Muira Puama Root

(Ptychopetalum olacoides)
From the Amazon Rainforest, Brazil

Muira Puama is one of the most distinctive botanical treasures of the Amazon rainforest — a small tree or shrub of the family Olacaceae native to the Rio Negro basin and the Brazilian Amazon, where it grows in the dense, humid lowland rainforest of the western Amazon basin. Ptychopetalum olacoides — known in Portuguese as “pau de potência” (potency wood) or “marapuama” — has been used by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, particularly the Tupí and other Rio Negro basin peoples, for centuries as a traditional botanical. It was first documented by European botanists in the 19th century and was included in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia in 1952, making it one of the few Amazonian plants to achieve formal recognition in a major Western pharmacopoeial reference of that era.

The plant is a slow-growing tree that can reach 5 meters in height, with small, fragrant white flowers and a dense, hard wood. Both the root and the bark are used in traditional preparations — the root is the most commonly available commercial form. The wood and root have a faint, pleasant, slightly resinous aroma. Muira Puama is harvested from wild-growing trees in the Brazilian Amazon and is considered an important part of the traditional botanical knowledge of Amazonian indigenous communities.

The root contains a distinctive and complex array of phytochemicals including muirapuamine (a unique alkaloid specific to Ptychopetalum species), long-chain fatty acids (behenic acid, lupeol esters — unusual fatty acid esters not commonly found in other botanicals), beta-sitosterol, campesterol, lupane-type triterpenes (lupeol, betulin, betulinic acid), coumarin, volatile oils (alpha-pinene, camphene, beta-pinene, limonene, linalool), tannins, plant sterols, and free fatty acids (palmitic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid). The unique combination of muirapuamine alkaloid and long-chain fatty acid esters gives muira puama a phytochemical profile unlike most other Amazonian botanicals.

Product Highlights

• Powder and cut & sifted root of Ptychopetalum olacoides — Muira Puama / Pau de Potência / Marapuama
• A traditional botanical of the Tupí and Rio Negro basin peoples of the Brazilian Amazon
• Included in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia (1952) — one of the first Amazonian plants to achieve Western pharmacopoeial recognition
• Wild-harvested from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest
• Rich in muirapuamine, lupeol, betulinic acid, beta-sitosterol, and long-chain fatty acid esters
• Unique phytochemical profile — muirapuamine alkaloid found only in Ptychopetalum species
• Available in Powder and Cut & Sifted forms

How to Use

Decoction: Simmer 1–2 teaspoons of muira puama root powder or c/s in 2 cups of water for 15–20 minutes; strain. The flavor is mild, slightly woody, and faintly resinous. Tincture: Muira puama is most effectively extracted in alcohol — traditionally prepared as a tincture in high-proof spirits, which extracts the fat-soluble fatty acid esters and alkaloids more effectively than water alone. Powder: Stir into smoothies, juice, or warm water. Capsules: Fill empty capsules with powder for a convenient supplement form. Herbal Formulas: Traditionally combined with other Amazonian botanicals in compound herbal preparations.

Available in Powder and Cut & Sifted (4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz). Wild-harvested from Brazil.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Consult your healthcare provider before use, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medications, or have a medical condition. Keep out of reach of children.