What it is
Tongkat Ali Complex is a herbal capsule supplement from Double Wood Supplements, sold in a white bottle of 120 capsules. A serving is two capsules and delivers 1,020 mg of botanical extract in total: 1,000 mg of Tongkat Ali root extract at a 200:1 ratio, plus 20 mg of Tribulus terrestris fruit extract. At the suggested use printed on the bottle that works out to 60 servings, or a 60-day supply. The bottle is manufactured for Double Wood LLC of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and its side panel carries Proudly Made in USA, Made with Non-GMO Ingredients and Gluten Free seals. It is listed in our Supplements for Men range.
What's inside
There are only two active botanicals on this panel, which is unusual in a category that tends toward long proprietary blends. Both are named, both carry a stated amount, and neither is hidden inside an undisclosed blend.
Tongkat Ali root extract (200:1) — 1,000 mg. Tongkat Ali is the Malay name for Eurycoma longifolia, a slender understory tree of the rainforests of Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam. The part used is the root, which is woody and intensely bitter. English-language labels also call it Longjack, and it is sometimes marketed as “Malaysian ginseng” — a nickname it earned by association rather than botany, since it is not a Panax species and belongs to an entirely different plant family. In its home region the root has a long history in traditional preparations, where it is simmered into a bitter decoction rather than swallowed as a powder.
The 200:1 on the label is an extract ratio, and it is worth knowing what that notation does and does not tell you. It is the manufacturer's statement of how much raw root went into the finished extract by weight — nominally two hundred parts of dried root reduced to one part of concentrate. It is a processing figure rather than a strength rating, and because no marker compound is named alongside it, it is not directly comparable with an extract standardized to a stated percentage of a specific constituent. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements overview of botanical dietary supplements gives general background on how extracts are prepared and why two products naming the same plant can differ.
Tribulus terrestris fruit extract — 20 mg. Tribulus is a low, sprawling plant with small yellow flowers and a spiny seed case hard enough to puncture a bicycle tire, which is where its common names — puncturevine, goat's head, caltrop — come from. It grows readily on poor, dry ground across southern Europe, Africa and Asia. The supplement trade generally uses the fruit, as this label specifies. The front of the bottle describes the Tribulus as an extract standardized to 40% saponins; saponins are a broad family of plant compounds named for the soapy foam they produce in water, and they occur across a great many food and medicinal plants. The amount here is 20 mg, a small companion to the Tongkat Ali rather than a co-headliner.
The other two ingredients. The Other Ingredients line names hypromellose and rice flour, and nothing else. Hypromellose — hydroxypropyl methylcellulose — is made from plant cellulose and forms the capsule shell itself; it is the usual alternative to a gelatin shell. Rice flour is a plain, inert filler that occupies the remaining space in the capsule and helps the powder flow through filling machinery. Neither is an active ingredient and neither contributes to the 1,020 mg figure. General background on how single-herb supplements are described is collected in the NCCIH's Herbs at a Glance series.
Supplement Facts
Supplement Facts — Double Wood Supplements Tongkat Ali Complex, 120 Capsules
| Item | Amount per Serving |
|---|
| Serving Size | 2 Capsules |
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| Servings | 60 |
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| Tongkat Ali Root Extract 200:1 | 1,000 mg — Daily Value not established |
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| Tribulus Terrestris Fruit Extract | 20 mg — Daily Value not established |
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| Other Ingredients | Hypromellose (capsule), rice flour |
|---|
Transcribed from the Supplement Facts panel on the bottle. Labels sold in the United States can also be looked up in the NIH's Dietary Supplement Label Database.
How to use it
The bottle's suggested use is two capsules per day. The label states they can be taken in the morning or at night, with or without food, and adds that the chance of an upset stomach is reduced when they are taken with food. The same panel prints an upper limit of eight capsules in any one day; the suggested serving is two, and there is no reason to go above it without advice from a licensed healthcare professional.
For storage, the label asks that the bottle be kept in a cool, dark place, and not frozen or exposed to moisture or to heat above room temperature. A cupboard away from the stove and away from the bathroom does the job; a car glovebox does not.
Who it's for
This is a product for adults over 18 who already know they are looking for a Tongkat Ali supplement and want to see exactly what is in the capsule. The short, fully itemized panel makes that easy to compare — two named botanicals, both with stated amounts, and no undisclosed blend.
The 120-capsule count suits someone buying two months at once rather than sampling: at two capsules a day, one bottle covers 60 days without a reorder. If you would rather try a format before committing to a bottle this size, the rest of our men's range carries smaller counts and single-serving formats.
Good to know
- The label's warning reads: consult your physician before use if you are taking any medications, and do not use this product if you are pregnant, nursing, or under 18 years of age.
- It also asks that you discontinue use and consult your doctor immediately if any adverse reaction occurs, and that you do not operate heavy machinery until you know how the product affects you.
- Keep out of reach of children.
- Neither botanical on this panel carries an established Daily Value, which is why both rows are marked with a dagger rather than a percentage.
- General guidance on using herbal supplements safely, including what to tell your doctor, is published by the NCCIH under dietary and herbal supplements.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many capsules are in the bottle, and how many servings is that?
The bottle holds 120 capsules, which is 60 servings. A serving is two capsules, so at the suggested use printed on the label a single bottle is a 60-day supply.
What does the 200:1 on the label mean?
200:1 is the extract ratio the manufacturer states for the Tongkat Ali root — nominally two hundred parts of raw dried root concentrated down to one part of finished extract. It describes how the extract was made, by weight, and not how strong it is; no marker compound or standardized percentage is named beside it on this panel.
Is the capsule shell animal-derived?
The capsule shell is hypromellose, a cellulose made from plants, not gelatin. The Other Ingredients line on the panel lists only that shell and rice flour, which is the filler inside it, so those two are the complete non-active content of each capsule as printed.
Can I take more than two capsules a day?
Stay with two capsules a day — that is the suggested use printed on the bottle, and it is the serving the Supplement Facts panel is built around. The label separately prints a ceiling of eight capsules in any one day, but going above the suggested serving is a decision for a licensed healthcare professional rather than something this page recommends.
How is the order packaged when it ships?
Orders ship in plain outer packaging that does not describe the contents. It will not show the Gear Isle name. The bottle inside is the manufacturer's own packaging, printed with the product name and the Supplement Facts panel.
Product information compiled and reviewed by the Gear Isle product team. We transcribe supplement facts directly from manufacturer packaging. Found an error? Tell us.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Dietary supplement for adults 18 and over. Consult a licensed healthcare professional before use, especially if you have a medical condition, heart concerns, or take prescription medication (including nitrates). Keep out of reach of children.
