Yohimbine

Last Updated: January 3, 2024

Yohimbine is promoted for its fat-burning properties and benefits for male sexual dysfunction. Though yohimbine is effective, side effects may include anxiety, nervousness, and an elevated heart rate, and the reported dose of yohimbine in many supplement formulas doesn’t match the actual dose.

Yohimbine is most often used for

What is yohimbine?

Yohimbine is a naturally occurring alkaloid found in the Pausinystalia yohimbe tree and the Rauwolfia serpentina plant. Yohimbine is a stimulatory compound that primarily acts on the alpha-2-adrenergic receptors in the body.[1] It’s best known for its ability to increase fat burning (lipolysis)[2] and aid in male sexual dysfunction.[3] Yohimbine supplementation is also used for weight loss,[4][5][6] body composition,[7][6] treatment of phobias,[8][9] and orthostatic hypotension,[10] though there is a lack of evidence to support yohimbine’s benefits for many of these conditions.

What are yohimbine’s main benefits?

Some evidence supports the use of yohimbine as a natural way to improve symptoms of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. While studies have questioned this claim,[11] two meta-analyses concluded that yohimbine taken alone[12] or alongside other therapies, including arginine and PDE-5 inhibitors,[13] improves ED when compared to a placebo, though studies using combined yohimbine and PDE-5 inhibitors have only been conducted in animals.[14]

Although it’s often marketed as a fat-loss and performance-enhancing supplement for athletes, there’s no evidence that yohimbine improves strength, increases muscle, or enhances physical performance.[15] Yohimbine does seem to have a lipolytic effect (increases “fat burning”)[15] and may improve body composition[6] or cause regional fat loss when used as a topical ointment.[7]

What are yohimbine’s main drawbacks?

When taken at the recommended dose (≤0.2 mg per kg of body weight), yohimbine may cause nausea, abdominal pain, dizziness, nervousness, and anxiety.[16]

Higher doses of yohimbine may be dangerous; a report from 2005 found that yohimbine had the highest rate of toxic effects of any botanical product.[17] Case reports of excess yohimbine ingestion have suggested that anxiety, hypertension (high blood pressure), tachycardia (high heart rate), arrhythmias, and agitation are among the more severe side effects of this compound.[15]

Furthermore, many yohimbine-containing supplements in the U.S. were found to be inaccurately labeled — they contained 23%–147% of the yohimbine reported on the label and failed to report the amount of yohimbine contained in the product or warn of the potential harms of excess consumption.[18]

How does yohimbine work?

Yohimbine is a selective alpha-2-adrenergic antagonist. In other words, it targets and inactivates a class of receptors in the nervous system that is responsive to the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (noradrenaline).[19] Alpha-2 receptor antagonism enhances the sympathetic nervous system release of norepinephrine, causing the stimulatory and “hyperadrenergic” effects of yohimbine.

Antagonism of alpha-2 receptors also inhibits penile smooth muscle contraction and may enhance nitric oxide-mediated smooth muscle relaxation — the combined effects of which promote erection and explain the improvement in ED symptoms after supplementing with yohimbine.[20] Yohimbine also inhibits the activity of alpha-2 receptors on fat cells — where norepinephrine normally acts to suppress fat release. Inhibition of the antilipolytic effect of norepinephrine allows more lipolysis (fat burning) to occur.[2]

What else is Yohimbine known as?
Note that Yohimbine is also known as:
  • Yohimbe
  • Corynanthe Yohimbe
  • Yohimbe Bark
  • Pausinystalia Yohimbe
Dosage information

Dosages of 0.2mg/kg bodyweight have been successfully used to increase fat burning without significant implications on cardiovascular parameters like heart rate and blood pressure. This results in a dosage of:

  • 14 mg for a 150 lb (68 kg) person
  • 18 mg for a 200 lb (91 kg) person
  • 22 mg for a 250 lb (113 kg) person

Supplementation is most effective between meals or during short term fasting.

Caution should be exercised at higher body weight, since the cardiovascular system may not be prepared to handle a stimulatory agent such as yohimbine. When supplementing yohimbine for the first time, always start with a half-dose and assess tolerance before proceeding.

Caution should also be exercised since many supplements containing yohimbine either do not list how much yohimbine is included, or if they do, the actual dose ranges from 25-150% of the dose listed. Since the dosage may be higher than listed, this is extra reason to start with a lower dose.

When pairing yohimbine with other stimulatory agents, half-dose both supplements and work up to the recommended dose cautiously, as two supplements can interact negatively.

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References
  1. ^Hedner T, Edgar B, Edvinsson L, Hedner J, Persson B, Pettersson AYohimbine pharmacokinetics and interaction with the sympathetic nervous system in normal volunteers.Eur J Clin Pharmacol.(1992)
  2. ^Lafontan M, Berlan M, Galitzky J, Montastruc JLAlpha-2 adrenoceptors in lipolysis: alpha 2 antagonists and lipid-mobilizing strategies.Am J Clin Nutr.(1992-01)
  3. ^Tam SW, Worcel M, Wyllie MYohimbine: a clinical review.Pharmacol Ther.(2001-Sep)
  4. ^Jonderko K, Kucio CEffect of anti-obesity drugs promoting energy expenditure, yohimbine and ephedrine, on gastric emptying in obese patientsAliment Pharmacol Ther.(1991 Aug)
  5. ^Kucio C, Jonderko K, Piskorska DDoes yohimbine act as a slimming drug?Isr J Med Sci.(1991-Oct)
  6. ^Ostojic SMYohimbine: the effects on body composition and exercise performance in soccer playersRes Sports Med.(2006 Oct-Dec)
  7. ^F L Greenway, G A BrayRegional fat loss from the thigh in obese women after adrenergic modulationClin Ther.(1987)
  8. ^Powers MB, Smits JA, Otto MW, Sanders C, Emmelkamp PMFacilitation of fear extinction in phobic participants with a novel cognitive enhancer: a randomized placebo controlled trial of yohimbine augmentationJ Anxiety Disord.(2009 Apr)
  9. ^Meyerbroeker K, Powers MB, van Stegeren A, Emmelkamp PMDoes yohimbine hydrochloride facilitate fear extinction in virtual reality treatment of fear of flying? A randomized placebo-controlled trialPsychother Psychosom.(2012)
  10. ^Shibao C, Okamoto LE, Gamboa A, Yu C, Diedrich A, Raj SR, Robertson D, Biaggioni IComparative efficacy of yohimbine against pyridostigmine for the treatment of orthostatic hypotension in autonomic failureHypertension.(2010 Nov)
  11. ^Shamloul RNatural aphrodisiacs.J Sex Med.(2010-Jan)
  12. ^Ernst E, Pittler MHYohimbine for erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trialsJ Urol.(1998 Feb)
  13. ^Wibowo DNSA, Soebadi DM, Soebadi MAYohimbine as a treatment for erectile dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Turk J Urol.(2021-Nov)
  14. ^Senbel AM, Mostafa TYohimbine enhances the effect of sildenafil on erectile process in rats.Int J Impot Res.(2008)
  15. ^Cimolai N, Cimolai TYohimbine use for physical enhancement and its potential toxicity.J Diet Suppl.(2011-Dec)
  16. ^Kearney T, Tu N, Haller CAdverse drug events associated with yohimbine-containing products: a retrospective review of the California Poison Control System reported cases.Ann Pharmacother.(2010-Jun)
  17. ^Woolf AD, Watson WA, Smolinske S, Litovitz TThe severity of toxic reactions to ephedra: comparisons to other botanical products and national trends from 1993-2002.Clin Toxicol (Phila).(2005)
  18. ^Cohen PA, Wang YH, Maller G, DeSouza R, Khan IAPharmaceutical quantities of yohimbine found in dietary supplements in the USA.Drug Test Anal.(2016)
  19. ^Murburg MM, Villacres EC, Ko GN, Veith RCEffects of yohimbine on human sympathetic nervous system function.J Clin Endocrinol Metab.(1991-Oct)
  20. ^Guay AT, Spark RF, Jacobson J, Murray FT, Geisser MEYohimbine treatment of organic erectile dysfunction in a dose-escalation trialInt J Impot Res.(2002 Feb)
Examine Database References
  1. Diuresis - Kennedy SH, Gnam W, Ralevski E, Brown GMMelatonin responses to clonidine and yohimbine challengesJ Psychiatry Neurosci.(1995 Jul)
  2. Heart Rate - Sommer M, Braumann M, Althoff T, Backhaus J, Kordon A, Junghanns K, Ehrenthal D, Bartmann U, Hohagen F, Broocks APsychological and neuroendocrine responses to social stress and to the administration of the alpha-2-receptor antagonist, yohimbine, in highly trained endurance athletes in comparison to untrained healthy controlsPharmacopsychiatry.(2011 Jun)
  3. Blood Pressure - O G Cameron, J K Zubieta, L Grunhaus, S MinoshimaEffects of yohimbine on cerebral blood flow, symptoms, and physiological functions in humansPsychosom Med.(Jul-Aug 2000)
  4. Testosterone - Guay AT, Spark RF, Jacobson J, Murray FT, Geisser MEYohimbine treatment of organic erectile dysfunction in a dose-escalation trialInt J Impot Res.(2002 Feb)
  5. Erections - Ernst E, Pittler MHYohimbine for erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trialsJ Urol.(1998 Feb)
  6. Body Fat - Ostojic SMYohimbine: the effects on body composition and exercise performance in soccer playersRes Sports Med.(2006 Oct-Dec)
  7. Phobia Symptoms - Powers MB, Smits JA, Otto MW, Sanders C, Emmelkamp PMFacilitation of fear extinction in phobic participants with a novel cognitive enhancer: a randomized placebo controlled trial of yohimbine augmentationJ Anxiety Disord.(2009 Apr)
  8. Cortisol - Umhau JC, Schwandt ML, Usala J, Geyer C, Singley E, George DT, Heilig MPharmacologically induced alcohol craving in treatment seeking alcoholics correlates with alcoholism severity, but is insensitive to acamprosateNeuropsychopharmacology.(2011 May)
  9. Gastric Emptying Rate - Jonderko K, Kucio CEffect of anti-obesity drugs promoting energy expenditure, yohimbine and ephedrine, on gastric emptying in obese patientsAliment Pharmacol Ther.(1991 Aug)
  10. Orthostatic Hypotension Symptoms - Shibao C, Okamoto LE, Gamboa A, Yu C, Diedrich A, Raj SR, Robertson D, Biaggioni IComparative efficacy of yohimbine against pyridostigmine for the treatment of orthostatic hypotension in autonomic failureHypertension.(2010 Nov)
  11. Phobia Symptoms - Meyerbroeker K, Powers MB, van Stegeren A, Emmelkamp PMDoes yohimbine hydrochloride facilitate fear extinction in virtual reality treatment of fear of flying? A randomized placebo-controlled trialPsychother Psychosom.(2012)