Standardized vs. Non-Standardized Tongkat Ali Extract vs Tongkat Ali Powder: What You Need to Know

Tongkat Ali, an herbal treasure native to Malaysia, has become famed for its many clinically tested health benefits, including for maintaining healthy testosterone levels, human immunity, boosting physical performance, improving mood, stress reduction, and more. With growing popularity and dozens of options on the market, UK consumers should be aware about the distinctions between standardized, non-standardized extracts, and plant powders to ensure they receive the optimal and desired health benefits.

In this article, we’ll do a deep dive into the differences between all three, discuss misleading extract ratio marketing, and highlight the importance of clinical validation for Tongkat Ali supplements.

 

Understanding Tongkat Ali Extraction Processes

The best Tongkat Ali extracts are derived from raw, mature Tongkat Ali roots through various extraction methods, including n-butanol, ethanol, or water extraction. These processes aim to isolate the bioactive compounds that contribute to the herb's various health benefits. Typically, the extraction involves heat and pressure; for instance, hot water extraction entails boiling the raw Tongkat Ali powder at temperatures between 80C – 100C for up to four hours. This method has been found to extract the best ratio of key bioactive ingredients such as eurycomanone, eurypeptides, and glycosaponins, and is safe for long term consumption as a dietary supplement, according to human clinical trials on Tongkat Ali.

 

What is Pure Tongkat Ali Extract?

Pure Tongkat Ali extract refers to the highest-grade extract that contains no additives, preservatives, and minimal filler. This pure form often has a distinct rich yellow colour with goldish undertones. However, some Tongkat Ali supplements, particularly those produced outside Malaysia, may contain excessive amounts of fillers like maltodextrin. An easy way to tell them apart is to examine the colour profile, as excessive fillers can alter the colour of the extract to a pale white with just a hint of yellow. A common example is a mixture of 20% pure Tongkat Ali extract with 80% maltodextrin, resulting in a significantly diluted product.

 

What Do Extract Ratios Mean?

It is common to find Tongkat Ali extracts on the market labelled with ratios such as 200:1 or 400:1, which many UK consumers may mistakenly believe indicates the potency or purity of the product. These ratios merely represent the amount of raw material used to produce a given extract. Extract ratios also do not account for which parts of the plant are used – the best extracts only use mature roots of the plant. For example, a 200:1 ratio just means that 200 kilograms of raw Tongkat Ali was used to produce one kilogram of extract. However, this does not necessarily correlate with higher efficacy or potency, and could even mean that whole plants were used, resulting in a weaker and less consistent extract.

What is more important to consider is the potency of the raw ingredients used (mature roots only), standardization, and extraction method. In fact, it is very likely that a 200:1 Tongkat Ali extract may contain fewer key bioactive compounds like eurypeptides and glycosaponins compared to a 100:1 extract. This could be due to the fact that the whole plant was used or a cheaper (ethanol) extraction method was utilized. Therefore, relying solely on extract ratios can be misleading and may result in underdosing or ineffective supplementation. In fact, many clinical studies allude to the fact that a big focus on extract ratios are nothing but a marketing gimmick to cover for low levels of bioactive ingredients.

 

Standardized Extracts vs. High-Ratio Generic Extracts

Standardized Tongkat Ali extracts are considered superior because they ensure a consistent and optimal concentration of bioactive compounds from batch to batch. These extracts typically balance key ingredients such as eurycomanone (1 – 3%), eurypeptides (20-30%), polysaccharides (30%), and glycosaponins (>40%). This standardized approach guarantees that consumers receive the full spectrum of health benefits associated with Tongkat Ali, including enhanced testosterone levels, improved libido, muscle growth, immunity and overall well-being.

In contrast, high-ratio generic extracts like 200:1 may not provide the same level of bioactive compounds and could be less effective. For example, a 200:1 ethanol extract might focus solely on achieving 3% eurycomanone at the cost of lower levels of key bioactive peptides (eurypeptides) and health-boosting glycosaponins. These generic solvent-made extracts lack the balance of other crucial compounds found in standardized extracts. As an herbal supplement, Tongkat Ali works best when the key bioactive ingredients are extracted at an optimal, clinically tested ratio, which are able to work in synergy to deliver greater health benefits as a whole than from any single one isolated ingredient.

 

Tongkat Ali Powder vs. Tongkat Ali Extract

Another critical distinction is between Tongkat Ali plant powder and Tongkat Ali extract. Tongkat Ali powder is simply the ground form of the raw plant, which can be coarse and insoluble, include undesirable elements, and pose potential risks to long term kidney health. Conversely, Tongkat Ali extract undergoes a complex refinement process, resulting in a fine, water-soluble powder that offers higher potency and better bioavailability. Most human clinical studies rely on standardized hot-water Tongkat Ali root extract from Malaysia due to its high quality, stability, and repeatability in delivering consistent health benefits.

 

Clinical Evidence and Efficacy

Research and clinical trials have shown that standardized Tongkat Ali extracts provide significant health benefits. For instance, proprietary standardized hot-water Tongkat Ali root extract, which was conceived for further pharmaceutical research into Tongkat Ali and as a premium dietary supplement, has been demonstrated in multiple clinical  studies to increase protein synthesis and energy conversion, leading to higher levels of free testosterone, improved libido, physical performance, weight loss, and increased energy.

A 112-day randomized placebo-controlled study on 96 obese adults, published in Phytotherapy Research, revealed that consuming 400 mg of standardized hot-water Tongkat Ali root extract daily significantly reduced Body Mass Index (BMI), indicating its efficacy in weight loss and metabolic improvement. Another clinical study in the journal Andrology involving endurance cyclists showed that Tongkat Ali supplementation reduced cortisol levels by 32% and increased testosterone levels by 16%, promoting a more favourable hormonal balance for anabolic rather than catabolic states.

 

Choosing the Right Tongkat Ali Supplement

When selecting a Tongkat Ali supplement, UK consumers should prioritize standardized hot-water extracts over misleading high-ratio generic extracts, ethanol extracts, and plant powders to ensure you receive a product with clinically validated efficacy. Look for supplements that explicitly state their standardized levels of eurycomanone, eurypeptides, glycosaponins, and polysaccharides. This information guarantees that the supplement contains the necessary bioactive compounds for optimal health benefits.

Malaysia is renowned for producing high-quality standardized Tongkat Ali water extracts, as highlighted by various clinical trials, reports from The New World Report, Reuters, Forbes, and ABC News. Clinical urologists and scientists emphasize the importance of standardized extracts, noting that generic extracts which focus on high extract ratios are not the benchmark for research or clinical use.

 

Parting Words

To sum up, when it comes to Tongkat Ali supplements, standardized hot-water extracts are the gold standard for ensuring consistent and optimal health benefits. While high-ratio extracts like 200:1 may seem potent, they often lack the balanced bioactive compounds necessary for effective supplementation. Similarly, plant powders, which do not undergo rigorous extraction, refinement, and standardization processes, may not provide the consistent efficacy and can even contain undesirable elements.

By choosing standardized Tongkat Ali extracts, consumers can achieve better and more predictable outcomes in terms of testosterone enhancement, energy boosting, libido, weight loss, and overall well-being. For best practice, UK consumers should check for product standardization to make informed decisions and maximize the benefits of this potent herbal remedy.