June 12, 2000 -- A recent American visitor to the market stalls of a Turkish spice bazaar met aphrodisiac vendors at every turn. Catching his eye, they held up their fingers, counting off how many women the traveler could make love to in a single night. On closer inspection, these supposed "love potions" turned out to be mixes of common household spices -- cloves, coriander, cumin. But when confronted, the salesmen barely missed a beat. "It's the combination!" they insisted.

For thousands of years, people in every culture have sought a magical substance that could stir the embers of an ebbing libido. Scientists have generally pooh-poohed such notions. Now the arrival of the clinically proven impotence drug Viagra (sildenafil citrate) may have increased the allure of herbal aphrodisiacs. Many people, it seems, believe herbal remedies are safer than the drug. "Some people who are afraid of Viagra take these things," says William Catalona, MD, a urologist with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Others want to avoid the embarrassment of asking for a prescription.

Yohimb