Tongkat Ali for Stress, Cortisol & Testosterone

What the video covers

Dr Shawn Talbott discusses how Tongkat Ali (Eurycoma longifolia) may support the body’s response to stress by looking at the relationship between cortisol and testosterone. Rather than focusing on testosterone alone, he explains why the balance between these hormones may be relevant to stress, mood and overall wellbeing.

The video highlights a 2013 clinical study of 63 moderately stressed men and women who took either 200 mg/day of a standardised Tongkat Ali root extract or placebo for four weeks. Compared with placebo, the Tongkat Ali group showed 16% lower cortisol exposure, 37% higher salivary testosterone and a 36% improvement in the cortisol-to-testosterone ratio. Improvements were also reported in tension, anger and confusion.

Importantly, the study involved moderately stressed adults of both sexes, rather than athletes or people diagnosed with low testosterone.

Key Points

Tongkat Ali has been studied for stress, cortisol, testosterone and mood.
The study included 32 men and 31 women with moderate stress.
Participants took 200 mg/day for four weeks.
Cortisol exposure was 16% lower and salivary testosterone 37% higher versus placebo.
Tension, anger and confusion scores also improved versus placebo.

About the Speaker

Dr Shawn Talbott, PhD, is a nutritional biochemist and Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, whose work focuses on stress physiology, mood and the gut-brain axis.

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