T@ng-kat Ali 60 Capsules 500mg

Malaysian ginseng (T@ng-kat Ali) has long been used in much of Southeast Asia to increase men's strength and stress resistance. The growing number of scientific studies illustrates that this is not solely attributable to mysticism – an overview.

T@ng-kat Ali, or Eurycoma longifolia , its botanical name, is a tropical tree that thrives primarily in the rainforests of Malaysia and Southeast Asia. The plant's roots are particularly valuable for medicinal use. They contain, among other things, eurycomanone and other eurypeptides, which influence, for example, muscle function, libido, and testosterone levels in men.

T@ngkat Ali acts on free testosterone

The age-related decline in testosterone, progressing to secondary hypogonadism, is accompanied by a range of physical and psychological changes: body fat increases while muscle mass decreases. Furthermore, life circumstances often lead to increased mood swings, lethargy, tension, and stress, further reducing men's quality of life. In mild cases, Eurycoma longifolia can be considered as an alternative treatment. The plant extract promotes catabolism, increasing muscle strength and reducing body fat. (1-3) Moreover, studies showed that T@ngkat Ali statistically significantly reduced the rate of tension and mood swings by 11% and 12%, respectively, which was also reflected in measured cortisol levels. Cortisol, as a stress marker, decreased by a total of 16%. Simultaneously, testosterone levels in the patients' blood increased by 37%. (4) This positive effect on testosterone concentration has been confirmed in further studies. For example, in a study by Tambi and colleagues, testosterone levels increased from 5.66 ± 1.52 nmol/l to 8.31 ± 2.47 nmol/l with daily administration of 200 mg of Tong-kat Ali extract.(5)

T@ngkat Ali or Testosterone substitute?

Since eurycomanone and eurypeptide do not share any structural features with testosterone, the body's feedback mechanism is not affected. This differs from testosterone replacement therapy: Here, testosterone is administered externally, which leads to reduced LH and FSH secretion in the brain. Consequently, the body also produces less of its own hormone. Tong-kat Ali, on the other hand, causes the testosterone level in the blood to rise, allowing hormone synthesis to regulate itself through feedback mechanisms.

Caution: Use in prostate cancer unclear

Since T@ng-kat Ali actively influences testosterone levels, there is a potential risk of problems for patients with prostate cancer. On the other hand, initial studies have shown a significant anti-cancer effect of T@ng-kat Ali extract on prostate cancer cells. However, clinical studies on this are lacking, as are studies on the effects of testosterone replacement therapy on prostate cancer. Interestingly

However, Ismail and colleagues showed that extracts from Eurycoma longifolia did not cause a general increase in PSA levels in men without prostate cancer.(9) This finding was also confirmed by Abohamra and colleagues using the testosterone-dependent cell line LNCaP. This suggests that Tong-kat Ali does not impair prostate function.(10)

Sources:

1 Hamzah S & Yusuf A., Br J Sports Med 2003; 37:465-466

2 George A et al., J Sports Med Doping Stud 2013; 3:127

3 Henkel R et al., Phytother Res 2014; 28:544-550

4 Talbot SM et al., J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2013; 10:28

5 Tambi MIBM et al., Andrologia 2012; 44:226-230

6 Sambandan TG et al., 2006; Patent no.: US 7,132,117 B2

7 Low BS et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2013; 149:201-207

8 Low BS et al., J Ethnopharmacol 2013; 145:706-714

9 Ismail SB et al., Evid Based Complement Alternat Med 2012: 429268

10 Abohamra H., Effect of Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali) on the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP; 2014; MSc work at the University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa