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What are the Most Common Tongkat Ali Side Effects?

Synthia L. Rose
Synthia L. Rose

Improved sexual health and better mind functioning rank among the top most common tongkat ali side effects. Holistic medicine practitioners use the roots and bark of this shrub because they are rich in cancer-resistant chemicals known as antioxidants. These antioxidants not only treat cancer, but also encourage other curative side effects of tongkat ali including the healing of ulcers, the easing of malaria, and relief from diarrhea.

The herb, which often goes by the names “longjack” and “Malaysian ginseng,” comes from the Eurycoma shrub, a short tree that grows primarily in Malaysia and Indonesia. Few benefits of tongkat ali have gained wider attention than its purported ability to boost sexual performance and enjoyment. The herb, which quickens the body’s creation of luteinizing hormones (LH), is widely known as an aphrodisiac for both men and women. In men, the larger LH supply increases the body’s production of testosterone, generally giving them more frequent erections and more sexual stamina—doctors often recommend tongkat ali to relieve erectile dysfunction and increase ejaculate volume. Women users often claim tongkat ali revives their libidos, enabling them to become aroused more quickly and to achieve more pleasurable orgasms.

Tongkat ali is purportedly able to boost sexual performance and enjoyment.
Tongkat ali is purportedly able to boost sexual performance and enjoyment.

Sports players often gravitate to this herb because superior fitness and athletic prowess are frequently touted as tongkat ali side effects. The herb, according to some sports doctors, enables better muscle repair and accelerates recovery after rigorous workouts that strain or tear tendons and sinews. Many athletes claim that tongkat ali enables them to increase strength while reducing body fat percentage. The slimming ability of this plant has also made it attractive to many dieters.

Tongkat ali may be helpful in the treatment of ulcers.
Tongkat ali may be helpful in the treatment of ulcers.

Tongkat ali’s physique-enhancing benefits especially appeal to bodybuilders, some of whom mix the herb with steroids and other performance-improving supplements. Combining the herb with anabolic steroids can allegedly buffer the crash that results when steroid use is halted. A steroid crash typically includes extreme lethargy and a sense of dehydration for two to four days.

A steroid crash may cause extreme lethargy and dehydration.
A steroid crash may cause extreme lethargy and dehydration.

Two mental tongkat ali side effects that often interest both children and adults are the herb’s tendency to refine memory and its ability to create a sense of happiness and positivity. The alleged power of the herb to foster optimism has caused some medical practitioners to recommend tongkat ali for those who suffer from depression and bipolar disorder. Some credit the herb’s energy-boosting nature for its power to cure the emotional blues.

Tongkat ali supplements are sometimes marketed as a natural steroid.
Tongkat ali supplements are sometimes marketed as a natural steroid.

Tongkat ali is sold in powder and pill form. Many users elect to purchase the extract rather than powdered roots and bark because the extract is more concentrated and believed to be more effective. Most countries require no prescription for this herb. Herbalists usually report no negative tongkat ali side effects, but occasional studies have found that the immune system can be weakened in some individuals, particularly if users greatly exceed the recommended dosage on the supplement’s package. It is not advised for pregnant people.

Discussion Comments

Markerrag

Interesting. I've got ulcerative colitis (a nasty condition which results in a bleeding colon) and I've never heard of Tongkat Ali. Instead, I get to spend thousands of dollars a year on medicine that doesn't work all that well. I wonder if Tongkat Ali is something that will help? It's something I'll research, at least...

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    • Tongkat ali is purportedly able to boost sexual performance and enjoyment.
      By: vgstudio
      Tongkat ali is purportedly able to boost sexual performance and enjoyment.
    • Tongkat ali may be helpful in the treatment of ulcers.
      By: p6m5
      Tongkat ali may be helpful in the treatment of ulcers.
    • A steroid crash may cause extreme lethargy and dehydration.
      By: Coka
      A steroid crash may cause extreme lethargy and dehydration.
    • Tongkat ali supplements are sometimes marketed as a natural steroid.
      By: Ariwasabi
      Tongkat ali supplements are sometimes marketed as a natural steroid.
    • Some herbalists recommend the use of tongkat ali to alleviate the symptoms of depression or bipolar disorder.
      By: Antonioguillem
      Some herbalists recommend the use of tongkat ali to alleviate the symptoms of depression or bipolar disorder.
    • Tongkat ali can help relieve erectile dysfunction by giving men more frequent erections and more sexual stamina.
      By: Allen Penton
      Tongkat ali can help relieve erectile dysfunction by giving men more frequent erections and more sexual stamina.
    • Tongkat may be able to accelerate recovery following a rigorous workout.
      By: Mat Hayward
      Tongkat may be able to accelerate recovery following a rigorous workout.