How to Safely Increase Testosterone
Here’s how to naturally increase testosterone without shrinking your balls or enlarging your prostate.
Eurycoma longifolia, the herb also known as Tongkat Ali or Longjack (Buy at Amazon), increases testosterone if you can get your hands on the right kind (LJ100). Science has known of its testosterone-raising powers for a while, but we didn’t know exactly how it worked until recently. Thanks to some researchers and a rat study, we know now.
The answer has to do with two particular quassinoids, which are metabolically altered triterpenes. These quassinoids are named eurycomanone and 13-alpha (21) dihydroeurycomanone. When rats received daily doses of high-quassinoid extracts of Eurycoma, they experienced a considerable rise in testosterone levels with a concurrent decrease in estradiol.
Spermatogenesis also increased substantially, as did the weight of the rat’s testicles, indicating more productive Leydig cells, more spermatogenesis, and more productive testicles in general). Furthermore, when these “enhanced” rats mated, they produced more baby rats, and females gave birth to bigger litters.
Chemical analysis showed that the Eurycoma/Longjack-treated rats had elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), both of which play a role in elevating testosterone in mammals. The researchers said that those elevated chemicals, in addition to the reduced estradiol levels, are what caused Eurycoma longifolia to elevate testosterone.
What About Safety?
Another study found that Eurycoma/Longjack, unlike steroids, doesn’t shrink the testicles or enlarge the prostate. The researchers discovered this by giving rats different doses of Eurycoma longifolia, including some off-the-scale huge doses (the human equivalent of up to 12 to 16 grams per day).
The rats, regardless of what dose they were taking, experienced varying degrees of improved sperm quality. After the trial, their prostates were smaller than control animals. Similarly, the seminal vesicles of the animals receiving the herb didn’t shrink.
Human Dosage
Several studies show that the effective human dosage of Eurycoma/Longjack is 200 milligrams a day, with some studies using up to 400 mg. However, 300 mg, packed into the right delivery system to increase bioavailability, is the sweet spot. If the mega-doses given to animals didn’t provoke any negative androgenic side effects, it’s not likely that normal human dosages would either.
Where to Get It
If you want to try Eurycoma/Longjack, make sure to use the patented LJ100 variety high in the two active quassinoids, such as Omega-Man (Buy at Amazon). Take only one softgel per day. Most Longjack studies show that men notice the effects (T boost, libido boost, stronger erections, less fatigue) in about two weeks. There’s no need to cycle it.
References
- Low BS et al. Standardized quassinoid-rich Eurycoma longifolia extract improved spermatogenesis and fertility in male rats via the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013 Feb 13;145(3):706-14. PubMed 23261482.
- Solomon MC et al. In vivo effects of Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Tongkat Ali) extract on reproductive functions in the rat. Andrologia. 2014 May;46(4):339-48. PubMed 23464350.