Does tongkat ali damage DNA?

Does tongkat ali damage DNA?

A very small amount of research looking into tongkat ali’s potential risk factors identified a possible effect on DNA in the GI tract. But that research established an oblique correlation, far from any evidence of causation.3 Much more research is needed to clarify the issue, but it’s worth noting that the doses used in that research far exceed typical doses used in nutritional supplements.

What Colour Should It Be?

There are many opinions regarding what colour Tongkat Ali (TA) extract should be. Some say very dark brown. This is not true and is normally propagated by sellers of inferior quality TA.

In fact, the purest form of Tongkat Ali extract is white! The main active ingredient of TA is a compound called Eurycomanone. Eurycomanone is snow white in its purest form.

The colour of the dried Tongkat Ali powder after extraction varies according to many of the elements of the extraction process, such as the amount of time that the roots have been dried, and how finely they are chipped. The extraction method itself – whether the chipped root is soaked in cold water, hot water, or alcohol, boiled, or repeatedly boiled, for example. Other factors that affect the final product are whether it is filtered or centrifuged, or concentrated before drying by repeated boiling.

Ours is a sandy brown, partly due to the rice bran powder, which helps the extract flow through the capsule filling machine.

Current Best Before Date: 03/2025

* Product reviews are the opinions of customers. Individual results may vary from person to person

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What are tongkat ali’s benefits?

Tongkat ali has a fairly long list of potential benefits when you consider its uses in traditional medicine. That list gets a lot shorter when you confine your examination to the available scientific research. Still, there are apparent and noteworthy benefits of tongkat ali delivered at commercially available doses that are worth exploring. These can include:1

Most of these effects have been examined in both human and animal studies, and some researchers have even narrowed down the specific mechanisms of action behind them.

As we discussed earlier, tongkat ali comprises numerous bioactive compounds that may be responsible for its benefits, but one of its quassinoids — eurycomanone — seems to get the most attention in the research we’ve reviewed.2 That’s not to say that the plant’s steroids, glycosaponins, and other constituent parts aren’t important, only that eurycomanone is the compound for which tongkat ali manufacturers will standardize their extracts, so we take its abundance in a given supplement very seriously.

Let’s take a closer look at tongkat ali’s potential benefits to see what the research says:

One of the most common reasons men seek out tongkat ali is to increase their testosterone levels. It’s also a big part of the supplement’s marketing from various brands, and the science backs it up. A study in men with late-onset hypogonadism found significant improvements in Aging Males’ Symptom (AMS) scores after one month of taking 200mg of tongkat ali per day.5 Another study went so far as to suggest tongkat ali as a substitute for testosterone replacement therapy (TRT).6 And a third study saw increases in total testosterone, free testosterone, and muscular force among male participants aged 57-72 years.7

A systematic review from 2022 concluded that “although more research is required before its use in clinical practice, [tongkat ali] may represent a safe and promising therapeutic option, particularly in hypogonadal men.”8

Research in rats points to a reduction in aromatase activity in the presence of eurycomanone, which ultimately inhibits the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. High concentrations of eurycomanone have also exhibited phosphodiesterase (PDE)-inhibiting effects not unlike those caused by Viagra and Cialis (albeit to a much lesser extent).2

Tied to tongkat ali’s apparent testosterone-boosting potential is its role in male fertility. Numerous studies have looked at longjack’s ability to increase sperm counts in both rats and humans, often with positive effects. One 12-week study using 300mg of Physta saw significant improvements in Seminal Fluid Analysis, with increases in both semen volume and sperm motility.9 A similar study in rats used a human equivalent dose of about 115mg on subjects that either were or were not treated with estradiol to harm sperm production.10 Tongkat ali inhibited the effects of the high estradiol dose and dramatically increased sperm count and motility in rats that weren’t exposed to a high estradiol dose.

Just as testosterone and spermatogenesis may be interrelated effects of tongkat ali, there also appears to be an increase in sexual desire and erectile performance among study participants. Some of this could directly be attributed to increases in testosterone for men who experience libido or erectile issues related to hypogonadism. But other mechanisms of action may be at play, as well.

As we said, at least one study has observed PDE-inhibiting effects from tongkat ali in mice. PDE5 is the specific PDE enzyme group that drugs like Viagra and Cialis target to allow men with erectile dysfunction (ED) to achieve an erection.2 Another study we’ve mentioned, the one that saw increases in seminal volume and sperm motility, also saw improvements in self-reported libido and erectile performance measures.9

Less research exists into tongkat ali’s anxiolytic effects, but there are noteworthy studies in both animals and humans. Human participants in one study reported reductions in tension, anger, and confusion, which all correlated with reductions in salivary cortisol.30 However, there were some competing interests for two of that study’s four authors, which may have introduced bias.

An older study in rats from 1999 equated the effects of tongkat ali to those provided by the prescription anti-anxiety medication diazepam.31

These studies don’t begin to approach the quantity or quality of those looking into a similar botanical — ashwagandha, which we’ll explore below — but they do show promise.

Cytotoxicity typically refers to a substance's ability to kill cells, with researchers looking specifically for compounds that can target cancer cells. Numerous in vitro studies have shown cytotoxic effects from tongkat ali on cells associated with ovarian, liver, skin, and breast cancers, among others.1 But this research is in its infancy, and we don’t recommend tongkat ali as a cancer preventive or treatment.

Researchers have also looked into tongkat ali’s influence on inflammation and rheumatism, ulcers, and osteoporosis, as well as its potential as an antimicrobial agent.1 At this time, these efforts aren’t robust enough to recommend tongkat ali along these lines, but it may prove beneficial here in future research.

Why you should trust us

At Innerbody Research, we do everything we can to get reliable information about supplements, prescription treatments, and other products and services that you might want to incorporate into your regimen. Our efforts include poring over seemingly countless pages of scientific literature, talking to experts in related fields, and even trying products for ourselves.

In the case of tongkat ali, we reviewed more than 50 scholarly articles pertaining to the substance itself and the ailments it may be able to help treat. We scoured the marketplace to identify which products offered the best extracts for the best prices, and then we ordered and tried them for ourselves. Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this guide was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy and will continue to be monitored for updates by our editorial team.

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has helped tens of millions of readers make more informed decisions about staying healthy and living healthier lifestyles.

Innerbody Testosterone Support

Best complex T-boosting formula

Photo by Innerbody Research

Many people seek out a tongkat ali supplement to support male sexual wellness. If this describes you, then you should consider a supplement that combines tongkat ali with other well-regarded testosterone-boosting ingredients. There’s no shortage of mixed-ingredient testosterone boosters out there. We’ve covered them at great lengths for years and maintain a thorough guide to the best testosterone boosters. But during that time, we were frustrated by a gap in the market that we ultimately decided to fill with a product that provides the best ingredient bill we could imagine within reasonable cost parameters.

The result is Innerbody Testosterone Support, a combination of 11 ingredients, all present at doses that meet or exceed those used in successful studies. Here’s a quick look at the ingredients, with links to studies that can show you why we included them in the formula:

When it comes to testosterone, fenugreek and ashwagandha are the other two most important botanicals in this formula, alongside tongkat ali. But we included maca for its ability to help men with erectile performance and libido. Both zinc and vitamin D have a long-studied association with testosterone levels in men, as well.

If you’ve never tried any kind of supplement to address low T or similar men’s sexual wellness concerns, you might want to start out with an individual-ingredient approach by taking another tongkat ali in this guide. But if you’ve already tried one or more, or you want to skip that step and throw a larger ingredient bill at the problem, we believe Innerbody Testosterone Support is the best such choice for most men.

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Photo by Innerbody Research

Whether you’re searching for a natural remedy to enhance sexual performance, raise testosterone levels, or reduce stress, you may have heard about tongkat ali, also known as longjack. There’s certainly some clinical evidence to support the idea that this botanical ingredient could make a difference.1

But you can get tongkat ali/longjack from an endless parade of manufacturers out there, some of whom claim to use special patented extracts that are more potent or consistent than others. We wanted to cut through all the noise, look at the science, try these supplements ourselves, and let you know which ones might be worth your time and effort.

If you’re in a hurry, here’s a quick look at what we found — what’s best for you really depends on your budget and goals:

Alternatives to tongkat ali

If you’re comparing tongkat ali with other botanical or even prescription medications for one issue or another, you’ve likely come across a lot of options. To better understand which one might be right for you, it would help to look at the potential benefits of tongkat ali that have the most scientific support and compare the relevant research to studies into alternatives deployed for similar purposes.

Improving testosterone levels with supplements is relatively achievable, and there are numerous individual ingredients you can try, as well as complexes of ingredients specifically marketed as testosterone boosters. Among those complexes, Innerbody’s Testosterone Support is outstanding, and it includes a generous dose of tongkat ali. Visit our thorough guide on testosterone-boosting supplements for more information.

Alternative single-ingredient supplements include ashwagandha, fenugreek, vitamin D, and zinc.

Suppose you're experiencing significant symptoms related to hypogonadism and have been tested to reveal clinically low testosterone. In that case, you may be better off reaching for a prescription intervention, like traditional TRT, or another medication that can boost testosterone, like clomiphene or enclomiphene.

Lots of things can affect a man’s erectile performance and libido, including low testosterone, so there may be some overlap in the remedies you seek here. But if you’re specifically concerned about ED, you might want to consider prescription interventions. The generic versions of drugs like Viagra and Cialis have been available at low prices for years, and they’re accessible through numerous online companies, eliminating the potential embarrassment of an in-person doctor’s visit to discuss your concern. And the active ingredients — sildenafil and tadalafil — are among the most widely researched medicines on Earth.

For men who are new to such medications, we recommend BlueChew, where you can get a free trial of certain plans and save $20 on others with the coupon code INNERBODY.

Supplemental approaches to fertility are often marketed toward men in the form of volume pills, which claim, first and foremost, to increase the volume of your ejaculate. Indeed, semen volume is a measure used to help understand a man’s potential fertility issues, and many of the drugs and herbal remedies that can improve your chances at conception will also increase semen volume.

But too many of these supplements offer ingredients that lack research or doses that are lower than what research indicates could be successful. In our thorough analysis of the market, we’ve found Bird & Be’s Powers for Males to be the most potent and most likely effective nonprescription approach to male fertility issues.

Combating stress and anxiety can get complicated fast. Triggers based on years-old experiences, current environmental factors, diet, exercise habits, and other factors can all play into your stress response. So approaching the problem with a supplement isn’t always the silver bullet people want it to be. That said, supplements can be part of a multi-pronged approach to control cortisol levels and help you feel more even.

Ashwagandha is the tongkat ali alternative that’s most similar in its potential efficacy, other possible applications, and placement on the market. We have a more extensive comparison of these two ingredients in a dedicated section above (“Tongkat ali vs. ashwagandha”), but here we’ll say that ashwagandha boasts a little more successful research into its stress-busting potential.

Bulk Supplements Longjack

Photo by Innerbody Research

Bulk Supplements is typically a smart place to stop if you’re looking for a low price on a given supplement. Its tongkat ali is no exception, costing far less per gram of the substance than any of the competitors in our guide.

One big caveat is that, unlike the options from Nootropics Depot and Akarali, Bulk Supplements’ Longjack is not a standardized extract. That means there’s no effort put into controlling the concentration of eurycomanone or any other compound in each dose. The makeup of a wild Eurycoma longifolia plant includes around 0.8-1.5% eurycomanone, so that’s about what you can expect per dose.

Can tongkat ali increase testosterone levels?

Can tongkat ali increase testosterone levels?

Supplementing with tongkat ali should be able to increase testosterone levels, at least in men whose T levels are low. Doses as low as 200mg daily have shown testosterone benefits in studies.1

Who is tongkat ali for?

Owing to all of its potential applications, tongkat ali may be suitable for a wide variety of consumers. Perhaps most notably, it makes sense as a supplemental approach to treating various sexual disorders in men, including low testosterone and libido, fertility issues, and poor erectile performance.

It may also be a helpful component of a larger anti-anxiety effort, combined with either other botanicals and supplements or things like talk therapy or meditation.