Yohimbine
Status
No approved product. Yohimbine hydrochloride previously held FDA approval as a prescription product for erectile dysfunction; that labeling is no longer marketed in the United States. Yohimbe bark extract sold as a supplement is not FDA-approved, and the agency has issued warnings about products whose declared alkaloid content does not match their actual content.
What it is
A plant-derived compound studied for fat mobilisation and blood pressure effects.
What published research measured
An alkaloid from the bark of Pausinystalia yohimbe that antagonizes alpha-2 adrenergic receptors, thereby increasing noradrenaline release. Controlled human trials exist for erectile dysfunction, where meta-analysis found a modest benefit over placebo, and this is the best-supported use. Evidence for fat loss in humans is weak and inconsistent; the theoretical basis — alpha-2 receptors restraining lipolysis in stubborn fat depots — is better established than any outcome. The safety literature is more substantial than the efficacy literature: anxiety, tachycardia, hypertension and, in overdose, serious cardiovascular events are documented, and interaction with monoamine oxidase inhibitors is dangerous. Analyses of commercial yohimbine supplements have repeatedly found actual content ranging from a fraction of the label claim to several times it.
Source
Ernst and Pittler 1998, Journal of Urology — meta-analysis of yohimbine for erectile dysfunction · FDA warnings on yohimbe-containing supplement content
Sources
No linked primary source is on file for this entry yet.
Educational use only, never medical advice. No doses.