What is tongkat ali?

    Written by:

    Fact-checked

    by:

    Last Updated: May 16, 2025

    Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia), also known as longjack or Malaysian ginseng, is a Southeast Asian herb that is traditionally used to enhance testosterone levels and potentially reduce blood pressure, fever, and fatigue, though evidence for these effects is limited. Its main bioactive components include quassinoid compounds, eurycolactones, and eurypeptides.

    Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia), also known as longjack or Malaysian ginseng (unrelated to Panax ginseng), is an herb from Southeast Asia. The extract of the roots of the plant has been traditionally used to enhance testosterone levels in men, though it has also been proposed to be able to reduce blood pressure, fever, and fatigue. Unfortunately, there’s scant evidence to support these effects.[1] Furthermore, the internet is full of low-quality information about tongkat ali.[2]

    The main bioactive components in tongkat ali are the quassinoid compounds (eurycomanone and eurycomanol), eurycolactones, canthin-6-one metabolites, eurylene and teurilene (derivatives of squalene), and eurypeptides.

    What is tongkat ali? - Examine