Synopsis

Source of validity: Traditional
Rating (out of 5): 2

Ketosterones, particularly those derived from the plant Eurycoma longifolia (commonly known as Tongkat Ali), have a history of traditional use in Southeast Asian herbal medicine for supporting vitality, energy, and stress adaptation. In this context, Tongkat Ali extracts—rich in various ketosteroids (sometimes called ketosterones)—are sometimes marketed as adaptogens believed to help support the adrenal cortex by modulating the body’s stress response. However, the evidence for these effects is mostly rooted in ethnobotanical tradition rather than robust scientific validation. The primary claims revolve around increased resilience to stress, improved mood, and enhanced physical performance, which are indirectly related to adrenal health. A limited number of animal and human studies have examined Tongkat Ali’s impact on stress hormones such as cortisol, with some finding reductions in stress and improvements in subjective well-being. Nevertheless, these studies are small in scale, and the direct impact on adrenal cortex function specifically remains insufficiently characterized. There is a lack of well-designed, large-scale clinical trials directly linking ketosterones to measurable improvements in adrenal cortex health or function. As such, the use of ketosterones for adrenal support is best characterized as traditional, with low-to-moderate supporting evidence.

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