What Is Tongkat Ali

Tongkat Ali is a tall plant native to Southeastern Asia, known locally as Eurycoma longifolia, malaysian ginseng or pasak bumi. Traditionally the roots of the Tongkat Ali plant were ground into a paste and boiled in water. The liquid brew is then consumed as a traditional medicine for its aphrodisiac properties.

Today Tongkat Ali is sold globally in plant extract form, taken in capsules as a health supplement or added to food and beverages.

tongkat ali Trees

Tongkat ali trees

Tongkat ali Plant

Tongkat ali plant

Tongkat ali roots

Tongkat Ali roots

What Is Tongkat Ali Used For

Tongkat Ali extract has gained notoriety as a safe, powerful testosterone booster used to alleviate the symptoms of low testosterone in men or used at higher dosages by bodybuilders for the physical benefits of raised testosterone levels, such as increased muscle mass and decreased body fat.

Why Is Tongkat Ali Better Than TRT

Tongkat Ali stimulates natural testosterone production rather than introducing testosterone to the body through injections or patches.

By encouraging the body to produce testosterone naturally, you avoid the side effect known as "shut-down". Shut-down occurs when your body tries to counterbalance its testosterone level by stopping natural production, instead relying on the external source of testosterone.

We recommend reading our Tongkat Ali Dosage and Tongkat Ali Safety pages to learn more about using Tongkat Ali safely.

Tongkat Ali Vs. Tongkat Ali Extract Vs. Tongkat Ali Root Extract

If you're new to Tongkat Ali, you may want to know why the extract versions are more popular than chipped root and why root extract is more expensive than plane extract.

Tongkat Ali root extract is a fine water-soluble powder that contains a concentrated amount of the active testosterone-boosting compounds found within the plant's roots.

Tongkat Ali extract, often marked for sale as just "Tongkat Ali", is produced using the root, stem and other parts of the Tongkat Ali tree but containing less active testosterone-boosting compounds.

Tongkat Ali chipped root is simply chippings taken from the root of the Tongkat Ali tree. Tongkat Ali chipped root requires stewing over a long period to achieve a tea-like brew you can then drink.

For testosterone boosting with Tongkat Ali, you are better off with either genuine Tongkat Ali root extract or the Tongkat Ali root chippings. This is because the active compounds build up in the tree's roots over time.

What Does Tongkat Ali Extract Look Like

Tongkat Ali root extract should be a fine water-soluble powder varying in color from light sandy brown to dark reddish-brown. The color varies depending on the roots selected and the production methods used during the extraction process.

Standardized Tongkat Ali extract tends to be lighter brown as it has fewer impurities. Well-produced traditional extracts are slightly darker, sometimes with a reddish tint. Occasionally, you may come across dark brown extracts with a charcoal smell. These have been overheated in the drying phase and should be avoided.

Tongkat Standardized Extract

Sample Extract 2%

tongkat ali Chipped Root

Chipped Root

tongkat ali root extract

Tongkat Ali extract


For further reading use the links below or select Tongkat Ali Information from the Main Menu

How Tongkat Ali Works