Natural Alternatives for Men’s Health and Seven Plants That Will Help Your Brain, Back, and Libido
- 4 days ago
- 8 min read
Aaron Eschenburg is an Ayahuascero and Astrotheologer. He is the Founder and creator of Ancestral Herbs, a natural plant medicine company, and MiTranscendance Entheo Religious Society.
Two months after I turned 21, I was suddenly hit head-on by a drunk driver while driving home from a friend’s house. A few injuries and a small surgery left me with a new pharmacy cabinet full of medications that made me slow, numb, and dumb.
I looked at doctors as if they were putting a band-aid on a broken bone, masking the problem with pills that created more problems. I didn’t know the solution, but I knew the pills that were prescribed to me weren’t it, so I threw them away.
This led me on a journey of discovering different healing methods. Different cultures’ practices, sound and vibrational healing, herbal mysticism, the food I consumed, and the vast plant world around us that heals. Flowers, leaves, stems, roots, vines, barks, and the multitude of latex and oils that can be pulled from trees like maple syrup. Foods and activities that inflamed my pain, and plants and spices that took it away.
This exploration into a taboo world that was labeled as “alternative medicines” led me to different plant medicine ceremonies that changed the course of my life forever, specifically Ayahuasca. The ceremonies themselves were profound in every way. The wisdom from the vine and visions of the leaf continue to teach humanity. Some people come to ceremony to heal, some to overcome trauma, some come for a reset, and some come to pray; we all come to learn.
I continued to work in Ayahuasca ceremonies with many different shamans over the years. Eventually, I started working down in the jungle with Indigenous people, making the medicines, stirring pots, serving the medicine, and singing songs until sunrise alongside my teachers. The medicine guided me, and I listened. It told me to start making videos, so I created a YouTube channel and started to teach astrology, which is the balancing wheel of life. It guided me to create a religious nonprofit to serve the plants and people, as well as how to do so. Then, in a strong message, it told me to create a natural plant medicine company with our plant allies from the jungles of Peru.
The plants serve the animals and humans, and many humans serve the plants and the people.
When we work closely with these plants, we listen to the subtle ways they communicate with us. They want to be worked with. They want to be utilized and harvested. Just as an apple tree produces apples, it wants them plucked and rewards those who climb to get the sun-kissed one at the top. The apple is appreciated as a tree in the backyard of a home, just as it is in your local grocery store, as juice, wine, or applesauce. Humans can see a tree and turn it into a table for a family to eat, a boat to sail to new lands, or a violin that tickles the ears and touches the heart. The woodsmiths tell stories of how the wood told them what to do. It’s as if the plants chose to work with us; it certainly feels that way.
Seven plants specifically called out and said, “Hey, let’s go!” That is so hard to explain, but it’s the way it is. I listened. I worked with my friends to clean the bark, remove the medicine layer, boil the pots, stir for days and nights, and listen to them. They continued to teach me how they wanted to be presented. These are old-world medicines that are excited to reemerge into modern society. They are made with such care and through an old process that makes them extremely potent. These aren’t tinctures; they are concentrated extracts with real plant matter.
The pharmaceutical industry is loaded with so many harmful side effects that stack one on top of another. We have to think about our health seriously and reintroduce natural methods that originated before petrochemical medicines.
1. Banisteriopsis caapi: Pure being
The incredible brain-cell builder
Encourages the growth of new brain cells, particularly in areas associated with memory.
Gently elevates serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.
Helps stabilize mood into a steady, grounded state.
Reduces swelling and inflammation inside the brain.
Sharpens focus and helps with retaining new information.
Acts as a natural anti-anxiety and antidepressant support.
The B. caapi vine contains beta-carboline alkaloids, including harmine, harmaline, and tetrahydroharmine. These compounds function as reversible inhibitors of monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A). Studies show that harmine stimulates neural stem cell proliferation and synaptic plasticity, potentially supporting long-term cognitive retention, focus, and mental resilience under stress.
It can help tone the autonomic nervous system, shifting out of a constant “fight-or-flight” state and allowing better recovery and sleep quality. It facilitates neuroplasticity and emotional regulation, slowing the breakdown of natural “feel-good” chemicals like serotonin and dopamine. Naturally tapering the flow into a slower, steadier “drip,” these chemicals remain active longer, allowing the brain to operate at a higher, more stable baseline.
It offers many of the benefits associated with prescription SSRIs, as well as microdosing psilocybin mushrooms, without the same harmful side effects.
2. Chuchuhuasi: Pure vitality
The muscle and joint mechanic
Cuts the wire on long-term, chronic pain signals.
Rich in triterpenes for prostate health.
Alleviates joint stiffness and back pain.
Helps release deep tension in muscles and connective tissue.
Supports the body’s recovery after hard physical work.
Helps regulate immune responses related to joint health.
Recharges baseline physical stamina from the ground up.
Chuchuhuasi is a cornerstone of Amazonian pharmacopeia and male vitality joint tonics, traditionally relied upon to support libido, stamina, and physical vigor by supporting natural testosterone production and metabolic energy.
It contains triterpenes and alkaloids like maytansine, which may support pelvic blood flow and reduce systemic inflammation. This is important for maintaining a healthy prostate and optimal erectile function.
It acts as a phytoestrogen, analgesic, and natural anti-inflammatory compound by potentially influencing COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. It may help alleviate chronic joint stiffness, back pain, and physical wear and tear from exercise or hard labor.
It may influence the signals the body sends when experiencing chronic pain while also affecting proteins involved in swelling and tissue damage. In the jungle, it’s known as “trembling back” and is considered the plant to work with when you’re in pain. This is a traditional remedy often used for physical labor jobs that cause body aches and joint discomfort.
3. Uncaria tomentosa (cat’s claw): Pure immunity
The immune system upgrader
Supports the body’s natural DNA repair processes.
Helps signal white blood cells to support immune function.
Supports immune balance.
Encourages healthy immune cell activity.
Helps regulate inflammation throughout the body.
Protects cells from oxidative stress.
Supports the health of the stomach and gut lining.
This vine is a biological construction crew and pharmacy within itself. It is packed with compounds that support two important functions: protecting cellular health and supporting immune function.
It contains oxindole alkaloids (POAs) that may optimize immune function, supporting immune defense during periods of stress while helping regulate overactive inflammatory responses.
Microdoses may act as an astringent and anti-inflammatory support for the gastrointestinal tract, helping maintain gut health and nutrient absorption.
Research also demonstrates that Cat’s claw extracts may promote cellular repair and protect DNA against oxidative stress caused by aging, poor diet, or environmental toxins.
Mother Nature’s natural remedy.
4. Bobinsana: Pure heart
The blood-flow booster
Widens blood vessels, helping muscles and organs receive more oxygen.
Turns down the volume on the body’s stress hormones.
Helps reduce baseline anxiety.
Encourages tight, locked-up skeletal muscles to relax.
Helps ease arthritis discomfort and supports mobility in stiff joints.
Traditionally used as a circulatory tonic, Bobinsana is believed to support blood flow and vascular elasticity, which are key components of healthy blood pressure and sexual stamina. The heart-opening plant of the Amazon, revered as an emotional support supplement, is believed to help reduce baseline anxiety and emotional exhaustion by calming cardiac nervous system responses.
The medicinal bark of this shrubby tree acts as a natural pain-relieving and blood vessel-supporting compound. Containing active COX-inhibiting compounds that may reduce systemic inflammation, it may help ease deep-tissue body aches and chronic joint stiffness.
Unlike caffeine, which stresses the adrenal glands to provide energy, this plant is believed to support energy by helping the heart and blood vessels work more efficiently. A happy heart is a happy mind and body.
5. Piñón Blanco: Pure clarity
The deep-tissue scrub brush
Supports the body’s natural response to unwanted fungal and bacterial activity.
Supports the body’s natural waste-removal systems.
Encourages skin renewal and the replacement of dead cells.
Supports digestive balance so food moves through the body efficiently.
Supports the body’s natural defenses against viruses.
Traditionally microdosed to support clarity, focus, and feelings of being grounded.
This plant is considered a highly concentrated biological purge. In the jungle, it is associated with the energy of the great white light and is traditionally used as a purgative in highly concentrated tea preparations to cleanse the gut and intestines.
Containing phenolic compounds and diterpenes that may support hepatic (liver) function and lymphatic drainage, it may assist the body’s natural processes for clearing metabolic waste and xenoestrogens.
Its biochemical action is believed to center on disrupting the cellular membranes of certain pathogenic fungi. Because its raw form is toxic, highly diluted extractions have traditionally been used with caution as a metabolic support. Strong natural antiseptic properties are associated with supporting digestive health and the body’s natural defenses against harmful pathogens, parasites, and candida overgrowth.
6. Piñón Colorado: Pure dreams
The blood filter and dream catcher
Supports the body’s natural response to toxins and oxidative stress.
Acts as an assistant to the liver, supporting its natural filtering processes.
Supports the body’s defenses against viral activity.
Helps reduce swelling associated with localized injuries.
Traditionally used as a natural sleep aid that supports dream activity.
Piñón Colorado contains high concentrations of flavonoids and lignans. It is traditionally valued for its hemostatic and emmenagogue properties.
Focusing on the bloodstream, it is traditionally used to support circulation and reduce stagnation within the cardiovascular system, helping improve oxygen delivery to tissues.
It acts like a sponge, absorbing unwanted substances and supporting healthy blood vessels. Being rich in flavonoids and tannins, it may help reduce oxidative stress and protect vascular endothelial walls.
It is also used as a sleep aid, supporting deep rest without a groggy wake-up. It is believed to help connect the dream world with the physical world by encouraging visions and reflection.
7. Uvos Colorado: Pure moon
The cellular shield
Supports the body’s natural cellular defense mechanisms.
Helps reduce muscle spasms.
Supports the protection of brain cells from oxidative stress.
Helps calm physical symptoms associated with anxiety.
Supports the protective lining of internal organs.
It has been used as an Amazonian medicine to support the reproductive system, traditionally associated with seminal quality, libido, and hormonal vitality.
This tree bark is rich in tannins and phenolic compounds, providing astringent and antimicrobial properties. It is traditionally believed to help tone tissues while supporting the body’s natural defenses.
At the same time, it may send chemical signals to the nervous system that encourage relaxation. It is also packed with quercetin and gallic acid derivatives, which may help neutralize free radicals associated with cellular aging and organ stress.
It may also help support the stomach lining and digestive tract, contributing to nutrient absorption and balanced insulin responses.
Ancestral Herbs was created by the plants, with the help of human hands, to cultivate these medicines ethically and sustainably. Nature gives us all we need.
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Read more from Aaron Eschenburg
Aaron Eschenburg, Ayahuascero, Astrotheologer
Aaron Eschenburg is an Ayahuasca Shaman and creator of the natural plant medicine company Ancestral Herbs. Being hit by a drunk driver at 21 spiraled him into a journey of exploring alternative medicines to get away from the side effects of pharmaceuticals. Astrotheology and plant medicines then came into his life at the same time, creating a better understanding of humanity's relationship with our living planet, solar system, and the universe. He now dedicates his life to helping others explore the options of natural healing, entheogenic practices, and embracing the Aquarian Age.
