Have you tried Tongkat Ali but failed miserably to meet or exceed your expectations in achieving your health goals?
If Tongkat Ali didn’t work, then this article is for you. Find out why Tongkat Ali didn’t work on you, and mitigating steps you should take to ensure it works optimally for your health benefit.
Tongkat Ali’s efficacy or effectiveness has been a huge topic as growing research suggests it may work in a clinical (placebo-controlled) study environment, but in reality, each of us has unique hormonal responses when taking Tongkat Ali.
Keto diet, eating less sugar, performing regular exercises to maintain your BMI and taking quality 3rd party lab-tested Tongkat Ali increase the likelihood of boosting your testosterone, stamina and libido. This health protocol may work well across healthy active adults, aging men and women.
However, you could be a Tongkat Ali scam victim who accidentally bought low-quality Tongkat Ali extracts that are not clinically tested or 3rd party lab tested.
If you don’t feel energized during the day, or struggling to keep up with your stamina after taking it for 2 weeks, then it is time to choose clinically tested Tongkat Ali.
Reports showing that Tongkat Ali increases SHBG and lowers testosterone production revealed factors such as poor sourcing from non-standardized extracts, use of adulterants, impurities and fillers (eg: maltodextrin) found in most Tongkat Ali supplements.
These are key reasons why Tongkat Ali didn’t work. Adding to that, consumers continue to be heavily influenced by celebrity doctors and influencers with false advertising.
You should be very careful not all US-made brands are specialized in delivering quality Tongkat Ali supplements.
Primary reason why Tongkat Ali did not work as it should is due to low bioavailability found in poorly-sourced non-standardized Tongkat Ali extracts that are filled with maltodextrin.
According to health experts, Tongkat Ali will work on most people provided you take a highly potent bioactive Tongkat Ali extract that is standardized to meet minimum bioactive content, or standards such as the Tongkat Ali Standard MS2409. And when taken at the right time, there will be situations and moments when you can get the best results from Tongkat Ali.
Lets find out reasons as to why Tongkat Ali did not work on you, and some tips on how you can maximize your results from Tongkat Ali.
Possible reasons why Tongkat Ali did not or may not work on you
If you are exercising less than once a week or five days in a month, chances are Tongkat Ali supplement may not boost your libido, testosterone, or even aid in your weight loss goals. For it to work optimally, taking Tongkat Ali daily with regular exercises (eg: weight training, resistance training, HIIT or running) helps to activate your adrenal and pituitary glands in your endocrine system.
A randomized placebo-controlled study in 2020 on a group consuming 200mg of Tongkat Ali daily with 3-times a week exercise showed the most libido improvement and the highest testosterone increase.
Tongkat Ali may work better if you exercise at least 3 times a week or 10,000 steps a day.
Tongkat Ali optimizes your testosterone and other hormones when your body is subjected to moderate-to-high-intensity exercises at short intervals with adequate rests in between. Aim for 60-second high-intensity exercise with 90-second rest in between and do it for 6 reps.
If you are looking at improving your ED or libido, try taking Tongkat Ali 400mg daily with Kegel exercises daily for four weeks. If it didn’t work, aim for 1-hour running for 5km at moderate speed at least 3 times a week.
In most cases, aiming for 10,000 steps a day or 3,000 steps of moderate running with Tongkat Ali supplementation works well for healthy adults and men with low androgen.
Types of exercises that may boost your libido or testosterone when takingTongkat Ali:
Low-quality Tongkat Ali extracts with low bioactive ingredients (eg: eurycomanone of less than 0.8%) may those filled with fillers (eg: maltodextrin) may not work to boost your testosterone or libido. Brands such as Solaray Tongkat Ali (400mg) is reported to have negative effects on testosterone, recording a 29% testosterone drop after 40 days.
Buying cheap quality Tongkat Ali extracts in the US that are sourced from China or Indonesia contain impurities and adulterants that may not work optimally as intended. These extracts, known as generic or non-standardized extracts are not used in clinical trials, which results in poor efficacy and health benefits.
Buy standardized hot water Tongkat Ali extract if you want Tongkat Ali that works.
According to lead scientist Dr. Annie George from Biotropics, “Generic or poor Tongkat Ali extracts may not work even at high doses due to unbelievably low potency and efficacy”
“Lack of education and awareness of choosing the right extract explains why Tongkat Ali didn’t work on some people”, she added.
Key purchasing guide to avoid buying low quality Tongkat Ali:
If you are a heavy smoker, taking Tongkat Ali may not work on you and you may experience low libido with no testosterone increase even when taking Tongkat Ali at higher doses.
Studies showed that smoking increases the levels of carbon monoxide in a person’s body, this impact the production of testosterone and thus, affecting your sexual desire or libido.
Cigarette smoke is known to be a risk factor when it comes to ED because nicotine causes the blood vessels in your body to narrow
Smoking, vaping, e-cigarettes and inhaling any form of nicotine may not be the best option when taking Tongkat Ali if you want optimal testosterone gains.
Therefore, it is best to avoid taking Tongkat Ali if you are smoking or vaping and although are no reported side effects of taking Tongkat Ali by smokers.
Tongkat Ali can be taken with alcohol in moderation, but taking Tongkat Ali with regular alcohol consumption may not restore or improve your testosterone to optimal levels. Therefore, it is best to avoid alcohol consumption if you want the best libido or testosterone improvements when taking Tongkat Ali.
The fact is, excessive alcohol affects the messengers (i.e neurotransmitters) in the brain that controls the blood flow to the penis. In a 2018 study, results showed that it led to decreased sensitivity of the penis and taking Tongkat Ali without reducing your alcohol consumption may not yield optimal benefits.
In addition, there is strong evidence that alcohol cause lower production of testosterone. Some studies reported a 6.8% drop in testosterone even with moderate alcohol consumption whilst other studies recorded a higher reduction of total testosterone.
As excessive alcohol is one of the risk factors of Erectile Dysfunction (ED) in men, you may want to avoid drinking any beers, wine or spirits when taking Tongkat Ali.
Overtraining (eg: endurance-running or marathon) may cause a significant testosterone drop below your baseline due to elevated cortisol levels (i.e stress hormones) during long-distance endurance races. Taking non-standardized Tongkat Ali extracts that have low bioactive ingredients (i.e eurycomanone or eurypeptides) may not help to boost your testosterone to optimal levels.
Studies showed a significant decrease of testicular testosterone in endurance-trained males and runners exposed to 97-minute exhaustive long runs at 7% of VO2 max. While standardized Tongkat Ali hot water extract is considered more potent and relatively more beneficial to long-distance runners, taking it an hour before races or at an interval of every 5km-10km may boost testosterone, stamina and energy to finish 20km, 50km or even 100km races.
This overtraining issue exists in other sports too, eg: bodybuilding or weightlifting, but it may not deplete testosterone significantly compared to long-distance endurance runners.
Therefore, the best way is to avoid overtraining or by choosing the best type of exercise when taking Tongkat Ali. The best protocol to ensure Tongkat Ali works optimally to boost your testosterone or libido is by doing repeated sprinting (eg: 250m or less) or running at moderate speeds of less than 5km, at least 3 times a week.
Tongkat Ali may not work as effectively as someone who is within the recommended BMI.
So, if you are obese or overweight, Tongkat Ali may not work on you.
Studies showed moderate obesity predominantly decreases total testosterone due to insulin resistance-associated reductions in sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG).
If you are obese, you may need to supplement Tongkat Ali consumption with plenty of exercises to restore your hormonal balance, including testosterone.
The truth is, obesity is associated with low androgen levels in men and causes adverse alterations in your endocrine system. The result of lower testosterone affects your libido or ED due to hypogonadism.
The good news is that Tongkat Ali is tested on hypogonadism and low level of androgens in men. But there are some tips to maximize Tongkat Ali’s effect if you are obese.
Tongkat Ali may not work to improve testosterone if you have too much sugar content in your daily diet. A 2018 US-based study found that sugar-sweetened beverages reduce serum testosterone in adult males aged 20-39. Multiple other studies suggest that processed sugar lowers your total testosterone and prevents the production of testosterone in your adrenal glands.
Therefore, if you have high blood sugar levels (or prediabetic), chances are Tongkat Ali supplement may not work as effectively as it should, resulting in less-than-optimal gains. This may explain that Tongkat Ali did not work on some people who consume high sugar diet, especially from fizzy carbonated drinks, sweet cakes and biscuits or even high-fructose fruits.
Having too much sugar in your diet surpresses your immune system and kills the testosterone-enhancing effects of Tongkat Ali.
What you could do is to opt for a sugar-free diet or reduce your sugar intake by 70% when taking Tongkat Ali. Avoid taking high sugar diet from fizzy drinks, sweets, biscuits, processed food, cakes that may impair your testosterone production. This protocol may help you to restore optimal testosterone balance in your bloodstream, resulting in higher energy boost from efficient fat burn and better protein synthesis.
Lack of sleep, or sleep deprivation is associated with lower testosterone. If you are not sleeping well, or sleep less than 5 hours a day, especially after a stressful work day or workout, then Tongkat Ali may not work for you.
Adequate sleep is the most basic resting protocol to restore your overall hormonal balance. If you want to work well, you may use Tongkat Ali as a sleep supplement as it facilitates REM sleep and aids in enhancing wakefulness during the day (to avoid day sleeping).
But for Tongkat Ali to work as a libido or testosterone booster, you must adhere to a good sleeping pattern of at least 6 to 7 hours a day and a good set of diet.
Food containing soy, vegetable oil, and corns are filled with polyunsaturated fatty acids and may lower, or even suppress testosterone production and it may not work if you are eating testosterone-killing foods when taking Tongkat Ali.
The fact is, Tongkat Ali’s effectiveness hinges on its testosterone-boosting ability by activating your hormonal / adrenal glands to produce more testosterone and this works well with certain types of food. It is best to avoid diary, nuts, sugary canned drinks, bread and pastries when taking Tongkat Ali if you want to develop better longevity and a stronger immune system.
Mediterranean diet is the best age-reversing diet for longevity
In short, Tongkat Ali works well with Mediterranean Diet Keto Diet, vegan or sugar-free diet and please avoid taking these types of food when taking Tongkat Ali.
And there are foods that lower your testosterone levels which you must avoid if you want optimal health benefits from Tongkat Ali. Tongkat Ali may not work if you are eating processed or ultra-processed foods as it contains trans fat that is linked to inflammation, heart disease and others.
A well known MRNA vaccine is 95% effective in preventing COVID19. And data from Pfizer showed 43% to 83% of the patients reported an improved erection after taking the blue pill. Like every medicinal drug produced by the best pharmaceutical companies, not everyone is positively affected by it. Some experience more noticeable improvements than others.
The same can be said for Tongkat Ali.
Whilst even the strongest and most potent standardized Tongkat Ali extract may work, lack of exercise (or too much of it), poor diet and sedentary lifestyle may limit its full potential. For it to work, regular high-intesity exercises, sugar-free diet and sufficient sleep (rest) may work to bring you maximum benefits from Tongkat Ali.
And don’t forget to check out our comprehensive dosage guide to get the best from Tongkat Ali too.
Give it a try, let us know what you think and leave your comments below!
Naressa Khan contributes regularly on AKARALI. As a researcher and investigative journalist specializing in nutrition and natural wellness, Naressa is all about creating, deconstructing, and reassembling meaningful content through words and facts. With this approach always in mind, she eagerly explores the nuances in life via the aspects of lifestyle, culture, travel, health, and wellness in Malaysia .
Disclaimer:
The content published on this website is for educational purposes and should not be viewed, read, or seen as a prescription or constitute any form of medical advice. We recommend you consult your nearest GP or doctors before consuming Tongkat Ali or any products which contain Tongkat Ali. For further information, kindly refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for more information.
