I've tried tongkat from one bulk source, and it seems to significantly increase my libido, which is plenty healthy to begin with when taken at 100-200mg day of what is specified as a 100:1 extract. It also tastes very bitter, which studies say a proper extract should, considering:
Yes and the myth that TA need to be dark...
"There is a popular misconception that Tongkat Ali (TA) extract should be dark brown. This is not true and is normally propagated by sellers of dark brown TA. In fact, the purest form of Tongkat Ali extract is white! The main active ingredient of TA, and the one that is responsible for enhancing testosterone production and improving sperm health, and also for reducing the conversion of testosterone to oestrogen (responsible for the formation of "man boobs") is a compound called Eurycomanone. Eurycomanone is snow white in its purest form. The colour of the spray dried Tongkat Ali powder after extraction varies according to many of the parameters of the extraction process, such as the amount of time that the roots have been dried, and how finely they are chipped, the extraction method itself – whether the chipped root is soaked in cold water, soaked in hot water, boiled, or repeatedly boiled. Other factors that affect the final product are: is it filtered or centrifuged, is it concentrated before drying by repeated boiling.
There are many scientific papers I have found describing the extraction process, and the resulting powder is variously described as creamy white, off white, green/yellow, tan and brown. In fact, the further from white the appearance is, the more impurities there are. However, it should be remembered that Eurycomanone is the most intensively researched of the active ingredients in TA, and, in addition to its effects on testosterone and sperm, may yet have a part to play in the treatment of malaria and some cancers."
