Tongkat Ali and L-arginine: Benefits, Side Effects and More

Taking Tongkat Ali and L-arginine supplements may be the optimal supplement stack for libido, with rising clinical studies showing the efficacy of each supplement with promising results in managing ED symptoms.

This article deep-dive into the benefits of taking Tongkat Ali and l-arginine supplement for men, whether the combination works on ED, its potential side effects and whether you should combine both Tongkat Ali and l-arginine as part of your daily supplement.

Overview

Buying cheap (and inevitably less potent) Tongkat Ali supplements have its own set of downsides. As some users did not obtain optimal benefits of Tongkat Ali due to impurities, adulterants and low-quality extracts, they opt to add zinc, magnesium, boron and L-arginine with Tongkat Ali to gain maximum libido effects.

Whilst in theory, adding zinc (30mg) and boron (10mg) may be added together with Tongkat Ali (200mg) may translate to higher libido gains, combining Tongkat Ali and L-arginine is believed to bring faster libido gains, especially those wanting to gain faster erection from improved blood flow due to the production of nitric oxide (NO).

These PDE5 inhibitory effects of Tongkat Ali and l-arginine combo may be a potent libido combo if it is administered correctly at the right dosages. However, it may not be for everyone due to its side effects and lack of research on its long term safey.

Our analysis revealed that both Tongkat Ali and L-arginine may contribute to higher libido gains, through various pathways such as increasing nitric-oxide (NO) in the blood that may benefit those experiencing mild to moderate ED symptoms.

What is L-arginine

L-arginine is an amino acid naturally found in poultry, fish, diary and mostly in read meat. L-arginine supplements help the conversion of nitric oxide (NO) in the body which improves blood flow by widening the blood vessels. This allows more oxygen-rich blood circulates through your arteries, which include increased blood flow to cause better penile erection. In addition, according to various studies, Nitric Oxide (NO) may cause release of hormones such as growth hormones and insulin which may benefit your overall health.

Benefits of L-arginine

L-arginine supplements may benefit sports and exercise performance by increase respiratory response, reducing rate of oxygen consumption (VO2) and strength based on daily dosage of 6g/day for 56 days to 14.2g/day for 6 months based on various clinical studies. 

In addition to sports performance, a meta study published by the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2019 reported that L-arginine supplements significantly improve Erectile Dysfunction (ED) based on 10 controlled clinical trials involving 540 patients. However, most studies showed that l-arginine will only benefit ED if taken with other dietary supplements. The same study further concluded that arginine supplements may be recommended to patients with mild to moderate ED.

On the contrary, health experts and nutritionists however warned that taking l-arginine supplements alone may not improve ED. According to Healthline, l-arginine may not work if taken in isolation. Therefore, users are advised to take l-arginine supplements with other well-established natural libido supplements such as Tongkat Ali or Ashwagandha in order to gain the optimal libido effects.

L-arginine and Tongkat Ali

Taking into account the number of randomized controlled trials on L-arginine and Tongkat Ali, the l-arginine and Tongkat Ali may be a potent cocktail to improve libido, especially when combined with L-citrulline, zinc, magnesium and boron which works well for aging men and those with hypogonadism or Low-T.

However, users are cautioned against taking pre-formulated all-in-one supplement that contains l-arginine, Tongkat Ali, zinc, magnesium and boron due to incorrect dosing that may cause other side effects such as nausea, headaches, and kidney or liver damage.

Side effects of L-arginine

Side effects from studies related to l-arginine includes change of blood sugar levels, nausea, decreased of blood pressure and increase the risk of internal bleeding (hemorrhage) which may occur after taking high doses of l-arginine at 2,000mg and above. It may not be safe to take l-arginine if you are taking blood pressure medication as it may lower your blood pressure in diabetic patients. Therefore, always consult your doctor before taking l-ariginine supplements of when combining it with other herbs or dietary supplements.

FAQ: User Guide

Get more answers and insights on l-arginine supplements.

How much l-arginine should I take daily?

Based on the analysis of 10 randomized controlled trials from a total of 540 patients with ED published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, users taking l-arginine between1,500 to 5,000 mg may significantly improve ED. 

However, taking higher dose of l-arginine may cause your blood pressure to drop and this may be indicated by nausea, light headedness, and unhealthy balance of potassium in the body.

It is advisable to take lower dosage of l-arginine at 500mg to 1,000mg daily for 2 weeks before increasing the dosage to 1,500mg for at least 2 months to gain any noticeable or visible results on ED.

Tongkat Ali vs. L-arginine: Which is better?

You can take either Tongkat Ali or l-arginine, or take both supplements together to gain more libido gains through better blood flow to the penis for better erection. According to studies, when l-arginine supplements are taken together other plant supplements such as pycnogenol, it may improve ED by 85% after 2 months. Clinical Urologists from Miami Florida stated that both Tongkat Ali and l-arginine supplements are amongst the recommended natural treatments for ED patients.

Does Tongkat Ali and L-arginine improve libido?

Yes, taking Tongkat Ali and L-arginine may improve libido with faster reaction time and harder erection. Supplementing L-arginine with L-citrulline has been showed to add a precursory effect by improving nitric oxide pathway of penile erection, thus improving blood flow for a better libido that may be used to address mild to moderate ED symptoms. 

Can I Tongkat Ali and L-arginine together?

Yes, you can take Tongkat Ali and l-arginine supplements together in small doses (200mg of Tongkat Ali & 250mg of l-arginine) before gradually increasing the dosage to avoid any unwanted side effects. However, a single supplement formulation that combines Tongkat Ali and L-arginine may not work on everyone as some brands do not have take into account quality Tongkat Ali extract or due to poor dosing in its formulation.

Can I Tongkat Ali, L-arginine and L-citrulline together?

In addition, combining L-arginine, L-citrulline and Tongkat Ali may help to boost stronger libido effects through better blood flow to the penis, with mild PDE5 inhibitory effects to support moderate ED symptoms, at least for short-term. However, the long-term safety of combining Tongkat Ali, L-arginine and L-citrulline have not been well-established or researched. Users are cautioned when taking high doses of l-arginine and l-citruline together due to unwanted side effects such as nausea, feeling jittery and frequent light-headed feelings, which may related to other unknown symptoms.

Can I Tongkat Ali, L-arginine and maca together?

l-arginine and maca root extract may have benefit on libido. However, for optimal libido and better erections, taking pure Tongkat Ali extract (200mg), l-arginine (1,000mg) and maca root (100mg) may give you the best result for moderate ED cases. Taking l-arginine and maca does not cause longer erections and there are not clinical studies to prove such health claims.

Parting Thoughts

L-arginine may be taken together with Tongkat Ali to enhance libido or sports performance although more clinical studies are required to validate its safety and effects on kidney or liver functions. Users are cautioned not to take l-arginine or Tongkat Ali at more than 400mg daily due to potential side effects on internal bleeding that can be damaging if you have pre-diagnosed medical conditions such as low blood pressure issues, or prior history of bowel injury, head injury, lung injury or urinary tract injury and other internal bleeding disorders.
Author

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.

Share this post

Related Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *