Are celebrity medical and health experts like Dr Andrew Huberman a boon or a bane as his instrumental role in popularizing Tongkat Ali and Fadogia agrestis warrants a thorough review.
Price at USD 19.90, Huberman Momentous Tongkat Ali (60 capsules) is sold on Amazon with functional health claims that it may boost testosterone, benefit libido, body composition, build stronger muscle and accelerate recovery. It seemed like a magical pill that is too good to be true.
But is Momentous Tongkat Ali a high-quality supplement that work in the real world?
In this review, we’ll explore whether Momentous (Huberman Lab) Tongkat Ali, is worth the hype and does it benefit testosterone, libido and muscle growth based on customer feedback and from our research analysis.
Momentous is a US-based supplement and sports nutrition company headquartered in Utah. The company mission is to provide consumers with the highest quality and most innovative products. According to their website, Momentous products are formulated with scientifically backed and the highest quality ingredients, and have been rigorously tested by independent 3rd parties.
Being a legitimate US-based company, Momentous itself has been awarded 6 innovation contracts from the US Department of Defense to create human optimization products, with most its herbal ingredients such as Tongkat Ali were imported from Indonesia and manufactured in the United States.
According to a PR statement issued by Momentous, Dr Huberman joined Momentous’ Scientific Advisory Board in 2022. Momentous and Dr. Huberman’s Health & Fitness podcast, known as the Huberman Lab Podcast, entered into a multi-year partnership to promote the benefits of Tongkat Ali, Fadogia Agrestis and other herbs in the US.
According to Momentous, the partnership with Dr. Huberman will leverage his scientific knowledge across multiple disciplines of brain and body health to support Momentous' growing stature in the supplement industry.
In reality, Dr. Andrew Huberman’s commercial involvement with Momentous has attracted various controversies given that he has not published a single research study on Tongkat Ali.
Unlike the MIT-Tongkat Ali developed by a group of MIT and Malaysian scientists in the past, Huberman Momentous supplements are viewed by medical professionals as a marketing hype, by capitalizing his Stanford credentials in neuroscience to propagate Tongkat Ali on Joe Rogan podcasts.
| Product Specification | Description |
| Serving Size | 1 capsule = 200mg |
| Tongkat Ali source extract | Indonesia |
| Extraction method | Ethanol non-standardized |
| Lab Tested | Yes |
| Clinically Tested on Humans | No |
| % of Eurypeptides | Unknown |
| % of Eurycomanone | Unknown |
| % of Glycosaponin | Unknown |
| % of Pollysacharides | Unknown |
| Tongkat Ali species | Eurycoma Longifolia |
| Other ingredients | Rice flour, Hypromellose, magnesium stearate |
Momentous stands out as a popular best-selling Tongkat Ali supplement in the US although premium brands such as AKARALI is deemed as a better choice amongst US consumers due to clinically tested US-patented Physta® standardized hot water root extract that delivers higher eurycomanone, eurypeptides, glycosaponin and pollysacharides bioactive compounds.
Momentous Tongkat Ali claims to source Indonesian Tongkat Ali extract from reputable suppliers. However, further investigation revealed that these specific extracts used by Momentous are not clinically tested by qualified scientists to benefit testosterone or libido as claimed by Dr. Huberman in his podcasts.
The addition of adulterants such as magnesium stearate in Momentous Tongkat Ali further distorts the purity and poses health risks such as the weakening of the immune system.
Our analysis showed that Momentous Tongkat Ali contains magnesium stearate, a chemical compound known to irritate the mucus lining of the bowels, triggering diarrhea and cause potential of weakening of the immune system according to health experts from WebMD.
Nonetheless, Momentous Tongkat Ali remains an affordable choice for US consumers at $19.95 for a bottle of 60 capsules. Despite sourcing its extract from Indonesian Tongkat Ali suppliers, the lower potency, impurities and lack of clinical trials did not deter consumers from buying the higher-priced Malaysian Tongkat Ali supplements.
Traces of magnesium stearate found in Momentous Tongkat Ali is used as a solvent during the Tongkat Ali extraction process may be safe but medical experts from Healthline believe that ingesting too much magnesium stearate may cause laxative effects such as bowel irritation and diarrhea.
The long-term liver risks of taking Momentous Tongkat Ali require further investigation given the addition of magnesium stearate found in Momentous supplements as evidenced in the Supplement Facts published by Momentous in 2024.
In fact, the pricing strategy of $15.96 based on monthly subscription offers a huge value to consumers as Huberman Tongkat Ali remains popular in the US as it is enthusiastically endorsed by one of the world’s biggest health influencer neuroscientists from Stanford University – Professor Dr Andrew Huberman, who also runs his own Huberman Lab.
Our analysis also revealed that Momentous Tongkat Ali is produced from 100% non-standardized raw root powder extract, which may not adhere to the potency marker set by the Malaysian Tongkat Ali Standards MS2409.
As the Momentous-Huberman Tongkat Ali supplement itself provides scant technical details on levels of bioactive ingredients or how it is produced, our expert analysis goes deep into Momentous Tongkat Ali based on where the raw ingredient is sourced from, what the supplement is composed of, and what their customers have said about using it so far.
The first area of concern is that Momentous Tongkat Ali is made from Indonesian Tongkat Ali roots. Dr Huberman has sung the praises of Indonesian Tongkat Ali in several instances, calling it far superior to Malaysian Tongkat Ali.
Does this notion have merit? We think not.
Given the fact that the vast majority of human clinical studies and Tongkat Ali research from around the world centers Malaysian Tongkat Ali, specifically proprietary standardized hot-water Tongkat Ali root extract, the only conclusion we can really draw is that he is promoting the interests of his own brand over the vast majority of actual clinical research on Tongkat Ali benefits.
Sourcing plays a key role in the quality and potency of Tongkat Ali supplements. Any manufacturer can source Tongkat Ali from countries like Indonesia due to lax regulations in the country and there is no accounting for whether this is grown in the wild rainforests, as premium Malaysian Tongkat Ali is, or in a more industrialized and polluted setting.
Generic raw root powder like Momentous Tongkat Ali is often sourced from countries like Indonesia because it is far more cost effective, with fewer regulatory hassles, and most importantly, brands like Momentous can rely on their reputation and popular endorsements by their partner Dr Andrew Huberman to cover for any lack of standardization, potency, and clinical testing.
Momentous Tongkat Ali is composed of 100% raw root powder. According to some sources, raw powder is neither standardized to meet the threshold of bioactive compounds that are needed to our body nor is it extracted to fine powder extract.
One of the key ways to tell if a Tongkat Ali supplement is ideal for long-term human consumption is standardization and the use of a water extraction method. As it stands, it is more likely than not that Momentous Tongkat Ali is made with raw, unextracted root powder. While this may be sufficient for use as a traditional remedy, it is far below the quality of a dietary supplement intended to promote clinically tested health benefits to a discerning consumer base.
Learn more about the different types of Tongkat Ali extracts here.
Not only is raw root powder less potent than properly standardized and water-extracted Tongkat Ali root, it is also inconsistent in providing health benefits to humans. Huberman’s raw root powder supplement is, unfortunately, the cheapest and fastest way to make a Tongkat Ali supplement: a ground up form of the whole root, including all its components such as fibers, cellulose, minerals, and other unknown compounds, including potential ground pollution from where it is grown in Indonesia.
What difference does this make? With raw root powders, the potency of bioactive compounds can vary widely, depending on factors like plant maturity, growing conditions, and processing methods.
The efficacy of raw root powder can also vary based on individual absorption rates and bioavailability of active compounds. It is a far cry from the safety, efficacy and consistency of supplements using proprietary standardized hot-water Tongkat Ali root extract, which specifically concentrates and isolates health-enhancing bioactive compounds like eurycomanone, eurypeptides, glycosaponins, and polysaccharides, from the root and is widely clinically tested on humans.
Dr Andrew Huberman’s Tongkat Ali supplement by Momentous received a mixed-bag of customer reviews; some of which may consist less-than-authentic reviews that are deemed fake or less trustworthy.
According to our analysis of Momentous customer reviews, some consumers reported that there are wild inconsistencies in both the size of the capsules and the amount of root powder contain in the Momentous Tongkat Ali capsules. One consumer even went so far as to test this on his digital scale to prove this and has pictures showing capsules of varying sizes:
Some consumers reported side effects like severe allergic reactions and acne breakouts from taking Momentous Tongkat Ali supplement caused by potential allergens, impurities and adulterants found in most Indonesian Tongkat Ali extracts. In fact, contaminants in the polluted and heavily industrialized ground soil in Indonesia could also account for unwanted side effects:
There are also those that said that Huberman’s Tongkat Ali supplement did nothing for them, with some consuming a whole bottle only to feel more tired, irritable, with lower levels of libido than before they started.
Due to Indonesian extract used in Huberman Tongkat Ali, this similar negative experience was reported in another customer review of Solaray Tongkat Ali, another best-selling US-made Tongkat Ali brand that is popular on Amazon.
This may be explained by the inclusion of adulterants, allergens and adding of fillers or binders coupled with the low concentrations of bioactive compounds found in the raw Tongkat Ali powder sourced from Indonesia.
Of course, there are also good reviews, because despite the fact that it is sourced from Indonesia and unextracted, raw Tongkat Ali root powder has been shown in traditional use to still be able to boost vigor, energy, and libido, albeit only a fraction as effectively as properly standardized hot-water extracts made with clinical testing in mind:
Find out answers, consumer insights and how to use Momentous Huberman Tongkat Ali before making your first purchase.
According to various Huberman lab podcasts, Dr. Huberman stated that taking 200mg to 400mg daily of Tongkat Ali may deliver the optimal testosterone and libido gains. Whilst the recommended dose of 200mg to 400mg assumes one is taking a pure unadulterated root Tongkat Ali extract, pro athletes and bodybuilders are taking 400mg to 600mg daily to enhance their sports performance, endurance, energy and strength. In reality, the recommended dose of Tongkat Ali required by healthy adults varies between 200mg to 800mg depending on lifestyle, age, diet, and existing health conditions.
The best Tongkat Ali supplements are single-sourced from roots hand-harvested in remote Malaysian rainforests and made with proprietary standardized hot-water Tongkat Ali root extraction. This specific extract, conceived for further medical and pharmaceutical research into Tongkat Ali benefits, is the basis of more than 300 research studies and over 26 human clinical trials, including the two studies cited on Momentous’ page.
US-based Momentous may be a good supplement brand and their best-sellers like creatine, omega-3, and collagen peptides are very highly rated. However, Momentous Tongkat Ali is not associated with premium quality due to the untested extract sourced from Indonesia which deliver inconsistent testosterone and libido gains. Despite the affordable price tag and enthusiastic endorsement from paid medical experts, Huberman Momentous Tongkat Ali is not used by professional athletes, or natural bodybuilders as it does not produce any measurable energy performance, strength or muscle gains.
Momentous Huberman Tongkat Ali may show mild testosterone gains when taken between 200mg to 400mg daily, although actual results may vary significantly across various age groups due to the inconsistent bioactive ingredients sourced from untested Indonesian Tongkat Ali extract.
However, despite making testosterone health claims based on Huberman’s Tongkat Ali protocol, there are no clinical trials or research studies conducted on Momentous Tongkat Ali extract published by Momentous or any third-party lab tests.
In comparison to AKARALI Physta-derived Tongkat Ali formulation, other premium Tongkat Ali extracts are clinically tested with results showing 50% to 500% testosterone increases from multiple published randomized controlled clinical studies in the past.
Huberman Tongkat Ali supplement is generally accepted by many to boost energy and used by active adults. However, its Indonesian-sourced Tongkat Ali extract is not currently clinically tested on humans, nor has there been any research published by Momentous themselves to claim that it enhances muscle strength, muscle building or boosts overall sports performance. In conclusion, Momentous Tongkat Ali supplement performs well below other premium Tongkat Ali brands such as AKARALI’s Physta MIT-formulated standardized hot water extract.
Huberman’s Momentous Fadogia Tongkat Ali combo may not be safe when consumed in high doses exceeding 600mg of Fadogia, or when taken regularly more than 30 days. Past and present toxicity clinical human studies on various species of Fadogia showed damage to testicular cells, liver damage known as necrosis and cause gousiekte, a cardiotoxicosis of heart failure. Momentous Huberman Fadogia Agrestis supplement comes in 600 mg per serving which may exceed the safety toxicity limits, with severe reported side effects on the kidneys and liver. A recent study in 2023 showed chronic inflammation of the kidneys and liver damage when exposed to 50 mg/kg body weight, which translates to i.e 600 mg of Human Equivalent Dosage (HED) of Fadogia.
Momentous offers a taste of Tongkat Ali for new customers who seek to revitalize their health for the first time. If you are a big fan of Dr. Huberman and his Huberman Lan, most likely you want to buy Momentous Tongkat Ali that is sold directly from Momentou’s official website, Amazon, and via authorized Momentous original online resellers in Indonesia and India.
Our health expert Ilan Joffee from Core Supplement LLC concluded his final assessment and review of Momentous Tongkat Ali with the following statement:
Huberman Tongkat Ali is a brand that has gained much traction due in no small part to Dr. Huberman’s celebrity status, but it may not necessarily deliver the most bang for buck as the Indonesian-sourced extract are not clinically tested to deliver the optimal testosterone or libido gains compared to more established brands such as AKARALI.
Savvy UK and US consumers are better off paying slightly higher prices for premium, high quality Tongkat Ali supplements. These premium products work consistently, are ethically sourced, made from the highest quality clinically tested and science-backed ingredients, and most importantly, the use of standardized hot-water extraction methods with fingerprinting and chromatography have raised the gold-standards of Tongkat Ali beyond what is currently offered by Momentous, Solaray and other supplement brands in the US.
Naressa Khan contributes regularly on AKARALI. As a researcher and investigative journalist, 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 .
Our articles are third party reviewed by our panel of experts and medical advisors to ensure the facts are accurate and credible. These are validated against multiple source references which include but not limited to research studies, peer-reviewed journals, pre-clinical studies, clinical tests and other credible publications.
Our panel of medical advisors and experts are highly experienced in their individual fields. However, they do not provide any medical advice or recommendations arising from content published in this article.
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.
