Catuaba has a long history in herbal medicine as an aphrodisiac. The Tupi Indians in Brazil first discovered the qualities of the plant and over the last centuries, have composed many songs praising it's wonders. Indigenous people and local people have used Catuaba for generations and it is the most famous of all Brazilian aphrodisiaca plants. In the state of Minas there is a saying which goes, "Until a father reaches 60, the son is his, after that the son is Catuaba's." According to Dr. Meira Penna, Catuaba "functions as a stimulant of the nervous system, above all when one deals with functional impotence of the male genital organs... it is an innocent aphrodisiac, used without any ill effects at all.

In Brazilian herbal medicine today, Catuaba is considered a central nervous system stimulant with aphrodisiac properties and a bark decoction is used for sexual impotency, agitation, nervousness, neurasthenia, poor memory or forgetfulness, and sexual weakness. It is regarded as an aphrodisiac with "proven efficacy," and in addition to treating impotency, it is employed for many types of nervous conditions including insomnia, hypochondria, and pain related to the central nervous system. In European herbal medicine, Catuaba is considered an aphrodisiac, and a brain and nerve stimulant with a bark tea used for sexual weakness, impotency, nervous debility and exhaustion. Herbalists and health practitioners in the U.S. use Catuaba in much the same way; as a tonic for the genitals as well as a central nervous system stimulant, for sexual impotence, general exhaustion and fatigue, for insomnia related to hypertension, agitation, and poor memory. According to Michael van Straten, noted British herbalist and naturopath, Catuaba is beneficial to men and women as an aphrodisiac, but "it is in the area of male impotence that the most striking results have been reported" and "there is no evidence of side effects, even after long-term use."

The constituents found in Catuaba include a bitter substance, alkaloids, tannins, aromatic oils and fatty resins, phytosterols, cyclolignans and a chemical Brazilian scientists named, Ioimbina. Clinical studies on Catuaba have found very interesting results involving its antibacterial and antiviral properties. A clinical study conducted in 1992 indicated that an extract of catuaba was effective in protecting mice from lethal infections of Escherichia coli and Staphlococcus aureus, in addition to significantly inhibiting HIV. The study found that Catuaba's anti-HIV activity was shown to be induced, at least in part, via the inhibition of HIV absorption to the cells and suggested that Catuaba extract has potential against opportunistic infection in HIV patients.

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