Herbalism Directory
“A person who finds a herb has found a cure”
Below is a curated directory of medicinal herbs and mushrooms that can be used in a variety of ways, from supplement pills to tea to aromatherapy. This is presented for informational purposes, please consult a health expert before use.
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Tongkat Ali
Tongkat ali is a potent testosterone booster through its interactions with SHBG and aromatase. Tongkat ali is also a cognitive enhancer, has anti-cancer properties, and has shown promise as an herbal supplement for athletic enhancement. Tongkat is popular for its aphrodisiac and libido enhancing effects which can help with sexual dysfunction and infertility. Learn more about Eurycoma longifolia.
Article by Stefan Burns - Updated December 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!
There are a few herbs that exist which powerfully boost testosterone levels and are considered overall androgenic.
Tongkat Ali, known in the Linnaean classification as Eurycoma longifolia, is one of those special herbs.
Tongkat ali interacts with the hormone system to raise testosterone levels, unbind testosterone from sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) which increases the circulating levels of free testosterone, and also limits the aromatization of testosterone into estrogen by the aromatase enzyme. In other words, tongkat ali exerts effects along the entire chain of testosterone release and utilization, keeping the body in an androgenic state while keeping estrogen levels in normal ranges. This makes tongkat ali beneficial for anyone in a testosterone deficit who as a result are experiencing hormonal imbalances.
Young tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) plant. Photo by Mokkie - CC3.0
In this herbal encyclopedia page the following topics are covered. Click the links to quick jump to that section.
Table of Contents
*Note - If there is something you’d like covered not found here please leave a comment below or contact me with your question and I will reply back and cover it in a Stefan Says Q&A via the Wild Free Organic Email Newsletter.
Tongkat Ali and its Cultivation
The roots and bark of the Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) plant contain the highest levels of its main active compound, eurycomanone, and its typically the roots that are harvested and prepared for use. Tongkat ali is native to the tropical environments of Southeast Asia, namely Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, and it is commonly found growing in the rainforest as a shrub up to a medium sized tree. Malaysian ginseng as it is also known has a long use in the traditional medicine culture of that region.
Eurocoma longifolia names: Malaysian ginseng, Tongkat ali, long jack, pasak bumi
The primary folk medicine use for long jack can be inferred from that very name, as it’s commonly used to treat sexual dysfunction, as an aphrodisiac, to improve fertility, and boost overall male sexual function. Secondary uses are to increase strength, improve recovery, boost immunity, reduce osteoporosis, for fevers and malaria, and for general aging and anti-cancer benefits. More nuanced uses of tongkat ali as it may be recommended by an experienced traditional medicine doctor would be for gut health problems, appetite stimulation, weight loss, glandular swelling, stress and anxiety, diabetes, and syphilis (1).
Some of those benefits and uses may seem contradictory, and that goes to show you the nuanced effects herbs can have on an individual depending on the person’s age, gender, and state of biology. With a better understanding of exactly how tongkat ali interacts with the body it’s possible to fully appreciate its wide range of health and wellness uses.
Tongkat ali has been increasing in popularity for its well reported testosterone boosting properties which has created global demand for the herb.
Tongkat ali is wild harvested, grown using traditional farming practices, and also cultivated with modern hydroponic techniques. Once Eurycoma longifolia plants are established they are grown for several years until they reach maturity and then harvested, with the roots and bark of the plant being of the most value. The quality and safety of tongkat ali products and supplements depends on the health of the environment in which it’s grown, climate and stressors, the cultivator, harvesting techniques, and processing.
Phytochemicals of Eurycoma longifolia
As with every herb, tongkat ali contains a rich assortment of plant phytochemicals which have various biologic effects. A special group of terpenes known as quassinoids make up the majority of the phytonutrients that make up the roots of Eurycoma longifolia. Quassinoids are quite bitter in taste and the main one found in tongkat ali is eurycomanone. Research into the pharmacological properties of eurycomanone with animals and humans indicates its the main compound responsible for the testosterone boosting effect of tongkat ali. Other eurypeptides exist with similar biologic properties.
Other bioactive compounds found in tongkat ali include alkaloids, lactones, saponins, and flavonoids. The phytochemical composition of each Eurycoma longifolia plant depends on its unique life experience, and thus variations exist between individual plants, grow operations on a whole, and geographic regions. Product processing also has an influence over the final phytochemical composition. Whatever the final status of a tongkat ali supplement, it’s phytocomposition interacts synergistically with the body in what’s known as the entourage effect.
Individual phytochemicals of tongkat ali have their measurable biologic effects, and the larger health effects like androgen modulation, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties, increased insulin sensitivity, and improved mood are from all the compounds working together holistically. While a lot has been learned about how tongkat ali interacts with humans biologically from its traditional folk-use and recent scientific analysis, research is ongoing to better understand tongkat ali.
Eurycomanone (quassinoid)
Eurycomanone is found in the highest concentrations in the roots of Eurycoma longifolia. Research indicates that its primarily the activity of quassinoids, specifically eurycomanone, that are responsible for tongkat ali’s androgenic effect.
Eurycomanone boosts testosterone production, improves spermogensis, increases libido and fertility, and increases semen volume all to significant values over placebo. Eurycomanone in this way is a potent phytochemical to be utilized for remediating sexual dysfunction or to improve sexual function beyond normal in the absence of dysfunction. Eurycomanone also exhibits anti-estrogen activity.
Quassinoids in general are effective in inhibiting cell growth even at extremely low concentrations, showing strong anti-cancer activity across various tumor lines.
Flavonoids
Flavonoids are plant pigments responsible for the vivid colors of many flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Beverages made from fruits and herbs like juice, wine, and tea contain flavonoids. Tongkat ali is a rich source of flavonoids, especially if the plants harvested were grown in nutrient-rich conditions.
Flavonoids have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties, which makes them great for improving metabolism, reducing inflammation throughout the body, improving cognition, assisting digestion, and increasing immunity, these factors being governed in large part by the beneficial microbiome interactions flavonoids have.
*Note - one of nature’s most powerful flavonoids is apigenin.
Tongkat Ali Testosterone Optimization
Testosterone optimization is usually the main reason people first hear of tongkat ali and have an interest in using the herb. What is testosterone though and how do you optimize it safely?
Testosterone is an anabolic (growth) hormone that is produced by both men and women; for men in the testes by Leydig cells and for women in the ovaries by theca cells. The adrenal glands which are well known for their cortisol (stress hormone) releasing function in the endocrine system also produce small amounts of testosterone. Testosterone is a vital hormone to have in the right amounts for overall health, wellness, and reproduction. Testosterone plays a key role in the development of male sex organs and other characteristics such as facial and pubic hair. Testosterone also triggers muscle protein synthesis and maintains bone density by regulating calcium deposition. For both men and women testosterone is important for overall sexual function, fertility, and libido.
Testosterone has a high binding affinity for a variety of receptors and is therefore not the most stable compound, and this is why oxidative stress plays a key role in male infertility (2). If the body is in an inflammatory state with abundant free-radicals, unbound free testosterone is more likely to be reacted with and altered into a derivative compound. A downward trend in testosterone, sperm count, and semen volume has been reported worldwide since the 1970’s, and while this is a multi-factorial problem, increasing amounts of stress and chronic inflammation are key culprits.
One of the most effective ways to treat male infertility, sexual dysfunction, libido problems, to build muscle and strength, and to increase athletic performance is to increase free testosterone levels in the body while keeping estrogen levels from rising too high, and this is exactly what tongkat ali appears to do.
Tongkat Ali binds to SHBG Increasing Free Testosterone
Scientific research on rats and humans suggest that tongkat ali has an effect on sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG). SHBG is produced by the liver and binds to sex hormones like testosterone to protect them and decrease their oxidative potential. In this way SHBG regulates the availability of testosterone throughout the body. It’s possible to have high total testosterone but low free testosterone because SHBG levels are elevated.
Conditions and activities that are associated with both lower total and free testosterone are severe weight-loss dieting, chronic fatigue syndrome and depression, and athletic overtraining.
While evidence does show that tongkat ali has an ability to raise total testosterone levels for men by enhancing testosterone steroidogenesis in testicular Leydig’s cells, the greater androgenic effect from tongkat ali comes from its ability to unbind greater amounts of testosterone from SHBG. It’s free testosterone that is able to bind to androgen receptors, and by having this free testosterone stimulating effect, tongkat ali is an androgenic adaptogen particularly useful for people with below-normal testosterone levels.
One mechanism for how tongkat ali raises total testosterone levels is because eurypeptides stimulate dihydroepiandosterone (DHEA), which in turn initiates the conversion of androstenedione and androstenediol to testosterone and estrogen, respectively. These quassinoids also indirectly increase testosterone levels and insulin sensitivity by suppressing the expression of particular glycoproteins. In other words tongkat ali works in many ways at the cellular level to support optimal testosterone levels
Tongkat Ali reduces Testosterone Aromatization
The base building block of hormones is cholesterol. Cholesterol is then transformed into different hormones via a complex sequence of enzymatic reactions as shown in the simplified graphic below:
If you look closely you’ll see that estradiol, the most bioactive form of estrogen, is made from testosterone due to the actions of aromatase (an enzyme). Aromatase can be found in fat, muscle, and brain tissue. With this known you can see why higher body fat levels are associated with lower testosterone levels and greater estrogen levels; because more aromatase is present. This makes loosing excess body fat (>12%) helpful in improving testosterone levels.
Aromatization is a vitally important biological process as it plays a key role in balancing testosterone and estrogen levels in the body. Both testosterone and estrogen are important for men and women, but when the ratios between the two hormones become out of balance then health complications like heart disease and cancer can result.
Tongkat ali influences the aromatization process by limiting the actions of aromatase, thereby keeping testosterone levels elevated in the body. This effect certainly plays out for those with sub-optimal testosterone levels, and anecdotal evidence from users around the world supports the claim that tongkat ali will also limit testosterone from aromatizing even when testosterone concentrations are elevated above normal.
Tongkat Ali for Athletes
These androgenic actions make tongkat ali an herbal supplement of interest for athletes looking to improve their performance, increase in strength and power, and build more lean body mass (3). By working with the adrenal glands, tongkat ali appears to raise testosterone levels while reducing cortisol production, which aids in recovery, and then the androgenic effect is boosted even further by the interactions tongkat ali has with the testes.
Tongkat ali appears to generally favor cortisol reduction and testosterone increase amongst athletes, creating more optimal anabolic states. Tongkat ali also increases insulin sensitivity which is of benefit to athletes because it improves energy uptake and nutrient partitioning.
Tongkat Ali Supplement Recommendation
The tongkat ali supplement that I would use is sold by Nootropics Depot. I used tongkat ali in the past, and since then I have come to greatly value the quality of the herbal extracts sold by Nootropics Depot.
The Eurycoma longifolia extract sold by Nootropics Depot contains a minimum of 2% eurycomanone, the most active phytochemical found in tongkat ali. By standardizing the herbal extract to contain 2% eurycomanone, with each serving you receive a standard, and eventually understood intuitively, effect.
Switching suppliers exposes you to fake supplements or changing quality of herb, which generally reduces the felt effect, so I recommend you find one brand you trust and stick with it, and after having tried many different supplements from various companies, Nootropics Depot is my first choice.
Nootropics Depot also sells 10% Eurycomanone Tongkat Ali Capsules if you wish to experiment with more concentrated dosages. While tongkat ali is generally regarded as a very safe herb as we’ll discuss more thoroughly in the Tongkat Ali Side Effects and Safety section, perform your due diligence and be cautious in using more concentrated/higher doses of tongkat ali as it is a very stimulating herb.
Other Tongkat Ali Benefits
The health benefits of tongkat ali don’t stop with its ability to regulate the endocrine system to increase testosterone and reduce cortisol, tongkat ali also interacts with the brain, heart, and has anti-malarial and anti-cancer properties.
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Tongkat ali interacts with the brain and nervous system in a few ways, some of which explains its aphrodisiac effects. Supplementation of tongkat ali (in rats) increased concentrations of dopamine in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal regions (4). The hippocampi are two parts of the brain, one on each side located at the temples, that are associated with memory, learning, time and spatial awareness, and neurogenesis (i.e. the growth of new brain cells). The cerebral cortex is the large part of the brain where higher cognitive processes occur, and higher dopamine concentrations in these parts of the brain ehances muscular control, motivation and reward circuits, and improve intra-cellular communication.
Like testosterone dopamine has an ability to bind to many different receptors and therefore it is a relatively unstable molecule. The lower the inflammatory state of the body, the greater dopamine concentrations can reach as they’ll be less likely to react with free radicals. Antioxidants greatly contribute to this effect, and that’s why its a common attribute of herbal aphrodisiacs to increase dopamine concentrations, because they contain phytochemicals which are able to pass through the blood-brain barrier and protect neurotransmitters and hormones from oxidative reactions. Tongkat ali contains many plant antioxidants, and in this way it has a neuroprotective effect.
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Some studies with rodents showed that tongkat ali exerts a protective function on the heart. Tongkat ali also appears to have a cholesterol lowering effect. This may be due to the plant phenols that tongkat ali possesses, as phenolic compounds are associated reduced risk of heart and cardiovascular diseases (5). More research needs to be done to better understand the heart protective effects of tongkat ali.
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Tongkat ali’s significant antioxidant and therefore anti-inflammatory activity makes it useful for preventing and treating inflammation-based diseases like cancer. Eurycoma longifolia has demonstrated cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects on a number of human cancer cell lines and solid tumors, including lung, breast, gastric, and cervical cancers.
One of tongkat ali’s traditional medicine uses is for the treatment of malaria, a parasite carried by mosquitos. Phytotochemicals eurycomanone and 7-methoxy-β-carboline-1- propionic acid found in tongkat ali in research settings have shown significant antimalarial activity against P. falciparum strains, and a good anti-malaria effect may exist at standard doses of 200-400 mg/day. Tongkat ali’s anti-malarial effects is a result of its ability to inhibit the growth of malaria parasites.
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Tongkat ali is a herb of value for men who have osteoporosis as it helps to maintain bone calcium levels because of its testosterone stimulating properties.
Tongkat ali increases insulin sensitivity by enhancing glucose uptake and suppressing lipid accumulation, making it a herb of potential value for the treatment of diabetes.
Tongkat ali possess bitterants, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals which possess antimicrobial activities. Overtime, these antimicrobial effects may be of benefit in reshaping the gut microbiome away from pathogenesis to symbiosis.
Using Tongkat Ali to Increase Libido
An aphrodisiac is something which increases sexual desire and performance. Stimulating libido is a complex process in the brain and body and is governed in large part by the autonomic (unconscious) nervous system (which regulates heart rate, breathing, digestion, etc). The best aphrodisiacs are those that not only stimulate sexual desire, but also those that improve sexual performance. Tongkat ali does both of those in addition to improving parameters of male fertility.
Sexual desire starts with a stimulus, sensory or imaginative, and from there various regions of the brain work together to unleash a cascade of signals, hormones, and various chemicals to activate the sex organs. The hypothalamus in particular is relevant here because not only does it regulate base biologic functions such as appetite, body temperature, and sleep, it also has the ability to secrete testosterone. Low testosterone levels are well associated with reduced libido and sexual dysfunction.
The amygdala is also linked to libido as it is the part of the brain the processes emotions and pleasure. As discussed earlier, it’s been shown that supplementing with tongkat ali improves subjective measures of well-being, improving overall mood while reducing anxiety and depression (6).
Tongkat ali exerts a powerful influence over the endocrine system, boosting androgenic potential, and it also appears to have broad neurocognitive effects, which together make Eurycoma longifolia a potent stimulator of sexual arousal and an aphrodisiac worth trying if currently dealing with low libido.
Tongkat Ali for Erectile Dysfunction
There are many different phytochemicals in tongkat ali and it has proven difficult to identify the main compounds in tongkat ali that help treat erectile dysfunction. For this reason taking a tongkat ali supplement that isn’t fully standardized and is still mostly “raw” is useful.
Not much research has been performed on tongkat ali and erectile dysfunction, but anecdotally people report a variety of benefits such as having an easier time getting and maintaining an erection, a reduced latency period (time in-between ejaculations), and bigger and harder erections. If you encounter erectile dysfunction frequently and are looking for a natural solution to improve your erection quality and duration, then tongkat ali is a promising herb to try.
A popular aphrodisiac used in ancient Egypt was blue lotus flower (Nymphaea caerulea), a type of water lily found in Africa with blue to purple flowers. The phytochemicals found in blue lotus flower modulate dopamine and serotonin in the brain and activate certain regions in the brain, increasingly libido and promoting stronger erections. Another powerful herbal aphrodisiac and testosterone booster to turn your attention to is cistanche, a plant which grows in the harsh deserts of Asia.
I have used tongkat ali, blue lotus flower, and cistanche, and in my experience tongkat ali is the weakest aphrodisiac of the three, so if you are interested in increasing your libido I recommend you experiment with blue lotus flower and cistanche too. I haven’t tried combining tongkat ali with cistanche or blue lotus flower yet, but cistanche and blue lotus flower together have a synergy to them and the libido enhancing effect from that combo can be quite strong.
You can purchase cistanche powder from Nootropics Depot and blue lotus flower to use with a dry-vaporizer like the Fury Edge from Schmerbals Herbals.
Using Tongkat Ali to Treat Male Infertility
In addition to tongkat ali’s aphrodisiac qualities, it also is useful for treating male infertility. When tongkat ali is taken for an extended period of time (30+ days), it has been observed that semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, and sperm morphology all increase/improve (7).
Fertility problems amongst couples wishing to conceive are often placed upon the woman, but in many cases it is male infertility which is a contributing or causative factor for a failure to start a pregnancy. A large number of men are infertile owing to abnormalities in sperm production, especially severe defects in sperm morphology, which render the sperm dysfunctional and thereby greatly reduce the partner’s chances of pregnancy. From one study with 75 final participants who completed 9 months of daily supplementation with 200 mg of a tongkat ali extract, 15% of the participants experienced a “spontaneous pregnancy”, a significant finding (7). This makes tongkat ali an inexpensive herbal remedy worth trying first in hopes of success before moving onto more complex and pricy fertility-enhancing techniques like intra-uterine insemination or in vitro fertilization.
Methods of Using Tongkat Ali and Dosing
The typical dosage of tongkat ali used in human studies is 50-200 mg/day. Based on its safety profile, the daily upper limit for tongkat ali supplementation can be raised considerably, but that is an individual decision to be made only if proper safety measures are put into place and after consulting with a natural medicine specialist.
The serving size for the Tongkat Ali Powder sold by Nootropics Depot is 200 mg, standardized to 2% eurycomanone but overall containing >2% eurypeptides (though what this percentage is we don’t know). If using this brand of tongkat ali I recommend starting supplementation with 100 mg for 1 week and then increasing to 200 mg. If no noticeable effects are felt at the standard serving size then the dosage can be increased to 200 mg twice daily.
Tongkat ali contains many chemicals known as bitterants and therefore it’s quite bitter. Depending on your taste buds its flavor can range from mildly unpleasant to very bitter and astringent. The way I take tongkat ali is to mix it in with a shot of water and shoot that followed by a shot of apple cider vinegar, clearing the taste buds with water afterwards. It’s also quite popular to add tongkat ali to coffee (which is something I do with the herb cistanche) so experiment with this if you drink coffee to see if that helps to mask the bitterness. It’s best to take tongkat ali on a mostly empty stomach so it is absorbed into the bloodstream effectively and without delay.
A general rule of thumb to follow when using any herb that alters the endocrine system is to cycle off the herb for as long as you used it. For example, if you use tongkat ali for 60 days, don’t use tongkat ali or any other androgenic herbs for the next 60 days. This allows the endocrine system to operate normally without the presence of a modifying herb/drug while maintaining many of the hopefully beneficial adaptations that took place, allowing for a “locking in” of any improvements made. In this way, the endocrine system over time - and from the effects of various androgenic herbs like tongkat ali and cistanche - can be optimized to more naturally keep testosterone levels high while estrogen stays in the normal range.
How long does it take Tongkat Ali to Work?
In my experience tongkat ali is noticeably felt after the first dose and also more generally after a week or two.
If you’re sensitive, in the hours immediately after the first dose of tongkat ali you may experience a boost to your overall energy, focus, and concentration. As tongkat unbinds testosterone from SHBG, you may find yourself feeling more confident, stronger during your workouts, and more willing to engage in “risky” activities. If you have a regular workout schedule I recommend you take tongkat ali 1-2 hours before exercise in order to capitalize on the energy and testosterone boosting effect.
Over the course of a couple weeks stretching into months, supplementing with tongkat ali will be observable through larger anabolic changes. You may experience increases in strength, power, and lean body mass. You may also notice overall androgenic changes like a deepening voice, more and thicker body/facial hair, and improved mood, confidence, and decisiveness.
To best track how tongkat ali is benefitting you I recommend you keep a supplement observation journal and track your observations while using the herb.
Tongkat Ali Side Effects and Safety
There are no reported adverse side effects for humans with the dosages used in research studies (~200 mg/daily). The LD50 for rodents is very high (>1500 mg/kg bodyweight) and translated to humans this equates to a lethal dose 50% of minimum 120 mg/kg. For a 75 kg individual this is 9 grams of extract powder. This may not be the real human LD50 dose.
One 2-month human supplementation trial enlisting 20 healthy males found 600 mg/day of Eurycoma longifolia extract to have no influence on blood profiles or any deleterious effects on measures of liver or renal function (8). That said, some people have reported experiencing nausea, stomach upset, and diarrhea after taking tongkat ali, likely due to its astringency and extreme bitterness. In rare cases, tongkat ali may cause allergic reactions, such as skin rash or difficulty breathing. Tongkat ali also sometimes causes joint point and can be excessively stimulatory.
Is there a Better Alternative to Tongkat Ali?
For pure testosterone optimization tongkat ali is one of the best, but given its potential side effects like joint pain better options may exist for you and what desired effect(s) you wish:
Cistanche: When your ultimate goal is to improve athletic performance through a testosterone boosting effect, then I recommend cistanche as it doesn’t cause joint pain. Take cistanche with dandelion root powder for best effect. Cistanche is also a better libido enhancer in my experience.
Ashwagandha: If your overall goal is to improve your hormonal levels and their equilibrium to each other, then ashwagandha is a better hormone modulating herb to use than tongkat ali. Ashwagandha can still raise testosterone modestly, measured in one study by an average of 15% (9) but it does this by working primarily with the adrenal system, the autonomic nervous system, and DHEA and less with Leydig testosterone synthesis and SHBG directly. Ashwagandha and tongkat ali would be a synergistic combination to consider.
Blue Lotus Flower: If you’re desiring a potent aphrodisiac effect, blue lotus flower is superior to tongkat ali. Blue lotus flower gets you in the mood easier and quicker via dry vaporization, has an overall better neurocognitive effect, and won’t dry your skin out like tongkat ali might.
Other Hormone Modulating Herbs
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Research:
Rehman S, Choe K, Yoo H. Review on a traditional herbal medicine, eurycoma longifolia jack (Tongkat ali): its traditional uses, chemistry, evidence-based pharmacology and toxicology. Molecules. 2016;21(3):331.
Sikka SC. Relative impact of oxidative stress on male reproductive function. Curr Med Chem. 2001;8(7):851-862.
Talbott SM. Human performance and sports applications of tongkat ali(Eurycoma longifolia). In: Nutrition and Enhanced Sports Performance. Elsevier; 2013:501-505.
Ezzat SM, Ezzat MI, Okba MM, et al. Brain cortical and hippocampal dopamine: a new mechanistic approach for eurycoma longifolia well-known aphrodisiac activity and its chemical characterization. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2019;2019:1-13.
Khanam Z, Wen CS, Bhat IUH. Phytochemical screening and antimicrobial activity of root and stem extracts of wild Eurycoma longifolia Jack (Tongkat ali). Journal of King Saud University - Science. 2015;27(1):23-30.
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.
Bin Mohd Tambi MI, Imran MK. Eurycoma longifolia Jack in managing idiopathic male infertility. Asian J Androl. 2010;12(3):376-380.
Tambi, M. I., and A. A. Kadir. Human toxicology and clinical observations of Eurycoma longifiola on men’s health. Int J Andrology 28.Suppl 1 (2005): 37-38.
Lopresti AL, Drummond PD, Smith SJ. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study examining the hormonal and vitality effects of ashwagandha (withania somnifera) in aging, overweight males. Am J Mens Health. 2019;13(2):155798831983598.
Blue Lotus Flower
Blue lotus flower has a rich thousands of years long use as a psychic potentiator, and with the advent of worldwide supply chains, blue lotus flower can now be used by anyone, no longer just the Egyptians. Blue lotus flower has a rich phytopharmacology and combined with cannabis provides an entrance to the holy spiritual journey.. This is your complete guide.
Article by Stefan Burns - Updated October 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!
In the oldest Egyptian cosmogony, the world began when the Sun God Ra (Atum) emerged from a blue water lily growing in a dark pool of nothingness symbolizing chaos (Nun). This blue water lily is a plant that was sacred to Egyptian culture since the earliest dynasties thousands of years ago. Overtime the flower of the blue water lily (Nymphaea caerulea) evolved into a symbol of the cycle of life and death and was featured prominently in tomb motifs of the pharaohs and members of the highest caste, being one of the primary offerings the high ranking dead were decorated with for their journey into the afterlife. Blue lotus flower was used extensively in the religious and healing ceremonies of the high priests of Egypt, and Nymphaea caerulea was a herb revered because of its unique plant pharmacology which bestow upon it transcendental mind-altering properties.
Blue lotus flower contains an assortment of plant phytochemicals like alkaloids and flavonoids that together make it mildly psychoactive, sedative, and it’s a strong aphrodisiac. Blue lotus flower has these properties primarily because it normalizes the activity of the central nervous system by acting on dopamine and serotonin receptors in the brain. Little human-based research has been completed on blue lotus flower, but abundant research exists on its main chemical constituents apomorphine, nuciferine, and antioxidant flavonoids. In addition to this its rich history of use across many different cultures supports its use in treating mental health issues like depression, paranoia, and insomnia, as well as neurodegenerative problems like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. I have also personally experimented with the herb in a variety of ways and share my insights here.
Beyond its potential health and wellness uses, blue lotus flower is a herb that can be used to facilitate spiritual growth by tuning human consciousness to different dimensions of reality, and this shamanistic effect of blue lotus flower is especially powerful when combined with other psychedelic herbs like cannabis. Blue lotus flower can be consumed in a variety of ways for its wellness, spiritual, or recreational uses, most commonly as a tea or dry-vaporized or taken sublingually. In this article we take a deep dive into blue lotus flower and start by exploring the unique plant pharmacology which bestows upon it, as some would say, its psychic effects.
Table of Contents
Phytochemicals of Blue Lotus Flower
Blue lotus lily (Nymphea caerulea) is an African water lily, the flowers of which contain alkaloids apomorphine and nuciferine alongside many diverse flavonoids. Flavonoids are potent antioxidants with many beneficial biologic effects throughout the body, and the main flavonoids found in blue lotus flower are anthocyanins and different versions of quercetin, myricetin, and kaempferol, with “rare” versions of kaempferol and quercetin having been isolated before. All these phytochemicals all work together in an “entourage” effect giving blue lotus flower its unique physiological and psychological effects.
Before going into specifics, the basics of how blue lotus flower works is that apomorphine/apomorphine-like alkaloids non-selectively stimulate dopamine and serotonin receptors, nuciferine modulates dopamine transport and also stimulates certain dopamine and serotonin receptors, while flavonoids keep dopamine from destabilizing and oxidizing which creates cellular damage. This combination of chemicals, which all easily pass the blood-brain-barrier, is able to powerfully alter brain neurochemistry and promote neurogenesis.
Dopamine is an important hormone and neurotransmitter with many different functions throughout the brain, regulating emotions, learning, memory, and neuroplasticity, and it also helps govern motor control throughout the body. The direct precursor for dopamine is L-DOPA, which is synthesized in the brain and kidneys.
Serotonin in another important neurotransmitter that modulates mood, appetite, sleep, learning, memory, and general cognition, in addition to physiological acts like vomiting and vasoconstriction. About 90% of serotonin is produced in the intestinal tract through interactions between the digestive system and microbiome.
Apomorphine
Apomorphine has been described as a psychoactive alkaloid and is a non-selective dopamine agonist. Apomorphine is also a strong antioxidant being generally regarded as neuroprotective. Apomorphine was first synthesized by humans in 1845, though its medicinal and spiritual usage stretches back thousands of years because it is naturally found in the flowers of the African water lily Nymphaea caerulea.
Apomorphine can be produced by heating morphine in an acid solution (like hydrochloric acid), and apomorphine’s chemical formula (C17H17NO2) is similar to morphine (C17H19NO3) minus a water molecule (H2O). In spite of its name and similar chemical formula, “apomorphine has none of the habit-forming characteristics of morphine…no more like morphine than sawdust is like sugar” according to apomorphine advocate Dr. John Y Dent back in 1934.
Apomorphine is very lipophilic (likes fats) and is moderately soluble in water and normal saline solution. Apomorphine oxidizes rapidly with air and light exposure. Because of its high lipid solubility, APO equilibrates rapidly between blood and tissue compartments, and transient brain concentrations of apomorphine have been measured up to 8x greater than in plasma. The fact that apomorphine is highly soluble in lipids is relevant later in how it works nicely with cannabis (see Blue Lotus Flower and Cannabis).
Apomorphine Receptor Science
Apomorphine has a powerful action on the central nervous system and in multiple parts of the brain, but not on the vagus nerve, due to how to stimulates various neurotransmitter receptors. Specifically, apomorphine activates the cerebral cortex and attenuates inhibition of the thalamus by the internal globus pallidus. The thalamus sits deep within the brain and acts as a central hub which processes and relays sensory information (except smell) to the cerebral cortex for interpretation. Apomorphine is a non-selective dopamine receptor agonist and also activates serotonergic receptors and α-adrenergic receptors.
Blue lotus flower contains significant levels of apomorphine and apomorphine-like alkaloids, and this allows blue lotus flower to influence dopamine and serotonin pathways in addition to increasing the sensory throughput of the thalamus, aiding its mentally stimulating and mind-altering effects. In my experience, covered more in the later section Blue Lotus Flower and Cannabis, the psychedelic effects of blue lotus flower are only really noticeable when combined with another psychedelic like cannabis, or as the ancient Egyptians reportedly did with mandrake fruit and opium poppies.
Physiological Effects of Apomorphine
The main physiological effects of apomorphine are:
Lowers blood pressure
Lowers body temperature
Reduces sympathetic nervous system activity
Reduces prolactin secretion
Increases growth hormone
Promotes relaxation
Improves male sexual function
Dilates the pupils
Apomorphine is a highly potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger with a neuroprotective effect. This is quite valuable because dopamine, which apomorphine interacts with, is highly unstable and oxidizes easily which can cause cellular damage under certain conditions. Some of apomorphine’s neuroprotective effects are receptor mediated, and some are non-receptor mediated. One example of how apomorphine is neuroprotective is that activation of the D4 dopamine receptor inhibits oxidative stress-induced nerve cell death, and as a non-selective dopamine receptor agonist, apomorphine can bind to an activate the D4 receptor.
Apomorphine has a rapid onset of action and a relatively brief duration of effect of about 60-90 minutes long, though its pharmacodynamic effects last up to 30 minutes after its plasma concentrations fall below its “peak ineffective threshold”.
Apomorphine Metabolism and Bioavailability
Apomorphine is a high clearance compound that is mainly metabolized and excreted by the liver, with less than 5% of apomorphine introduced into the body being excreted unchanged in the urine.
Oral administration of apomorphine is not recommended because of its poor bioavailability and significant first-pass metabolism by the liver. In fact, very large doses of apomorphine can lead to an accumulation of a liver-produced nephrotoxic (kidney damaging) metabolite. Sublingual administration of apomorphine bypasses liver first-pass metabolism. Apomorphine does not require decarboxylation to be activated (like cannabinoids do), and it readily diffuses across the blood-brain-barrier.
There are many ways to consume blue lotus flower, and in the context of receiving the most apomorphine, then sublingual use of a 10:1 or 20:1 blue lotus flower extract will be one of the most effective methods. I have tried this before, taking a pea-sized amount of 20:1 blue lotus flower extract sublingually by itself, and didn’t notice anything other than a subtle improvement in mood and enhanced focus. For someone with Parkinson’s disease though, sublingual use of a blue lotus extract may reduce or eliminate their tremors and muscle spasms.
Conventional Medicinal Uses of Apomorphine
Since its first synthesis, in a clinical setting the main uses of apomorphine are for rapid gastric emptying, to promote sedation, and as an antiparkinsonian medicine which reduces tremors and muscle spasms.
Pure apomorphine was the drug of choice for any condition that required prompt emptying of the stomach until the 1970’s when better alternatives came along, because though the apomorphine induced vomiting*, it was usually followed by sleep which isn’t terribly helpful when diagnosing possibly toxic exposure.
*Note - In order to not scare anyone away from trying blue lotus flower because of apomorphine and its ability to trigger gastric emptying, the doses of pure apomorphine needed to trigger this are quite high and a lot of blue lotus flower would need to be consumed to reach this threshold. In addition to this blue lotus flower contains other plant phytochemicals which alters its overall physiological and psychological effects. Still, if you’re easily triggered into vomiting, then you should start very carefully with blue lotus flower or avoid it altogether.
The main medicinal use of apomorphine is in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s disease is characterized by chronically reduced levels of dopamine in parts of the brain that leads to a hypersensitivity of brain cells concerned with motor control.
By triggering the neurotransmitter pathways that it does, apomorphine reduces Parkinson’s tremors and involuntary movements. Long term continuous use of apomorphine for a Parkinson’s patient like a continuous drip can lead to tolerance of the chemical, but because it is high clearance, only a four hour interval is required to prevent tolerance from building up.
Compared to other dopamine agonist, long term use of apomorphine is less likely to induce dopamine dysregulation syndrome characterized by hypersexuality or addiction to medication or gambling.
The most often reported clinical adverse effect from apomorphine is headache and nausea. Apomorphine is an expensive drug, and a safe and effective dose for apomorphine is still to be elucidated for many different conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. The benefit of using blue lotus flower to naturally and holistically help treat neurodegenerative diseases is that as a natural herb it’s easier and safer to dose, comes with less risk of side effects, and has a natural entourage effect with its other phytochemicals that makes it helpful for a wide range of health conditions in a way that is likely significant, just not concretely confirmed yet via modern scientific research.
Nuciferine
In addition to containing apomorphine, blue lotus flower also contains nuciferine alkaloids. Nuciferine has a rich polypharmacology as it and its metabolites easily pass the blood-brain-barrier, it has a high number of molecular targets, and it has good protein binding capability. Nuciferine is similar in effect to anti-psychotic compounds, and this effect of nuciferine pairs nicely with apomorphine, the two together being a good combination for treating conditions like depression, anxiety, paranoia, insomnia, and schizophrenia.
Nuciferine is an alkaloid is a partial agonist of certain dopamine receptors (D2, D5), is an agonist of D4 (making it neuroprotective), and nuciferine also modulates the dopamine transporter. The D2 receptor is a highly desirable target for antipsychotic effects, and nuciferine and apomorphine both trigger it (another reason blue lotus flower pairs nicely with cannabis).
Nuciferine has antagonistic, inverse agonist, and agonist activity across the many different serotonin receptors, and it has the greatest affinity at the serotonin receptors as compared to the dopamine receptors. For example, nuciferine has an activity about 2/3rds as strong as dopamine at the D2 receptor.
Dopamine and Dopamine Transporter Inhibition
One of nuciferine’s cellular actions is that it inhibits the dopamine transporter. Dopamine transporter inhibitors can be addictive, such as cocaine and heroin, but inhibiting dopamine transport also has the potential of being useful in increasing brain plasticity and improving overall cognitive function, so finding non-addictive dopamine transporters is important.
One of the main clinical uses of apomorphine back in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s was for the treatment of addictions, and apomorphine is a dopamine receptor agonist with little ability to trigger dopamine dysregulation, one of the characteristics of which being addictive tendencies. The benefit of blue lotus flower is that by containing nuciferine and apomorphine together, it triggers the various dopamine pathways in a neuroprotective manner and modulates dopamine transport safely, increasing brain plasticity and improving cognition, without addictive tendencies developing. Nature is the best pharmacist, and the ancient Egyptians holistically knew this.
It’s useful to go more in-depth on dopamine and modulating dopamine transport because the dopamine system (along with serotonin) is the main neurotransmitter/hormone than blue lotus interacts with. Dopamine is involved in regulating synaptic plasticity, and is a crucial neurochemical mechanism underlying learning and memory.
Declining brain dopamine signaling during aging is associated with the onset of neurological impairments, and in the human brain dopaminergic signaling has been observed to decline 5-10% every decade. Elevated dopamine levels modulate synaptic neurotransmission, network activity, and synaptic plasticity. Increased dopamine levels can induce neuronal plasticity by increasing dendritic spine numbers and shifting their micromorphology toward more elaborate and thinner spine structures. Dendritic spine changes are thought to reinforce memory encoding by increasing synaptic neurotransmission, and dendritic spines generally decrease during aging.
Dopamine receptor subtypes differ in their downstream physiological outcomes, so modulating dopamine reuptake by modulating dopamine transport is a promising therapeutic strategy to balance dopamine levels.
One of the issues with dopamine is that it can oxidize to form reactive oxygen species or unstable electron-deficient quinones. The dopamine transporter is one of the proteins at high risk of oxidation by dopamine because it has a high affinity for dopamine. Under inflammatory conditions, some percentage of dopamine will oxidize and modify dopamine transport function, and another percentage of dopamine will oxidize and damage proteins, lipids, and DNA. Free radical damage is one of the main causes of neurodegenerative diseases. Dopamine oxidation products inhibit the uptake of dopamine into synaptosomes, both by interfering with dopamine transporter function and also by creating general oxidative damage. Dopamine toxicity can be prevented when it is released and transported in the presence of antioxidants.
Blue lotus flower is so valuable in the context of beneficially regulating the dopamine system because apomorphine itself is a potent antioxidant that helps dopamine from oxidizing, and nuciferine keeps dopamine transport smoothly functioning. The flavonoids blue lotus flower contains also easily enter into the brain and exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory protective effects throughout the extracellular matrix.
Anthocyanin, Quercetin, Myricetin, and Kaempferol Flavonoids
Blue lotus flower contains a rich and rare assortment of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory flavonoids. Flavonoids are absorbed readily into the bloodstream, and if orally ingested, those that aren’t absorbed into the bloodstream make their way to the large intestine where the microbiome converts them into beneficial secondary metabolites the body uses. Flavonoids cross the blood-brain-barrier and exert their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects throughout the brain, and blue lotus flower containing abundant flavonoids is the final piece of the phytochemical puzzle that helps to explain blue lotus flower’s many health effects and wellness benefits.
By stimulating the dopamine system, blue lotus flower promotes the secretion of dopamine, a relatively unstable and easily oxidized chemical. The flavonoids of blue lotus flower, in addition to apomorphine and nuciferine help to keep the cellular environment of the brain free of dopamine-induced oxidative damage, which allows dopamine to better perform its critical biologic tasks and keeps the cellular infrastructure of the brain functioning normally. Blue lotus flower can be used to help offset age-related dopamine decline.
It’s the combination of apomorphine, nuciferine, and antioxidant flavonoids that make blue lotus flower such a compelling herb to use for enhancing cognition, improving learning and memory, preventing neurodegeneration, and for normalizing the functioning of the central nervous system. Balancing the nervous system is critically important for overall wellness and lifespan because the ratio between sympathetic (stress) and parasympathetic (rest) activity governs the cellular conditions and activity that occurs throughout the body.
Blue Lotus Flower Effects
Blue lotus flower can be consumed in a variety of ways, and going beyond the trio entourage effect of apomorphine, nuciferine, and flavonoids, the ratios you get of each varies via method of consumption and what it’s consumed with.
Blue lotus flower has powerful effects on the emotional, mental, and astral (dream) planes, but it’s not easily felt on its own. In experience it acts more as a potentiator for other psychedelic transcendental herbs like cannabis, mandrake, or opium.
The ancient Egyptians combined blue lotus flower with mandrake and opium into didi, an “elixir of life”. Mandrake and opium are possibly deadly herbs yet it appears the Egyptians were able to use them fairly safely by combining them with blue lotus flower. The unique dopamine and serotonin activating combination of blue lotus flower help keeps the body relaxed and parasympathetic.
Blue Lotus Flower and Cannabis
In the modern day narcotics are popular such as cannabis and tobacco, and with these herbs blue lotus flower can be mixed with. Cannabis raises your heart rate, nicotine gets you going, both are usually smoked, and in my experience this is where I feel the effects of blue lotus flower greatest. Every time I have smoked cannabis and blue lotus flower together the high has been better than if I had smoked cannabis by itself. Adding apomorphine, nuciferine, and extra flavonoids and terpenes to cannabinoids THC and CBD makes the psychedelic experience much grander. Your senses are broader, you can access vibrational realms rarely experienced and incredibly aligning. Smoking cannabis and blue lotus flower connects you with your breath and yogic principles for spiritual growth.
Blue lotus flower creates brainwaves in the the learning and memory centers of the brain, the hippocampus, where new brain cells are created freely. A healthy hippocampus is a healthy brain, a brain that is able to connect to the Earth’s brainwaves, the Schumann resonances. By entering into electromagnetic resonance with the Schumann resonances at 8 Hz, 14 Hz, 20 Hz, 25Hz, and 33 Hz, your brain “plugs in” to the collective consciousness of all life on Earth that has ever lived. Not all the answers are there, but Earth has a pretty rich and deep database of helpful information, if you learn how to access it.
By connecting with the breath during any vibrational downloads, revelations are bestowed upon you, completely reprogramming your operating system to be more efficient. To operate more from a place of love, compassion, and empathy, free of harmful impact.
I suppose I’m writing a trip report right now, and if you decide to try it yourself after considering the safety concerns, write your trip report in the comments below for all the world to see, and see if you can imprint that feeling upon the Schumann resonances too ;)
Blue Lotus Flower Aphrodisiac Effects
Blue lotus flower is a powerful aphrodisiac for both men and women. In fact you can trace the ability of this herb to induce sexual arousal by its Linnaean name - Nymphaea caerulea.
In greek mythology a nymph is a deity that takes the form of a beautiful young maiden. A nymphomaniac is a women with excessive sexual desire. Blue lotus flower has aphrodisiac effects for men and women because it targets the dopamine and serotonin systems while also increasing parasympathetic (feed and breed) nervous system activity.
Blue Lotus Flower for Men
For men, the primary benefit of blue lotus flower is that it helps stimulate and maintain erections. As such, blue lotus flower can be an effective herbal treatment for erectile dysfunction. Blue lotus flower effectively makes it easier to go from the processing of sexual stimuli (visual, olfactory, tactile, or imaginative) to a relaxing of the smooth muscles down below that make erections possible. Apomorphine in particular reduces prolactin levels, and prolactin is well known to inhibit erections. In fact it’s prolactin that’s released after ejaculation to turn off sexual desire and stop the erection.
By working with the paraventricular nucleus (the part of the brain that initiates erection and ejaculation signals) and by opening and closing specific ion channels in smooth muscles, blue lotus flower activates the male reproductive system and is very sexual arousing, given a trigger.
Blue Lotus Flower for Women
The aphrodisiac mechanisms of blue lotus flower for women are not as well understood as they are for men, but the effect is the same. Blue lotus flower is an effective herbal treatment for female sexual dysfunction because of how it alters dopamine, serotonin, and the functioning of the paraventricular nucleus. It’s the alkaloids found in blue lotus flower like apomorphine that are chiefly responsible for its aphrodisiac effect, so using blue lotus flower in a way that delivers these alkaloids directly to the brain without first being metabolized by the liver makes the effect stronger and more noticeable.
Blue Lotus Safety Concerns
The main safety concerns for blue lotus flower revolve around apomorphine. Remember one of the old medicinal uses for apomorphine was to induce vomiting, and the first time I combined blue lotus flower with cannabis and chamomile I felt the urge but was able to surpass it. At the time I was beginning to feel sick as my mucus was very thick and I also saw something very gross by chance which triggered the reflex, so if your stomach is feeling 100% great then you should be careful with blue lotus flower. I’ve never had any gagging or vomiting issues with blue lotus flower since.
Apomorphine can also cause fatigue, weakness, frequent headaches, and nausea. There are case reports, few and far between, of exceptional cardiovascular collapse in children and adults. Make sure your cardiovascular system is healthy and you’re relatively unstressed before using blue lotus flower.
The Egyptians used blue lotus flower as part of an elixir of life, and it was consumed prodigiously by the highest caste, so if consumed properly it appears relatively safe, and I would concur based on my personal N=1 experience. Drinking blue lotus flower tea is the safest way of using it, as it extracts the least amount of alkaloids, but it still extracts some, and you can consume this tea nightly for long periods of time in order to potentiate vivid, memorable, and lucid dreams.
Blue Lotus Flower Wellness Uses
For people not interested in smoking or dry-vaporizing blue lotus flower, which allows for its active compounds to bypass liver first-pass metabolism, then drinking blue lotus flower tea is an excellent option for consumption with many beneficial health effects. Blue lotus flower wine is also an option we’ll explore.
Blue Lotus Flower Tea
Alkaloids apomorphine and nuciferine are moderately water soluble. Water temperature can be adjusted up or down to roughly determine the level of blue lotus flower phytochemical extraction. Some of the alkaloids of blue lotus flower are metabolized into metabolites toxic to the kidneys, which then require processing. The body only excretes 5% of alkaloids in original form because as antioxidants they bind or donate to free radicals easily. You have to be mindful when consuming the alkaloids found in blue lotus flower that your body can process them safely. Don’t drink any alcohol when using blue lotus flower, as alcohol damages the liver and kidneys too much.
A dream tea can be created using blue lotus flower consisting of equal parts mugwort, damiana, chamomile, and blue lotus flower. Mugwort is a dream potentiator, damiana is a gentle mood booster, chamomile promotes relaxation and brainwaves, and blue lotus flower actives the hippocampus and limbic (emotional) system. The tea has a pleasant flavor and can be sweetened with honey.
Drinking this 1:1:1:1 blue lotus flower, mugwort, damiana, and chamomile dream tea helps treat depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and nightmares. Any emotional disturbances can be balanced out with the help of blue lotus flower as it gently rewires the brain by improving neuroplasticity. With these incredible effects you may want to drink it nightly, though I feel it’s best in my experience to drink this dream tea when you feel you need it rather than consistently everyday. Trust your timing and trust any insights you receive during the brain’s mood modification upgrade.
Emotional disturbances create oxidative conditions in the brain, and by reducing emotional disturbances to a minimum, blue lotus flower helps to keep the brain in a youthful regenerative state. From this platform of clear cognition spiritual growth can be launched from.
Blue Lotus Flower Wine
The alkaloids found in blue lotus flower can also be extracted using alcohol, and one way the ancient Egyptians used blue lotus flower is they steeped the flowers for a few days in red wine and then consumed the beverage. While I typically don’t recommend drinking alcohol for wellness purposes, red wine does contain a lot of beneficial phytochemicals like resveratrol, and not much wine is needed to extract a good amount of alkaloids from blue lotus flower, only about a glasses worth (5 oz).
A glass of blue lotus flower wine can be used to help with depression and as a general mood booster, or it can be used to establish a platform for spiritual exploration depending on how much is consumed and whether other psychedelics like cannabis are used.
Blue Lotus Flower for Spiritual Growth
Nymphaea caerulea, the African blue water lily, was the plant of greatest importance to the ancient Egyptian elite. The religious class, with the pharaoh claiming himself a demi-god at the top, consumed blue lotus flower as part of trance-like healing ceremony. Under the guidance of a shaman, during this healing ceremony the spirit was believed to separate from the body and commune with entities like spirit guides, past ancestors, and gods in the astral dimensions and beyond. In these realms of higher consciousness, a metamorphosis of the spirit takes place, and upon returning to the body with a new bioelectrical code, heals the body with the “software” upgrade. Bioelectricity is what programs DNA, and if your DNA is creating stressful cellular conditions, then the body destructively ages.
Dry-Vaporizing Blue Lotus Flower
To receive the greatest benefit from blue lotus flower with the least impact on health, then it is best dry-vaporized. By heating the plant material to below combustion temperatures, alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenes, and other phytochemicals are volatized out of the herb and inhaled alongside water vapor. This herbal vapor is absorbed into the bloodstream by the lungs, allowing a majority of the active phytochemicals to cross the blood-brain-barrier unmetabolized. Dry-vaporizing blue lotus flower alongside cannabis, or smoking them for that matter, increases the overall bioavailability because Nymphaea caerulea alkaloids are highly lipid soluble and combine nicely with sticky cannabinoids.
In the modern day where mandrake and opium aren’t widely used (and for good reason) I think dry-vaporizing cannabis and blue lotus flower together is a highly compelling way to experience spiritual dimensions of reality in a way that is relatively safe and harmless to the body.
My favorite dry-vaporizers are made by Healthy Rips, I highly recommend their Fury Edge used with dosing capsules so the vaporizer stays clean. You can precisely choose the chamber temperature for precise extraction of phytochemicals like different cannabinoids, it has a long battery life, and it is very efficient, producing big clouds of vapor.
Energetic Infusion
Before you proceed with any method of consuming herbs, you can infuse them with energy of your choosing to direct your spiritual experience.
For example if you feel you need emotional stability, place any herbs you’re using, say the dream tea blend, in-between your hands and say what you want to help you achieve emotional stability. In this case you could infuse them with Earth energy, acceptance, and balance. The more psychedelic the experience, the more your affirmations at the beginning are powerfully felt and realized. Combining cannabis with blue lotus flower is a safe way to powerfully interact with the emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions of reality. The benefit of mixing the two together is that while blue lotus flower is only subtly felt on its own, it eliminates the paranoia and anxiety that is common to cannabis. CBD also reduces paranoia and feeling of anxiety induced by THC, and adding CBD into the herbal blend improves the stability and depth of the experience even further.
Blue Lotus Hallucinations
Establishing a sacred ritual around herbal practices just as the ancient shamans used to do creates a sense of responsibility to not take the situation lightly and helps to deeply guide you in your sacred journey. Depending on to hat degree you disconnect from the material realm, your spirit body can let go of the physical body and begin to energetically travel at the speed of light, transmitting to and receiving information from different layers of consciousness around the world instantly. Use a lot of psychedelics and you begin to access the implicate order beyond space and time, and you have greater choice of whether you return to your body or not.
I’ll share a personal story. On the night before a full moon I drank blue lotus flower red wine and shared in a couple blue lotus flower and cannabis joints with friends. I was well potentiated after the wine and first joint, and shortly after the second joint, everything felt more vivid and light began to shift and sway. Looking at the full moon I saw shapes dance across its surface, enacting an endless cosmic drama to all who would simply look up. I felt connected to the wholeness of reality and felt the truth of the fact that everything happens for a reason. I felt safe and supported and in control of my destiny. This experience of higher consciousness, of not feeling like I was simply enacting out programmed behaviors beyond my control, lasted for the rest of the night and afterwards I felt I had made significant progress in tuning into and aligning with my higher spirit.
Steeped in red wine for three days, a 1/4 oz of blue lotus flower provided a broader foundation for the cannabinoids to reach upwards from. The energy of the full moon amplified everything. Your environment cannot be overlooked in its importance in determining any psychedelic or spiritual experience. If you intend to pursue the spiritual journey, then do everything you consciously can to improve your environment before embarking upon any psychedelic experience. This is the key to having good trips, and we want to avoid bad trips as they can lead to even more severe emotional and mental disturbances which require healing from on their own.
Return from the Underworld
The myth of the Egyptian god Osiris is symbolic of the life cycle of the blue water lily. For three days the flowers of the blue water lily grace the water’s surface, blooming a sweet narcotic nectar. On the third day drowsy bugs become trapped as the flower closes and the stems coils, drawing the flower back under the water’s surface, into nothingness. Similarly the Osiris myth has Osiris murdered by his brother, and for three days he explores the underworld before being resurrected. It was the life cycle of the blue lotus flower that provided the inspiration for the myth of Osiris, among many others.
Using blue lotus flower in combination with other herbs like cannabis, chamomile, mugwort, and damiana creates an environment conducive to drawing emotional and mental pains to the surface, sedating them, and then allowing them to be dragged into nothingness on the third day.
Blue lotus flower is a herb that teaches you the truth of that “to heal the body you must first cleanse the soul”.
Blue lotus flower is truly a elixir of life if used for this purpose, just be careful to not abuse this sacred plant, or you may find yourself as the drowsy bug trapped in the flower on day three.
Where to Buy Blue Lotus Flower
I have used blue lotus flower from two different vendors.
One was a local apothecary I discovered by chance while visiting Edinburgh, Scotland. The quality was quite good.
The second source, from which I’ve now purchased 5 oz from, is Schmerbals Herbals. They have a popular Etsy store, but if you go directly to their website you’ll find the prices are about 50% cheaper and you’ll get free shipping on orders over $35 using a coupon you can find in the coupon section of their website. The dried flowers I received from them (imaged at the top of the article) are of a very high quality, and are easily steeped into a tea or ground down for dry-vaporizing or smoking.
Medical Disclaimer: All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as a substitute for the consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.
Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.
Research:
Emboden W. The sacred journey in dynastic egypt: shamanistic trance in the context of the narcotic water lily and the mandrake. Journal of Psychoactive Drugs. 1989;21(1):61-75.
Auffret M, Drapier S, Vérin M. The many faces of apomorphine: lessons from the past and challenges for the future. Drugs R D. 2018;18(2):91-107.
Ribarič S. The pharmacological properties and therapeutic use of apomorphine. Molecules. 2012;17(5):5289-5309.
Farrell MS, McCorvy JD, Huang XP, et al. In vitro and in vivo characterization of the alkaloid nuciferine. Zhou H, ed. PLoS ONE. 2016;11(3):e0150602.
Berman SB, Zigmond MJ, Hastings TG. Modification of dopamine transporter function: effect of reactive oxygen species and dopamine. Journal of Neurochemistry. 2002;67(2):593-600.
Lubec J, Kalaba P, Hussein AM, et al. Reinstatement of synaptic plasticity in the aging brain through specific dopamine transporter inhibition. Mol Psychiatry. 2021;26(12):7076-7090.
Fossen T, Larsen P, Kiremire B, Andersen O. Flavonoids from blue flowers of Nymphaèa caerulea. Phytochemistry. 1999;51(8):1133-1137.
Omvik P. How smoking affects blood pressure. Blood Pressure. 1996;5(2):71-77.
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic herb which has been used in ancient medicine systems like Ayurveda for thousands of years. Ashwagandha increases general health and vitality through it's balancing actions on the metabolic, digestive, cognitive, immune, and hormonal systems. Ashwagandha is a tonic quite effective at reducing stress, reducing inflammation, and increasing stamina, and it's quite safe.
Article by Stefan Burns - Updated April 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!
Ashwagandha roots - CC4.0 Piyush Kothari
| Name: | Ashwagandha, Indian Ginseng, Linnaean - Withania somnifera |
| Color: | Green leaves, red berries, tan rhizomes and roots |
| Constituents: | steroidal lactones (withanolides, withaferins), saponins, alkaloids |
| Effect: | Endocrine adaptogen, stress adaptogen, reduces anxiety, anti-inflammatory, performance booster, aphrodisiac, anti-parasitic, enhances vitality, neuroprotective |
| Preparation: | The root is the part most commonly used, followed by the leaves. Both can be ground into a powder for use or extracted into a tincture |
| Dosing: | 300–600 mg of a root extract taken with meals. Doses in the 2-5 gram range of raw root powder daily may raise testosterone levels and increase male fertility. |
| General Notes: | Ashwagandha is one of the best known herbal adaptogens because it works on so many different levels, from reducing stress and anxiety to balancing hormone levels to optimal function. Has anti-inflammatory effects which make it useful for digestive, immune, and cognitive optimization. Ashwagandha is a very revered herb in the Indian Ayurvedic system of medicine |
What is Ashwagandha?
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a small evergreen shrub that produces berries and is therefore sometimes known as “Indian Winter Berry”. The roots, leaves, flowers, and seeds all have medicinal uses, though it’s the roots that are most commonly used in herbal medicine practices. The word ashwagandha means “odor of a horse” and this name was given to Withania Somnifera because the roots have a smell similar to that of a sweaty horse, and it’s also believed that consuming ashwagandha gives one the power of a horse. The name is well deserved because Ashwagandha is a powerful tonic, aphrodisiac, thermogenic, and stimulant in addition to having pain-relieving, digestive healing, and anti-parasitic properties. Ashwagandha also has powerful neurologic benefits and is increasingly being used in the treatment of various brain disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease or lesser ailments like depression and anxiety. Because of its wide range of uses, ashwagandha is well known as an adaptogen which can be used medicinally to treat acute or chronic health problems, and it can also be used preventatively or simply to boost health and function beyond normal.
Cultivation of Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha is cultivated in north-western and central parts of India and it is also found in Nepal, China, and Yemen. Ashwagandha is most commonly found growing in semi-tropical regions 1500 meters above sea level which receive 50-80 cm of annual rainfall. It grows best in sandy loam or light red soil, in partial shade, and in a 20 to 38 C temperature range.
Ashwagandha in Ayurveda
In the ancient Ayurvedic system of medicine, ashwagandha is classified first as a “rasayana” which means tonic, and is further classified as a medhyarasayana, medhya referring to the mind and intellect. Ashwagandha has the most prestige among the different rasayanas in Ayurveda because of its many effective medicinal uses. As a tonic ashwagandha is given to guard and defend against disease, to slow the aging process and rejuvenate the body, and to improve intellect and memory capabilities. Ashwagandha is most effective as a medhyarasayana following head injuries, in old age, or for children with cognitive disorders.
Ashwagandha is most commonly available as a finely milled and sieved “churna” powder produced from the roots which can be mixed with water, ghee, or honey. Often prescribed for Vata imbalances. Ashwagandha is one of the most important herbs in Ayurveda, broadly known to promote a youthful state of physical and mental health expanding overall happiness.
Ashwagandha in Other Herbal Medicinal Systems
Ashwagandha also holds a place of importance in other ancient systems of medicine in the Asian and African regions. In Traditional Chinese Medicine ashwagandha is used to balance “Qi” life force energy and is categorized as a Qi tonic. In the Tibetan System of Medicine ashwagandha is used in the treatment of respiratory disorders, to aid the functions of the liver, to strengthen the body, and to maintain heboglobin levels. In parts of Africa the leaves of Withania somnifera are used as a dressing for infections and inflammations. Finely powdered ashwagandha root is mixed with animal fat and applied as an ointment for sores and abscesses. In the Zulu culture ashwagandha is used to protect people from sorcery.
Ashwagandha Health Benefits
Ashwagandha is a powerful adaptogen that has many beneficial health effects thanks to its many (35+) unique chemical constituents. The most active of these components are:
Alkaloids | Functions: Improves energy metabolism and cell to cell signaling, neuroprotective, boosts immunity
Lactones (withanolides, withaferins) | Functions: Suppresses oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory, inhibits lipid peroxidation, neuroregenerative. Steroidal lactones are an important component of cell membranes and of steroid signaling molecules
Saponins | Functions: Anti-tumor & anti-cancer, radiation protection, boosts immunity
Together these phytonutrients broadly influence the function of the cognitive, immune, metabolic, digestive, and reproductive systems providing the following benefits:
Cognitive Benefits of Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha leaf and root extracts reduce symptoms of anxiety, comparable to pharmaceutical drugs
Ashwagandha inhibits nerve cells from over firing
Slows, stops, and even reverses neural decay by promoting the growth of new neurons and by creating new synaptic connections
Comparable to pharmaceutical drugs in reducing symptoms of depression, stabilizes mood
Normalizes dopamine levels to normal, increasing dopamine levels in those suffering from Parkinson’s disease
Intensifies acetylcholine, glutathione, and secretase enzyme activity
Inhibits the production of amyloid beta plaques in those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease
Helps to reverse addiction through its balancing actions on neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin
Digestive Benefits of Ashwagandha
Has a strong effect in preventing and healing stress-induced gastric ulcers
Helps reduce flatulence and stimulates digestive action
Has anti-parasitic properties and can clear worms from the digestive system, especially true for ashwagandha seeds
Immune System Benefits of Ashwagandha
Modulates white blood cell counts back to normal ranges if overly elevated or suppressed
Has a powerful anti-cancer effect, synergizing well with chemotherapy and radiation therapies while also reducing their side effects.
Inhibits and reduces the growth of tumors
Possesses antibacterial properties
Metabolic and Endurance Benefits of Ashwagandha
Improves stamina quite notably and reduces the stress experienced from endurance events when taken beforehand
Improves mitochondrial function through modulation of various cellular pathways
Improves metabolism and is mildly anabolic, increasing body weight (likely by increasing lean body mass)
Hormonal Benefits of Ashwagandha
Has evidence of boosting male testosterone levels by around 15% if levels are suboptimal
Has an aphrodisiac effect for some men and women
Reduces cortisol and Vitamin C depletion in the adrenal glands after endurance events, preventing adrenal fatigue
Many of the cognitive benefits of ashwagandha come from its stabilizing effects on the brain’s endocrine glands
Anti-Inflammatory Benefits of Ashwagandha
Helpful for fever and painful swellings
Applied topically ashwagandha is useful for skin inflammatory conditions such as pimples, boils, sores, etc
Has anti-arthritic effects and reduces joint pain
Ashwagandha contains many powerful antioxidants which neutralize destructive free radicals
Note: Much of the research into ashwagandha showing these benefits has been done using animal models and therefore hasn’t been directly confirmed for humans.
What is Ashwagandha Good For?
As an adaptogen ashwagandha has many uses, and in the different ancient systems of medicine such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine the list of its uses is nearly endless. Classifying ashwagandha as a tonic is probably the best summarization of its many health benefits as a result. In general ashwagandha is good for increasing vitality and energy while promoting balance to many of the bodies different systems (immune, digestive, metabolic, neurologic, etc).
While not new to other cultures outside India and China, ashwagandha is increasingly being discovered by people around the world who are seeking natural treatment options for mental health conditions, by men who want to boost their testosterone levels, or by women who want a natural and safe aphrodisiac. Ashwagandha is a good “introduction” to the practice of herbalism because as an adaptogen the positive health changes it brings about are likely to be felt in some way.
Ashwagandha for Anxiety and Depression
Supplementing with ashwagandha is a good treatment option for anxiety and depression because its effects are noticeably felt while being gentle on the body. Ashwagandha can reduce hyperactivity, circular overthinking, and emotional instability through its modulation of various neurologic pathways. Ashwagandha also reduces stress accumulation which is a large causal factor in mental health concerns like anxiety and depression. If experiencing anxiety, depression, or an overload of stress then supplementing with ashwagandha daily may prove highly beneficial.
Ashwagandha for Testosterone
Male hormonal health has been on a decades long downward trend, with testosterone levels and sperm count declining precipitously since the creation of plastics and pesticides. Ashwagandha is a safe an effective adaptogen for men and it has been observed to raise testosterone levels in men by ~15%. Ashwagandha also increases sperm count and in general promotes youth and vitality. If experiencing symptoms of low testosterone like fatigue, a lack of confidence, depression, low levels of lean body mass, and emotional instability then ashwagandha is a good herbal supplement to take for its endocrine balancing effects. If after supplementing with ashwagandha for some time a stronger testosterone booster is desired then the herb cistanche is a good candidate.
Ashwagandha Benefits for Women
The female menstrual cycle causes key hormones estrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle stimulating hormone to rise and fall in various ways across a 28 day cycle. Sex drive is linked to the rise and fall of these hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone, and for women who experience low sex drive either from their ups and downs of their natural menstrual cycle or because they are using birth control hormone replacement therapies which lower hormone levels, ashwagandha can serve as a useful aphrodisiac which stimulates sex drive.
The more pronounced variations in female hormone systems also influences immunity, causing it to rise and lower with the changes in secretion of various hormones like progesterone. Ashwagandha can act as an immunity buffer for women that fills in the natural dips of immune system function that may occur for pre and post-menopausal women. Through its effects on the endocrine system and adrenal glands ashwagandha has been shown to be useful in reducing symptoms of menopause like hot flashes, excessive sweating, sleep problems, and more.
How Long does it take for Ashwagandha to Work?
The benefits received from Ashwagandha depend on the length of time supplemented for. A single dose of ashwagandha before an endurance event is sufficient to greatly improve stamina and correspondingly reduce the following stress response. With sufficient dosages stimulant and aphrodisiac effects can be felt quite quickly though these benefits may take a week or more of daily supplementation to materialize. The neurological effects of Ashwagandha build over time, with the growth of new neurons and synaptic connections starting to be observed after one week of daily supplementation. Ashwagandha for parasite removal will take 2-3 weeks of daily supplementation to be effective. It takes 2-3 months of ashwagandha supplementation to observe favorable increases in body-weight and testosterone levels.
Is Ashwagandha Safe?
Ashwagandha has a strong safety profile backed by scientific research and thousands of years of usage medicinally in Ayurveda. There is no known toxicity concerns with ashwagandha if taken within recommended dosage ranges. That said, ashwagandha is a hardy plant able to grow wild in areas contaminated with waste, so care must be taken in purchasing ashwagandha either from a cultivated reputable source, or if purchasing wild-harvested ashwagandha ask the supplier where harvesting occurs.
There is some scientific contradiction to the acute toxicity of ashwagandha extract for rats. One study observed acute toxicity at 1260 mg/kg of ashwagandha extract and set the 50% death rate (LD50) at 1260 mg/kg for rats. Another study did a single acute dosing of ashwagandha extract at 500, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg which showed no toxicity, and then followed that with daily supplementation of the same extract amounts for 28 days and still observed no toxicity.
Considering the variability, it’s safer to go with the 1260 mg/kg LD50 rate for rats, and when converted to a human equivalent dose, the calculated ashwagandha extract human LD50 is 200 mg/kg of body-weight. For a 50, 75, and 100 kg individual the ashwagandha extract LD50 dosages are 10, 15, and 20 grams (a ridiculous amount). Ashwagandha is most commonly supplemented in the 250 to 600 mg range, so there is little to worry of when supplementing ashwagandha responsibly.
Ashwagandha Side Effects
The side effects that may occur when supplementing with ashwagandha are rare and more a result of other physiological changes that ashwagandha triggers. For example an increase in circulating testosterone for men may cause an increase in acne if other factors are out of balance. The minor diuretic effect of ashwagandha will be amplified when dosing beyond recommended ranges. If taking ashwagandha for or as part of a parasite cleanse then it behooves one to be aware of the side effects that may be experienced during that type of health protocol. Ashwagandha can be sedative for some individuals, and though very rare, because it affects the functions of various neurotransmitters in the brain it may cause irritability or an unstable mood depending on the unique physiological state of an individual.
Ashwagandha Dosing
The amount of ashwagandha to supplement with is dependent upon the level of extraction and the part of the plant used. Ashwagandha roots are the most common way to supplement with ashwagandha, so the dosages here are for the roots, though dosing with the leaves is of a similar amount. As a topically applied poultice ashwagandha is mixed with a carrier (water, fat, or honey) and applied at an amount sufficient to cover the desired area.
Raw ashwagandha root is most commonly dosed at 300 to 600 mg daily. To keep blood concentrations of ashwagandha’s active constituents high, split the daily dosage in two and take half in the morning and half at night. When first supplementing with ashwagandha use the lower end of the dosing range for a few days to screen for undesirable effects and then increase the dosage from there if desired.
5 grams of raw ashwagandha root powder taking daily was found effective at boosting testosterone levels for men at varying degrees of infertility, and while the results of that study show that taking 5 grams of raw ashwagandha powder daily for a few months presented no health complications, a lower dose is likely suitable for men looking to boost their testosterone levels and/or semen counts who aren’t infertile. For testosterone boosting and for athletes looking to boost their energy output and endurance, 1 gram of ashwagandha root powder taken daily split into 500 mg morning and night doses is suitable to start with.
Ashwagandha Tea
A common way of using ashwagandha is by brewing it into a tea. Premade ashwagandha tea bags typically contain 1-2 grams of the powdered root. Steep with 170 F (75 C) water for 5-8 minutes, or if desiring a more potent tea (and you don’t mind possible bitterness) steep with boiling water for 5-15 minutes.
On its own Ashwagandha tea is a great choice to keep in the tea cabinet for the many uses and health benefits discussed throughout this article. Ashwagandha can also be added to other herbs to create a synergistic tea blend for specific purposes. For example a cognitive-enhancing herbal tea could consist of equal parts ashwagandha, chaga mushroom, and gingko leaf, 1-2 cups enjoyed daily.
Where to Buy Ashwagandha Supplements?
My favorites suppliers of ashwagandha are Mountain Rose Herbs and Nootropics Depot. There are many other high-quality suppliers of ashwagandha out there, but for the level of quality and price Mountain Rose herbs and Nootropics Depot are the best, and the differences between their ashwagandha products provides different usage options.
Mountain Rose Herbs Organic Ashwagandha
Mountain Rose Herbs sells ashwagandha as chopped root, root powder, root powder capsules, root extract, and even ashwagandha seeds. They also have ashwagandha as an ingredient in different herbal extracts like their immune herbal extract and adapt care herbal extract.
Ashwagandha Root
Raw chopped ashwagandha root is ideal for steeping into a tea or for creating your own herbal extracts. Besides planting ashwagandha seeds and harvesting the roots yourself, purchasing the raw chopped root is the lowest cost option available, though the finely milled ashwagandha root powder is only slightly more expensive. Dried ashwagandha root like this oxidizes very slowly and will keep for a long time.
Ashwagandha Root Powder
If desiring to supplement with a raw ashwagandha root powder then the offering from Mountain Rose Herbs is of great quality, organic, and very economical. Great for putting into capsules or for mixing with other herbal powders for custom herbal supplement powders or capsules.
Ashwagandha Root Powder Capsules
If convenience is the ultimate goal then capsules are the best way to supplement with ashwagandha. Pills are dosed accurately and can be taken anywhere easily without need for scooping or steeping. Ashwagandha supplement pills are ideal for those who travel often, and ashwagandha is a useful travel/stress supplement to begin with.
Ashwagandha Root Extract
Taken sublingually (under the tongue) herbal extracts are absorbed quickly into the bloodstream and bypass some of the digestive processes. For those seeking the fastest effect from ashwagandha (athletes, lovers), an extract is the way to go. The extraction process condenses the active constituents and therefore taking an extract is one way of more powerfully supplementing with an herb.
Ashwagandha Seeds
Plant and cultivate ashwagandha from seed if your climatic conditions are appropriate (see Cultivation of Ashwagandha above). Alternatively, ashwagandha seeds are potent at killing parasites, simply mix some seeds with honey, chew them, and then swallow the resultant mixture (it may be quite bitter). This is also commonly done with papaya seeds for parasite removal.
Nootropics Depot Ashwagandha Supplements
Nootropics Depot carries a few different ashwagandha supplements which suit nearly every preference one may have. I encourage you to browse their full catalogue of ashwagandha products, I’m more of a traditionalist so the two variations I present here are the well-known to be effective basics.
Ashwagandha Powder (standardized 12% withanolides)
Nootropics Depot sources their ashwagandha directly from India in order to ensure a more consistent product. They also do a complete chemical analysis of every batch they receive to ensure their ashwagandha powder is balanced between the different withanolide compounds, each of which has slightly varying effects. By ensuring the withanolide ratios are close to even and then ensuring the powder contains a minimum of 12% withanolides, the ashwagandha powder sold by nootropics depot is more potent in effect than most other raw ashwagandha root powders.
Also available as capsules.
Shoden Ashwagandha Powder (standardized 35% withanolides)
The Shoden Ashwagandha powder sold by Nootropics Depot is a full spectrum extract created from the leaves and roots of the plant. The powder is tested to ensure it’s a minimum of 35% withanolides, making it even more potent that the 12% or greater withanolide standardized offering above.
For those looking for the strongest withanolides-based ashwagandha supplement look no further.
Also available as capsules.
References:
Singh N, Bhalla M, De Jager P, Gilca M. An overview on ashwagandha: a rasayana (Rejuvenator) of ayurveda. Afr J Trad Compl Alt Med. 2011;8(5S).
Zahiruddin S, Basist P, Parveen A, et al. Ashwagandha in brain disorders: A review of recent developments. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2020;257:112876.
Modi M, Donga S, Dei L. Clinical evaluation of ashokarishta, ashwagandha churna and praval pishti in the management of menopausal syndrome. Ayu. 2012;33(4):511.
Nair A, Jacob S. A simple practice guide for dose conversion between animals and human. J Basic Clin Pharma. 2016;7(2):27.
Ahmad MK, Mahdi AA, Shukla KK, et al. Withania somnifera improves semen quality by regulating reproductive hormone levels and oxidative stress in seminal plasma of infertile males. Fertility and Sterility. 2010;94(3):989-996.
Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.
Other Herbs for Hormonal Health
Chaga Mushroom
Chaga is a medicinal mushroom that has a strong safety profile which has been used for thousands of years as a health preventative and to treat a variety of health problems that affect the digestive, immune, and cardiac systems. Chaga mushroom is unique among polypore mushrooms since 40% of its dry-weight are water soluble compounds, making it ideal for easily brewing as a tea or into coffee.
Article by Stefan Burns - Updated April 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!
Piece of chaga mushroom. CC4.0 Christine Young
| Name: | Chaga Mushroom, Linnaean - Inonotus obliquus |
| Color: | The mycellium mass which is harvested is black on the outside, yellowish orange to brown on the inside |
| Constituents: | Polysaccharides, glycoproteins, ergosterols, triterpenoids, mycoflavonoids, melanin, oxalate, other myconutrients |
| Effect: | Antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, improves autonomic nervous system function, improves digestion, endocrine adaptogen, exhibits DNA protection properties |
| Preparation: | The chaga mass is ground into a powder. Often extracted and standardized to increase beta-glucan content by weight |
| Dosing: | 250-1000mg extracted powder, 1-3g raw powder |
| General Notes: | Chaga is harvested off birth and some other trees. What is harvested is not the fruiting body but instead a mass of sterile mycelium. Can be used as a coffee substitute, thicker cut whole powder works well mixed into coffee grounds before coffee extraction. Often used daily as a general longevity and immune booster with beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system. Its high concentration of melanin make it a potent antioxidant. Has a special place of honor in traditional Chinese medicine. |
What is Chaga Mushroom?
Chaga is a type of mushroom which grows mainly on birch and much less frequently alder, witchen, and bird cherry. In the process of colonizing a tree, it forms a sterile mostly black mass made of mycelium on the outside of the tree which resembles charcoal because it contains a large amount of melanin. This mass is known as a sclerotium. The harvested sclerotium is the chaga mushroom that is used medicinally and supplemented with. Chaga mushroom contains high levels of beta-glucans and triterpenoids which have powerful health effects. In Eastern Europe medicinal preparations have been made using chaga mushroom for thousands of years. Hunters in those regions would often brew a strong tea from ground chaga which helped them sustain high energy output while traversing the wilderness. The chemical composition of chaga differs significantly from other polypore mushrooms such as reishi mushroom which makes it unique. Chaga is nontoxic, well tolerated, and has virtually no counterindications for medicinal usage.
Chaga Mushroom Identification
Chaga mushroom identification is not always easy, there are various tree rots, growths, and diseases that can look like chaga mushroom. Identification for chaga starts by positively identifying the tree species a potential conk is growing on, and then by examining the conk for chaga-specific identifying characteristics. Some tree burls can look like a chaga conk in shape and size, but aren’t blacked like chaga is, or if they aren’t they don’t possess the rich interior amber, orange, and brown colors. Chaga that is harvestable doesn’t provide a spore print because it is mycelium and not the fruiting body of chaga fungus. Chaga mushroom has no gills and is best harvested in the late summer, fall, and early winter.
Chaga from dead or fallen trees is known as “dead chaga” and will appear black inside and outside and should never be harvested as will likely contain mycotoxins. Chaga collected in ecologically unsafe areas polluted from human activity are unsafe for consumption and can contain significant levels of heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and strontium.
Chaga Mushroom Benefits
Chaga mushroom has a wide range of positive health effects because of its unique combination of micronutrients, minerals, and myconutrients. Chaga mushroom contains high concentrations of potassium (9-10%), magnesium (0.65%), calcium (0.4%), and phosphorus (0.25%), with more minor minerals being iron, copper, zinc, and chromium. Fifteen amino acids have been identified in chaga mushroom, with glycine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acids making up about 40% of total amino acids. Chaga contains flavonoids (notably anthocyanins and quercetin), triterpenes, beta-glucans, and a high amount of antioxidant melanin pigments which protect against carcinogenic and mutagenic factors as they are involved in DNA repair and cell metabolism.
Together these chemical constituents and many others broadly influence the function of digestive, immune, cardiovascular, metabolic, and regenerative systems providing the following benefits:
Chaga Mushroom Improves Digestion
Chaga is helpful in treating gastric disorders such as stomach ulcers and intestinal pain
Chaga possesses strong antimicrobial activity and is useful in improving the microbiome
Chaga Mushroom Improves the Immune System
Increases T-Helper lymphocyte concentrations
Normalizes cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells
Blocks the receptors of tumor cells suppressing their migration
Chaga Mushroom Optimizes the Cardiac, Nervous, and Metabolic Systems
Chaga calms erratic heart rhythm variability while increasing contractile power of the heart
Modulates cell metabolism at the central and peripheral nervous system level
Increases the excitable properties of cell membranes
Chaga Mushroom helps with Healing and Repair
Many chaga constituents especially melanin are powerful antioxidants which possess anti-inflammatory and radioprotective effects.
Chaga is helpful for skin conditions such as periodontitis, eczema, dermatitis, and psoriasis
Chaga lowers risk of cancer
Chaga has a pain-relieving action
Improves wound healing and DNA repair
Note: Much of the research into chaga showing these benefits has been done using animal models and therefore hasn’t been confirmed for humans.
Chaga Mushroom Side Effects
As stated earlier, chaga is nontoxic, well tolerated, and has virtually no counterindications for medicinal usage. With that said it has been shown that the effects of chaga are dose-dependent, with small doses often being most effective while larger doses may lead to an opposite action. This U-shape relationship for chaga is most commonly observed for the functions of the cardiac and nervous systems.
Though chaga has been shown to be helpful in improving the function of the heart, sympathetic, and parasympathetic nervous systems, if these systems are dysfunctional then chaga supplementation should be done carefully with only very small dosages to start off in order to determine medicinal usage is positive or negative or negative in effect. It is highly unlikely for the usage of chaga to be deleterious but it is best to proceed with the supplementation of any new herbal with an abundance of caution and start on the low end of the recommended dosing range.
Chaga Mushroom Dosing
Chaga mushroom is dosed differently based on the intended purpose and the degree or refinement. A preventative health dosing regime of chaga mushroom will be less than the recommended dosage for someone fighting cancer who wants to improve their chances of entering into remission.
Raw chaga that hasn’t been made more potent through extraction processes can be dosed in the 0.5-3 gram range. The higher end of that range is best served when extracting chaga myconutrients using water such as when brewing chaga into a tea or with coffee.
Chaga that has been extracted and standardized is more potent and therefore is dosed lower accordingly. It is not possible for provide a dosing range for extracted chaga supplements because it depends on the level of extraction, but for example if it’s a 4:1 extraction (4x more potent), then dose the 4:1 extract at 1/4th the recommended raw dosage.
Making Chaga Tea or Chaga Coffee
Up to 40% of chaga mushroom by dry-weight are water-extractable substances which makes it a good medicinal mushroom for brewing into tea or into coffee.
To brew a chaga tea steep 2-3 grams of ground chaga mushroom in 170 F (75 C) hot water for 8-15 minutes. Best down with a removable tea ball or some other steeping implement.
To brew a chaga infused coffee, mix 2-3 grams of chaga powder into the coffee grounds and brew as normal, whether this is done via drip, French press, or other.
Where to Buy Chaga Mushroom Supplements?
My favorites suppliers of chaga medicinal mushroom are Mountain Rose Herbs and Nootropics Depot. There are many other high-quality suppliers of chaga mushroom out there, but for the level of quality and price Mountain Rose herbs and Nootropics Depot are the best, and the differences between their chaga products provides different options for use.
Mountain Rose Herbs Organic Chaga
Mountain Rose Herbs is a supplier of organic herbs, spices, oils, and other health care products. Mountain Rose Herbs is organic and sourced from hardwood forest in the northern hemisphere. They sell chaga mushroom in course and fine powders as well as in an extract.
Chaga Mushroom Powder
The Mountain Rose Herbs chaga powder is milled from the entire sclerotia. As a whole milled powder it contains the full spectrum of beneficial health compounds found in chaga such as beta-glucans and triterpenes.
Compared to the Nootropics Depot chaga it’s quite a bit more coarse and it floats, so adding it directly to a drink makes for a chunky experience which may or may not bother you. It’s coarse nature makes it great for directly brewing into a drink akin to coffee, or for mixing into coffee grounds to make a chaga coffee. Chaga is an ingredient in my “best nootropic coffee”.
Standard dose is 0.5 - 3 grams once daily.
Chaga Mushroom Extract
Mountain Rose Herb’s chaga mushroom extract is dual water and alcohol extracted and the final product has an alcohol percentage of 20-30%. It comes in 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 oz sizes.
Chaga tincture is great for direct supplementation under the tongue or with a dropper full into a favorite drink like juice, coffee, smoothie, or something stiffer.
Nootropics Depot Chaga Supplements
Nootropics Depot is a supplier of common and uncommon herbal supplements and other compounds like nootropics. They have a high standard of quality that they adhere to and maintain very transparent business practices which many supplement companies fail to do (or choose not to).
Chaga 1:1 Mushroom Extract Powder
The chaga mushroom powder sold by Nootropics Depot is very finely milled which makes it excellent for stirring directly into a drink like coffee without creating any unpleasant clumps or graininess.
Standard dose is 500 mg once daily.
Beta-Glugan (β-Glucan) minimum content: 8%
Contains Triterpenoids
References:
Shashkina MYa, Shashkin PN, Sergeev AV. Chemical and medicobiological properties of chaga (Review). Pharm Chem J. 2006;40(10):560-568.
Disclosure: Wild Free Organic is a member of various affiliate programs and if a purchase is made through one of our affiliate links a small commission is received. This does not affect your purchase price. Visit our disclosure page for more information.
More Medicinal Mushrooms
Cistanche
Cistanche is a perennial parasitic herb that grows in the arid deserts of Eurasia. Cistanche has been used for 2000 years in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is considered a superior tonic, being called the "Ginseng of the Desert". Cistanche has been shown to enhance cognition, act as an aphrodisiac and boost testosterone, improve immunity, and have anti-cancer effects. Learn more!
Article by Stefan Burns - Updated April 2022. Join the Wild Free Organic email newsletter!
| Name: | Cistanche, Rou Cong-Rong, Linnaean - C. tubulsa, C. deserticola, C. phelypaea |
| Color: | Stem: yellow, brown, tan, purple. Flowers: yellow, purple, pink |
| Constituents: | Volatile oils, non-volatile phenylethanoid glycosides (most notably echinacoside and acteoside), iridoids, lignans, alditols, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides. |
| Effect: | Anti-fatigue, endocrine adaptogen, boosts testosterone, aphrodisiac, neuroprotective, improves circulatory system, reduces cholesterol, anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, improves immunity, anti-cancer |
| Preparation: | The stem is ground into a powder. Often extracted and standardized to increase echinacoside and acetoside content by weight |
| Dosing: | 100-400mg extracted powder, 3-5g raw powder. For boosting testosterone use daily and then cycle off after 1-3 months. |
| General Notes: | Cistanche is an excellent herbal for men looking to optimize their hormones and boost their testosterone levels. Cistanche improves cholesterol metabolism and transport, lowering blood cholesterol to increase hormone production. Still being researched for it's effects on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and parkinson's disease. Has a good safety profile but since it has a potent effect on the endocrine system care should taken with supplementing cistanche. Improves exercise endurance. Strong morning wood is a common side-effect for men. Sometimes called the "ginseng of the desert". |
What is Cistanche?
Cistanche is a genus of perennial herbs consisting of 22 known species that grow in warm arid deserts throughout northwest China, Mongolia, Iran, and India. Cistanche is a parasitic herb that lacks chlorophyll, instead attaching to the roots of sand-fixing plants to draw water and nutrients from them. Cistanche only grows well under extreme environmental conditions characterized by an extremely arid climate, depauperate soils, intensive sunshine, large temperature differences, and annual precipitation <250mm. These rare growing conditions and it’s popularity of use in Traditional Chinese Medicine (known as Rou Cong-Rong) has led to Cistanche being an endangered wild species.
Cistanche is one of the most popular tonics in Traditional Chinese Medicine, being known as the “Ginseng of the Deserts” because of its wide-ranging beneficial health effects, and it’s increasingly becoming a popular herbal worldwide, especially in the treatment of renal problems, to boost testosterone levels, and to help treat neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.
Types of Cistanche
Cistanche deserticola and Cistanche tubulosa are the two main species of cistanche that are harvested and prepared into herbal supplements and extracts. They differ slightly in the composition of their chemical constituents but overall are similar enough to be used interchangeably. Cistanche tubulosa is more commonly found as a supplement than Cistanche deserticola.
Benefits of Cistanche
Herba cistanche has many effects throughout the body because of its unique combination of chemical constituents. The most active of these components are:
Phenylethanoid Glycosides | Functions: Antioxidant, neuroprotective, enhances sexual function, enhances immunity, hepatoprotection (prevents liver damage)
Echinacoside | Functions: Neuroprotective, antioxidant
Acteoside | Functions: Endothelium-dependent relaxation, neuroprotective, anti-allergy
Tubuloside B | Functions: Neuroprotective
Together these chemical constituents and many others broadly influence the function of immune, cardiovascular, renal, endocrine, and digestive systems providing the following benefits:
Cistanche Improves Brain Function
Prevents brain neuron apoptosis (programmed cell death)
Blocks amyloid plaque deposition
Promotes the production of neurons by accelerating growth of neurites
Increases dopamine, noadrenaline, and serotonin neurotransmitter concentrations in the brain
Cistanche Metabolism Improvements
Enhances mitochondrial respiration
Enhances glutathione antioxidant status
Remedies Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction and chronic fatigue syndrome
Increases autonomic activity
Improves exercise endurance
Decreases post-exercise blood lactic acid and blood urea nitrogen levels
Increases longevity
Prevents bone loss by regulating bone metabolism genes
Cistanche’s Aphrodisiac Effect
Increases sex hormone concentrations by inducing testicular steroidogenic enzymes
Changes gene expression of genes responsible for testosterone synthesis
Increases number of germ cells
Reduces latency period in-between erections
Improves testes function
Vaso-relaxing properties
Cistanche’s Immune-boosting effect
Increases lymphoid cells
Increases the kill rate of cancer cells
Activates phagocytic function of macrophages
High levels of polysaccharides enhance immunity
Stimulates the proliferation of antibody-producing cells
Decreases level of peripheral memory T cells and enhances levels of naive T cells
Cistanche Antioxidant Protection
Acetoside as an antioxidant is 15x stronger than resveratrol and 5x stronger than Vitamin C
Prevents DNA damage
Enhances superoxide dismutase activity
Prevents lipid peroxidation
Inhibits hepatic apoptosis
Note: Much of the research into cistanche showing these benefits has been done using mice and rats and therefore hasn’t been confirmed for humans.
Depending on someone’s current state of health, cistanche can be useful for men or women, though in general cistanche is more useful to men because of its testosterone boosting properties. Here are the biggest benefits for each sex:
Cistanche Male Benefits
Cistanche increases testosterone production. I have firsthand experience with this, I once supplemented with cistanche for one month and measured my testosterone levels before and after. My multi-variable experiment raised my free testosterone levels by 53%, of which I mostly attribute to the cistanche supplementation! Click the button below to read the full protocol I used and my results.
Further benefits of cistanche for men is that it improves the functions of the testes, increasing sperm count and production of male hormones. Male hormone levels and sperm counts have been on a precipitous decline for decades now and cistanche is a natural supplement that can help reverse this trend.
In the bedroom, cistanche increases the size, strength, and duration of erections and also reduces the latency period in-between erections.
Cistanche Female Benefits
Cistanche reduces chronic fatigue syndrome, otherwise known as adrenal fatigue. Chronic fatigue syndrome is caused most often by a dysregulation of the HPA axis, brought on by excess stress, poor sleep, a bad diet, and other lesser factors. Chronic fatigue syndrome can effect men and women, but typically women are more likely to develop chronic fatigue syndrome for a variety of reasons.
By improving energy metabolism, endurance, and immunity, cistanche is a powerful supplement that can be used to help fix a dysregulated HPA axis and overcome chronic fatigue syndrome. Click the button below to learn more about adrenal fatigue and what steps can be taken to overcome it.
Just as cistanche is a potent aphrodisiac for men, so to is it for women.
How Long does it take for Cistanche to Work?
Cistanche is best used consistently for 2+ weeks in order to fully benefit from its effects. When used acutely for just 1-3 days a larger dose will be required to feel the effects, and even then the effect size will be smaller than if cistanche is dosed consistently for 2+ weeks.
The effects of cistanche build up and really begin to be noticeable at the 10+ day mark depending on how sensitive one is to the herb. Speaking from personal experience in supplementing with cistanche many times now, I notice that the testosterone boosting effects of cistanche really begin to manifest after 1-2 weeks and it continues to increase steadily from there. It takes 1-2 weeks for cistanche supplementation to begin to noticeably improve exercise performance, and it’s around this time as well that the effects of higher testosterone levels are also noticed (increased confidence, stronger, better erections, etc).
Supplementing with cistanche for 1-2 months ensures that its beneficial effects culminate to a point of being relevant and noticeable. Though cistanche has a long history of being used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for extended periods of time without break, since cistanche alters the function of the endocrine system, I recommend cycling off cistanche for as long as it was used for. For example if cistanche is supplemented with for 2 months, it shouldn’t be used for 2 months afterwards.
Cistanche Side Effects
Cistanche tubulosa extract orally administered at 26.4 g/kg to male and female mice and kept for 8 days caused no abnormalities, fatal events, or autopsy abnormalities. No issues were observed when dosing 0.65-1.30 g/kg cistanche daily for 30 days to rats.
Examining potential long term toxicity, Cistanche tubulosa extract was orally administered to male and female rats at 1.65 g/kg per day and kept for 180 days. No abnormalities, fatal events, or autopsy abnormalities were recorded.
Furthermore, no abnomalities, fatal events, or autopsy abnormalities were observed when a Cistanche tubulosa extract was orally administered to male and female beagle dogs at 1.50 g/kg daily and kept for 180 days.
This data was collected by Oryza Oil & Fat Company out of Japan, and when converted to Human Equivalent Doses (HED) based on body surface area we arrive at the following dosages:
2.15 g/kg Cistanche HED - acute toxicity study (mice)
0.85 g/kg Cistanche HED - 180 day toxicity study (dogs)
0.25 g/kg Cistanche HED - 180 day toxicity study (rats)
When multiplied by individual bodyweight, the human equivalent dose for a person is very large at 10+ grams, an amount that far exceeds the typical dosing recommendations, and therefore is not recommended to try but does give confidence that cistanche has a strong safety profile with very little chance of negative side effects occurring at the much lower dosages recommended.
In terms of practical side effects that may be experienced, a large dose may cause digestive discomfort and since cistanche increases testosterone levels, it may cause alterations to mood and aggression. Additionally cistanche as a vaso-relaxant reduces blood pressure and should not be taken if an individual’s blood pressure is already on the low side (<80/60).
Cistanche Dosage
The beneficial health effects of cistanche manifest nicely at dosages of 100 mg - 500 mg of an extracted powder used daily.
For a raw powder, the concentration of active ingredients will be less and therefore a higher dose of 500 mg - 2 grams should be used to achieve the same effect. The dose chosen within that range will depend on an individual’s bodyweight, their individual physiology, and the potency of the effect they desire.
When first using cistanche, start with the lowest dose and only after some time has passed should the dose be increased if desired.
Megadosing Cistanche
I have experimented with megadosing cistanche (400-600 mg of Nootropics Depot Cistanche) which is 2-3x the recommended serving size. I have done this for a few weeks and here are my anecdotal observations:
Rapid strength gains, increases in muscle hardness
Bodyfat around the lower abdominals reduced
Minor confidence boost (and I already wasn’t deficient there)
I went from having just the rare pimple to noticeable acne on the back
The increase in skin acne is a good indicator that testosterone levels are increased in the body, but it’s also undesirable. For this reason I think megadosing cistanche is best done cautiously and only for very limited periods of time (<4 weeks) and for specific reasons (breaking through a strength training plateau, temporary confidence boost for a meeting/event). If megadosing cistanche for the benefits listed above but wish to avoid the possible skin issues, supplement with dandelion at the same time. I discuss this more in more detail in my article on boosting testosterone with cistanche.
Cistanche vs Tongkat Ali
Like cistanche, tongkat ali is another herbal often used by men to increase testosterone levels. I’ve used both herbs extensively and will share my experience of how they compare to each other.
Tongkat ali is a testosterone boosters that works rather quickly, I was able to feel the before and after difference in just 2-3 days, whereas the effects of cistanche build up over weeks and started to became noticeable to me after about a week or so.
Cistanche is much smoother and easier on my body, whereas tongkat ali after a few weeks begins to feel very harsh. This is the main reason I supplement with cistanche much more often than tongkat ali, it just feels safer and less impactful in a negative way on my body.
It’s my experience also that cistanche is a better testosterone booster overall than tongkat ali. Cistanche can be supplemented with for longer periods of time which allows a greater culminative effect to build up, and it’s better at improving overall metabolism. For me tongkat ali gave me more of a raw energy and strength which when focused and utilized to increase exercise performance was useful.
If interested in a quick 1-3 week boost of testosterone, strength, and energy then tongkat ali is a good option, whereas cistanche is a better option for longer term testosterone, strength, and energy improvements.
Where to Buy Cistanche Supplement?
There are many different sellers of cistanche supplements worldwide which can be seen by visiting a marketplace like Amazon.
Cistanche Tubulosa Powder
My favorite supplier of cistanche is Nootropics Depot. Their cistanche product is highly standardized, containing a minimum of 50% echinacosides and 10% acetoside, overall delivering more echinacosides and acetoside per gram than most other cistanche products. I also like Nootropics Depot’s cistanche product because it has a neutral taste and isn’t bitter. The cistanche from Nootropics Depot works very well and is reasonably priced.
If purchasing cistanche from a Chinese pharmacy ask for Rou Cong-Rong, which is how they refer to cistanche.
References:
Li Z, Lin H, Gu L, Gao J, Tzeng CM. Herba cistanche (Rou cong-rong): one of the best pharmaceutical gifts of traditional chinese medicine. Front Pharmacol. 2016;7.
Al-Snafi, Ali Esmail. Bioactive metabolites and pharmacology of Cistanche tubulosa-A review. IOSR Journal of Pharmacy 10.1 (2020): 37-46.
Jiang Y, Tu PF. Analysis of chemical constituents in Cistanche species. Journal of Chromatography A. 2009;1216(11):1970-1979.
Oryza Oil and Fat Chemical Co. Food and cosmetic ingredients with tonics, memory improving, anti-aging, anti-fatigue, anti-sex dysfunction, immune boosting and fat metabolism accelerating properties of Cistanche tubulosa extract-P-25 (Water-soluble Powder, Food Grade). Oryza Oil and Fat Chemical Co., Ltd. 2007
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