If you’ve noticed an observable, definitive decline in masculinity in the West, you would be correct. And it’s not just due to relentless social engineering in the name of feminism. Men in the West are also subjected to a daily barrage of hormone-wrecking chemicals in the air, water, and food supply. The question, then, becomes: what can you do about it on an individual level?
The most important strategies to tackle low testosterone are, as with nearly any chronic health condition, an optimized whole foods-based diet and regular exercise.
But a little-known herb native to Southeast Asia, used extensively in traditional medicine as a therapeutic and called Eurycoma longifolia — also known popularly as tongkat ali, Malaysian ginseng, pasak bumi, or longjack — has been proven to substantially boost testosterone in men battling deficiencies.
Via Molecules journal:
Eurycomanone, the major quassinoid in the E. longifolia root extract, significantly increased testosterone production on a dose-dependent manner at 0.1, 1.0 and 10.0 μM (p < 0.05). It enhanced testosterone steroidogenesis at the rat testicular Leydig’s cells by inhibiting aromatase conversion of testosterone to oestrogen, and may also involve in phosphodiesterase inhibition at a high concentration.
It’s also beneficial for treating erectile dysfunction when paired with resistance training (aka weightlifting).
Related: Judicial Watch Obtains Docs Showing U.S. Funded Wuhan Lab Research From 2013-2020
Other research has uncovered ancillary benefits of tongkat ali supplementation for men struggling with hormonal deficits by lowering cortisol (the “stress hormone”) levels.
Via Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (JISSN):
Daily supplementation with tongkat ali root extract improves stress hormone profile and certain mood state parameters, suggesting that this “ancient” remedy may be an effective approach to shielding the body from the detrimental effects of “modern” chronic stress, which may include general day-to-day stress, as well as the stress of dieting, sleep deprivation, and exercise training.
Because all hormones exist in an exceedingly complex balance with other hormones in feedback loops, an excess or deficiency of one hormone often leads to downstream negative effects on levels of other hormones. (This is, incidentally, why the new “breakthrough” obesity drug semaglutide that acts as an analog of metabolic hormone GLP-1 is playing with fire in the long run.)
Such is the case with testosterone and cortisol. Elevated cortisol counts, which are common in the modern world, are testosterone killers.
Via Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (JISSN):
A negative relationship exists between the hormones cortisol and testosterone. Bambino and Hsueh (1981) showed a direct inhibitory effect of high doses of glucocorticoids upon testicular Leydig cell function in rats, which resulted in a decrease in the production of testosterone. Cumming et al. (1983) found a similar relationship in humans, using pharmacological doses of cortisol to induce a decrease in testosterone production.
Tongkat ali is cheap. You don’t need a prescription. It has relatively minimal side effects. If a blood test indicates low testosterone, why not consider it as a potential remedy, either alone or in conjunction with other medications and lifestyle interventions?
The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of PJ Media. This column is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice by a healthcare provider.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member