Tongkat Ali Extract Promotes Immune Health in Middle-Aged Adults, Study Suggests

Photograph by Mokkie/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY-SA-3.0.

Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia) may be known for its testosterone-boosting potential, but results of a new clinical trial suggest a standardized tongkat ali extract may also support immune health in middle-aged adults.

Researchers found that LJ100 tongkat ali root water extract from HP Ingredients (Bradenton, FL) may may improve “comprehensive immunity” and raise the numbers of total, naïve, and CD4⁺ T cells in both Japanese men and women aged 40–59. The study authors also noted this is the first time such an immune effect has been observed after supplementation with tongkat ali.

For four weeks, 81 subjects were randomized to consume either 200 mg per day of LJ100 or a placebo, with immune parameters assessed at the start and conclusion of the four-week experimental period. The 81 participants were selected from a larger group of 126 subjects because they posted lower baseline scores on the Scoring of Immunological Vigor (SIV) assessment, an immune evaluation method designed to describe “comprehensive immunity,” rather than interpreting each immune function separately, according to the study authors.

At week four, researchers found that SIV and immunological grade were significantly higher in the LJ100 group than the placebo group, with particular increases found in total, naïve, and CD4⁺ T cells. This may indicate improved adaptive, or cell-mediated, immunity, researchers explained.

Additionally, the immunological age of the LJ100 group was found to be four years younger than the placebo group at the end of the experimental period, and the LJ100 group also had significantly higher numbers of lymphocytes.

“Our findings indicate for the first time the immune-related improvements following the ingestion of the propriety water extract of tongkat ali,” researchers concluded.

No serious adverse events were reported in the study.

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Michael Crane
Associate Editor
Nutritional Outlook Magazine
michael.crane@ubm.com

References:

George A et al., “Immunomodulation in middle-aged humans via the ingestion of LJ100/Physta standardized root extract of Eurycoma longifolia jack-a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel study,” Phytotherapy Research, vol. 30, no. 4 (April 2016): 627–635