Tongkat Ali (also known as Longjack and Eurycoma longifolia) is widely considered one of the most powerful herbs to boost testosterone anywhere on the planet, and for good reason.
An abundance of scientific research has shown that it not only raises both free and total testosterone, but also reduces cortisol levels and can increase muscle mass, making it an exceptionally versatile adaptogen.
Ever since Dr. Andrew Huberman went on the Joe Rogan podcast last year and talked at length about Tongkat Ali and Fadogia Agrestis, his two favorite T boosters, interest in Tongkat has been at an all-time high.
Unfortunately, he neglected to give any tips on how to differentiate between quality Tongkats and not-so-quality Tongkats, so tons of folks are going on Amazon and buying the cheapest thing they can find.
Caveat emptor.
Whenever you have this much hype about an herbal supplement (especially anything that supports healthy testosterone levels and male vitality), you’ll find a plethora of generic, lower-grade products popping up left and right, and that’s exactly what’s happened with the current Tongkat boom.
In this edition of the CHOQ® Product Showdown, we compare our Tongkat 100 to a popular Amazon product, Nusapure Tongkat Ali, which currently has a four-star rating with over 200 reviews and an extremely low price point.
Along the way, as we determine which is the best Tongkat Ali extract, we’ll also go into where it comes from, what it does for you, and what makes a quality supplement.
Nusapure Lawsuit Casts Doubt on Product Quality
Nusapure is a brand that sells a wide variety of supplements on Amazon. Many of them are DIRT CHEAP, including the Nusapure Tongkat Ali.
According to our research, there seems to be quite a lot of interest in this particular product of theirs, and so it’s a great opportunity to compare one top-rated Tongkat Ali to another.
More importantly, though, Nusapure is being accused in a class-action lawsuit of advertising false quantities in their SAM-e supplements:
It’s unclear what the current state of Nusapure’s lawsuits are, but if you’re interested in their Tongkat, then this is definitely an important piece of information to take into account.
How to Check the Quality of a Tongkat Ali Supplement
There are plenty of supplements out there that seem to have great ratings but still fall short in terms of quality. Even if a cheaper Tongkat Ali extract does seem to produce some of the effects you’re looking for, it may not be as safe and clean as it could be, especially if it’s coming from a random factory in Asia.
Well-informed consumers know just how hard it can be to find quality herbal supplements. A quick trip to Alibaba will show you just how ridiculously easy it is for a company to get some dirt cheap Tongkat from China to quickly throw on Amazon in order to cash in on the trend.
“How much does Tongkat Ali cost?” you might be asking…or more specifically, “how much does it cost to make?”
Well, you can buy this Tongkat Ali Extract on Alibaba for $7.50 a kilogram, enough to make 4,000 250 milligram capsules. In other words, you can buy enough cheap Chinese Tongkat to make 50 bottles of it for less than the cost of a Happy Meal:
So how can you tell the difference between a fast food quality Tongkat and a top-tier one? Well, just like with any other herbal extract, there are several key factors to consider when determining where a Tongkat Ali supplement is on the quality spectrum.
These key quality factors include:
- Quantity of bioactive compounds
- Growing Method
- Country of Origin
- Extraction Method
- Clinical Research
#1 – Quantity of Bioactive Compounds
Adaptogens like Tongkat possess various unique phytochemicals that give them their beneficial properties. Here are some of the key components of Tongkat and the functions that are associated with them:
- Eurycomanones – increase production of testosterone, supports healthy inflammation response, boosts sperm production
- Glyco Saponins – support healthy immune function, antioxidant defenses, and cardiovascular health
- Eurypeptides – stimulate production of DHEA and increase free testosterone by regulating SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin)
The vast majority of Tongkat products have not undergone the proper lab testing to verify the presence of these essential components, and Nusapure Tongkat Ali is unfortunately no exception, as the label does not mention anything about these compounds.
On the other hand, every batch of the extract in Tongkat 100 is lab-analyzed for these compounds, and anything that does not meet these minimum quantities is rejected:
- Eurycomanones – 0.8%
- Glyco Saponins – 40%
- Eurypeptides – 22%
Here’s a real certificate of authenticity to prove it.
It’s also worth mentioning that many people are searching all over the internet to determine which standardized Tongkat Ali supplement contains the most eurycomanone, but that’s not the only important thing to look for when you’re shopping around.
While this compound is important, and there is even a product that contains 10% eurycomanone according to its label, the saponins and eurypeptides are also essential to get all the health benefits, including testosterone support, increased muscle mass, reduction of stress hormones (cortisol), and immune function.
“But wait, what about extraction ratios, like 100:1 and 200:1?” you might be thinking. Both Tongkat 100 and Nusapure Tongkat Ali claim 100:1 extraction, meaning that it takes 100 grams of plant material to make just one gram of extract.
Here’s the problem: the only way to prove the potency of your product is by measuring the compounds mentioned above. Unless you have labs, numbers like 100:1, 200:1, etc. are completely meaningless, as there’s no way to prove that these ratios are accurate.
Without the lab results to back them up, these figures are merely label dressing…something to make the product look good.
#2 – Growing Method and Country of Origin
Also called ‘Malaysian Ginseng’, Tongkat prefers to grow in the lush rainforests of this beautiful part of Southeast Asia, but can of course be grown anywhere with the right climate and farming techniques.
Our Tongkat is wild-crafted in the Malaysian rainforest and sustainably harvested using fair trade practices.
Note that Dr. Andrew Huberman has falsely claimed that Indonesian Tongkat Ali is superior to Malaysian, despite the fact that all the research he cites was done on the Malaysian variety. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
Nusapure Tongkat Ali does not disclose the growing method or the country of origin on their website, bottle, or Amazon product page.
#3 – Extraction Method
With any herbal product, it’s important to make sure that the extraction techniques used are both safe and effective. In other words, you want to make sure that your Tongkat isn’t being extracted with toxic chemical solvents like hexane or acetone.
Brands that pay more for higher quality, cleanly extracted ingredients will tend to disclose this aspect of their Tongkat products, as they take pride in this fact.
Nusapure Tongkat Ali does not make any mention of the extraction methodology, whereas Tongkat 100 uses a water-based ultrafiltration method whose extracts are protected by MIT and the Government of Malaysia (US patent 7,132,117 B2).
#4 – Clinical Research
Last but not least: the data.
There’s plenty of research on Tongkat in general, showing many of the effects mentioned at the beginning of this article, but there’s only one Tongkat Ali extract that has had extensive clinical research performed on that exact ingredient. Naturally, that’s the one we use.
While the generic Tongkat in Nusapure’s product has not been clinically evaluated, the extract in CHOQ Tongkat 100 has been the subject of 23 human clinical studies.
If you’d like to see the references for these studies, feel free to check out our Tongkat Ali Research page.
So which is the Better Tongkat Ali Supplement, Nusapure or CHOQ?
You get what you pay for. Herbal products are like any other: you need to do your research and not get too hasty if you want to make sure you’re getting a high quality supplement.
We’re thrilled that Andrew Huberman is promoting Tongkat Ali, and that more people are realizing just how effective it is to boost testosterone levels, regulate stress hormones, and enhance male vitality (although it’s also great for women)…BUT it would have been more helpful if he had used his time on the Joe Rogan podcast to make some suggestions for how to evaluate their quality, though.
At this point, it should be clear that our product is superior according to every metric, but here’s a quick summary to make it crystal clear:
Quantity of bioactive compounds
Tongkat 100 – standardized extract that measures all 3 major compounds, including Eurycomanones, Glyco Saponins, and Eurypeptides
Nusapure Tongkat – not standardized
Growing Method and Country of Origin
Tongkat 100 – Wild Crafted in the Malaysian Rainforest and ethically harvested using fair trade practices
Nusapure Tongkat – not disclosed
Extraction Method
Tongkat 100 – water-based, patented, ultrafiltration process; free of toxic solvents
Nusapure Tongkat – not disclosed
Clinical Research
Tongkat 100 – 23 human clinical studies, measuring changes in testosterone, cortisol, muscle mass, sleep, and physical and mental energy
Nusapure Tongkat – none
VERDICT: Tongkat 100 wins 4-0. Flawless victory.
If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of CHOQ Tongkat 100 for men and women, check out these links:
Also, if you’d like to learn more about how to naturally support hormone health and protect yourself against the perpetual onslaught of hormone disrupting chemicals, check out these awesome blogs:
