Tongkat Ali in HoneyBoost: 25 mg of Root Extract, Beside the Studies

The label line, the studied amount and the caution, in one place.

Tongkat ali, also called longjack, is the root of Eurycoma longifolia, a tree of Malaysia, Indonesia and nearby countries. It is traditionally used as an aphrodisiac and for fever, and it is sold today for energy, stamina and testosterone support. A 2016 review calls its standardization and evidence base a work in progress (Rehman et al. 2016).

The panel lists "Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia) Root Extract 100:1" at 25 mg per gummy, equivalent to 2,500 mg of root. It is the largest of the six lines. A 100:1 ratio is a very high concentration claim, but the label prints no percentage of eurycomanone, the marker compound that researchers use to check tongkat ali products.

It is the marker compound researchers use to standardize tongkat ali extracts.

A product that names its marker and gives a percentage lets a buyer compare it with studies. The HoneyBoost panel prints a 100:1 ratio and a root equivalent of 2,500 mg, but not a marker. Without it, the label cannot be matched to the extracts in the 2022 meta-analysis (Leisegang et al. 2022). That is a practical gap, because the size of the effect in studies depended on a branded, standardized extract.

A reviewer's note: the 2016 review calls standardization and the evidence base a work in progress (Rehman et al. 2016).

Who should ask a clinician or pharmacist first.

The bigger practical risk is product quality. A DNA test of commercial tongkat ali products found that only 37% were authentic and 27% were adulterated (Abubakar et al. 2018). A 4-week study of 63 stressed adults reported better mood scores and higher salivary testosterone with one standardized extract, but it was small and short (Talbott et al. 2013). Ask any tongkat ali seller for a certificate of analysis that names the extract.

A short list of who should ask first: people on nitrates or other heart medicine, on blood pressure medicine, on ED drugs, on MAO inhibitors or Parkinson medicine, on diabetes medicine (damiana may affect blood sugar), on aromatase inhibitors or other hormone or cancer medicine, and on tetracycline or quinolone antibiotics (zinc can lower their absorption). People with heart disease, a hormone-sensitive condition, or a psychiatric condition should ask as well.

Stop and ask a clinician if a rash, swelling, a racing or irregular heartbeat, dizziness, a strong headache, stomach upset that does not pass, mood changes or trouble sleeping show up after you start. These are listed under the ingredients' cautions, and they are the reason the label tells you to speak to a physician. You can report a problem with any supplement to FDA through MedWatch (FDA, MedWatch).