The most potent Tongkat Ali supplement is believed to contain more than 1.5% of eurycomanone, 22% eurypeptides and more than 40% of glycosaponin. These bioactive must ideally be present in optimal quantities to benefit your health.
The truth is, highly potent Tongkat Ali supplements are produced from the best extraction technology, quality harvesting techniques, standardized extraction protocols, adherence to Tongkat Ali manufacturing standards, and backed by clinical tests to prove their pharmacological effects on health.
This article covers Tongkat Ali’s potency, methods and choosing the most potent Tongkat Ali. Our research team will share with you about Tongkat Ali potency, how to identify and where to buy the most potent Tongkat Ali supplement or strongest extract that maximizes your health benefits.
Potent Tongkat Ali plants can be found in the remote rainforests of Pahang and Johor in the south of Malaysia. But every batch of Tongkat Ali raw materials have varying level of bioactive ingredients that affect potency.
Everyone seeks “strong” Tongkat Ali supplements these days. A strength of Tongkat Ali extract is defined as potency, a measure that takes into consideration many factors that contribute to the overall efficacy (or effectiveness) of the supplement when taken orally in the form of capsule, powder or liquid.
Our research showed that a large percentage of potent Tongkat Ali products are developed through years of research and refinement of the best extraction protocols and sourcing of quality raw materials (often from mature Tongkat Ali plants). Roots of Tongkat Ali contain high percentage concentrated levels of eurycomanone, eurypeptides and saponin – three major bioactive compounds that are clinically tested to ensure maximum potency and efficacy.
According to Miami Herald and Men’s Journal, MIT-formulated AKARALI is amongst the most potent Tongkat Ali you could buy with the highest concentration of eurycomanone, eurypeptides and glycosaponin that is produced using hot water standardized extract protocols from mature wild-crafted natural Tongkat Ali roots.
The icing on the cake is that only 1% of the highly acclaimed potent Tongkat Ali supplements are clinically tested, or used in clinical trials. So, what makes clinically tested Tongkat Ali supplements highly potent, effective and sought-after by discerning customers?
In the above example, AKARALI’s standardized extraction protocol, with hot-water and freeze-dried method delivers one of the highest bioactive compounds such as eurycomanone, glycosaponin, polysaccharides and other essential nutrients compared to other Tongkat Ali brands.
To understand what it takes to be the strongest and most potent Tongkat Ali, let’s go deep into defining the various potency levels of Tongkat Ali.
Before we start discussing the extraction protocols, a potent Tongkat Ali starts with sourcing quality wild mature Tongkat Ali plants that are more than 5 years old. According to herbal experts, mature Tongkat Ali plants provide a higher percentage of bioactive compounds that help quality production to meet consumer demand for potent Tongkat Ali supplements.
Our expedition to Pahang, a state in Peninsular Malaysia unraveled the process involved in the harvesting of mature Tongkat Ali plants – believed to be the most potent root used in AKARALI products.
“Sourcing for quality raw Tongkat Ali is a crucial component that defines potency to ensure we do not reduce wastage of such a valuable natural resource” said Tengku, a former CEO of Biotropics who spent 20 years in Tongkat Ali extract.
“Mature Tongkat Ali roots are often have larger diameter, weighing 10-20kg per plant and require one person to hand carry it from the remote location to the collection center” said a representative of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM).
Based on our assessment obtained with the help of the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), each part of a Tongkat Ali plant has varying degrees of potency (as illustrated in the table below). And generally, mature roots from Tongkat Ali plants harvested more than 5 years are more potent than younger plants and other parts (eg: leaves and branches).
Tongkat Ali plant | Concentration of Bioactive Ingredients | Overall Potency |
Mature Roots (> 5 year old) | Very High | Very Potent |
Young Roots (<5 year old) | Medium | Potent |
Roots | Medium to High | Potent |
Branch | Low to Medium | Least potent |
Leaves | Low | Least potent |
“We ensure only mature Tongkat Ali plants are harvested, handpicked and hand-carried to the production facility. Our unique meticulous approach is why we are the most potent / strongest Tongkat Ali in the market today” said Shahid Shayaa, CEO & Founder of AKARALI.
After the health coaches spent days in the rainforest of Pahang, Malaysia, they now fully understood the importance of sourcing quality mature Tongkat Ali plants and how it contribute to the overall potency after the extraction is completed.
At the extraction phase, the potency of Tongkat Ali is measured by the amount of bioactive ingredients (expressed in percentage of dry weight) that are produced. More often than not, these extracted are tested (through clinical trials or research studies) to identify the bioavailability of each bioactive ingredients that is needed to produce a pharmacological responses (eg: hormonal responses) in our bodies.
Potency is used as a comparative measure of different doses between two Tongkat Ali products/extract that are needed to produce the same pharmacological effect (i.e response)
In pharmacology, potency is also known as the “drug strength”.
Consuming potent Tongkat Ali can benefit you in many ways:
Efficacy is the ability of a product / drugs / herbal supplement to produce pharmacological responses to health or any system in our body. Efficacy is used to also measure any effects on health.
Efficacy of Tongkat Ali is usually validated through clinical trials and research studies.
Learning about Tongkat Ali’s efficacy helps you choose the most potent Tongkat Ali. Since potency and efficacy are linked, here is an example of how potency and efficacy of two Tongkat Ali supplements bring better insight when making your buying decision.
In short, the next time you purchase Tongkat Ali, make sure it is clinically tested for potency and efficacy.
Tongkat Ali’s potency is measured by the amount of eurycomanone, eurypeptides and glycosaponin (expressed in percentage value of total dry weight) that can be extracted from the root, or any parts of the plant.
Eurycomanone is an alkaloid that forms one of the major bioactive compounds found in Tongkat Ali; often in small quantities (0.1% to 3% of dry weight). Meanwhile, glycosaponin (saponin) is another major bioactive compound that exists in large percentages (20-40% of total dry weight). Together, this contributes to Tongkat Ali’s overall potency that affects hormonal responses (eg: testosterone production), anti-cancer properties, libido and other medicinal properties.
A potent Tongkat Ali supplement is often an indicator of strength. A strong Tongkat Ali supplement is often marketed as an effective testosterone booster, libido booster but in reality, the potency markers found in most Tongkat Ali supplements often do not meet the minimum “potency threshold” set by the Malaysian Tongkat Ali standards, MS2409.
Research has shown that eleven out of 24 Tongkat Ali brands complied (0.84-8.48% w/v) with the criteria set by Malaysian Standards, with only nine of the products recorded eurycomanone level above (1.6-8.48%).
Find out which Tongkat Ali brands are potent and can deliver consistent health benefits.
Potent Tongkat Ali products deliver optimal health benefits in less time due to faster absorption from higher bioactive ingredients. More so, if you are taking natural and organic Tongkat Ali products that are free from adulterants or synthetic substances that may superficially boost the potency as claimed by the manufacturers.
In other words, you don’t need to take 800mg of Tongkat Ali daily to produce the same effect as compared to taking a highly potent 200mg Tongkat Ali that is produced from an established standardized hot water extraction protocol.
Expect the following when consuming clinically tested and potent Tongkat Ali.
Note: The above improvements or benefits may vary depending on age, lifestyle, diet, medical conditions and other factors. But most improvements are based on clinical studies and real-world feedback from consuming 200mg – 400mg of potent Tongkat Ali standardized extract.
Warnings.
A higher dosage from a low-potency Tongkat Ali may not produce any additional benefits, effects or gains as the bioavailability of the alkaloids, quassinoids and other compounds is extremely low. Taking a higher dose may be processed as waste through your kidneys.
Refer to our dosage and maximum limit guide, to avoid unwanted side effects from incorrect dosage, or when using Tongkat Ali to achieve your health goals.
The most potent Tongkat Ali supplement uses standardized hot water root extract that is sourced from mature Tongkat Ali roots. This gives a higher concentration of bioactive ingredients that are consistent for each batch of production. Many experts believe that this protocol ensures a potent extract compared to the conventional 200:1, 400:1, or even 600:1 extracts.
There are other common herbal extraction methods used in Tongkat Ali production using ethanol (alcohol) as the main solvent, and water (aqueous extract) method – which is more premium and more time consuming, but better for long-term health.
Lets investigate various extraction methods and how it affects Tongkat Ali’s potency.
Level of Eurycomanone : <0.5%
Potency: Low-Medium
The traditional extraction uses the hot-water boiling method to extract the bioactive ingredients from Tongkat Ali. The water is then served in a cup or mixed with tea.
This ancient method may not be potent but is widely practiced in present times. Depending on the location and age of the Tongkat Ali plant, studies have shown that the percentage of eurycomanone (i.e the most bioactive and useful compound) found in Tongkat Ali in it’s pure form (i.e unprocessed raw root) is between 0.8 – 1.5%.
The most potent Tongkat Ali roots are from plants harvested in the state of Pahang, Malaysia and some parts of Borneo (Sarawak).
This method however produces lower efficacy too as some of the bioactive compounds may be destroyed, or diluted due to excessive thermal heat from boiling. In addition, it is not an efficient way to consume Tongkat Ali vis-à-vis the amount of bioactive ingredients that your body needs to achieve those health goals.
Imagine having to drink bucket loads of Tongkat Ali tea everyday to get the same effect from a 200mg capsule.
This is the reason why recent consumers prefers to consume Tongkat Ali extract rather than the traditional method.
Level of Eurycomanone : 0.5%-1.0%
Potency: Medium
Conventional non-standardized Tongkat Ali extract uses either alcohol-based solvent (usually methanol) to extract bioactive ingredients. About 90% of Tongkat Ali supplement uses ethanol-based extract, which is the least potent.
This mass-produced herbal extraction method is common due to low-cost manufacturing.
Reflux extraction is a known conventional method for producing potent Tongkat Ali extract powder; where a solid-to-liquid extraction process involve solvent evaporation and condensation.
Expect lower and inconsistent level of eurycomanone, eurypeptides, glycosaponin when using this extraction method.
Level of Eurycomanone : 0.8% – 3%
Potency: High
Standardized aqueous or hot water root extract is the most potent Tongkat Ali extract. It is known to deliver a higher level of eurycomanone and other bioactive ingredients from Tongkat Ali with higher safety limits. Standardized hot water extract technology such as Physta® is regarded as the most potent Tongkat Ali root extract.
It also contains a higher level of eurycomaone (1.5%), glycosaponin (>40%) and polysaccharides (30%) compared to other Tongkat Ali extraction methods.
Another advantage is that standardized Tongkat Ali extract ensures every production batch delivers consistent level of bioactive ingredients; which guarantees consistent health gains.
Standardized hot water Tongkat Ali extract is the most potent Tongkat Ali extract that is used by many health professionals.
The other advantage is that standardized root extract enables manufacturers to reduce waste, energy and resources due to less amount of raw Tongkat Ali roots required to produce the same level of potency and bioavailability.
The most potent Tongkat Ali uses standardized hot water root extract which delivers bioactive compounds eurycomanone between 0.5 – 1.5% and eurypeptides between 20 to 25%. Other potency markers in Tongkat Ali include polysacharrides and glycosaponin which are believed to deliver additional health benefits such as higher testosterone, better immune system and anti-cancer properties.
There are four types of Tongkat Ali extract that deliver varying degrees of potency and safety as illustrated in the table below. The best potent Tongkat Ali is formulated to optimize the bioavailability of its ingredients to achieve higher potency and efficacy whilst optimizing safety at higher doses and minimizing severe or acute side effects when taken over a longer period.
Types of Tongkat Ali extract
| Potency & Safety |
Standardized hot water root extract
| Most potent with the highest level of safety |
Standardized ethanol root extract
| Higher potency and but less safe
|
Non-standardized root extract
| Medium potency |
Non-standardized generic extract | Least potent |
Our research from various Tongkat Ali extracts shows key differences in the bioavailability of its ingredients, which can be used as a potency marker when choosing a highly potent Tongkat Ali extract.
Results from our analysis (shown in the table below) showed that 200:1 Tongkat Ali extract is the least potent. Meanwhile, standardized Tongkat Ali hot-water extract is by far the strongest and highly potent due to high bioavailability compounds and minerals.
Tongkat Ali Potency Assessment
| Least Potent
| Moderately Potent
| Most Potent
|
Tongkat Ali Extraction Method | 200:1 Extract | Standardized Ethanol Extract | Standardized Hot Water Extract
|
Tongkat Ali Bioactive Ingredients
| |||
Eurycomanone | <0.2% | 0.3%-3% | 0.5%-1.5% |
Eurypeptides | 10% | 15-20% | 20%-30% |
Glycosaponin | 10%-15% | 10-30% | 30-40% |
Polysaccharides | 20-30% | 20-30% | 30-55% |
Crude Protein | 10-20% | 20-30% | 20%-40% |
Calcium | – | – | 2.0% |
Potassium | – | – | 1.5% |
Magnesium | – | – | 2.2% |
Isoleucine | – | – | 0.15% |
The table above shows the potency values of Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia) based on bioavailable compounds using various extraction methods. Percentage values are average values based on 1kg of dry extract weight collected from 10 batches of production used in this analysis.
According to industry experts, the extraction ratio is not a potency marker to define the strength or any Tongkat Ali supplements. However, most Tongkat Ali brands on Amazon are using the extraction ratio of 200:1, 400:1 as brands make exaggerated claims of it being “highly potent”.
You should be careful not to be a victim of Tongkat Ali scams that are rampant in the US, UK and Europe. Always read the label, and check if the manufacturer is indeed using a potent formula, or a known standardized extract.
Looking at the US market, there are plenty of private-label cheap low-priced Tongkat Ali brands that resort to a “highly potent formula” by selling it in higher doses (eg: 600mg per capsule). This has resulted in a mixed bag of reviews, with brands recommending higher-than-required daily Tongkat Ali dosage. There are many generic Tongkat Ali that still contain low bioactive ingredients due to inexperienced manufacturers that are not specialized in Tongkat Ali extraction.
Higher eurycomanone at 10% may not be classified as the most potent and this may be achieved through the addition of adulterants to superificially increase the content of eurycomanone as practised by China suppliers. In vitro studies showed that 0.5 to 1.6% eurycomanone is sufficient to induce pharmacological effects on health, and there are no studies to verify the health benefits or side effects when consuming higher eurycomanone (at 2%,5% or even 10%).
Higher eurycomanone is widely used as a marketing gimmick by Tongkat Ali brands such as Nootropic Depot (ND) in recent years, similar to the marketing narrative of 200:1 or 500:1 Tongkat Ali extracts that were once used by many herbal supplement brands in the US, UK and Australia.
A study by the Ministry of Health Malaysia in 2018 revealed that eurycomanone is a polar compound with low permeability and absorption. The study further concluded that the use of lower percentage of eurycomanone may be necessary to establish its efficacy.
In other words, a potent Tongkat Ali with a high percentage of eurycomanone (eg: 5% or 10%) may not translate to higher efficacy.
Related article: Tongkat Ali Ingredients: Eurycomanone and Eurypeptides
Black Tongkat Ali (Polyalthia Bullata) is reported to be more potent than Yellow Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia) as it offers higher bioactive ingredients; with eurycomanone between 2% up to 10%.
However, there are no toxicity and safety studies on black Tongkat Ali in humans. Not only that, severe reported side effects could potentially mean that black Tongkat Ali is not safe, especially when consumed in high doses.
Tongkat Ali brands claiming 10% eurycomanone may contain traces of Black Tongkat Ali extracts and other adulterants to artificially elevate the eurycomanone content for marketing purposes.
Tongkat Ali | Potency | Safety |
Black Tongkat Ali (Polyalthia Bullata)
| High | Not safe with severe side effects |
Yellow Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia)
| Medium – High | Safe at doses between 200 mg to 400 mg |
Related article: Review of Black Tongkat Ali vs. Yellow Tongkat Ali
Potent Tongkat Ali supplements deliver faster response time due to high bioactive compounds, which results in less dosage required to produce the desired benefits to your health.
There are many real-world reviews from those consuming potent Tongkat Ali supplements using standardized hot-water root extract, with significant gains reported after two weeks, four weeks and even six weeks of Tongkat Ali consumption.
The strongest and most potent Tongkat Ali product in the market today uses standardized extraction protocol, with hot-water and freeze-dried method with higher bioactive compounds from eurycomanone, glycosaponin, polysaccharides and other essential bioactive ingredients.
AKARALI is by far the strongest and most potent Tongkat Ali on the market today.
According many research reports, AKARALI is by far the most potent and strongest Tongkat Ali supplement in the US, UK, Europe and Australia. More than 2.5 million capsules of its signature product were sold in 35 countries and is currently the market leader in premium quality Tongkat Ali that utilizes clinically-tested standardized hot water extract using handpicked mature Tongkat Ali roots.
AKARALI’s potent Tongkat Ali supplement is used and performance-tested by many sports athletes around the world through its global community partnerships with endurance athletes, including marathon and ultramarathon runners.
Visible results from consuming the most potent Tongkat Ali with the highest efficacy. Source: James Goodman
With 5,000 Tongkat Ali brands to choose from, always choose the best Tongkat Ali brands that offer the highest potency. The strongest Tongkat Ali supplements are usually clinically tested on humans to verify its efficacy and health claims. And rest assured, clinically tested Tongkat Ali supplements are relatively safe as it has fewer side-effects due to standardized bioactive ingredients.
If you are using highly potent Tongkat Ali for the first time, please refer to our Tongkat Ali FAQ section and our Tongkat Ali Dosage Guide to get the most from Tongkat Ali.
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 .
Disclaimer: Content published in this article is not intended to promote any brands nor to provide any form of recommendations to purchase or consume medication, drugs or herbal supplement brands directly or indirectly. By reading this, the sole responsibility and decision lies on the reader to perform their own assessment and / or to arrive at an informed decision based on publicly available information. By reading the content published on this website means you are aware on the risks involved in purchasing any of the products or brands mentioned in this article. We highly recommend you and the readers to consult your nearest doctor before making any purchase from this website or any other websites or social platforms after reading this article.
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