Description
Common Name Standardized: muira puama Other: potency wood Botanical Name Croton echioides Plant Family: Euphorbiaceae Overview Introduction Muira puama is an understory tree in the Amazonian rain forest. Growing 15 feet (5 meters) high, it bears white flowers with an intense scent of jasmine. The bark and root are employed in herbal medicine. Constituents The medicinally active chemical constituents of muira puama are long-chain fatty acids and some unique alkaloid chemicals. Other chemicals in the bark and root that influence human health include alpha-copaene, alpha-elemene, alpha-guaiene, alpha-humulene, alpha-muurolene, alpha-pinene, alpha-resinic acid, alpha-terpinene, arachidic acid, allo-aromadendren, behenic acid, beta-bisabolene, beta-caryophyllene, beta-pinene, beta-resinic acid, beta-sitosterol, beta-transfarnesene, borneol, campesterols, camphene, camphor, car-3-ene, caryophyllene, cerotic acid, chromium, coumarin, cubebene, delta-cadinene, dotriacontanoic acid, elixene, ergosterols, eugenol, essential oils, gamma-muurolene, hentriacontanoic acid, heptacosanoic acid, lignoceric acid, limonene, linalool, lupeol, melissic acid, montanic acid, muirapuamine, myrcene, nonacosanoic acid, para-cymene, pentacosanoic acid, phlobaphene, stigmasterols, trichosanic acid, and uncosanic acid. Parts Used Bark and root. Typical Preparations Can be taken as a tea, but more effective if used as a tincture. Take the tincture with a small amount of warm water to which you have added a little lemon juice. This assists absorption of the therapeutic tannins. Another convenient form is a capsule. Summary The native peoples of the Amazon who use muira puama combine it with catuaba, allowing the mixture to stand in warm water overnight to make an amber medicinal infusion. Precautions Specific: No known precautions.
