Tongkat Ali in Australia: A Look at Its Safety and Scientific Findings
The concern that arises when consuming Tongkat Ali is its safety and how taking it daily or long-term affects our health.
This is a safety review of Tongkat Ali as a dietary supplement or when taking it as a novel food based on existing toxicology, safety-related research studies, and opinions by the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA).
Overview
Since the first discovery of Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia) as a medicinal herb by British explorer William Jack in 1822, there have been three reported cases of acute and severe side effects from consuming Tongkat Ali. The question of whether Tongkat Ali is safe is compounded by the latest case reported in 2024, where a 47-year-old male was hospitalized due to acute liver injuries after taking Tongkat Ali.
Against the backdrop of millions of users who have taken Tongkat Ali in various forms (capsules, extracts, raw slices, or even drinks) in the last decade and the low number of reported cases, this herb is reported to be relatively safe for long-term consumption as long as you consume within the recommended dosage, typically between 200mg to 400mg daily, but not exceeding 1,000mg per day.
“Although there are no reported deaths, it does not mean that all Tongkat Ali supplements are safe for human consumption,” said Dr. Zamir Hillman, a board-certified doctor who specializes in health optimization.
Currently, only a few Tongkat Ali supplements have been thoroughly tested to meet safety standards. Heavy metal tests, microbial and adulterant tests conducted by third-party EUROFINS meet the minimum dietary safety standards, which reduces health risks when taking herbal supplements.
As Tongkat Ali is classified as a dietary supplement and not regulated by the FDA, users are warned against consuming Tongkat Ali in high doses, or those which are not third-party lab-tested by reputable organizations such as EUROFINS, as it may contain adulterants, high heavy metal content (e.g., mercury, arsenic, lead), and other impurities that may affect your health.
Senior Head Scientist Dr. Annie George from Biotropics Malaysia said, “Tongkat Ali supplements using standardized hot water extract are among the few types of Tongkat Ali that went through comprehensive safety reviews, assessments, and tests in the last decade.”
Standardized hot water Tongkat Ali extract underwent thorough safety scrutiny by health authorities in the last decade, as opposed to 200:1 extracts and non-standardized ethanol extracts.
The implications of the recent development to the safety aspect of Tongkat Ali are twofold:
- Taking Tongkat Ali using standardized hot water extract that meets the Malaysian Tongkat Ali Standards MS2409 may reduce the unwanted side effects and risks of developing liver injuries from impurities or heavy metals.
- The switch in consumer behaviour to buying more premium quality extracts to achieve better health gains, higher testosterone increases, more libido improvements, and rapid lean muscle development without worrying about the side effects of long-term use.
Side Effects & Your Safety
You should consider the severity of the side effects when taking Tongkat Ali as one of your safety measures.
While some side effects are acute or temporary, negative side effects such as vomiting, consistent headaches, cramps, or diarrhea could indicate other serious problems caused by toxicity from the impurities.
Here is a list of Tongkat Ali side effects for your reference.
Our findings by the EFSA outlined in this article may be used as a guide to assess and address any safety concerns related to Tongkat Ali consumption as a dietary supplement.
EFSA Safety Findings
Firstly, the EFSA Panel concludes that Tongkat Ali was not clastogenic or aneugenic based on in-vitro animal studies with doses of 500mg/kg of body weight. However, in another in-vitro animal study, the EFSA researchers observed potential DNA damage in the stomach tissue of an animal at a high dose of 2,000 mg/kg of body weight.
The EFSA safety findings on animal studies can be extrapolated to assess the risks to humans when taking Tongkat Ali.
Based on the EFSA study and adjusting to the Human Equivalent Dose (HED) of 322 mg/kg of human body weight, consuming a high dose of 19,354 mg of Tongkat Ali in a single intake may induce potential DNA tissue damage or genotoxic effects in a human adult weighing 60kg.
Tongkat Ali may increase the risk of DNA damage in humans at a high dose of 19,354 mg in a single intake.
In conclusion, EFSA’s assessment points to the safety implications for humans consuming Tongkat Ali in high doses, and those taking amounts exceeding 2,000 mg/kg of animal body weight (or 19,354 mg in humans weighing 60 kg) in a single dose may pose higher risks of DNA damage. In reality, the risks are lower if you take Tongkat Ali in moderate amounts, as the acceptable daily intake is between 200mg to 400mg.
After considering the safety factor of 10, the safety limit of Tongkat Ali extract is reduced to 1,935 mg in a single dose, indicating that it may not be safe if you are consuming high doses of Tongkat Ali daily.
However, the safety assessment of Tongkat Ali is rather limited, and its effects on DNA stomach tissue damage by the EFSA Panel using genotoxicity assessment were based on a case involving one rat.
Furthermore, researchers found no implications on cell death or duodenal tissues caused by Tongkat Ali consumption in the same animal study. This suggests the DNA damage caused by Tongkat Ali is potentially an isolated case, leading to inconclusive evidence that warrants further investigation and assessment based on a large sample size.
The EFSA study on Tongkat Ali found no histological damage in the duodenal tissue in the follow-up experiment, and there were no associated signs of cytotoxicity or cell death in the stomach and duodenal tissues in the main experiment.
Toxicity Studies
Acute and sub-acute toxicity studies on Tongkat Ali have been established as early as 2011, through in-vitro and in-vivo animal studies. A study published in the International Journal of Pharmacology found no significant changes in biochemical and haematological parameters while thin blood films were found to be “normal.”
The same study showed no pathological changes in the testes and kidneys. This study shows the EL extract does not cause acute toxicity.
In another 13-week toxicity and genotoxicity study published in the Evidence-Based Complementary Medicine Journal, Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia) at 1,200 mg/kg and 2,000 mg/kg body weight produced no adverse effects on body weight, hematology, serum biochemistry, urinalysis, macropathology, or histopathology. The study further concluded that the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of Tongkat Ali is 1,200 mg per day for an adult weighing 60kg.
On this note, health experts are of the opinion that 200mg to 400mg of Tongkat Ali may be an acceptable daily intake, which is far below the safety limit of 1,200 mg per day based on existing toxicity studies. However, the safety tolerance of Tongkat Ali extract is dose-dependent, and the results of the heavy metal, microbial, and purity tests should be taken into consideration when establishing the safety limit.
If you have a past history of kidney or liver diseases, taking Tongkat Ali may increase the risks of liver injuries. Thus, Tongkat Ali consumption should be limited to less than 200mg daily.
Which Type of Tongkat Ali is Safe?
Most toxicity and safety studies were conducted on Yellow Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma Longifolia), indicating that this type of Tongkat Ali is relatively safe when consumed in low dosages. Other sub-species such as Black Tongkat Ali and Red Tongkat Ali are generally not safe for short-term or long-term use, and the safety limit or acceptable daily intake (ADI) has not been well established.
It is recommended to consume third-party lab-tested Tongkat Ali that uses standardized hot water extract, which is reported to have a higher safety limit of 3,000 mg/kg of body weight, translating to 32,000 mg of Human Equivalent Dose (HED).
After adjusting to a safety factor of 10, it appears that a 200mg to 400mg daily dose of Tongkat Ali is well below the safety limit (or 3,200mg) provided you are taking pure Tongkat Ali root extract that is not adulterated.
Should I Be Worried?
Taking yellow Tongkat Ali that is standardized, pure, third-party lab-tested, and in low doses (below 400mg) may be considered relatively safe. You should not be worried if you are not taking other drugs or medications that may interact negatively with Tongkat Ali, or herbs such as Fadogia, or Panax Ginseng in high doses.
Conclusions:
Based on EFSA’s findings, past toxicity studies, and reported cases in other literature, standardized hot water Tongkat Ali extract is relatively safe when consumed as a dietary supplement below 1,935 mg daily, or between 200mg to 400mg daily as long as it is third-party lab-tested.
This may not be applicable in the case of non-standardized Tongkat Ali extracts, which warrants further investigations. The safety standards and limits of non-standardized ethanol-based Tongkat Ali extracts have not been established, assessed, and documented. Consumers taking Indonesian Tongkat Ali extract should exercise more caution as there is no safety review conducted by reputable panels such as the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) or independent lab tests by EUROFINS to assess the risks and impact on health, particularly DNA damage, tissue liver damage, and long-term impact on kidneys.
Reference:
- https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/6937
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8693240/
- https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.2903/j.efsa.2021.6937
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Author
Alief Acmal, a committed contributor to AKARALI, offers insightful narratives covering the realms of lifestyle, culture, and health-focused content in Malaysia. Through a blend of creativity and meticulous research, Alief provides a unique lens on various aspects of life. Immerse yourself in his compelling body of work for an enriching exploration.