Last updated: September 26, 2026 · Originally published: June 28, 2026 · By Eternal Elixir Editorial
Quick answer: Human trials of tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia, also sold as longjack) have used 200mg to 600mg of root extract a day in men, and most used 200mg to 400mg, taken once a day for between two weeks and six months. Trials that included women used 50mg to 400mg. Those amounts belong to the extracts the researchers tested, so the number of capsules you take depends on what your own label says each capsule holds. Our pick is Eternal Elixir Tongkat Ali 200:1 Extract: 90 capsules for $39.99, a label serve of three capsules (2,000mg), sent from Sydney within 24 hours. That full serve is more extract by weight than any trial below used, so agree your amount with your GP and never go above the label serve.
Eternal Elixir makes Tongkat Ali 200:1 Extract, and it is our pick. We checked the other products in this guide on their own product pages or on the Australian retailer pages we link, in September 2026, and we have not lab-tested any of them. Our 200:1 extract has not been through a published clinical trial. The trials below used particular extracts, most often a standardised hot-water extract called Physta, so they tell you about those extracts rather than about any one bottle on sale in Australia.
For the herb’s background, sourcing and buying options, start with our tongkat ali guide for Australia. For what the herb does, read what the research shows on tongkat ali benefits. This page is about amounts: how much, how often, for how long, and how to read a label.
How much tongkat ali should you take a day?
Here is the dose range from the published human trials, grouped by what people take it for. The trial details follow in the next section.
- General and hormonal support in men: 200mg to 300mg a day of a standardised water extract, for one to six months.
- Stress and mood: 200mg a day for four weeks, in a mixed group of men and women.
- Training and strength: 400mg a day for five to six weeks in active older adults and recreational athletes, and 600mg a day for two weeks in young men.
- Women: 50mg to 400mg a day. The one women-only trial found a significant improvement at 100mg and none at 50mg.
Among the trials we cite, the highest dose was 600mg a day and the longest course was six months. None of them compared morning with evening dosing, and none tested cycling against daily use. A sensible approach is to take the amount your label directs (or your GP suggests), take it every day, and review it after a few months.
Tongkat ali doses used in human trials
These are the trials behind the ranges above. Each row gives the daily amount, how long people took it and what the researchers measured.
| Study | Who took part | Daily dose and length | What changed | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tambi et al., 2012 | 76 men with age-related symptoms on the Ageing Males’ Symptoms scale | 200mg of a standardised water-soluble extract for 1 month | Symptom scores improved. The share with testosterone in the normal range rose from 35.5% to 90.8%. | No placebo group |
| Talbott et al., 2013 | 63 moderately stressed adults (32 men, 31 women) | 200mg of Physta for 4 weeks | Salivary cortisol 16% lower and salivary testosterone 37% higher than placebo. Tension, anger and confusion scores down 11%, 12% and 15%. | Men and women reported together |
| Ismail et al., 2012 | 109 men aged 30 to 55 | 300mg of Physta for 12 weeks | Physical functioning score improved more than on placebo. Libido score up 14% by week 12. Safety measures similar to placebo. | Mostly questionnaire outcomes |
| Leitão et al., 2021 | 45 men, average age 47, with ageing-male symptoms | 200mg for 6 months, with or without training three times a week | The extract-plus-training group had the largest gain in sexual function scores, and its total testosterone rose | 45 men split across four groups |
| Henkel et al., 2014 | 25 physically active adults aged 57 to 72 (13 men, 12 women) | 400mg of extract for 5 weeks | Total and free testosterone and grip strength rose in both sexes | Small pilot study |
| Chen et al., 2014 | 13 male recreational athletes | 400mg of Physta for 6 weeks, crossed over with placebo | No change in liver or kidney function tests or in the urinary testosterone to epitestosterone ratio | Safety markers only |
| Chan et al., 2021 | 32 healthy young men, average age 24 | 600mg for 2 weeks | Total and free testosterone rose more than on placebo. Oestradiol also rose. | Two weeks only |
| Muniandy et al., 2025 | 138 women aged 40 to 55 | 50mg or 100mg of Physta for 12 weeks | At 100mg, the menopause quality-of-life score fell 33.9% against 23.3% on placebo. 50mg did no better than placebo. Reproductive hormones unchanged. | Sponsored by the extract’s maker |
The 200mg to 300mg range has the most support
Four of the trials in the table sit at 200mg to 300mg a day, and three of those used a standardised water extract. The largest trial in men gave 109 men aged 30 to 55 either 300mg of Physta or a placebo every day for 12 weeks. The extract group improved more on the physical functioning part of a quality-of-life questionnaire, and their libido score rose 14% by week 12. Safety measures were similar to placebo (Ismail et al., Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012).
At 200mg a day, a four-week trial in 63 moderately stressed adults found salivary cortisol 16% lower and salivary testosterone 37% higher than on placebo, with less tension, anger and confusion on a standard mood questionnaire (Talbott et al., Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2013). A six-month trial in Brazil gave 45 men with an average age of 47 either 200mg a day or a placebo, with or without exercise training three times a week. The men who took the extract and trained had the largest gain in sexual function scores, and their total testosterone rose (Leitão et al., Maturitas, 2021).
A one-month study in Malaysia gave 76 men with age-related symptoms 200mg a day of a standardised water-soluble extract. Before the course, 35.5% had testosterone in the normal range. Afterwards, 90.8% did. There was no placebo group, so part of that change may have happened anyway (Tambi et al., Andrologia, 2012).
Higher doses: 400mg to 600mg
Two trials used 400mg a day. In a five-week pilot study of 25 physically active adults aged 57 to 72 (13 men and 12 women), total and free testosterone rose in both sexes, and so did grip strength (Henkel et al., Phytotherapy Research, 2014). In a six-week crossover trial, 13 male recreational athletes took 400mg of Physta a day. Their liver and kidney function tests did not change, and neither did the urinary testosterone to epitestosterone ratio used in sports drug testing (Chen et al., International Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2014).
The highest dose in the trials we cite was 600mg a day. In 32 healthy men with an average age of 24, two weeks at that dose raised total and free testosterone more than placebo, and oestradiol rose too (Chan et al., Andrologia, 2021). Two weeks is a short trial. It tells you nothing about longer use at that amount.
What a pooled analysis found
A 2022 systematic review found nine studies and pooled five randomised trials. Total testosterone rose significantly with tongkat ali, and the effect held in the subgroup of men who started with low levels. The authors said more research is needed before it is used in clinical practice (Leisegang et al., Medicina, 2022).
What has not been shown
- No published trial has tested our 200:1 extract.
- None of the trials we cite used more than 600mg a day or ran for longer than six months.
- None compared morning with evening doses, or cycling with daily use.
- The trials were small, from 13 to 138 people. Several were sponsored by, or had authors from, Biotropics, the company that makes Physta.
- Most outcomes were hormone levels and questionnaires. A change in a blood test is not always a change you will feel.
Why the milligrams on your label may not match the trials
Tongkat ali is sold in three main forms, and the milligram figure means something different in each.
- Root powder. Dried, ground root. Solaray’s capsule holds 400mg of root, and the retailer’s page points out that root powder and ratio extracts cannot be compared milligram for milligram.
- Ratio extracts. On a 200:1 extract, 200 parts of dried root went into each part of extract. The ratio tells you how concentrated the process was. It does not tell you how much of the plant’s marker compounds ended up in the capsule.
- Standardised extracts. These state a level of a marker compound, usually eurycomanone. Evolution Botanicals, for example, states 1% eurycomanone for its 25:1 extract.
Most of the trial evidence comes from standardised water extracts, Physta in particular. The authors of the four-week stress trial wrote that typical recommendations were 50mg to 200mg a day of a water extract standardised to 22% eurypeptides (Talbott et al., 2013). A 200:1 extract with no stated eurycomanone level cannot be matched gram for gram to those doses. Our label states the ratio (200:1) and the amount (2,000mg per serve). It does not state a eurycomanone percentage.
How to read a tongkat ali label
- Find the form: root powder, ratio extract or standardised extract.
- Find the amount per capsule and how many capsules make one serve. Some labels give the amount per serve, not per capsule.
- Look for a marker compound level, such as a eurycomanone percentage.
- Compare your daily amount with trial doses for the same type of extract, never with a different form.
Tongkat ali dosage by goal
This table maps each common goal to the amounts the trials used. Treat it as a guide to the evidence. Your label and your GP set your actual dose.
| Goal | Daily dose used in trials | How long | Trials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stress and mood | 200mg | 4 weeks | Talbott 2013 (men and women) |
| Hormonal support in adult men | 200mg to 300mg | 1 to 6 months | Tambi 2012, Ismail 2012, Leitão 2021 |
| Strength and training | 400mg to 600mg | 2 to 6 weeks | Henkel 2014, Chen 2014, Chan 2021 |
| Support for women | 100mg in the women-only trial, 50mg to 400mg across trials | 4 to 12 weeks | Muniandy 2025, Talbott 2013, Henkel 2014 |
The evidence in women is set out in our guide to tongkat ali for women in Australia. Some men pair tongkat ali with fadogia agrestis, which has much less human research behind it. Our fadogia agrestis dosage guide covers what is known before you add it.
How many capsules of Eternal Elixir Tongkat Ali to take
Our label says to take three capsules daily on an empty stomach, or as your physician directs. Three capsules give 2,000mg of 200:1 extract, so each capsule holds about 667mg. At the full serve, a 90-capsule bottle lasts 30 days, at $1.33 a day.
That full serve is more extract by weight than any trial above used, and one capsule already sits just above the 600mg top trial dose. A 200:1 extract is a different material from the trial extracts, so the numbers do not line up exactly, but they are a fair reason to be careful. Talk to your GP about how many capsules suit you before you start, especially if you take any medicines, and never go above the three-capsule label serve.
Give any amount at least four weeks, and preferably 12, before you decide whether it is doing anything for you.
When and how to take tongkat ali
Morning or night?
No trial we found compared morning and evening doses. Many people take it in the morning, which keeps it well away from bedtime. If you notice your sleep is worse after you start, move your dose earlier in the day.
With food or on an empty stomach?
Follow your label. Ours directs an empty stomach. AKARALI’s page suggests taking its capsules after meals, and the Solaray retailer page says with a meal or a glass of water. The trials we cite did not test whether one way works better. If capsules on an empty stomach upset your stomach, ask your pharmacist or GP before you change how you take them.
Daily use or cycling?
Every trial above gave tongkat ali daily, for two weeks to six months. Many people cycle it instead, for example five days on and two days off, or a few months on and then a break. We found no trial showing that cycling works better than daily use, and no data on use beyond six months. A break every few months does give you a natural point to review whether it is helping. Our write-up of the popular tongkat ali dosing and cycling routines explains where the five-days-on pattern comes from.
How long does a tongkat ali dose take to work?
The trials measured different things at different points, so here is what changed and when.
- 2 weeks: total and free testosterone rose in young men taking 600mg a day.
- 4 weeks: lower salivary cortisol and better mood scores at 200mg a day.
- 5 weeks: higher testosterone and grip strength in active older adults at 400mg a day.
- 12 weeks: better physical functioning and libido scores in men at 300mg a day, and better quality-of-life scores in women at 100mg a day.
- 6 months: the largest changes in the Brazilian trial, where men took 200mg a day and trained three times a week.
If you feel nothing after a month, the answer is not automatically a bigger dose. Check the form and amount on your label against the trial doses first. Our guide to how long tongkat ali takes to work sets out realistic expectations for each goal.
Tongkat ali safety and higher doses
How much can I take safely?
The trials reported few problems at 200mg to 600mg a day. In the 12-week trial of 109 men, safety measures on 300mg were similar to placebo. In 13 recreational athletes, six weeks at 400mg did not change liver or kidney function tests. In the trial of 138 women, vital signs, blood chemistry and reproductive hormones did not change significantly at 50mg or 100mg.
That is where the data stops. None of the trials we cite went above 600mg a day or past six months, so there is no trial evidence on safety for larger amounts or for years of use, and no evidence that more works better. Stay within your label’s directions and speak to your GP about the amount that suits you.
Medicines and tongkat ali
In a small crossover study of 14 healthy young men, taking a tongkat ali water extract with the blood-pressure medicine propranolol cut the total amount of propranolol absorbed by 29% and its peak level by 42% (Salman et al., Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 2010). That is one medicine in one study, but it shows the herb can change how a medicine is absorbed. If you take any prescription medicine, ask your GP or pharmacist before you start.
Who should not take tongkat ali
- Anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to conceive. There is no safety data for these groups.
- Anyone under 18.
- Anyone with a hormone-sensitive condition, unless their doctor agrees. Free testosterone rose in women taking 400mg a day.
- Anyone taking prescription medicines, until they have checked with a GP or pharmacist.
Our tongkat ali side effects guide covers the reported side effects in more detail.
Tongkat ali products in Australia compared by dose and cost
Here is how the daily amount and cost compare across tongkat ali capsules sold in Australia, each at its own label serve. Prices are in Australian dollars as of Sep 2026. If you usually shop at a pharmacy chain, our guide to tongkat ali at Chemist Warehouse covers what it stocks.
| Product | Form and amount per capsule | Label serve | Amount per day at label serve | Capsules per bottle | Price (AUD, as of Sep 2026) | Cost per day | Who it suits | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eternal Elixir Tongkat Ali 200:1 Extract (our pick) | 200:1 root extract, about 667mg | 3 capsules on an empty stomach, or as your physician directs | 2,000mg | 90 | $39.99 | $1.33 | Buyers who want local dispatch and the lowest price per capsule here, at $0.44. Not for anyone who wants a trial-matched extract. | View at Eternal Elixir |
| AKARALI Premium Tongkat Ali | 200mg of 200:1 hot-water extract. The maker says it uses Physta technology. | 1 or 2 capsules after meals | 200mg to 400mg | 60 | $89.00 | $1.48 (1 capsule) or $2.97 (2 capsules) | Buyers who want an amount close to the trial doses. The highest cost per capsule here. | AKARALI |
| Emrald Labs Tongkat Ali | 500mg of 200:1 extract | 1 capsule | 500mg | 60 | $69.90 | $1.17 | A one-capsule routine. No eurycomanone level stated. | Elite Supps |
| Evolution Botanicals Tongkat Ali | 500mg of 25:1 extract, 1% eurycomanone | 1 capsule | 500mg | 120 | $69.95 | $0.58, the lowest cost per day here | Budget buyers who want a stated eurycomanone level | Evolution Botanicals |
| Solaray Tongkat Ali | 400mg of root powder (not an extract) | 1 capsule twice a day | 800mg of root | 60 | $35.95 at Wallaby Wellness | $1.20 | Buyers who prefer plain root. The trials used extracts, not root powder. | Wallaby Wellness |
Our price is from our live product page. Competitor prices were read from the linked pages in September 2026 and change with promotions, so check before you buy.
Add Tongkat Ali 200:1 to cart · $39.99
Evolution Botanicals has the lowest cost per day at its label serve, $0.58, and states a eurycomanone level. AKARALI is the closest match to the trial amounts if its Physta claim matters to you, though it costs the most per capsule. Our capsule has the lowest price per capsule in the table and the largest labelled amount per serve, and one bottle covers a month at the full serve. Ratio, standardised and root figures do not compare cleanly across forms, so read the amount column with the form column beside it.
Why Eternal Elixir Tongkat Ali is our pick
Eternal Elixir makes this product. Here is what the label and product page give you.
- What is in it: tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) root extract at 200:1, with rice flour and a cellulose capsule.
- Amount: 2,000mg per three-capsule serve, 90 capsules per bottle, 30 serves at the full label amount.
- Price: $39.99 a bottle, which is $1.33 per full serve or $0.44 per capsule.
- Buying ahead: the product page takes 10% off two bottles, 15% off three and 20% off five. Three bottles come to $101.97, which clears the $100 free-shipping threshold.
- Service: a 30-day money-back guarantee, dispatch from Sydney within 24 hours and Afterpay at checkout.
Where it does not win: it is not the extract used in the trials, its label does not state a eurycomanone level, and its full serve is above every trial dose. If a trial-matched extract matters more to you than price per capsule and local dispatch, AKARALI is the closer match. You can see the full label on our Tongkat Ali 200:1 product page, compare more brands in our ranking of tongkat ali supplements in Australia, or browse the Eternal Elixir shop.
If you are weighing tongkat ali against other herbs, our comparisons of tongkat ali and turkesterone, tongkat ali and shilajit for testosterone and tongkat ali and ashwagandha set out the evidence for each. For a wider routine, see our guide to the supplements men over 40 compare in Australia.
Tongkat ali dosage: frequently asked questions
How much tongkat ali should I take per day?
Human trials used 200mg to 600mg of extract a day in men, most often 200mg to 400mg of a standardised water extract. Trials that included women used 50mg to 400mg. Those amounts apply to the extracts tested, so check the form of your product and follow its label. Our label serve is three capsules (2,000mg of 200:1 extract), which is above the trial doses, so ask your GP how many capsules suit you.
How many capsules of tongkat ali should I take?
That depends on how much each capsule holds. Among the products in our table, the label serve runs from one capsule a day (Emrald Labs, Evolution Botanicals) to two (Solaray) to three (Eternal Elixir). Follow your own label and never take more than the label serve. Each capsule of ours holds about 667mg of 200:1 extract, and your GP can advise whether fewer than three suits you.
Is a higher dose of tongkat ali better?
Not on current evidence. Only one of the trials we cite compared two doses: in women, 100mg a day beat placebo and 50mg did not. None of the trials we cite went above 600mg a day, so there is no evidence that amounts above that add anything, and no safety data for them. Find the amount that suits you within your label’s directions and take it consistently.
Can I take tongkat ali every day?
Every trial we cite gave it daily, for between two weeks and six months, and the trials that checked blood chemistry found no significant changes. What happens over years of use is unknown. Cycling is optional, and no trial has shown it works better than daily use.
Should I take tongkat ali in the morning or at night?
No trial we found compared the two. Many people take it in the morning, which keeps it away from bedtime. If it seems to affect your sleep, take it earlier in the day.
Should I take tongkat ali with food?
Follow your product’s label. Ours directs three capsules on an empty stomach, while some other brands suggest taking theirs after meals. The trials we cite did not compare the two.
How long does tongkat ali take to work?
In the trials, hormone changes showed up within two to five weeks and questionnaire changes by four to 12 weeks. The largest changes in the longest trial came after six months combined with regular training. Give it at least four weeks, and ideally 12, before you decide.
How much tongkat ali should a woman take?
Trials that included women used 50mg to 400mg a day. The women-only trial of 138 women aged 40 to 55 found a significant improvement in quality-of-life scores at 100mg a day. One capsule of our 200:1 extract holds about 667mg, which is above the doses tested in women, so agree the amount with your GP first.
What is the best tongkat ali supplement in Australia?
Our pick is Eternal Elixir Tongkat Ali 200:1 Extract, which we make: 90 capsules for $39.99, the lowest price per capsule in our table, and dispatch from Sydney within 24 hours. Evolution Botanicals has the lowest cost per day, and AKARALI is the closest match to the trial extracts. The table above compares all five on dose and cost.
Add Tongkat Ali 200:1 to cart · $39.99
The bottom line on tongkat ali dosage
The trials support 200mg to 400mg a day of a standardised water extract for most goals in men, up to 600mg for short periods in young men, and lower amounts in women. They say nothing about years of use or amounts above 600mg. Read your label for the form and the amount per capsule, take it daily and give it at least a month. Our pick is Eternal Elixir Tongkat Ali 200:1 Extract for the price per capsule and the Sydney dispatch, with one caveat: its full serve is above the trial doses, so talk to your GP about how many capsules suit you.
Sources
- Tambi MI, Imran MK, Henkel RR. Standardised water-soluble extract of Eurycoma longifolia, Tongkat ali, as testosterone booster for managing men with late-onset hypogonadism? Andrologia. 2012;44 Suppl 1:226-230. PubMed 21671978
- Talbott SM, Talbott JA, George A, Pugh M. Effect of Tongkat Ali on stress hormones and psychological mood state in moderately stressed subjects. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2013;10(1):28. PubMed 23705671
- Ismail SB, Wan Mohammad WM, George A, et al. Randomized clinical trial on the use of PHYSTA freeze-dried water extract of Eurycoma longifolia for the improvement of quality of life and sexual well-being in men. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2012;2012:429268. PubMed 23243445
- Leitão AE, Vieira MCS, Pelegrini A, et al. A 6-month, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial to evaluate the effect of Eurycoma longifolia (Tongkat Ali) and concurrent training on erectile function and testosterone levels in androgen deficiency of aging males (ADAM). Maturitas. 2021;145:78-85. PubMed 33541567
- Henkel RR, Wang R, Bassett SH, et al. Tongkat Ali as a potential herbal supplement for physically active male and female seniors: a pilot study. Phytotherapy Research. 2014;28(4):544-550. PubMed 23754792
- Chen CK, Mohamad WM, Ooi FK, et al. Supplementation of Eurycoma longifolia Jack extract for 6 weeks does not affect urinary testosterone: epitestosterone ratio, liver and renal functions in male recreational athletes. International Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2014;5(6):728-733. PubMed 25013692
- Chan KQ, Stewart C, Chester N, Hamzah SH, Yusof A. The effect of Eurycoma longifolia on the regulation of reproductive hormones in young males. Andrologia. 2021;53(4):e14001. PubMed 33559971
- Muniandy S, Yahya HM, Shahar S, et al. Effect of Eurycoma longifolia water extract (Physta) on menopausal quality of life and mood states. World Journal of Clinical Cases. 2025;13(31):109113. PubMed 41283187
- Leisegang K, Finelli R, Sikka SC, Panner Selvam MK. Eurycoma longifolia (Jack) improves serum total testosterone in men: a systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials. Medicina. 2022;58(8):1047. PubMed 36013514
- Salman SA, Amrah S, Wahab MS, et al. Modification of propranolol’s bioavailability by Eurycoma longifolia water-based extract. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. 2010;35(6):691-696. PubMed 21054461
- Product pages read in September 2026: Eternal Elixir Tongkat Ali 200:1 Extract, AKARALI Premium Tongkat Ali, Emrald Labs Tongkat Ali at Elite Supps, Evolution Botanicals Tongkat Ali and Solaray Tongkat Ali at Wallaby Wellness.
