffusa
- Method:
- Herbal infusion (tea)
- Plant part:
- Leaf
About 10 minBeginnerRecipe science profile
Procedure
- Put a teaspoon of dried damiana leaves into a mug.
- Pour over 250 ml of boiling water and cover.
- Steep for 5–8 minutes; the drink is brown-gold and lightly bitter.
- Strain, sweeten with honey or add a slice of orange, as in Baja California.
Extraction
- Herb:
- 1 čajová lžička sušených listů na 250 ml
- Solvent:
- vroucí voda, 5–8 minut
- Shelf life:
- vypít týž den
- Target compounds:
- flavonoidy (apigenin), kyselina kávová a část silice; nápoj je aromaticky hořký, připomíná heřmánek s hořčinou
Notes
A traditional Mexican tea with no known particular risks in ordinary amounts; the aphrodisiac reputation is not clinically proven (Szewczyk & Zidorn 2014). In Mexico damiana is also drunk as a liqueur — that is alcohol, not the herb.
Why it works
Flavonoids (apigenin), phenolic acids and part of the volatile oil pass into the infusion. The review by Szewczyk & Zidorn summarises animal studies of sexual behaviour and in vitro data; no controlled human study exists — the aphrodisiac reputation remains tradition.
Literature
- Szewczyk K, Zidorn C (2014): Ethnobotany, phytochemistry, and bioactivity of the genus Turnera (Passifloraceae) with a focus on damiana. J Ethnopharmacol 152:424–443 — Přehled: tradiční afrodiziakum a tonikum; klinické studie chybí.
Related
Damiana — Herb card
Herbal infusion (tea) — Processing method detail