Eurycoma Longifolia Jack, known as Longjack, LJ100
extract, Tongkat Ali, and Pasak Bumi 25 mg, 50 mg, 80 mg
Side effects, risks, safety, danger, caution and benefit as aphrodisiac plant,
sexual enhancement, libido booster in men and women
Commonly known as Tongkat Ali, this herb is used in
the United States mainly for its aphrodisiac properties. You will find this herb
and its extracts either sold by itself as a supplement, or combined in herbal
formulas promoted for sexual enhancement. Eurycoma is an effective aphrodisiac
and is found in various natural aphrodisiac products on the market, including an
excellent physician formulated product called Passion Rx with Yohimbe.
Botanical name
The botanical name for Tongkat Ali or Pasak Bumi is Eurycoma Longifolia Jack.
The part of the tree used for sexual effects is the root. The habitats of
Eurycoma longifolia Jack, a slender tree, are jungles in Malaysia and Indonesia.
It belongs to the family Simaroubaceae.
Traditional uses
Eurycoma longifolia Jack commonly has been used in Malaysia to increase male
virility and sexual prowess. This herb is also used to fight malaria.
Products in stores or online
There are dozens of eurycoma herb products available without a prescription and
you can find them in many vitamin stores, some pharmacies, and certainly on the
internet. Once you notice the benefits from taking a Tongkat Ali product, use it
less frequently. An excellent formula that contains this herb and several other
natural aphrodisiacs is called Passion Rx with Yohimbe, and it is formulated by
a medical doctor who is the author of Natural Sex Boosters book.
Eurycoma Longifolia Jack root powder 200 mg
per pill, provided by Physician Formulas. Most people take this dosage two
days on, one day off, or every other day. This
Tongkat Ali product is certified by a medical doctor and is of the highest
quality.
Tongkat ali 50 to 1 extract, 400 mg per pill.
Eurycoma Longifolia Jack root LJ100, 25 mg. This is a good dose for most people.
Most people take this dosage initially every other day and afterwards two days a
week or as needed.
Eurycoma Longifolia Jack root LJ100, 80 mg. The LJ100 80 mg dosage may be too
high for many people leading the side effects.
Tongkat Ali Extract 1:200 extract. There are several companies promoting a 200
to 1 extract. They claim they have concentrated the herb to be 200 times as
potent as the regular eurycoma herb. There is likelihood that these promoters
are exaggerating their claims. Tongkat Ali root powder is potent by itself and
we don't see the need to concentrated it n a 200 to 1 extract and we doubt the
claims that these 200 to 1 extracts are accurate claims.
There are many tongkat ali products on the market with
various claims by each company that their product is the most effective. The
best way for a consumer to find out is to try two or three different ones to see
which work best for them. Remember, be cautious and take low dosages to avoid
unpleasant side effects.
Composition and chemical analysis
Some of the substances in the bark include
quassinoids, squalene derivatives,
biphenylneolignans, tirucallane-type triterpenes, canthine-6-1, and beta-carboline
alkaloids. Additional substances include eurycomanone, longilactone, 14,15beta-dihydroxyklaineanone,
15beta-acetyl-14-hydroxyklaineanone, 6alpha-hydroxyeurycomalactone,
eurycomaoside, and eurycomalactone. Eurycomanone is a bioactive quassinoid.
Beta-carboline alkaloids are also present in the root.
Benefit
Eurycoma herb has been used in Thailand, Malaysia, and other southeastern Asian
countries as a sexual stimulant, energy booster, and to fight malaria. Extracts
of the plant Eurycoma longifolia have been shown to possess cytotoxic,
antimalarial, anti-ulcer, antipyretic and plant growth inhibition activities.
How long does it take to work?
Unlike prescription medications that are used for impotence or erectile
dysfunction, eurycoma does not work in an hour. It
normally takes one to four days for this herb to enhance sexuality. The
quickness of the sexual benefits depends on dosage, and higher amounts will
provide sexual enhancement the first day. However, adverse effects are much more
likely on these higher dosages.
Side effects, risks, safety, danger, caution
Eurycoma herb is very potent and side effects can
occur quite easily. These include excess energy, restlessness, aggressiveness
leading to arguments, increased body temperature, sweating, rapid heart rate,
and insomnia. These adverse effects can be reduced by taking smaller dosages. We
caution not to use a dosage of LJ100 higher than 30 mg since there is a risk for
insomnia, sweating or rapid heart beat.
We recommend those with heart disease, moderate to severe blood
pressure problems, or those taking heart medications to avoid the use of
eurycoma products unless the dosage is kept very low, even a portion of a
capsule. There is a danger of heart palpitations in those who have heart disease
if they take these herbal sexual enhancing products.
Human studies
As of May 2009, we could not find a human study with eurycoma herb or extract.
Reports from users indicate that this herb and the extracts are effective sexual
enhancers.
Animal studies
Malaria
Eurycoma longifolia extract-artemisinin combination: parasitemia suppression of
Plasmodium yoelii-infected mice.
Trop Biomed. 2007 June. Mohd Ridzuan MA, Sow A, Noor Rain A, Mohd Ilham A,
Zakiah I. Herbal Medicine Research Center, Institute for Medical Research, Jalan
Pahang, 50588 Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia.
Eurycoma longifolia, locally known as 'Tongkat Ali' is a popular local medicinal
plant that possess a lot of medicinal properties as claimed traditionally,
especially in the treatment of malaria. The claims have been proven
scientifically on isolated compounds from the plant. The present study is to
investigate the anti malaria properties of Eurycoma longifolia standardized
extract (root) (TA164) alone and in combination with artemisinin in vivo.
Combination treatment of the standardized extract (TA164) with artemisinin
suppressed P. yoelii infection in the experimental mice. Our study showed that
combination treatment of TA164 with artemisinin gives a promising potential anti
malaria candidate using both oral and subcutaneous route, the later being the
most potent.
Sexual enhancement, libido, erectile function, impotence
Influence of Eurycoma longifolia on the copulatory activity of sexually sluggish
and impotent male rats.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Nov 12; Zanoli P, Zavatti M, Montanari C, Baraldi M.
Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Pharmacology, University of Modena
and Reggio Emilia, 41100 Modena, Italy.
The root of Eurycoma longifolia Jack, native to South East Asia, has long been
used as a male aphrodisiac remedy to treat sexual disorders. In the study we
evaluated the influence of Eurycoma longifolia Jack on sexual behavior
(including both motivation and copulatory performance) of sexually sluggish and
impotent male rats. The root powder of the plant was orally administered to
adult Sprague-Dawley male rats, classified as sexually sluggish or impotent
taking in account their behavior in pre-experimental tests. Groups of 8 animals
each were submitted to three different types of treatment: (1) acute at 3 dose
levels (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg); (2) subacute (daily for 6 days) at the dose of
500 mg/kg and (3) subchronic (daily for 12 days) at the same dose (500 mg/kg).
Mount, intromission and ejaculation latencies and post-ejaculatory interval were
recorded during the mating test in order to evaluate sexual performance. In
addition the partner preference test was used to assess sexual motivation.
Testosterone serum levels were measured in subacutely treated rats and compared
with the values of controls receiving vehicle. Eurycoma longifolia root improved
sexual performance but not motivation in sluggish rats after acute or subacute
administration. The effect could be mainly ascribed to increased testosterone
levels.
Sexual arousal in sexually sluggish old male rats after oral administration of
Eurycoma longifolia Jack.
J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2004; Ang HH, Lee KL, Kiyoshi M. School of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Science Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia.
Eurycoma longifolia Jack commonly known as Tongkat Ali in Malaysia, has been
used in Malaysia to increase male virility and sexual prowess. The objective of
this study is to evaluate sexual arousal in sexually sluggish old male rats, 24
months old and retired breeders, receiving 200, 400, or 800 mg/kg of various
fractions of E. longifolia Jack, twice daily, for 10 days. The aphrodisiac
effect was monitored by the act of yawning and stretching because yawning,
either alone or associated with stretching, is considered an ancestral vestige
surviving throughout evolution that promotes sexual arousal. The results showed
that 800 mg/kg of E. longifolia Jack increased yawning by 50% and stretching by
16% in sexually sluggish old male rats, by 700% and 150%, respectively, in
sexually active male rats, and by 30% and 100%, respectively, in middle aged, 9
months old and retired breeders. We conclude that the results of this study
support the folk use of this plant as an aphrodisiac.
Eurycoma longifolia Jack enhances sexual motivation in
middle-aged male mice.
J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol. 2003; Ang HH, Lee KL, Kiyoshi M. School of
Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Science Malaysia, Minden, Penang, Malaysia.
Eurycoma longifolia Jack was investigated for sexual motivation activity in
adult, middle-aged male mice and in retired breeders. Each mouse received 500
mg/kg of one of 4 fractions of E. longifolia Jack, viz. chloroform, methanol,
butanol, and water, whereas the mice in the control and yohimbine groups
received 3 ml/kg of normal saline and 30 mg/kg of yohimbine daily respectively
for 10 d. The results show a transient increase in the percentage of male mice
responding to the right choice after chronic consumption of the fractions with
50 percent of the adult middle-aged male mice treated with E. longifolia Jack
and yohimbine scoring the right choice after 8 and 5 days post-treatment
respectively. In conclusion, this study has shown that Eurycoma longifolia Jack
continues to enhance sexual motivation in adult, middle-aged male mice and in
retired breeders.
In vitro studies
An in vitro study means that the evaluation was done in a lab not using any
animals or humans. Eurycoma extracts are known to have anti-malarial and
anti-cancer properties.
Cancer
Induction of apoptosis by Eurycoma longifolia jack extracts.
Anticancer Res. 2005 May-June. Tee TT, Azimahtol HL.School of Biosciences and
Biotechnology, Faculty of Science and Technology, National University of
Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia.
The present study investigated the effects of extracts and their chromatographic
fractions from the root of Eurcyma longifolia on the growth of a human breast
cancer cell line, MCF-7. Our data indicated that E. longifolia extracts and
fractions exert a direct antiproliferative activity on MCF-7. The
bioassay-guided root fractionation resulted in the isolation of three active
fractions, F5, F6 and F7. The resultant from F7 purification, F16, exhibited a
higher cytotoxic activity towards MCF-7 and a certain degree of selectivity
against a normal breast cell line. Our results suggest that F16 has
antiproliferative effects on MCF-7 cells by inducing apoptosis through the
modulation of Bcl-2 protein levels.
Malaria
Among the quassinoids isolated from Eurycoma longifolia Jack, eurycomanone was
identified as the most potent and toxic inhibitor of the chloroquine-resistant
Gombak A isolate of Plasmodium falciparum.
Activity of Eurycoma longifolia root extract against
Plasmodium falciparum in vitro.
Wien Klin Wochenschr. 2009 Oct; Wernsdorfer WH, Ismail S, Chan KL, Congpuong K,
Wernsdorfer G. Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
This tree is a source of quassinoids with anabolic, antimalarial and cytostatic
activity. In this study, conducted during 2008 in Mae Sot, Thailand, a
standardized extract of E. longifolia containing three major quassinoids,
eurycomanone, 13,21-dihydroeurycomanone and 13alpha(21)-epoxyeurycomanone was
evaluated for antiplasmodial activity against Plasmodium falciparum and its
activity has been compared with that of artemisinin. The inhibitory activity of
the E. longifolia extract was higher than that expected from the three
quassinoids isolated from the plant, suggesting synergism between the
quassinoids or the presence of other unidentified compounds.
Eurycoma Longifolia Jack, LJ100
extract, Tongkat Ali interactions with prescription medications
If you have any medical problems, taking medications, or are over the age of
50, discuss with your doctor before using Tongkat Ali supplements.
Blood pressure medications - If you have moderate to
severe hypertension, we suggest not using Eurycoma products unless the dosages
are very low.
Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra - We do not suggest taking a
eurycoma pill or LJ100 the same day as Cialis, Levitra, and Viagra prescription
drugs. You may consider taking the herbal product for two days before the
erectile dysfunction drugs.
Heart medications - Those who have heart disease or taking
heart medications should not use Eurycoma extracts since this herb increases
heart rate.
Sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil - We do not suggest
taking a eurycoma pill or LJ100 the same day as Sildenafil, tadalafil and vardenafil
prescription medicaitons. You may consider taking the herbal product for two
days before the erectile dysfunction medications.
Can LJ100 product be taken in conjunction with blood
pressure medications such as Lisinopril and Toprol?
We have not seen any studies with such combinations. As a
general rule it is best to use a portion of a capsule at first and to have
medical approval. Some people may be able to tolerate the combination, whereas
others may not.
Statin drugs -
Can this product be taken in conjunction with cholesterol medications such as
simvastatin or statin drugs for high cholesterol?
Possibly in low dosages, but it depends on the overall health
of the person, whether they have heart disease, hypertension, taking other
medications and supplements, and their overall health status.
Eurycoma Longifolia Jack, LJ100
extract, Tongkat Ali interactions with dietary supplements
If you have any medical problems, taking
medications, or are over the age of 50, discuss with your doctor before
combining Tongkat Ali with other nutritional supplements.
Yohimbe or Yohimbine - Unless the dosages are kept low, we
do not suggest taking them together the same day. Tongkat ali can be taken the
day before and yohimbe used the an hour to three hours before sexual activity.
Questions and comments from consumers
How long should I give the 25mg lj100 a try before moving up to 50mg?
We suggest trying 25 mg two days on, one day off, for a week
or two before considering any dosage changes.
I am a bodybuilder and i want to increase my muscle mass
and testosterone. Does the LJ100 help me or not? And for the bodybuilder, how
many i take per day, how many day on and day off, when i take ? i am taking the
creatine and whey protein, can i take the LJ100?
We can't advise whether you should or should not take this
supplement, but we think it has too many side effects to be used for the purpose
of muscle building. Creatine and protein supplements are the best and most
consistent ways to increase muscle mass with the fewest side effects.
I think I was going through a hormonal imbalance or simple
lack of testosterone for some reason at age 37 (almost 41 now). I didn't realize
what the problem was until I was working out all the time and decided to look
into perhaps trying to do something steroid-ish (no way I'm doing that). That's
when I learned about how when guys do steroids, a side effect is their natural
testosterone-making ability is shut down, and after they end a cycle they have
to get it going again, especially if they aren't like 18 years old. That further
led me to guys who take steroids as a hormone replacement, and I saw the same
indicators mentioned when someone has a lack of testosterone as I was
experiencing. So, I decided I'd try and up my testosterone using natural
methods, and if that didn't do anything then I'd take the embarrassment and go
to doctor to do something about it. So, I searched for a product that might fit
the bill, and found LJ100 25 mg backed by what appears to be a reputable person
/ company. I bought a bottle and took the LJ100 as directed, every other day
during the week in the morning right after waking up. The only unwanted side I
experienced was actually a sign that it was working, a pimple. Before too long I
felt normal again, and ordered a couple more bottles of LJ100. Thing is, shortly
after receiving the new bottles, I've discovered I don't need them anymore, at
least not regularly. I think for whatever reason, maybe just getting older, my
system had a hiccup and the LJ100 brought it back to action. Every once in a
while I'll take one in the morning as an enhancement or maintenance, so to
speak, when I notice any decline or lack of the morning indicator for too many
mornings. When I do that, I will eventually get a small pimple show up on my
upper back. Nothing major, one squeeze and it's pretty much gone already. If
anything I take it as sign that my testosterone is back to about where it should
be. So, I now only take maybe on average one LJ100 per month, if that. So, I
probably won't be buying more bottles of that anytime soon, but that's a good
thing. Anyway, I wanted to write and say all that because I'm very happy with
the lasting results, I'm certain it isn't a placebo effect, and just want to
thank you for making the LJ100 available online along with all the information
presented in a very factual way. I also like the research updates, and with the
special offers I might try out another product to see if it helps with my
cognitive abilities.