Muira puama (Ptychopetalum olacoides) or known as potency wood or marapuama is a herbal plant that belong to Olacaceae family. It has been used as medicine and aphrodisiac since long time ago especially by Amazon tribe in Brazil. The part of the plant that used as medicine are the roots and the bark. The plant of Ptychopetalum olacoides or muira puama mostly grown in America and nowadays it has been utilized in many types of medicine.
Potential Value of Muira Puama
Many researches have been conducted to found the content of muira puama since 1960s. Scientist found that the root and bark of muira puama contains :
- fatty acids
- free long-chain fatty acids
- fatty acid esters,
- essential oils including beta-caryophyllene and alpha-humulene,
- plant sterols,
- triterpenes (including lupeol),
- muirapuamine.
- sesquiterpenes
- monoterpenes
- novel alkaloids
History
Early usage of muira puama was found by the native Brazilian Amazon’s Rio Negro to treat neuromuscular problem. It also used for medicational bath and treat paralysis. Nowadays muira puama has been spread world wide and used as herbal medicine.
It was brought to Europe by European explorers and it is become part of herbal medicine in England. Even now muira puama is still listed as herbal medicine in British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (a herbal source reference in the British Herbal Medicine Association). Health Benefits of Muira Puama for human body is one of best herbal plant in earth.
1. Treat Sexual weakness
Muira puama is still highly recommended as natural aphrodisiac or herbal medicine that promote sexual function . it has been listed in Brazilian Pharmacopoeia since the 1950s.A study which conducted by reseachers and including 262 men which suffer sexual weakness reported that muira puima can improve their sexual ability of more than 50% of the men especially the ability of erection. This benefits is also perform in old men that having problem with sexual function.
2. Prevent Infertility
Muira puima is not only can be used to treat sexual weakness but also infertility. Infertility in men is a condition when the man can not ejaculate or have low level of testosterone ( a hormone that promote sperm production and releasing ). Muira puama contains plant sterol that can improve the level of testosteron and acts as the building block of testosteron.
3. Treat frigidity in women
Not only can increase the sexual function in men, muira puima is effective to treat low sexual desire or frigidity in women. According to study n 1990, at the Institute of Sexology in Paris, France, that conducted with 202 healthy frigid women reported that after one month consuming muira puima supplement, 65% of those women experiences the increasing of libido or sexual desire and satisfaction. It is one herbal remedy that used nowadays to increase orgasm and fantasies in women.
4. Cure Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Muira puima can be used to treat Premenstrual syndrome such as mood swing, menstrual cramps, weakness and etc. The benefit of muira puama in treating PMS has been used by Brazilian since long ago.
5. Relieve Neurasthenia (nervous exhaustion)
Neurasthenia is a nervous disorder that occur in brain and show several symptoms such as headache, fatigue, lack of motivation, and feelings of inadequacy. According to study, muira puama can enhance the brain function and relieve neurasthenia.
6. Traet nervous depression.
Its not only in Brazil, muira puama is also well known in Germany as neural or central nervous system tonic. Supplementation of muira puama in certain dosage can relieve nervous depression and enhance good mood in some depressed patient.
7. Reduce symptom rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis is one of the symptoms of autoimmune disease. It is a condition where the immune system doesn’t provide normal function in the body. The cells of immune system will consume or attack healthy cells in the body of the patient. It results the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis such as joint pain. Consuming muira puama regularly can help to reduce the pain cause by rheumatoid arthritis.
8. Treat upset stomach
Muira puama can be used to treat upset stomach that showing sign of nausea, vomiting, morning sickness, and other discomfort feeling that comes from stomach. It is also good reliever for people who suffer from stomach ache.
9. Prevent Alzheimer
Muira puama benefits can maintain the level and improve the acetylcoline amount in the brain. Acetylkoline is an important neurotrasmitter in brain. The decreasing level of acetylcoline can rise serious impact and trigger the development of Alzheimer. Taking muira puama supplement can help to maintain healthy brain function and prevent from Alzheimer disease which usually happen in old age.
10. Prevent cancer
Health benefits of Muira puama contains lignans which is known as substance that not only can enhance sexual desire but also prevent certain types of cancer especially that effect on sexual organs such as prostate, endometrium, ovarioum and breast cancer.
11. Treat diarrhea
Diarrhea is common problem that occur in digestion tract. Watery stool in diarrhea sufferer is caused by the problem in large intestine. During defecation process, the large intestine fail to absorb water from the stool and triggering diarrhea. Many factors can cause diarrhea such as infection of bacteria, and also spicy and sour food. If you experience diarrhea taking muira puama supplement can also be effective.
12. Treat paralysis
Due to its effect on central nervous system, muira puama supplement is also used by people to treat paralysis even it has been used by Amazon people long ago.
13. Cure beri-beri
Brazilian people also use muira supplement to treat beri-beri, it is a condition where the body doesn’t get enough Vitamin B especially thiamin. It also may caused by the body failure to absorb thiamine. Beri-beri can cause muscle weakness and paralysis, and it will be serious if its not getting treated immediately.
14. Treat influenza
Muira puama is a good supplement that can prevent and relieve influenza. By increasing the stamina in also increase the ability of the body to fight certain common disease such as grippe or influenza.
15. Cardiac weakness
Cardiac weakness ia an early sign of heart failure and heart disease. It can be fatal if its not getting well treated. Consuming muira puama is believed can increase the performance of heart and reduce cardiac muscle weakness.
16. Prevent baldness
Baldness is common problem and people take it as normal thing. It is true that baldness is not a serious health problem but it can also be annoying to some people especially in women. Muira puama supplementation can prevent the hairl loss which result in baldness.
17. Stress relie
Taking muira puama as supplement is effective to reduce stress. It is based on the opinion of some people that have been taking muira puama supplement. After some days taking the supplement, they felt wellbeing sense and increase mood.
18. central nervous system disorders.
Muira puama has been use as neural tonic since long ago. It has been proved that the extract of the root and bark of muira puama can enhance the central nervous system function and relieve certain mental disorder.
19. Improve sleep quality
It is believed that taking muira puama supplement before sleep can improve sleep quality. It promotes deep sleep and make you feel more comfortable.
20. Reduce Nerve pain,
Neural or nerve pain is usually comes to people who has problem with some inflammation happen on the nervous system such as those who suffer ischialgia or pain in the backbone. Treating nerve pain with muira puama is possibly will result the positive effect and reduce pain.
21. Treat dysentery
Even still not being proven, Brazilian people has used muira puama as treatment for dysentry as well. Dysentry is infection that occur in the intestine that causing diarrhea. Consuming muira puama regularly can prevent from dysentry and relieve the infection that occur in intestinal tract.
22. Improve stamina
Muira puama is marketed in Brazil as a body stimulant tonic just like some other beverage. Combination of muira puama with other herbal extract such as ginger and guarana which is source of caffeine, can slightly boost the stamina such as
Health Risk of Muira Puama
Using excessive supplement or high doses of muira puama can cause sleep diisorder such as insomnia. It is maybe because its affected the central nervous system and increase alertness of the brain. If you experience this effect reduce the dosage of supplement that you usually take.
How to consume muira puama
Consuming muara puima regularly is giving you health benefits if its consumed in right doses. You can easily found the supplement in health store or market. Make sure to choose trusted brand and look at the ingredients. Pay attention to the dosage of muira puama supplement and just use the exact doses. Avoid to consume excessive supplement and try to consult your doctor before start.