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Limited evidenceMen's health

Yohimbe Bark Extract

Whole bark from the African tree Pausinystalia yohimbe, sold as a natural alternative to pharmaceutical yohimbine. The isolated alkaloid has genuine but modest evidence in erectile dysfunction; the bark products themselves contain wildly unpredictable amounts of it, which makes them the riskier and less reliable choice.

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What the science says

  • Yohimbine for erectile dysfunction Moderate evidence

    A systematic review and meta-analysis of seven randomized trials concluded that yohimbine is superior to placebo for erectile dysfunction, with a favourable benefit-risk ratio in the doses studied. A later 2021 systematic review reached a similar conclusion while noting that the trials are old, small and predate PDE5 inhibitors.

  • Bark supplements are poorly standardized Moderate evidence

    Chromatographic analysis of yohimbe bark and marketed bark supplements found yohimbine content ranging from undetectable to many times the labelled amount, with several products bearing no relationship to their labels. This means the dose you take is essentially unknown.

  • Whole bark itself has not been trialled Limited evidence

    No randomized trial has tested whole yohimbe bark extract as such for sexual function; the clinical evidence comes from pharmaceutical yohimbine hydrochloride. Extrapolating from one to the other is not justified.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseTrials of yohimbine hydrochloride used 15–30 mg per day in divided doses. There is no validated dose for whole bark, because content varies unpredictably between products and batches; labels typically suggest 500–1000 mg of bark, which says nothing about alkaloid content.
SafetyMeaningful risk profile: anxiety, panic, insomnia, tachycardia, raised blood pressure, and at higher doses hypertensive crisis and arrhythmia. Case reports include intracranial haemorrhage. Contraindicated with MAO inhibitors and clonidine, and in people with hypertension, cardiac disease, anxiety disorders, kidney disease or prostate disease. Restricted or banned as an ingredient in several countries. Not for use with stimulants or other pre-workout products.

How to take it

TimingNot applicable — we do not consider whole-bark yohimbe suitable for self-administration.
With food?Not applicable, and food does not reduce the cardiovascular risk.
Worth knowingIf erectile dysfunction is the problem, it is often the first sign of vascular disease and deserves a proper medical work-up rather than a bark extract.

Interactions

With medications

  • MAO inhibitors

    Risk of hypertensive crisis. Absolutely do not combine

  • clonidine and other alpha-2 agonists

    Yohimbine blocks the same receptor and directly opposes the drug's blood-pressure effect. Do not combine

  • blood pressure medication

    Yohimbine raises blood pressure and heart rate, working against treatment. Avoid entirely if you are treated for hypertension

  • tricyclic antidepressants

    Combined use has produced marked blood pressure rises. Do not combine

  • stimulant medication such as ADHD drugs

    Additive tachycardia, anxiety and hypertension. Do not combine

With other supplements

  • caffeine, synephrine and other stimulant pre-workouts

    Additive rise in heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety. Never stack yohimbe with stimulant products

Well-established interactions only — this is not a complete list. Always tell your doctor and pharmacist what you take.

Frequently asked questions

Does yohimbe work for erectile dysfunction?

Pharmaceutical yohimbine beat placebo in a meta-analysis of seven old, small trials (moderate evidence), but whole yohimbe bark extract has never been trialled. Bark products contain wildly unpredictable amounts of yohimbine, from undetectable to many times the label.

Is yohimbe bark safe?

Yohimbe bark has a meaningful risk profile: anxiety, panic, rapid heart rate and raised blood pressure, and at higher doses hypertensive crisis and arrhythmia, with case reports of brain haemorrhage. We do not consider whole-bark yohimbe suitable for self-administration.

What is the dose of yohimbe?

Trials of yohimbine hydrochloride used 15–30 mg per day in divided doses, but there is no validated dose for yohimbe bark; label doses of 500–1000 mg of bark say nothing about alkaloid content.

Can you take yohimbe with caffeine or a pre-workout?

Never stack yohimbe bark with caffeine, synephrine or stimulant pre-workouts, because heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety rise together. Do not combine it with MAO inhibitors, clonidine, tricyclic antidepressants or blood pressure medication.

Scientific references

Related in Men's health

Herbal medicines: what the evidence says (335)