Tongkat ali is one of the most widely used herbal medication in Southeast Asia, primarily because of its power to enhance libido and sexual function. Apart from yohimbe, tongkat ali is the only herbal medication that has been scientifically proven to work as an aphrodisiac. Everybody can easily check this fact at Medline, the huge database of scientific medical article. The abstracts of these articles are accessible for free.
On the Infotrieve site, click the Medline link in the left sidebar. If you want to check the scientific abstracts, type "eurycoma" and "longifolia" into the data fields, and see the results. There are a good number of articles, published in Western pharmacological journals, which attest to the sexuality-enhancing properties of tongkat ali [pasak bumi, eurycoma longifolia jack]. In the left column, we have integrated links to some of the scientific abstracts from Medline.
Tongkat ali (pasak bumi) is widely used in Southeast Asia not just to enhance sex drive and the power to perform sexually, but for a wide range of ailments. It has scientifically been proven to help in the prevention and treatment of malaria, and it is used as a therapy for fatigue, migraine, and arthritis, though such applications have so far not been scientifically validated.
In its wide range of uses, tongkat ali is similar to ginseng. However, tongkat ali's power to enhance testosterone levels is far greater than that of ginseng. If you look through the Medline scientific abstracts quoted in the left side bar, you will see that it has been possible to raise testosterone levels to more than 400 percent of base levels. No way could such a result be achieved with ginseng.
The dosages used of tongkat ali depend on the results one wants to achieve. In the treatment of fatigue and other common health problems, 25 gram of chipped root, brewed as coffee, (or the equivalent in an extract = 500 mg 1:50 extract) would be sufficient.
To increase libido and sexual function, the dosage could be increased to double or triple.
Bodybuilders whose concern is to achieve persistent high testosterone levels, use still higher dosages (4 grams of 1:50 tongkat ali extract per day, or the equivalent of 200 gram of chipped root).
Tongkat Ali's likely hormonal pathway
Tongkat ali increases testosterone tone, but is not a testosterone agonist. Anabolic steroids are testosterone agonists. They cause a negative feedback reaction of the pituitary and hypothalamus (the two glands secrete a series of hormones that signal Leydig and other testosterone synthesizing cells to stop testosterone production). The result is a definite shrinkage of the male genitals, especially the testes. The medical term for the condition is "tesicular atrophy".
Tongkat ali is the opposite of a testosterone agonist. But no, it�s not a testosterone antagonist. Tongkat ali stimulates testosterone production by interfering with the testosterone negative feedback loop. Even when tongkat ali raises testosterone levels, the upstream pituitary and hypothalamus do not respond by signaling that testosterone synthesis should be tuned down.
The above is part abstract, part model. Tongkat ali has not been fully researched yet. While there is ample evidence that it raises testosterone, the exact mechanism by which it achieves this hasn�t been established.
However, there is educated speculation not only by this author.
Stated Lie-Chwen Lin (National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine, Shih-Pai, Taipei 112, Taiwan, R.O.C.) and Chen-Yuan Peng, Hsing-Shun Wang, Kuo-Wu Lee, and Paulus S. Wang (all of the Department of Physiology, National Yang-Ming University, Shih-Pai, Taipei 112, Taiwan, R.O.C.) in a scientific study into the Chemical Constituents of Eurycoma longifolia:
"A preliminary screening demonstrated that the ethanolic extract of Eurycoma longifolia could decrease the basal level but increase the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-induced production of testosterone by rat Leydig cells. 13 known compounds including 5 canthin-6-one alkaloids, three anthraquinones and five anthraquinone glucosides were isolated from the roots of E. longifolia. The structures of these compounds were established by spectroscopic analysis and comparison with literature data." Human chorionic gonadotropin is a very interesting hormone.
I have found repeat indications that it indeed plays a role in libido, more so than testosterone itself. This includes sources on the Internet, as well as feedback I have received from subscribers.
The following is from a website named Free Steroid Tips:
HCG (Generic name: Human chorionic gonadotropin)
Pregnyl by Organon. 5,000 to 20,000 IU (International Units) per 10 cc vials. This drug is not a steroid but it is widely used in athletics today. HCG is a natural protein hormone secreted by the human placenta and purified form the urine of pregnant women. This hormone is not a natural male hormone but mimics the natural hormone LH (Luetinising Hormone) almost identically. This LH stimulates the production of testosterone by the testis in males. Thus HCG sends the same message and results in increased testosterone production by the testis due to HCG�s effect on the leydig cells of the testis.
Normally this HCG is used to treat women with certain ovarian disorders and it is used to stimulate the testis of men who may be hypogonadal. Athletes use HCG to increase the body�s own natural production of testosterone which is often depressed by long term steroid use. Also when steroids are used in high dosages they can cause false signals to the hypothalamus that results in a depressed signal to the testicles. Over a period of weeks of this depressed signal the testicles ability to respond to any signal from the pituitary becomes very weak, which results in testicular atrophy. To avoid this athletes will use HCG to keep an artificial signal going to the testis and preventing testicular atrophy. When administered, HGC raises serum testosterone very quickly. A rise in testosterone firs appears in about two hours after injecting HCG. The second peak occurs about two to four days later.
HCG therapy has been found to be very effective in the prevention of testicular atrophy and to use the body�s own biochemical stimulating mechanisms to increase plasma testosterone level during training. Some steroid users find that they have some of their best strength and size gains while using HCG in conjunction with the steroids. This may wee be due to the facts that the body has high level of natural androgens as well as the artificial steroid hormones at that time.
The optimal dosage for an athlete using HCG has never been established, but it is thought that a single shot of 1000 to 2000 IU per week will get the desired results. Cycles on the HCG should be kept down to three weeks at a time with an off cycle of at least a month in between. For example, one might use the HCG for two to three weeks in the middle of a cycle, and for two or three weeks at the end of a cycle. It has been speculated that the prolonged use of HCG could repress the body�s own production of gonadotropins permanently. This is why the short cycles are the best way to go.
The side effects from HCG use include gynecomastia, water retention, and an increase in sex drive, mood alterations, headaches, and high blood pressure. HCG raises androgen levels in males by up to 400% but it also raises estrogen levels dramatically as well. This is why it can cause a real case of gynecomastia if dosages get too elevated for that person. Another side effect seen from HCG use is morning sickness (nausea and vomiting). There have been no cases of overdose complications with the use of HCG nor have there been any associated carcinomas, liver or renal impairment. HCG was at one point looked at to see if it could carry the AIDS virus, due to the fact that it is biologically active, but the latest word is that this could not be possible in any way.
So we see how HCG be used by athletes to avoid some of the problems associated with abruptly stopping a steroid cycle. This product is also not picked up on steroid tests, so some athletes use it to keep androgen levels high before a contest that has drug testing. HCG must be refergerated after it is mixed together, and it then has a life of about 10 weeks. It is taken intramuscularly only; this drug is often available by order of a physician if you show symptoms of hypogonadism. It is hard to find on the black market.
The following is from a subscriber (HR) who first invited me to guess what hormone he was talking about:
"Last fall I discovered another hormone, which after 5 weeks of use, switched on my libido (to an amazing degree, more than I had in my 20s), in the sense of having desire. It also improved my sexual performance, but better orgasms with total ED is still missing the point - but having no libido left me with no desire to deal with ED. And my testicles are the largest they have ever been..."
OK, I guessed human chorionic gonadotropin.
"Right. It has worked well for me, as I suspect my pituitary has basically shut down due to the diabetes. It is difficult to titrate the dose. I started with 1500 IU daily, now at 1900 IU with no real desire to go higher. You have to move the injection site around or you will end up with severe muscular pain after about 3 injections in the same place."
