(Hymenaea courbaril - 33mg per serving)

If you were standing in the rainforest, looking straight up, Jatoba is one of those huge canopy trees towering 90 feet overhead. Its small red flowers produce an edible, odd, brown fruit pod. Its sap is gathered for incense, and a tea, made from its bark, is a favorite health and energy tonic among Amazonian lumberjacks.

According to Brazilian doctors, whoever drinks Jatoba becomes “strong and vigorous, always ready to work - and staying productive.”

While Jatoba is also used for prostatitis, mouth ulcers and for bladder and yeast infections, it is not officially regarded as a direct aphrodisiac. However, I suppose a case could be made that a lethargic couple suffering from prostatitis and a yeast infection should possibly address these issues before expecting to move on to the more direct Aphrodisias. Perhaps you could say that Jatoba is an ideal preaphrodisia for either achieving or maintaining readiness.

One of the ways Jatoba seems to address energy is through supporting the liver, which is the heart of enzyme production and enzyme reconfiguration in your body Another avenue of energy increase may be a result of Jatoba’s effect of decreasing the yeast and fungus population which eats our food, and our cells, and then poisons us in return.

Like many of the bioflavonoid-rich Amazonia herbs, Jatoba helps with both asthma and arthritis. Abundant bioflavonoids also help keep bruising from injuries, accidents and surgeries to a minimum.

In South America, Jatoba is typically mentioned for laryngitis, bursitis, hepatitis, excessive menstrual bleeding, dysentery, and athlete’s foot.