Tongkat Ali vs Ashwagandha for Men

In a tongkat ali vs ashwagandha match-up, tongkat ali has slightly stronger evidence for raising testosterone, especially in men whose levels are already low, while ashwagandha has the better evidence for stress, sleep and cortisol. Neither works like testosterone therapy, and the studies behind both herbs are small, short and often industry-funded.

This guide compares the two herbs side by side: what the human trials actually measured, typical doses, safety concerns, and how to decide which one (if either) fits your goal. If you want the deeper single-herb write-ups, see our guides to ashwagandha for men and tongkat ali.

Key takeaways

• Tongkat ali has the edge for testosterone, mostly in low-T men
• Ashwagandha has more trials for stress, cortisol and sleep
• Effects in trials are modest; studies are small and often funded
• Rare liver injury is reported with ashwagandha; check with a doctor

Tongkat ali vs ashwagandha: quick comparison

	Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia)	Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Plant	Root of a Southeast Asian shrub	Root (sometimes leaf) of an Ayurvedic shrub
Best-studied use	Testosterone in men with low levels	Stress, anxiety, cortisol, sleep
Testosterone evidence	Moderate: meta-analysis of 5 small RCTs	Limited: a few small RCTs
Typical trial dose	200 mg/day standardized root extract	300 to 600 mg/day root extract
Time frame studied	4 weeks to 6 months	8 to 12 weeks
Main safety flags	Product quality, heavy-metal contamination, sleep problems	Rare liver injury, thyroid effects, sedation
Avoid if	Hormone-sensitive cancer, liver disease	Liver or thyroid disease, pregnancy

What is tongkat ali?

Tongkat ali, also called longjack or Eurycoma longifolia, is a shrub native to Malaysia and Indonesia. Its root has a long history in traditional medicine as a tonic for men’s vitality. Most modern research uses hot-water root extracts standardized for specific compounds, and much of it uses one branded extract (Physta) supplied by a Malaysian company.

What the tongkat ali research shows

• A 2022 meta-analysis in Medicina reviewed nine studies and pooled five randomized controlled trials covering 232 men. Total testosterone rose significantly with tongkat ali compared with control, and the increase held up in the subgroup of men with low testosterone (hypogonadism). The authors flagged real limitations: few studies, small samples, very different designs and signs of publication bias.
• A 2013 trial in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition gave 63 moderately stressed adults (men and women) 200 mg a day or a placebo for four weeks. The tongkat ali group had about 16% lower salivary cortisol and about 37% higher salivary testosterone than the placebo group, plus lower tension and anger scores. The study was funded by the extract’s supplier, and several authors had ties to supplement companies.
• A widely cited 2012 study gave 200 mg a day to 76 men with late-onset hypogonadism for one month and reported that most reached normal testosterone levels. It had no placebo group, so it can’t separate the herb’s effect from other factors.

The pattern: tongkat ali looks most promising for men who start with low or borderline testosterone. Evidence that it pushes normal levels meaningfully higher is thin.

What is ashwagandha?

Ashwagandha is a nightshade-family shrub used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine. It’s usually called an “adaptogen,” meaning it’s marketed to help the body handle stress. Most studies use branded root extracts such as KSM-66, or Shoden and Sensoril, which use root and leaf.

What the ashwagandha research shows

• A 2019 crossover trial in the American Journal of Men’s Health studied 57 overweight men aged 40 to 70 with mild fatigue. Over eight weeks, an ashwagandha extract was linked to a 14.7% greater increase in testosterone and an 18% greater increase in DHEA-S than placebo. However, fatigue, vigor and sexual well-being improved in both groups, with no meaningful difference between them. The authors said the hormone results need confirming in larger studies.
• Trials in men doing resistance training have reported bigger gains in strength and testosterone with ashwagandha than with placebo over eight weeks, but these were small, single-site studies.
• Stress and sleep are where ashwagandha has the most data. Several meta-analyses of randomized trials report lower perceived stress, anxiety scores and cortisol compared with placebo, though the trials vary in quality and many are manufacturer-funded.

So ashwagandha’s testosterone effect looks modest and secondary. If chronic stress, poor sleep or high cortisol are dragging your energy and libido down, that’s where it fits best.

Which is better for testosterone?

On current evidence, tongkat ali has the edge for testosterone, mainly because it has a pooled analysis of randomized trials behind it while ashwagandha has a handful of individual studies. That said, the gap is small and both evidence bases are weak by medical standards.

Keep the size of the effect in perspective. Even the most favorable trials show changes that are far smaller than prescription testosterone therapy. If you have symptoms of low testosterone such as low libido, fatigue or fewer morning erections, get a blood test first. Our guide to symptoms of low testosterone explains what to ask your doctor about.

Which is better for stress, sleep and mood?

Ashwagandha wins here. It has more randomized trials for stress, anxiety and sleep quality, and cortisol reductions have been reported in several of them. Tongkat ali’s stress data mostly comes from the single 2013 trial described above. If your main goal is feeling less wired and sleeping better, ashwagandha is the more logical choice.

Libido and sexual function

Neither herb has strong evidence as a sexual-performance aid. In the 2019 ashwagandha trial, sexual well-being improved equally in the placebo group. A small six-month tongkat ali trial in older men with androgen-deficiency symptoms reported the largest gains in erectile function when the extract was combined with exercise, but the sample was tiny. Erection problems can be an early sign of heart disease or diabetes, so see a doctor rather than relying on herbs.

Doses used in studies

• Tongkat ali: most trials used 200 mg a day of a standardized hot-water root extract, usually taken in the morning. Some people report trouble sleeping when they take it later in the day.
• Ashwagandha: most trials used 300 to 600 mg a day of a root extract, often split into two doses. Studies usually ran eight to twelve weeks.

Extract quality matters a lot with both herbs. Cheap powders and unstandardized products may contain far less active material than the extracts used in research. Our guide on how to read a supplement label shows what to look for.

Safety and side effects

Ashwagandha

• The NIH’s LiverTox database rates ashwagandha as a likely, though rare, cause of liver injury. Cases typically appear 2 to 12 weeks after starting and usually resolve after stopping, but severe cases have occurred, mostly in people with existing liver disease. Stop and see a doctor if you notice yellowing skin or eyes, dark urine or severe itching.
• It may raise thyroid hormone levels, so people with thyroid disease or on thyroid medication should check with a doctor.
• It can add to the effects of sedatives and may interact with immunosuppressants and diabetes or blood pressure medications.
• Common side effects include stomach upset, drowsiness and loose stools.

Tongkat ali

• Side effects in trials were generally mild, such as restlessness, poor sleep or stomach upset.
• Product quality is a bigger worry. Testing of herbal preparations in Malaysia has found mercury and other heavy metals in some tongkat ali products, and herbal “sexual enhancement” products have been caught containing undeclared prescription drugs. Buy from brands that publish third-party testing.
• In 2021 the European Food Safety Authority declined to confirm the safety of one standardized extract as a novel food because questions about genotoxicity were unresolved.
• Because it may raise testosterone, men with prostate cancer or other hormone-sensitive conditions should avoid it unless their doctor agrees. It may also reduce absorption of the blood pressure drug propranolol.

Neither herb is suitable during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Can you take tongkat ali and ashwagandha together?

Many supplements combine them, and there’s no known direct interaction between the two. However, there are no good trials of the combination, so any claim that they “work better together” is a guess. If you combine them, start one at a time so you can tell which one causes any side effect, and avoid stacking them with other products that contain the same herbs.

A blended option: Testosil

If you’d rather take a multi-ingredient formula than a single herb, Testosil is built around KSM-66 ashwagandha combined with other ingredients such as fenugreek, zinc and magnesium. It does not list tongkat ali. Ingredient amounts and pricing can change, so check the current label on the official site before buying. We compare it with another popular formula in Testosil vs TestRX, and you can see more options in our testosterone support guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is tongkat ali or ashwagandha better for testosterone?

Tongkat ali has slightly stronger evidence, based on a 2022 meta-analysis of five small randomized trials. The benefit was clearest in men with low testosterone. Ashwagandha’s testosterone data comes from a few small individual trials.

Can you take tongkat ali and ashwagandha together?

There’s no known direct interaction, and many products combine them, but the combination hasn’t been tested in good trials. Start one at a time and talk to a doctor if you take other medications.

How long does it take for tongkat ali or ashwagandha to work?

Tongkat ali trials ran from four weeks to six months, and ashwagandha trials typically ran eight to twelve weeks. Give either one at least that long before judging it, and stop if you get side effects.

Who should not take ashwagandha?

People with liver disease, thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions or who are pregnant or breastfeeding should avoid it unless a doctor approves. It can also add to the effects of sedatives.