Buy Tongkat Ali in the Netherlands?

Tongkat ali supplements may help for libido, mood and hormone regulation, but research on this is ongoing.

Tongkat ali is an herbal remedy that has been part of traditional traditional Southeast Asian medicine. It is often used for the treatment of fever, erectile dysfunction and bacterial infections.

Scientific research shows that tongkat ali enhances the fertility of men, stress can relieve stress and can also improve muscle to fat ratio, although more research is needed to confirm the results.

In addition, in 2021 warned that tongkat ali can cause DNA damage.

Enough reason, then, to dive deeper into the phenomenon of tongkat ali.

The Best Supplements for Your Libido

But first things first: Tongkat Ali is banned in Europe. So if you are looking for Tongkat Ali for its libido-boosting effects then you will have to use something else will have to use something else.

Fortunately, there are also libido enhancing herbs that are allowed. And these are the most important ones:

What is Tongkat ali?

Tongkat ali, or longjack, is an herbal supplement derived from the roots of the shrub with the Latin name Eurycoma longifolia.

It is used in traditional medicine in Malaysia, among others, Indonesia, China and Vietnam to treat malaria, infections, fever, male infertility and erectile dysfunction.

The effectiveness of tongkat ali is probably due to the combination of several active ingredients from the plant.

It contains flavonoids, alkaloids and other substances, including those that act as antioxidants. Antioxidants combat cell damage caused by free radicals.

Tongkat ali is usually taken in the form of capsules that contain an extract of the herb.

The effect of Tongkat ali

Many purported health benefits of tongkat ali have not been well researched, but some studies suggest that it may help treat male infertility, improve mood and increase of muscle mass.

People use tongkat Ali for:

Libido
Testosterone
Stress
Anxiety
Body composition: more muscle mass, less fat
Sexual dysfunction
Malaria
Fever
Diabetes
Yellowness
Osteoporosis

Testosterone and fertility

Tongkat ali's testosterone boosting effects in men with low levels of this sex hormone is well known and well documented.

Low testosterone levels can result from aging, chemotherapy, radiation, some medications, injury or infection of the testes and certain diseases, such as alcoholism and obstructive sleep apnea.

Possible consequences of low testosterone include decreased libido, erectile dysfunction and sometimes infertility. Since tongkat ali can increase low testosterone, it could treat these problems.

A one-month study of 76 elderly men with low testosterone levels showed that intake of 200 mg of tongkat ali extract per day significantly increased its level significantly increased it to normal levels in more than 90% of the participants.

Also, studies in both animals and humans show that tongkat ali stimulates sexual arousal stimulates and can improve erectile dysfunction in men. It can also improve sperm motility and concentration, which is good for fertility.

A study of 75 male partners of infertile couples showed that intake of 200 mg of tongkat ali extract daily significantly improved the concentration and motility of sperm improved significantly after 3 months. (However, there are many other supplements that can greatly can increase. This is not reserved for tongkat ali alone).

Can relieve stress

Tongkat ali can lower stress hormones in your body, reduce anxiety and improve mood.

A 1999 study first identified the possible role of this drug in the treatment of mood problems and found that tongkat ali extract was similar to a commonly used anti-anxiety drug in reducing symptoms of anxiety in mice.

Similar effects have also been observed in humans.

A one-month study of 63 adults with moderate stress showed that supplementation with 200 mg of tongkat ali extract daily reduced the levels of the stress hormone cortisol in saliva by 16%, compared to placebo.

Participants also reported significantly less stress, anger and tension after taking tongkat ali.

But again, more research is needed to confirm.

Can improve muscle to fat ratio

Tongkat ali is often claimed to improve athletic performance and increases muscle mass.

This is because it contains compounds called quassinoids, including eurycomaoside, eurycolactone and eurycomanone, which can help your body help your body use energy more efficiently. It reduces fatigue and improves endurance.

A small 5-week study of 14 men participating in a strength training program showed that those who took 100 mg of tongkat ali extract per day had a significantly greater increase in lean body mass than those who took a placebo. They also lost more fat than participants in the placebo group.

Moreover, in a 5-week study of 25 active older adults, it was found that supplementing daily with 400 mg of tongkat ali extract significantly increased muscle strength, compared with placebo.

However, research among cyclists found that a drink containing tongkat ali during exercise did not improve performance or strength any more than plain water. This could be because the number of subjects was too small.

Tongkat ali side effects

According to a 2021 report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens, a high dose (2000 mg/kg body weight) of the water-based extract of dried ground tongkat ali lead to DNA damage of stomach and duodenal intestinal tissue.

Because tongkat ali can cause DNA damage, the panel concluded that the safety of its use has not been established.

Consequently, the dose that led to DNA damage was extremely high. For someone weighing 70 kg, this would mean an amount of 140 grams of tongkat ali extract. This is over 400 times higher than the normal dosage.

Therefore, the few studies on the use of tongkat ali in humans have therefore reported no side effects to date.

A 2016 review of toxicology studies found that mice did not experience any changes in their liver or kidney function when given 200 mg/kg body weight of tongkat ali in an alcohol-based extract or 300 mg/kg in a water-based extract were administered.

The same study showed that the lethal oral dose for mice ranged from 1500-2000 mg/kg for alcohol-based tongkat ali extract and more than 3000 mg/kg for the water-based extract.

A 2012 study of 109 men between the ages of 30 and 55 showed that daily intake of 300 mg of tongkat ali extract over a period of 12 weeks was as safe as taking a placebo.

However, it is important to keep in mind that there are no studies that have examined long-term use, making it is unclear whether the supplement is safe for long-term use.

Moreover, an older study from 2006 found that 26% of the 100 tongkat ali supplements from Malaysia examined had mercury levels that were higher were higher than the recommended limit.

Ingestion of mercury can lead to mercury poisoning, which is characterized by mood swings, memory problems and problems with motor skills.

In addition, the effects of tongkat ali on children, pregnant women and breastfeeding women have not been studied. Use by them is strongly not recommended.

Tongkat ali banned in Europe

Following the published EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) report about Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) it was decided that the safety could not be established and it is therefore prohibited within the EU to sell Tongkat ali for sale.

Written by: Wouter Olthof
Reviewed by: Liesbeth Thoen

Updated: December 10, 2023
First published on: 2 November 2023