Tongkat ali supports eight dimensions of healthy ageing

A standardised extract of Eurycoma longifolia has accumulated over 20 human clinical studies spanning eight distinct pillars of healthy ageing – mapping onto the science of healthspan.

Healthspan. The distinction between simply living longer and living well, has moved from a scientific concept into a mainstream supplement category across Asia Pacific, with organisations from Nestlé Health Science to Singapore’s National University investing in this space as a strategic priority.¹

The region is seeing a real shift in how ageing is understood: not as an unavoidable decline, but as a biological process that can be positively supported through targeted nutrition where demand for multi-dimensional ingredients backed by clinical evidence is growing accordingly.²

Many of the changes associated with ageing do not occur in isolation. Declining hormone levels can affect muscle strength, mood, sleep and energy. Chronic stress can influence immune function and quality of life. This interconnected biology has led researchers to ask whether certain interventions can support multiple aspects of healthy ageing simultaneously.

One of the most extensively studied botanicals in this area is tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia). Research on Physta® Tongkat Ali, a standardised hot-water extract of the plant’s root, now includes more than 20 human studies, including 17 randomised controlled trials. Together, these studies map onto eight pillars commonly associated with healthy ageing.

★Did you know? A 2016 study found that people who took Physta® Tongkat Ali extract for just one month had immune systems that tested measurably four years younger than those who did not. Not slower ageing – actual reversal of an ageing marker, in 30 days.

The eight pillars of healthspan

Pillar #1: Hormonal optimisation

Healthy testosterone and cortisol levels play important roles in energy, vitality, physical performance and wellbeing. In men with age-related testosterone decline, supplementation with Physta® Tongkat Ali extract increased the proportion of subjects achieving normal testosterone levels from 35.5% to 90.8% after one month.³

Other controlled trials using Physta® have reported improvements in testosterone status alongside reductions in cortisol and stress-related measures.^4-5 Across three independent trials, testosterone levels increased 10% to 54% within one to three months.

What this means: Declining energy, mood or drive in midlife often has a hormonal component. This is where the clinical evidence for this extract is most extensive.

Pillar #2: Musculoskeletal health

Maintaining muscle strength and physical function is one of the strongest predictors of healthy ageing and independence. Twelve weeks of Physta® supplementation in older men significantly improved muscle strength compared with placebo.⁵ Preclinical research also suggests potential benefits for bone-related biomarkers, particularly in hormonally challenged models.^5-6

What this means: Preserving strength and mobility supports an active, independent life as we age – outcomes that matter in both clinical and everyday contexts.

Pillar #3: Stress resilience and mood

Psychological wellbeing is increasingly recognised as a critical component of healthspan. In a four-week randomised controlled trial, participants in the Physta® group in the Physta® group experienced improvements in multiple mood-state measures: tension (−11%); anger (−12%); and confusion (−15%). Additionally, reductions in cortisol of 16% were observed.⁴

Similar findings were reported in a 2025 study involving peri- and menopausal women who were given Physta® Tongkat Ali, where improvements were observed across all mood domains assessed: tension (−21.7%); depression (−31.9%); anger (−13.8%); fatigue (−36.9%); confusion (−20.5%); and vigour (+5.7%).⁷

What this means: Chronic stress is a recognised driver of accelerated biological ageing. The evidence suggests this extract may address the hormonal mechanisms underlying stress, not just its surface symptoms.

Pillar #4: Immunological age reveal

Ageing is associated with gradual changes in immune function, a phenomenon often referred to as immunosenescence. In a double-blind placebo-controlled trial involving middle-aged adults, Physta® supplementation improved immunological vigour scores and several immune-cell populations.

Researchers also reported an improvement in a validated measure of immune age, corresponding to approximately four years compared with placebo after four weeks.⁹ Patent US11166998B2 covers use of Physta® tongkat ali for immune health applications.

What this means: Immune function declines with age in measurable ways. This extract is among the few botanicals with clinical data indicating an effect on validated immune-age markers.

Pillar #5: Quality of life – both sexes

Ultimately, healthy ageing is reflected in how people feel and function in everyday life. In ageing men, Physta® supplementation significantly improved Ageing Males’ Symptoms (AMS) scores and reduced Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) scores by 54.2% and 49.6% respectively.⁵

In peri- and menopausal women, Physta® Tongkat Ali the extract significantly improved overall menopausal quality of life scores, including physical and sexual wellbeing domains.⁸ US patent US11058737B2 covers women’s health applications specifically.

What this means: Improvements in everyday energy, comfort and physical function tend to be the outcomes that are most meaningful to people managing the effects of hormonal change.

Pillar #6: Oxidative stress protection

Testosterone production occurs inside specialised Leydig cells, through an enzymatic chain that oxidative stress can disrupt. Research shows that Physta® Tongkat Ali activates the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 / haem oxygenase-1 (Nrf2/HO-1) pathway – the body’s master antioxidant regulatory system – reducing cellular damage markers while raising protective enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase.¹⁰

It also upregulates the enzymes within Leydig cells that synthesise testosterone.^11-13

What this means: Understanding why hormonal benefits are sustained over time requires looking at cell-level protection, not just stimulation. This mechanism may help to explain the consistency of results across studies.

Pillar #7: Mitochondrial function

Mitochondria are the energy-generating structures within cells. As they decline with age, so does energy availability, cognitive sharpness and physical capacity. Research shows Physta® improves mitochondrial membrane potential; the electrochemical gradient that drives the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the cell’s primary energy currency, with likely effects across the body’s somatic cells.¹⁴ This mechanism provides a biologically plausible explanation for the consistent finding across trials of reduced fatigue, improved strength and better mood.

What this means: Persistent fatigue can reflect declining cellular energy production, not just lifestyle factors. Mitochondrial function offers a mechanistic link between the cellular and clinical evidence.

Pillar #8: Sleep quality and gut microbiome health

Emerging preclinical and case-study evidence suggests potential effects on stress-related behaviours and gut microbial composition. In a preclinical model examining lighting-induced sleep disorder, Physta® showed a significant increase in Lachnospiraceae – a family of butyrate-producing gut bacteria known to support immune regulation and intestinal integrity.¹⁵

Human studies have reported improvements in mood and morning alertness following supplementation.¹⁶A case study using precision microbiome profiling showed improved microbial diversity, higher levels of beneficial bacteria and reduced Proteobacteria after 30 days at 100mg.¹⁷

What this means: Sleep, gut health and stress hormones are closely interconnected. The emerging evidence across all three areas warrants further investigation, particularly given the overlap with the hormonal mechanisms documented in other trials.

A 2016 study reported that after just one month, participants’ immune systems tested four years younger. Not slower ageing – measurable reversal.⁹

Standardisation is the foundation of the evidence

Consistent results across research groups in Japan, Malaysia, India, China and South Africa, amongst subjects aged 18 to 72, do not occur by accident. They reflect a standardised extract with characterised bioactive fractions (eurycomanone, glycosaponins, eurypeptides, quassinoids), produced through a hot-water process co-developed with MIT scientists, where every published trial used analytically equivalent material.

Various global patents cover the extract’s applications, from women’s health to immune function to antiviral activity – the output of a two-decade scientific programme whose scope now maps onto the healthspan architecture.

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