Endocrinologists have known for a long time that testosterone increases the body’s ratio of lean muscle mass to fat. In both animals and humans, tongkat ali extract increases muscle mass. In a study of men, half of the subjects ingested tongkat ali extract and half did not. In an eight-week physical training program the men who consumed tongkat ali extract experienced greater gains in muscle mass and strength than those who did not. This demonstrates the powerful anabolic properties of tongkat ali. Instead of turning to the use of dangerous and potentially lethal steroids, perhaps more athletes will opt for tongkat ali. In Malaysia, many professional field hockey players use tongkat ali extract as an androgen and swear to its performance-enhancing effects.

The Extract Secret
Dr. Johari has solved a problem with tongkat ali extraction: “One of the things we found is that when organic solvents are used to extract tongkat ali, you get a number of toxic compounds, especially the quassinoids, in the extract.” To get around this problem, Dr. Johari began to experiment with a water extract. Using water, pressure, a very specific range of temperature and freeze drying, he was able to develop a proprietary tongkat ali extract with a very low quassinoid level and high amounts of the active glycoproteins. That extract has been used in all the animal and human studies that have been conducted on tongkat ali. In the United States, Dr. Johari’s proprietary tongkat ali extract goes by the name LJ100. I asked him how much LJ100 tongkat ali extract people should take. “We have found that men need about 100 mg (milligrams) of extract per day, while women need about 50 mg,” he said.

Tongkat Ali and Sexuality
Dr. Ismail Tamby directs the Human Reproduction Specialist Center in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. Dr. Tamby is one of the foremost experts on reproductive health in Southeast Asia. He works with men and women in all cases of sexual dysfunction, reproductive disorders and fertility problems. He is also the leading medical expert on the effects of tongkat ali root extract on human subjects. In his work with men, Dr. Tamby has found that use of tongkat ali extract significantly increases testosterone production. He said, “I was very skeptical at first about this type of thing, using some plant to change hormone levels. But I did some work with it and tongkat ali turned out to be highly potent. In our studies, we found that tongkat ali extract increased the serum level of testosterone considerably.” I asked Dr. Tamby if the men in his study experienced renewed sexual vitality or heightened sexual desire. “Oh, yes, most definitely,” he said. “The men found that tongkat ali boosted their sex drive quite a lot. I think that for low libido, tongkat ali extract is very valuable. I have seen this result for myself and can say that this plant really works.”

Dr. Tamby conducted the PADAM study in which he investigated partial androgen deficiency in males. He selected 30 adult males of various ages, assessed their testosterone levels and then gave them 100 mg of tongkat ali extract daily. The testosterone levels of all the subjects rose, from somewhat to a lot, depending on age. Dr. Tamby’s study resulted in a 91 percent improvement in libido, a reported 73 percent improvement in sexual function and an 82 percent psychological improvement relative to sex among the men who participated in the study. His work shows that while the level of testosterone in the blood decreases with age, tongkat ali can reelevate the level of this important sex hormone.

Using Tongkat Ali
Dr. Johari, Dr. Tamby and other experts involved with this plant recommend around 100 milligrams of FDAE (freeze-dried aqueous extract, or LJ100) tongkat ali daily for men, and around 50 milligrams for women, to boost testosterone, enhance sexual function, increase ATP production and improve lean muscle mass.

Though tongkat ali extract is by no means a cure-all, it does offer a solution to some of the vexing problems of aging. Demonstrating a high level of safety, tongkat ali delivers youth-enhancing effects. For this reason, its increased use in dietary supplements seems guaranteed.