What is clavohuasca?

Clavohuasca is a woody climbing vine from the Amazon. Its botanical name is Tynanthus panurensis. The bark smells and tastes strongly of cloves, which is why it is called clove vine.

In Latin America it is best known as a tonic drink. Healers in Peru, Brazil and Colombia soaked the bark in cane spirit. The drink was taken for low sex drive, aching joints and weak digestion.

Human evidence is very thin. No good trials in people support any of these uses. Long traditional use tells you the plant was valued; it does not prove that it works, and it does not prove that it is safe.

How does clavohuasca work?

The honest answer is that no one has shown how clavohuasca works in people.

The bark is rich in eugenol, the oil that gives cloves their smell. In test tubes and in animals, eugenol calms some inflammation signals and dulls pain. Whether a bark drink does this in your body has not been tested.

Lab work also suggests eugenol makes platelets less sticky. Platelets are the blood cells that form clots. This has never been measured in people taking clavohuasca, but it is one reason to be careful with blood thinners.

The traditional claims about sex drive have no tested mechanism. Animal studies on this vine are few and weak. No study has shown any effect on human hormones.

What forms does clavohuasca come in?

Clavohuasca is sold mostly as dried bark or as a tincture, which is an alcohol extract.

Common forms: - shredded or chipped dried bark for soaking - bark powder in capsules - alcohol tinctures sold as drops - rum or aguardiente tonic liqueurs sold in Peru - multi-herb blends such as the "seven roots" (siete raices) mixtures

The liqueur style is the traditional one. It also brings a dose of alcohol with every serving. That matters if you avoid alcohol or take medicines that react with it.

Quality control is weak. Few sellers test for plant identity or purity. Mislabelled bark is a known problem in the Amazonian trade.

Where it comes from:

Clavohuasca has long standing in Amazonian plant medicine, above all in Peru.

Healers used the bark as a tonic for strength, sex drive and joint pain. It was usually soaked in cane spirit rather than boiled in water. Bottles of this drink were, and still are, sold in Iquitos and other river towns.

It was also added to some ayahuasca brews as a flavouring and helper plant. Written records of this mostly date from the twentieth century onward. Earlier use was passed on by word of mouth.

This page describes that history. It does not recommend copying it.

What does clavohuasca help with?

• Low sex drive: This is the best-known traditional claim. Bark soaked in cane spirit was taken as a tonic for men. There are no human trials. No study has measured sex drive, erections or hormones in people taking clavohuasca. Any benefit people report could be the alcohol, hope, or chance.
• Joint and muscle pain: Traditional users drank the bark preparation for stiff, aching joints and back pain. Eugenol eases pain signals in animal tests. That is laboratory work, not proof in people. No trial has tested clavohuasca for arthritis or any other joint problem.
• Sluggish digestion and gas: The warm, clove-like taste led to use as a digestive bitter after meals. Many aromatic barks are used this way across traditions. For clavohuasca itself there is no human evidence. Some people get heartburn from it instead.
• Tiredness and low stamina: It was taken as a general tonic for weakness and recovery after illness. "Tonic" is a traditional idea, not a measurable medical effect. No study has tested energy, stamina or recovery in people. If you are persistently tired, ask a doctor to look for a cause.
• Period cramps: Some regional use includes cramping pain during periods. This use is less documented than the others. There is no human evidence at all. The possible effect on clotting is a reason for caution if your periods are heavy.

What are the side effects of clavohuasca?

• Burning in the mouth or throat
• Heartburn or reflux
• Nausea or stomach pain
• Loose stools
• Headache or dizziness, mainly from alcohol-based forms
• Skin rash or itching in people allergic to clove
• Easier bruising or slower clotting, a possible effect rather than a proven one

Good to know:

Most reported problems are mild and involve the stomach or throat.

Serious harm appears to be uncommon, but the data are poor. There are no safety trials, so rare effects would not be known.

Clove oil is a separate and much stronger product. Swallowing it has caused severe liver injury, especially in children. Do not treat clove oil as a stronger version of this bark.

How much clavohuasca should you take?

• Recommended daily: No tested dose exists. No trial has set a safe or useful amount in people. Labels on bark products often list about 1 to 2 grams of dried bark a day, or a few millilitres of tincture. That is what sellers print. It is not a recommendation for you, and it is not based on human studies. The methyleugenol content is a further reason to keep any amount small and short-term. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before you start.
• Best time of day: Timing has not been studied and probably matters little. Traditionally the tonic drink was taken with or after a meal. Alcohol-based forms are a poor choice before driving, work or more alcohol.
• With or without food: Taking it with food is the gentler option. The bark is warming and can burn or sting on an empty stomach. Food also slows the alcohol in tinctures and liqueurs.
• Time to effect: There is no reliable answer, because nothing has been measured in people. Users of digestive bitters often describe an effect within an hour. For the tonic claims, people usually speak of weeks. It is also quite possible that it does nothing for you.
• How long to take it: Traditional use was in short courses, not year-round. No one has studied what happens with long daily use. Because of the methyleugenol question, continuous use for months is not a good idea. If you are thinking about long-term use, that is a conversation to have with a clinician.