HomeHow it works
What’s in Tongkat Ali
and how it works
Tongkat Ali root holds four main groups of compounds. Research points to effects on testosterone and on cortisol, the stress hormone.
What’s in it
Four groups of compounds
- EurycomanoneFound only in Tongkat Ali, and the most abundant compound of its kind in the root. That makes it the marker of a genuine extract, and the figure labels show. In lab studies it increased testosterone production by cells.
- PeptidesSmall proteins, sometimes called eurypeptides, measured in the lab as total protein.
- PolysaccharidesComplex plant sugars that make up a large share of a water extract.
- GlycosaponinsPlant compounds that make up much of a water extract.
Sources: Rehman et al. 2016, Molecules; Ahmad et al. 2018, Pharmaceutics.
How it may workWhat the evidence shows
What the evidence shows
and where it comes from
- In peopleTestosterone rose against placebo in randomized trials, most clearly in men with low testosterone, and a meta-analysis of 5 trials confirmed the effect. Leisegang et al. 2022, Medicina. Cortisol fell 16% against placebo in stressed adults. Talbott et al. 2013, Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
- In the labIn Leydig cells, the cells that make testosterone, Tongkat Ali extract protected testosterone production from oxidative stress. It kept the steps that build testosterone working, and slowed the enzymes that convert it to estrogen and DHT. Jung et al. 2022, Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition. Animal studies point to effects on the hormone signals between the brain and the testes. Rehman et al. 2016, Molecules.
- The wider pictureResearch shows part of the picture, and the testosterone pathway is the best mapped so far. Studies continue into how the root’s other compounds, its peptides, polysaccharides and saponins, work together with eurycomanone.
Balance
Why the whole root matters
The human studies used water extracts, which keep all four groups of compounds in balance. Malaysia’s national standard for Tongkat Ali extract, MS 2409:2011, sets a level for each.
Pushing one compound high, or losing the others, gives an extract unlike the ones studied.
| Compound group | MS 2409:2011 |
|---|---|
| Eurycomanone | .8 to 1.5% |
| Total protein (peptides) | 22% or more |
| Polysaccharides | 30% or more |
| Glycosaponins | 40% or more |
Related reading
QualityHow to tell good Tongkat Ali from poorFour questions that separate a well-made product from a weak one.QualityDoes a higher extract ratio mean a stronger supplement?22 extracts sold as Tongkat Ali were tested. Two met all four quality markers.Studied in men and womenTestosteroneTestosterone rose against placebo, most clearly in men with low testosterone.