Tongkat Ali is a natural cure for low testosterone. Did you know that your testosterone levels peak between the ages of 30 and 35, then begin a slow but steady decline year after year? Factors such as environmental estrogens, high-stress lifestyles, and a lack of exercise are also fueling a greater drop in testosterone levels. The result: The lowest levels of testosterone in recent history.
Low testosterone is no joke. It can cause infertility issues, kill your sex drive, zap your muscle mass, and change your mood for the worse. Your daily diet and exercise program can help to restore your testosterone levels to normal levels and avoid these side effects. Proven men’s health supplements can also help; introducing Tongkat Ali.
What is Tongkat Ali?
Tongkat Ali is an herbal-based supplement typically marketed towards men’s issues such as low testosterone and low libido. Although it’s most popular as a supplement for the bedroom, Tongkat Ali is also found in several bodybuilding supplements as it’s thought to support muscle, strength, and recovery. The medical community is also considering it as a potential support supplement for emotional distress conditions such as anxiety.
Eurycoma longifolia
The proper name for Tongkat Ali is Eurycoma longifolia, and it is found within Southeast Asia, particularly the countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. When marketed in the Western world, Eurycoma longifolia is sometimes mistakenly referred to as “longjack.” This name should not be confused with…
Longjack
Flindersia xanthoxyla, an Australian rainforest tree, is commonly called long jack. When shopping for Eurycoma longifolia, if it’s not labeled as “Tongkat Ali,” be sure to look for the name “long jack root.”
Tongkat Ali Benefits
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last 10 years, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Tongkat Ali become a popular supplement for men and athletes. Is the fanfare justified? Or is this another trendy supplement that will soon vanish as unproven and ineffective? Let’s take a look at the scientifically proven benefits of Tongkat Ali.
Boosts Male Fertility
The most popular and studied benefit of Tongkat Ali is its ability to support male fertility. This refers to the inability of a man to get a woman pregnant. The semen of a male with infertility issues may have several deficiencies but the most common are low sperm count and the production of dysfunctional sperm. Tongkat Ali has been shown to increase the quality and number of an infertile man’s sperm, resulting in a successful pregnancy.
In a study published in the Asian Journal of Andrology, 75 subjects took 200 mg of Tongkat Ali every day. Their semen was tested every three months for a total of nine months. Researchers confirmed that the use of Tongkat Ali reversed many of the symptoms associated with male infertility.
Numbers across the board were significantly improved; most notably was sperm concentration which was improved up to 94% by the end of the third cycle of treatment. What’s more, out of the 75 subjects, there were 11 spontaneous pregnancies.
Helps with Erectile Dysfunction and Libido
Continuing with the idea above, symptoms of male infertility include low libido, lack of sexual desire, and erectile dysfunction. Not only can Tongkat Ali improve your fertility, but it can also reverse or eliminate many of the symptoms associated with infertility.
In one animal-based study, researchers found that rats were provided with Tongkat Ali mixed with yohimbine, another potent libido booster, had an enhanced sexual desire and motivation to mate. That’s great for rats, but what about humans?
In a study published in Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, researchers gathered 26 subjects between the ages of 40 and 65. They provided 14 healthy men with 300 mg of Tongkat Ali each day; the other 12 men received a placebo. Not only was Tongkat Ali well-tolerated and safe to use, but it was also highly effective. Researchers found that Tongkat Ali was successful in improving sexual desire and performance of those volunteers taking Eurycoma longifolia.
Increases Testosterone
Tongkat Ali is found in most testosterone boosters and with good reason: it has a high chance of working for most guys. In a study published in Natural Product Communications, Tongkat Ali was shown to increase serum testosterone levels in rats. Again, that’s a good start but what about human-based studies?
A study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition gave 63 subjects (32 men and 31 women) Tongkat Ali or a placebo for a total of four weeks. At the conclusion of the four weeks, those receiving the Tongkat Ali supplement showed an increase in testosterone status while cortisol, a stress hormone that can negatively impact testosterone, was lower.
Tongkat Ali can also offer support to older men, who typically have the lowest levels of testosterone due to the aging process. Thirteen active senior males were provided with a Tongkat Ali supplement of 400-mg daily for a total of five weeks. At the conclusion of the study, researchers concluded that total and free testosterone levels in the men had significantly increased.
Reduces Anxiety
Low levels of testosterone are connected with changes in mood; the most common being elevated levels of anxiety and depression. Tongkat Ali might be able to significantly improve your natural testosterone levels, but it can also help with your day-to-day mood and mindset.
The same study mentioned above found that those subjects taking Tongkat Ali had demonstrated a 12% drop in anger, a 15% decrease in confusion, and overall levels of tension were 11% lower. What’s more, one of the fight-or-flight hormones that also possesses catabolic properties, cortisol, was 16% lower.
Increases Muscle Mass and Strength
If Tongkat Ali can improve testosterone levels, what can it do for your lean muscle mass and strength? Some studies suggest that taken as a part of a well-structured resistance program, Tongkat Ali can increase muscle and strength.
In a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, fourteen men performed a strength-training program every other day for five weeks. Half of the men received 100 mg of Tongkat Ali while the other half received a placebo. At the end of the study, the men supplementing with Tongkat Ali gained more muscle mass and muscle strength while losing more body fat.
In the study mentioned above, not only did older guys get a boost in testosterone levels, but researchers found that Tongkat Ali supplementation also helped to increase lean muscle tissue and muscle power.
Antibacterial Properties
One strange benefit of Tongkat Ali is that it can be used as a natural and effective anti-bacterial agent.
Researchers tested five pathogenic strains – common causes for illness – against Tongkat Ali. The study demonstrated that Eurycoma longifolia was effective in fighting off four of the five strains of bacteria. In another study, researchers conducted a similar experiment, taking alcoholic and acetone extracts from leaves and stems of Tongkat Ali and putting them in with different bacterial strains. They concluded that Tongkat Ali has antibacterial properties and can be used as such.
Tongkat Ali Side Effects
All these benefits, but there has to be a catch, right? Not exactly. In general, Tongkat Ali is safe and well-tolerated by most people.
The most common side effect that is reported on forums and message boards is trouble sleeping. It’s not textbook insomnia, but trouble falling asleep and staying asleep is more common when using Tongkat Ali before bed. The way to remedy this is to take your Tongkat Ali earlier in the day, preferably with breakfast.
There is one theoretical side effect that has no basis in the scientific literature: Aggression. The idea is that since you are increasing your levels of testosterone, you can become more aggressive. While testosterone is associated with levels of aggression, the amount that your testosterone would have to rise is far more than what Tongkat Ali has been shown to do. Don’t let this scare you off if you’ve been reading about it.
Finally, if you’re taking medications, you should check with your doctor about Tongkat Ali. In particular, those taking immunosuppressant drugs might not be able to take Tongkat Ali as it may interfere with the effectiveness of the other medications.
Tongkat Ali Dosage
Since there is no one method of producing Tongkat Ali, you’ll notice that different brands will offer varying levels of strength and dosage amounts.
Tongkat Ali isn’t just crushed into a powder then put into a capsule. It has to be boiled and processed to achieve a high level of concentrated extract. The concentration of the Tongkat Ali extract will be represented in a ratio. The second number in the ratio is how many grams of Tongkat Ali was used to make the first number. This super concentrated extract is then placed into the supplement. Here’s an example:
1:50
- If you see 1:50 on a label, this means that 50 grams (the second number) of the Tongkat Ali root was used to produce 1 gram (the first number) of the extract.
There are two more common ratios found on reputable Tongkat Ali supplements:
1:100
- 100 grams of Tongkat Ali root was used to create 1 gram of the extract.
1:200
- 200 grams of Tongkat Ali root was used to create 1 gram of the extract.
With that said, here is a general guideline of what to look for in terms of the strength of the product and the appropriate dosage.
- If the strength of the product is labeled as 1:50, look for a dosage of 1,000 mg per serving. Please note that a serving might be two capsules of 500 mg each.
- If the strength of the product is labeled as 1:100, look for a dosage of 800 mg per serving.
- If the strength of the product is labeled as 1:200, look for a dosage of 600 mg per serving.
Where to buy Tongkat Ali
Due to the delicate process of creating a genuine and strong Tongkat Ali product, you have to be careful where you buy it. Many companies have jumped on the bandwagon only to release a mediocre or useless product, which gives Tongkat Ali a bad reputation. There are two websites that we recommend:
- The Tongkat Ali Shop
- Authentic Tongkat Ali
Both websites directly source their Tongkat Ali from Indonesia and have a certified label on all of their products confirming potency.
Be careful of fakes and fillers
If you don’t go with either of the stores listed above, here are a few pointers to make sure you buy legit Tongkat Ali.
First, take a look at the price. We understand you might want to save some money but if you find Tongkat Ali listed for anything less than $20, steer clear.
Second, look at where the company is sourcing their Tongkat Ali. Are they getting it from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, or Malaysia? If so, great. If not, probably best to avoid that brand. Don’t be afraid to contact the company to ask for proof.
Final Thoughts
Lastly, how transparent is the label? Does it show how much Tongkat Ali was used? Specifically, does the label say “100% Tongkat Ali Root”? This is key as you want the root, which will also have a higher price tag, but it’s worth every penny.
Tongkat Ali is a wonder herb that has been scientifically proven to provide the benefits of more testosterone, sex drive, and muscle while reducing anxiety. It’s also a great way to support your immune system from certain strains of bacteria. We would definitely recommend using Tongkat Ali, but be careful where you buy it. Look for “100% Tongkat Ali Root” on the label and be willing to spend a bit more for the real thing. In the end, you won’t regret it.