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Tongkat Ali FAQ's
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Ben Drewe has been researching, formulating and prescribing Tongkat Ali to his patients since 1995. With considerable practical experience in his field, he here answers the more common questions and concerns from his customers. Join him on our discussion board as well at facebook
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Does Tongkat Ali really work, and if so, how?
Ben Drewe: Yes it most certainly does and how it works is most interesting. In a nutshell, Tongkat Ali reduces the effects of ageing on the male reproductive system by increasing your body's free testosterone availability via several mechanisms including stimulating the secretion of Luteinzing Hormones (LH) which in turns stimulate the Leydig cells of your testicles to produce testosterone. Also, with ageing testosterone becomes bound to serum globulin and is not available to the cell receptor sites where it is needed to initiate sex-stimulating centers in the brain. The component in the blood that renders free testosterone inactive is called sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG). Excess estrogen can increase the production of SHBG and block testosterone-receptor sites. Estrogen levels of the average 54-year-old man are often higher than those of the average 59-year-old woman. While some estrogen is a necessary hormone for men, too much contributes to a wide range of health, weight gain and libido problems. Due to similarities in chemical structure, high serum levels of estrogen also trick the brain into thinking that enough testosterone is being produced, thereby slowing the natural production of testosterone. For testosterone to produce its positive health enhancing effects, it must be kept in the "free" form in the bloodstream. Bound testosterone is unable to be picked up by testosterone receptors on cell membranes. For aging men, it is desirable to suppress excess levels of SHBG and estrogen while boosting free testosterone to the level of a young man. Tongkat Ali is a natural way of achieving this while also reducing SHBG and estrogen levels in aging men.
In studies under the Malaysian National Biotechnology
Directorate coordination between research teams from Malaysia and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the following actions of Tongkat Ali on
male health have been stated from their research:
• Elevated
testosterone level
• Improved
erectile strength without side effects
• Increase
in male fertility, sperm quality, motility and quantity
• Natural
energizer
• Safely
& meaningfully boosts androgen levels
• Improves
strength during exercise and has an anabolic effect on muscle growth
• Decrease
in sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)
• May
promote weight loss
What dosage should I take to obtain the best results with Tongkat Ali?
Ben Drewe: While I cannot speak for other products as each may be using their own extraction ratios or technology, through our trials with patients and customers over the past 13 years we have developed products that can be taken both on a daily basis or the high strength TONEX Tongkat Ali that should be cycled over shorter periods when a stronger effect is required. Tongkat Ali should always be taken after meals, as on an empty stomach it may increase appetite.
 The following are our recommendations for the Rainforest Herbs range of Tongkat Ali products. Each product is mentioned in order of strength:
1) EUROS Tongkat Ali 100% capsules. (for 35 + years old) This product contains 300 mg of the pure ground Tongkat Ali root and as such has not been changed in any way nor has anything been added. Recommended dosage is 2 capsules twice daily. This product is the preferred product for those trying Tongkat Ali for the first time as it is very well accepted by the body and very safe for daily use.
2) Tongkat Ali Plus capsules. (for 40+ years old) This product contains 160 mg of Tongkat Ali extract (10:1) per capsule, in combination with 3 additional herbal extracts, Centella asiatica, Tinospora cordifolia and Glycerrhiza glabra. This powerful synergistic formulation is based on the principles of supporting all the hormonal systems that decline in middle age, namely; androgen levels, insulin resistance (pre-diabetes) and adrenal / stress hormone support. It is recommended in dosages of 1-2 capsules twice daily. Comes in a box of 30 capsules or bottle of 60 capsules. Safe for daily use.
3) TONEX High Potency Tongkat Ali Extract capsules. (for 45+ years old) This is our most concentrated formula using our highest potency proprietary extract at a dosage of 300 mg per capsule of 20:1 standardized extract (equivalent to 6 grams of Tongkat Ali per capsule) This product was previously only available through our Herbal Clinic but is now available to the general public through Malaysian pharmacies. Recommended dosage is 1-2 capsules in the morning. This can be followed by 1 capsule in the evening if required. Take for 1 week then rest one week.
4) TONEX Tongkat Ali 30:1 Bulk Extract. Our premium TONEX Tongkat Ali extract is a 30:1 concentration extract as this is the maximum ratio of
herb to extract that is obtainable from Tongkat Ali. It's unfortunate
but those claiming to have extraction ratios of 50:1 or more are all
false and make this erroneous claim to justify charging you more. One dubious company
started this off several years ago and everyone else has felt it was necessary to
perpetuate the claim in order to be competitive. Our extract is
standardized to 40% glycosaponins which is the maximum achieved by pure
Tongkat Ali extract (even the so-called 50:1 and 100:1 cannot claim more
than this). Our extract is 100% water soluble with nothing added and is
a pure water extract. Due to the hygroscopic nature (tendency to attract moisture) of our pure extract we recommend manufacturers to add some percentage of binding materials during production, especially in humid climates.
NOTE ON TONGKAT ALI EXTRACT STANDARDIZATION: Assay for glycosaponins is a standard in phytochemistry especially for products that ellicit an effect on the male reproductive system, for example the majority of known active ingredients in Korean Ginseng are also glycosaponins. Eurycomanone is a bioactive quassinoid present in Tongkat Ali that is also used as a marker and should be present in more than 2% in high quality extracts. Eurycomanone has also been shown to be effective as an anti-cancer and antimalarial agent. Do not be dismayed by the scientific jargon given by some Companies, with terms such as Eurypeptides etc. etc. as these are imaginative marketing speak for Companies which do not want you to have a standard that can be qualified or quantified independently, but sounds impressive nevertheless.
What’s the difference between the different forms of Tongkat Ali extract available? Does the higher extraction ratio mean the more effective the product?
Ben Drewe: In terms of efficacy we have seen no significant difference between the high quality water extract, water ethanol extract or the raw herb powder, the main difference is only in terms of the dosage of a given product. Animal studies have also confirmed similar positive effects between all forms. Extracts are generally more acceptable in that the processing should improve the quality and shelf life of the finished goods. Based on our in-house extraction experience for many years, a high yield "full-spectrum" Tongkat Ali extract should achieve a maximum dry herb to extract ratio of between 20:1 or 30:1. As such, the erroneous claims on the internet of 50:1, 100:1 and even 200:1 are all gimmicks to deceive the customer (or examples of extremely sub-standard crude extraction technology with very poor extractive yield!).
If these extracts were really at these concentrations as claimed they would be close to pure chemicals not herbal extracts and would be exorbitantly expensive as the extraction process would have to undergo selective purification resulting in a pharmaceutical not a herbal product. The bottom line is that if the manufacturers of the 100:1 or 200:1 claims were true then they must be able to produce scientific proof that their selective extracts contain a verifiable amount of an active ingredient that can be confirmed by an independent laboratory, but sadly this is never the case and such unscientific claims simply act to create confusion and skepticism.
NOTE: SOME MORE ON HERBAL EXTRACT RATIO'S: The extraction ratio for dry extracts represents the amount of kilos of dry raw herb in 1 kilo of extract, as such a 30:1 ratio should mean 30 kgs dry herb is used to produce 1 kg dry extract. Actually, this method of classification is very outdated and causes a lot of confusion for 2 important reasons:
1) The only scientific method that is verifiable by any laboratory is based on level of active ingredients only, not on ratio (which cannot be verified and thus is exploited by some as mentioned above).
2) An extraction process that is very poorly performed results in a low yield of active ingredients which will make the end product cost more for you the customer. For instance, a good quality extraction process of Tongkat Ali should yield 3.3% extract, while a low quality process only yields 2% extract. Thus the first process yields 3.3kgs of extract from 100kgs of raw material (known as a 30:1), while the second process only yields only 2kg of extract (50:1). As such, in this case the higher the extraction ratio the lower quality and more expensive the extract.This is the only other explanation for those claiming to offer Tongkat Ali extract of more than 30:1!
If Tongkat Ali increases my testosterone, won't that make me aggressive?
Ben Drewe: On the contrary, Tongkat Ali actually reduces aggressiveness and promotes a sense of calm and confidence. This anxiety relieving effect was also demonstrated in animal studies in that the test rats exhibited a reduced tendency to fight and performed better (improved motor skills) in tests designed to create stress and anxiety. Tongkat Ali does not contain any testosterone in itself as it acts only as a precursor to prompt the body to supply more of its own testosterone and this also includes improving the useable “good” testosterone. Conversely certain body builders who inject large doses of synthetic testosterone hormone actually reduce their own bodies production and may experience increased aggression as well as hair loss, reduction in testicular size, outbreaks of acne and heart problems amongst others.
Does Tongkat Ali have any side effects?
Ben Drewe: Our Tongkat Ali products, taken at their recommended dosage are very well tolerated and free of toxicity. However, one may experience a slight sense of increased metabolic body heat after taking Tongkat Ali and it is recommended to increase water intake. In my experience each individual reacts slightly differently when taking Tongkat Ali, so the product dosage that works for you may be different for another. Low end dosages are preferred by some, while others enjoy the higher dosage ranges. High dosages may give more dramatic effects on libido within a shorter time frame of around 1-2 days, while lower dosages may take 1 week or more to show effect.
Can I just boil the root and drink as a herbal tea?
Ben Drewe: Certainly you may, however the herb is very bitter so generally most people cannot consume it this way regularly. The bitter taste will also increase appetite and may lower blood sugar, which does not occur when the herb is taken in capsule form. Large doses of the boiled herb may induce nausea , especially if taken on an empty stomach.
Can Tongkat Ali be taken by women?
Ben Drewe: Feedback from women customers reports positively at only 1 or 2 capsules of EUROS Tongkat Ali powder capsules per day. I have observed that the native women in Borneo prepare Tongkat Ali when they require energy in times of convalescence. Physiologically a woman’s libido is also dependent on the presence of testosterone and women are more sensitive to testosterone than men and even a slight increase can have marked improvements in sexual arousal. Until more research is made available, do not take if wanting to become pregnant and as with most herbal medicines, avoid during pregnancy. Most of the research to date on Tongkat Ali has been on men, so more studies are required to understand the effects on women more fully.
I have heard that Tongkat Ali can be high in lead content, is this true?
Ben Drewe: No, this is not true. Tongkat Ali contains no lead. Lead found in herbal products is almost always a result of soil contamination on the herbs surface. Lead contamination finds its way into the soils of the world mainly as a result of leaded petrol exhaust contamination and heavy industry. As such farms in industrialized areas have a higher lead contamination; areas far from industry such as the rain forest have negligible levels. All root herb or vegetables must be thoroughly cleansed of surface contamination after collection. All batches of health products manufactured under GMP standards (Malaysia strictly enforces GMP) must undergo a heavy metal test (Atomic Absorption Spectrometry) to determine whether lead and other heavy metals are present. Generally, well-prepared extracts are a further protection from any soil borne lead or microbial contamination. Few are aware that most vegetables we consume on a daily basis from commercial farms are seldom, if ever, tested for heavy metals and the contamination far exceeds the allowable limit set for food products.
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