Tongkat Ali (Expanded) for Stress Relief

Research suggests that Tongkat Ali extract may help reduce markers of stress, particularly cortisol levels, and improve self-reported mood in moderately stressed adults, with several randomized controlled trials and pilot studies reporting reductions in salivary or urinary cortisol alongside improvements in tension, anger, and general well-being. Studies indicate that these effects appear most consistently in populations experiencing moderate stress or hormonal decline, with one well-cited four-week RCT finding significant reductions in cortisol and improvements in multiple mood measures compared to placebo. However, the evidence is not uniformly positive — a 24-week trial found no statistically significant between-group differences across the full sample, and a study in rugby players found no meaningful change in cortisol, suggesting that effects may depend on baseline stress levels, population characteristics, or formulation. Overall the body of evidence is promising but still limited in scale, with most trials being relatively small and short-term, and further independent replication would strengthen confidence in these findings.