Muira puama
Summary
Muira puama is an Amazonian herb sold for libido and energy. The only published human study is an uncontrolled 1-month trial of a muira puama and ginkgo blend in 202 women (grade D); other data come from mice. Sexual-enhancement supplements are frequently adulterated with hidden prescription drugs, so product quality matters.
Key facts
- One uncontrolled 1-month study of a muira puama and ginkgo blend (202 women); no placebo-controlled trial of muira puama alone[1]
- FDA linked 353 sexual-enhancement supplements to hidden drugs in 2007–2016, most often sildenafil[4]
- A 2003 review of herbal sexual-function products called for rigorous research and product control[7]
- 1 graded human outcome on this page
- October 13, 2026
How it works
ProposedHow muira puama might affect sexual function in people is unknown. In mice, a standardised ethanol extract had antidepressant-like effects that depended on dopamine D1 and beta-adrenergic receptors, and it reversed drug-induced memory deficits, which the authors linked to anticholinesterase activity.[2][3]
What the human research says
Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form column shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.
| Outcome | Effect | Grade | Best evidence | PMID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-rated sexual desire, frequency and satisfaction | Improved | Grade D | Open-label trial · n = 202 · 2000 Healthy pre- and postmenopausal women with low sex drive Form: Herbal vX: muira puama plus ginkgo biloba · Dose: As directed for the combination product (amount not given in the abstract) · Duration: 1 month 65% of women had higher total questionnaire scores than at baseline, with gains in desire, frequency of intercourse, fantasies, satisfaction and orgasm. Compliance and tolerability were reported as good. | 11186145 (opens PubMed)Source [1] |
Forms
| Form | Elemental % | Absorption (human data) | GI tolerance | Studied for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muira puama bark or root powder capsules | Varies[8][9] | No human absorption data.[1] | No human safety data for single-herb capsules.[1] | Not studied alone in people |
| Liquid extract (tincture) | Varies[10] | No human absorption data.[1] | No human safety data; one label says not to use in pregnancy or while nursing.[10] | Not studied alone in people |
| Combination libido blends containing muira puama | Varies[1] | No data.[1] | Reported as well tolerated over 1 month in an uncontrolled study.[1] | Self-rated libido in women (muira puama plus ginkgo) |
Studied doses
Doses studied in human trials ranged from none for muira puama alone to a 1-month course of a muira puama and ginkgo blend, whose amounts were not reported in the abstract.[1]
Interactions
Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.
Medicines
- Nitrates (if a product is adulterated with PDE5 inhibitors)FDA safety communicationFDA has found hidden sildenafil and tadalafil in sexual-enhancement supplements; these undeclared drugs can interact with nitrates and lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Muira puama itself has no documented drug interactions because it has not been studied.[6][4]
Who should be careful
- People taking nitrates or with heart disease
- Sexual-enhancement products are a common target for hidden PDE5 inhibitors that can dangerously lower blood pressure with nitrates.[6][5]
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding
- One muira puama label says not to use if pregnant or nursing, and there are no human safety data.[10]
- Children
- No human data exist for children.[1]
Talk to your pharmacist or clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you take prescription medicines.
Adulteration of sexual-enhancement supplements
How to read the label
- Per serving, not per capsuleOne label lists 600 mg per 2-capsule serving (300 mg each); another lists 400 mg per capsule taken two to three times a day.[8][9]
- Extract equivalentsA liquid label states "2,000 mg" per 2 mL as herb equivalent, not the weight of extract you swallow.[10]
- No studied dose to compare withNo trial has tested muira puama alone, so no label dose can be matched to evidence.[1]
Frequently asked questions
Does muira puama boost libido?
There is no placebo-controlled evidence. The only human study gave 202 women a muira puama and ginkgo blend for a month with no comparison group; 65% reported higher scores.[1]
Is muira puama safe?
Its safety has not been studied in people. A bigger practical risk is that sexual-enhancement supplements are often adulterated with hidden prescription drugs.[1][4]
Can muira puama products contain hidden drugs?
FDA has found undeclared sildenafil, tadalafil and similar drugs in hundreds of sexual-enhancement supplements; no study has measured this for muira puama products specifically.[4][5]
Why does it matter if a libido supplement contains sildenafil?
Hidden sildenafil or tadalafil can interact with nitrate heart drugs such as nitroglycerin and lower blood pressure to dangerous levels.[6]
Sources
- [1]Effects of Herbal vX on libido and sexual activity in premenopausal and postmenopausal women.. Adv Ther, 2000. open-label
- [2]Antidepressant profile of Ptychopetalum olacoides Bentham (Marapuama) in mice.. Phytother Res, 2009. animal-study
- [3]MK801- and scopolamine-induced amnesias are reversed by an Amazonian herbal locally used as a "brain tonic".. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 2009. animal-study
- [4]Unapproved Pharmaceutical Ingredients Included in Dietary Supplements Associated With US Food and Drug Administration Warnings.. JAMA Netw Open, 2018. observational
- [5]Sexual Enhancement and Energy Product Notifications. U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026. safety-communication
- [6]X10 Natural Enhancement Supplement may be harmful due to hidden drug ingredients (hidden sildenafil and tadalafil; nitrate interaction). U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2026. safety-communication
- [7]A review of plant-derived and herbal approaches to the treatment of sexual dysfunctions.. J Sex Marital Ther, 2003. review
- [8]Muira Puama 600 mg (Solaray), DSLD label 339019: 600 mg muira puama per 2-capsule serving (300 mg per capsule), once daily. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Dietary Supplement Label Database, 2025. label
- [9]Full Spectrum Muira Puama 400 mg (Swanson), DSLD label 323509: 400 mg muira puama per 1-capsule serving, two to three times daily (800–1,200 mg/day). NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Dietary Supplement Label Database, 2024. label
- [10]Muira Puama 2,000 mg (Nature's Answer), DSLD label 208518: Ptychopetalum olacoides wood extract equivalent to 2,000 mg per 2 mL serving, 1–2 mL three times daily; do not use if pregnant or nursing. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Dietary Supplement Label Database, 2019. label
What changed
- Strict adversarial pass: PMIDs re-checked. Only human study is an uncontrolled two-herb blend (grade D, not form-specific). Adulteration section rests on FDA data for the sexual-enhancement category and states that muira-puama-specific data were not found; DSLD labels verified per serving.
- First draft rebuilt from scratch after the earlier draft files were lost. Every PMID checked against NCBI esummary and abstracts read. Adulteration section based on the 2018 analysis of FDA tainted-supplement warnings and current FDA notifications; muira-puama-specific adulteration data were not found and the page says so. Label amounts re-read from the DSLD API as per-serving amounts: 600 mg per 2 capsules (339019), 400 mg per capsule (323509), 2,000 mg herb equivalent per 2 mL (208518).