Supplement analysis backed by scientific evidence · PT

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Moderate evidenceMen's health

Yohimbine

Yohimbine is a real alpha-2 adrenergic antagonist with genuine effects — modest evidence for erectile dysfunction, thin evidence for fat loss, and a substantial adverse-event record. It is a prescription drug in several countries and banned as a supplement ingredient in others, which tells you most of what you need to know.

What the science says

  • Erectile dysfunction Moderate evidence

    A meta-analysis of 7 RCTs judged to be of satisfactory methodological quality found yohimbine superior to placebo for erectile dysfunction (odds ratio 3.85; 95% CI 2.22 to 6.67), with infrequent and reversible serious adverse reactions. Those trials predate PDE5 inhibitors, which are far more effective and better tolerated, so yohimbine is now a third-line option at best.

  • Body fat Limited evidence

    In 20 elite soccer players given 20 mg/day for 21 days alongside resistance training, body fat fell from 9.3% to 7.1% while placebo did not change, and post-supplementation fat mass was lower than placebo. This is a single small trial in lean, heavily trained athletes; yohimbine's lipolytic effect is blunted by insulin, so it is largely negated if taken with food.

  • Exercise performance Limited evidence

    The same trial found no change in body mass, muscle mass, bench press, leg press, vertical jump, dribbling, power or shuttle-run performance. Yohimbine is not an ergogenic aid.

  • Herbal yohimbe bark is not the same product Limited evidence

    Analyses of yohimbe bark supplements have repeatedly found yohimbine content wildly at odds with the label, from negligible to several times the stated amount. Since yohimbine's effects are steeply dose-dependent, this variability is itself a safety problem.

Dosage & safety

Studied doseErectile dysfunction trials used 15-30 mg/day of yohimbine hydrochloride, typically 5-10 mg three times daily. The fat-loss study used 20 mg/day (0.2 mg/kg twice daily), taken fasted, since insulin suppresses the lipolytic response. Effects are strongly dose-dependent and adverse effects rise sharply above roughly 0.2 mg/kg per dose.
SafetyThis is the most hazardous supplement on this list. A review of 238 yohimbine-related cases reported to the California Poison Control System found gastrointestinal distress in 46%, tachycardia in 43%, anxiety or agitation in 33% and hypertension in 25%; 98.7% involved herbal rather than prescription products, and yohimbine exposures were about 5.8 times more likely than the average reported exposure to produce a severe outcome. Panic attacks, tremor, insomnia, and at high doses hypertensive crisis, arrhythmia, seizures and renal failure have been reported. Contraindicated with MAOIs and in anxiety or panic disorder, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, kidney or liver disease, and pregnancy; use extreme caution with stimulants, tricyclic antidepressants and antihypertensives. Regulatory status varies sharply: yohimbine hydrochloride is a prescription medicine in several jurisdictions, yohimbe bark is prohibited as a food supplement ingredient in the UK, Australia and parts of the EU, and while yohimbine itself is not on the WADA prohibited list, it is commonly sold in blends that have been found contaminated with banned stimulants.

Scientific references

Where to buy

Primaforce, Yohimbine HCL, 90 Capsules (2.5 mg per Capsule)

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