Tongkat Ali Benefits and side-effects
Tongkat Ali Product Review
In the male enhancement supplement market, Tongkat Ali isn’t a new name. In fact, it has been a very well-known testosterone booster product that has been claimed by many as extremely effective. For those who aren’t familiar, Tongkat Ali is an herb that has been used for treating many illnesses, although it’s more popularly known for its libido boosting properties.
Tongkat Ali has been infused with a lot of products which makes it a versatile herb. There are Tongkat Ali pills, Tongkat Ali coffee, Tongkat Ali tea, and many others. In this review, we’ll be delving deep into what Tongkat Ali is and what it can do for you. I’ll also share my own personal experience with using Tongkat Ali and its pros and cons based on my usage and research.
I highly recommend that you check out this review before you buy any Tongkat Ali products so that you’ll know what exactly you’re taking and what you should expect after taking it. Let’s start:
History of Tongkat Ali
Tongkat Ali is most commonly found in South East Asian regions such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand. It may also be found to some extent in India. Since Tongkat Ali Malaysia was first discovered and widely used in Malaysia, it’s known as the Malaysian Ginseng and is commonly found in the dense rainforests and jungles of Malaysia.
Its scientific name is Eurycoma Longifilia and is used mostly for increasing libido, energy, physical performance, and even weight loss. Due to this, older men with lower libidos usually take Tongkat Ali. Also, athletes and overweight individuals take the herb.
Other than these, Tongkat Ali has also been used to treat a whole range of other conditions including rapid aging and fatigue. It is also known to be a powerhouse of antioxidants which can help prevent cancer.
What are its benefits?
Tongkat Ali has a range of benefits that are offered to those who take it. Just to break it down, here are some of the common benefits that you can get by taking Tongkat Ali regularly:
- Enhanced Libido
Probably the first thing that most people would look at (including me) is the libido-boosting effect of the herb. In Malaysia, Tongkat Ali is actually known as the “home-grown Viagra” because it can heighten your sex drive. It contains eurypeptides such as eurycomalacton, eurycomanol, and eurycomanone, all of which have effective aphrodisiac properties that can increase the volume of testosterone in the body, thus contributing to a higher sex drive.
The best is that it’s all natural. It doesn’t artificially force the testosterone to be released as synthetic drugs do. They just restore the normal levels of testosterone in the body by releasing excess testosterone from the sex hormone-binding globulin.
- Muscle Growth
A lot of athletes take Tongkat Ali because it can help with athletic performance. One of the ways it can do this is by increasing muscle growth. As it has testosterone-increasing abilities, it may also help in building up muscles. It is known for increasing luteinizing hormones and reduces aromatization which can both help with muscle growth as a whole. Not only does it help with muscle growth, but it also simultaneously helps with weight loss.
- Anti-bacterial Supplement
Tongkat Ali is known for having acetone and alcohol extracts that can both be used as antibacterial agents. It can help fight against bad bacterial strains such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhi, and many more. Thus, it can be used for treating bacterial infections that can result in more harmful complications.
- Testosterone Booster for Older Men
As mentioned above, a lot of older men use this for sexual enhancement purposes. It’s important to take note that as men get older, the estrogen levels in the body increase which also decreases the level of testosterone. For those who are suffering from aging males’ symptoms due to a lower testosterone count, Tongkat Ali can really help by naturally boosting testosterone levels.
- Cancer Prevention
There are two reasons why Tongkat Ali has cancer prevention properties. First of all, it was shown to have a high level of antioxidants which are used for destroying free radicals – the cause of cancer in the first place. Aside from the high level of antioxidants, Tongkat Ali also contains beta-carboline alkaloids which are substances that can prevent both breast and lung cancer. Therefore, taking Tongkat Ali on a regular basis may lower the chances of developing cancer.
- Malaria Treatment
The same ingredients that can aid in cancer may also aid with malaria. The beta-carboline alkaloids were also found to be very effective in treating malaria, as per a publication by the Natural Products Journal.
- Stress Reliever
Tongkat Ali has also been known to help relieve stress levels by lowering the levels of cortisol in the body. Since cortisol is the hormone responsible for stress, lowering it can help significantly lower stress. Aside from lowering cortisol, it also increases another hormone which is dopamine, a happiness hormone that is also known for lowering stress. The combination of increasing dopamine and lowering cortisol can effectively help you relieve stress.
- Anxiety Reliever
Due to its very effective stress-relieving properties, Tongkat Ali is also a known anxiety reliever. In fact, it has very similar effects to that of the diazepam drug. The only difference is that Tongkat Ali has fewer side effects as compared to the drug.
- Sperm Quality
Aside from sex drive and overall testosterone enhancement, Tongkat Ali is also used for enhancing sperm quality. This is why a lot of men also use this herb to help with sperm quality issues such as infertility and the like.
Side Effects
While Tongkat Ali doesn’t have very dangerous side effects like synthetic testosterone boosters do, there are a few minor side effects that you may experience if you’re not used to taking it. These side effects may be especially present in people who are not used to taking herbs in general. Here are some of the minor side effects to watch out for:
- Increased Body Heat
With the increase of testosterone in the body, one of the side effects that you may experience is increased body heat. In order to remedy this, make sure that you drink a lot of water in a day. It is recommended that you drink more than eight glasses to combat this effect.
- Hair Loss
One of the possible Tongkat Ali side effects is hair loss. In fact, it’s a big concern for most men. While there are no official studies that claim this, medical science has shown that the testosterone responsible for balding is dihydrotestosterone or DHT. If you’re worried about balding while taking Tongkat Ali, you may take a DHT blocker or a supplement with the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase so that you won’t suffer from unexpected hair loss.
- Insomnia
This is another possible side effect that you may encounter if you’re not used to taking Tongkat Ali. As such, I highly recommend taking Tongkat Ali in smaller doses to give your body a chance to get used to it.
- Increased Aggression
I have noticed that some people who regularly take Tongkat Ali and are not used to it experience increased irritability and restlessness. This is most probably because of excess energy that you get due to the increased testosterone levels in the body. The best way to handle this side effect is to either take it in small dosages or just exercise to let go of the steam.
- Acne
Due to the hormonal changes that Tongkat Ali induces, it’s also possible that you may have some acne problems for a while. If you don’t want to go through these acne issues, you may lessen the frequency of consumption or cut down the dosage. You may also want to start buying some pimple cream.
Clinical Studies
While there are a lot of people who do swear by the effectiveness of Tongkat Ali, it’s always good to be sure of what you’re taking. This is why I’ve gathered a few clinical studies that’ll show whether or not the herb is effective or not. Let’s start with sexual health.
According to a review from the Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines, there is substantial evidence that points out to the effectiveness of Tongkat Ali in men’s sexual health. This review was actually done by researchers from the Department of Pharmacology of the National University of Malaysia and the Department of Pharmaceutics from Universiti Teknologi Mara.
The aim of the review is to collate 11 existing studies and analyze the results of each study to explain whether or Tongkat Ali is effective or not. The criteria for the review includes management of male sexual disorders like infertility, erectile dysfunction, low libido, and low testosterone.
In the review, 7 out of the 11 existing studies showed positive results for male sexual disorders. Through analysis of the results and methodology of all mentioned studies, the review was able to show that there is definitely a significant positive effect of Tongkat Ali on men’s sexual health.
Aside from sexual health, there are also some clinical studies suggesting that Tongkat Ali is good for athletic performance. One study tackles the effectiveness of 13 physically active males and 12 senior females showing positive results of muscle strength for both groups of participants.
There are also some studies that tackle stress levels of individuals since Tongkat Ali is claimed to lower cortisol levels and increase dopamine. According to one study that screened 32 males and 31 females with high stress levels, there was a slight decrease in stress levels for both groups that took the supplement.
That said, medical science has shown us that there is definitely some truth to the claims of Tongkat Ali. For the most part, Tongkat Ali is effective in boosting libido and helping with male sexual disorders (as seen in the study above), lowering stress levels, and gaining strength.
Does Tongkat Ali increase your testosterone?
The main question that most people who are interested in taking Tongkat Ali would be whether it is effective in increasing testosterone or not. First of all, there have been a lot of testimonials about Tongkat Ali if you check online. It has helped a lot of people boost their sexual performance and boost their athletic performance – both of which are effects of an increase in testosterone levels.
These claims are further backed by the studies that I’ve mentioned earlier. In the first study, we see that the researchers saw a significant positive result in male subjects who have sexual disorders and are also taking Tongkat Ali. We also see another study that affirms the effectiveness of increasing muscle strength – another effect of testosterone increase.
Overall, we can confirm that Tongkat Ali does increase your testosterone levels.
Where to buy Tongkat Ali?
There are many places where you can buy Tongkat Ali. There are many herb stores that sell the supplement, and there are also a lot of distributors. However, I recommend buying Tongkat Ali supplements from actual herb stores since you can at least be certain of its quality.
You can also find Tongkat Ali products online on websites such as Amazon, eBay, or Alibaba. Of course, I’m a bit wary about buying Tongkat Ali products online because I’m afraid of online sellers selling fake products. If you want to buy online, I suggest you buy only from reputed and trusted suppliers.
For me, the best Tongkat Ali products can be found right in Malaysia or any of the South East Asian countries that grow the herb. When I went over to Malaysia in the summer, I had the chance to buy authentic Tongkat Ali herbs from a local herbal store. For me, that is the one that worked the best in increasing my sexual performance and overall stamina.
Does it really work?
If you were to ask me whether Tongkat Ali really works or not, I would definitely say yes. First, we have a lot of testimonials, including mine, that confirm the effectiveness of Tongkat Ali when it comes to increasing sex drive, improving performance, and giving more enhanced physical capabilities like strength and stamina. Other than that, there are also studies to back their claims. With the combo of testimonials and studies, along with my own experience, I can definitely say that Tongkat Ali can work wonders for you if you take it regularly.
Pros
- It’s 100% natural with no added chemicals
- It has a long history of effectiveness
- It not only helps with sexual enhancement but other conditions like malaria and cancer prevention as well
- It is very affordable
- It is effective for enhancing libido in both men and women
- It may help with menopausal problems – although this is not fully proven
- The powdered form can be mixed with other drinks like tea or coffee
- It is very easy to find and buy, especially in the South East Asian region.
Cons
- It has a bitter taste that doesn’t appeal to everyone
- It has a few side effects (the ones that I’ve mentioned above)
- It doesn’t take effect right away and needs a consistent intake for optimum effectiveness
Final Verdict
Tongkat Ali is, without a doubt, one of the most effective testosterone boosters and male enhancement supplements found in the market today. If you want to perform better in the sheets, I’d definitely recommend that you take your daily dose of Tongkat Ali.
Aside from just allowing you to perform better in bed, Tongkat Ali can also help you gain more energy and give you better physical abilities. It’ll help you gain more stamina and also make you have more strength. You’ll also have bigger and toner muscles if you take Tongkat Ali regularly.
Overall, Tongkat Ali is great for health as it also has a lot of other health properties like anti-bacterial properties, cancer prevention properties, and overall immune boosting properties. The best part is that everything you see here is backed by scientific studies, so you’re rest assured that it will work.
However, I do recommend that you don’t take too much of it if you’re not used to taking herbs. As I mentioned above, there are a number of side effects that you may experience if you’re a first time user. I recommend that you slowly break into taking the supplement first and then gradually increase the dosage and frequency as you go along.
The important thing to take note here is consistency instead of volume. Taking a lot in a short period of time won’t do good for you because of the side effects. I suggest that you just take gradual volumes but in a consistent patter. If you eventually take it daily, you’ll begin to see the effects as you go along.
Tongkat Ali is very potent and also very effective. I have been taking Tongkat Ali supplements for almost a year now and I can definitely vouch for its efficacy. If it worked for me, it will certainly work for you too.
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