What are yohimbine’s main benefits?

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    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    Yohimbine may help improve symptoms of erectile dysfunction in men, and some studies support its effectiveness compared to a placebo. Although it is marketed for fat loss and performance enhancement, there is no evidence that it improves strength or physical performance, and isolated studies suggest that it may promote fat burning and, if applied topically, improve body composition.

    Some evidence supports the use of yohimbine as a natural way to improve symptoms of erectile dysfunction (ED) in men. While studies have questioned this claim,[1] two meta-analyses concluded that yohimbine taken alone[2] or alongside other therapies, including arginine and PDE-5 inhibitors,[3] improves ED when compared to a placebo, though studies using combined yohimbine and PDE-5 inhibitors have only been conducted in animals.[4]

    Although it’s often marketed as a fat-loss and performance-enhancing supplement for athletes, there’s no evidence that yohimbine improves strength, increases muscle, or enhances physical performance.[5] Yohimbine does seem to have a lipolytic effect (increases “fat burning”)[5] and may improve body composition[6] or cause regional fat loss when used as a topical ointment.[7]