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.
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’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.
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 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.
