MEN'S HEALTH · INGREDIENTS EXPLAINED · MALAYSIA 2026
Men's supplements in Malaysia lean on the same four herbs, and most pages describe all four as doing everything. They do not. Each has a different traditional job and a different, mostly modest, evidence base. We compared them the way we would want someone to compare them for us.
The short answer
What each herb has the best evidence for, in one line:
- Testosterone (in men whose level is low) and stress hormones: Tongkat ali
- Everyday energy — modest, and best shown in multi-herb formulas: Korean red ginseng
- Sexual desire — limited but consistent small trials: Maca
- Stress, anxiety and sleep: Ashwagandha
- Blood flow at 1.5–5 g a day, with a heart-attack warning: L-arginine (bonus ingredient)
In this guide
- The four herbs compared
- Tongkat ali: the testosterone herb — with conditions
- Korean red ginseng: the energy herb — modest, and better in company
- Maca: the desire herb — limited evidence, low risk
- Ashwagandha: the stress and sleep herb — with the longest caution list
- L-arginine and zinc: what they add, and one warning
- Which one should you take?
- Can you take them together?
- FAQ
- Sources
At a glance
The four herbs compared
| Herb | Traditional use | Best evidence for | How strong | Dose used in trials | Main cautions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia, Malaysia) | Energy, vitality, 'men's tonic' | Raises total testosterone in men with low levels; lowers cortisol | Meta-analysis of 5 RCTs; small maker-funded trials | 200 mg standardised water extract (Physta) a day, 4–12 weeks | Some people report sleep disturbance (our customer guidance); EU could not confirm safety (lab genotoxicity tests); our guidance: not in pregnancy, within 3 months of surgery, or with G6PD deficiency |
| Korean red ginseng (Panax ginseng) | Energy, stamina, 'qi' | Fatigue — no overall effect across 19 trials; small benefit in general fatigue and in multi-herb formulas | 19-trial meta-analysis; Cochrane review for erectile function (trivial effect) | Varied; up to 12 weeks in the erectile-function trials | Insomnia most common; may lower blood sugar; may interact with warfarin; avoid in pregnancy |
| Maca (Lepidium meyenii, Peru) | Fertility, desire, stamina | Sexual desire in healthy men; mild erectile difficulty | 4 small RCTs (2010 review); 2 RCTs (2023 review) — 'limited' | Varied; not standardised | It is a food; the evidence is thin |
| Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera, India) | Adaptogen — stress, sleep, strength | Lower stress and anxiety; better sleep; small testosterone rise in men | 12-trial meta-analysis (low certainty) and 23-trial meta-analysis (high variation between studies); 5-trial sleep analysis (moderate) | 300–600 mg root extract a day; ≥600 mg and ≥8 weeks for sleep | Rare liver injury; not in pregnancy or hormone-sensitive prostate cancer; interacts with thyroid, diabetes, blood-pressure and sedative drugs; banned in supplements in Denmark |
RCT = randomised controlled trial. 'How strong' is our plain-language reading of the certainty the reviewers themselves reported.
Herb 1
Tongkat ali: the testosterone herb — with conditions
What it is
A tall shrub native to Malaysia and Indonesia whose root has been boiled as a men's tonic for generations. Modern products use a water extract; the best-studied one, Physta, is made in Malaysia by Biotropics.
What the research shows
- Testosterone: a 2022 meta-analysis of nine studies (five randomised trials) found a significant rise in total testosterone overall. Split the men up and the rise was significant only in those with low testosterone; in healthy men it was not. The authors noted high variation between trials and possible publication bias.
- Fatigue: 200 mg of Physta a day for 12 weeks reduced fatigue in men aged 50–70 with low testosterone. A separate 4-week trial in stressed adults found 16% lower cortisol and better mood scores — but no change in fatigue or vigour. Both trials were funded by the extract's maker.
- Erectile function: a 2015 pooled analysis of the two randomised trials then available found no significant change. This is not a herb to buy for that.
Who should be careful
Our customer guidance notes that a few people sleep less well or feel restless at first. The European Food Safety Authority could not establish the safety of a standardised extract at 200 mg a day in 2021 because two laboratory genotoxicity tests were positive; Malaysia regulates tongkat ali as a traditional product or food. Our own guidance: not for G6PD deficiency, within three months of surgery, or in pregnancy. Take the label dose and no more.
Our take
Tongkat ali is the herb with the clearest target: men past 40 whose energy has dropped and whose testosterone may be low. If you are 28 and sleeping five hours, it is not the fix. In MFormula it is the lead herb, at about 150 mg of extract per sachet.
Herb 2
Korean red ginseng: the energy herb — modest, and better in company
What it is
Panax ginseng root, steamed and dried until it turns red. Korea's national health export; the active compounds are ginsenosides. In Malaysia it is sold as sticks, capsules, a token amount in multivitamins, and in combination drinks such as ours.What the research shows
- Fatigue: a 2023 meta-analysis of 19 randomised trials found no significant overall reduction in fatigue. Two subgroups did show small, significant benefits: people with general (not disease-related) fatigue, and herbal formulas that combine ginseng with other herbs rather than ginseng alone.
- Erectile function: the 2021 Cochrane review of nine trials in 587 men concluded ginseng may have only trivial effects. Side effects were no different from placebo.
- Safety: the US NCCIH says oral use appears safe for up to six months; insomnia is the most common side effect; it may lower blood sugar and affect clotting, and an American-ginseng trial showed reduced warfarin effect.
Our take
Ginseng is a reasonable daily energy herb, not a miracle. The most useful finding for anyone shopping in Malaysia is the subgroup one: the benefit showed up in multi-herb formulas. That is the design of MFormula — ginseng alongside tongkat ali, maca and ashwagandha — and the reason we did not sell ginseng on its own. Take it in the morning if it keeps you up.
Herb 3
Maca: the desire herb — limited evidence, low risk
What it is
A root vegetable from the Peruvian Andes, eaten as food for centuries and sold here as a powder or inside combination capsules. It is eaten as a food and is not a hormone.
What the research shows
- A 2010 systematic review found four small randomised trials: three positive — sexual desire in healthy men, in menopausal women, and in men with mild erectile difficulty — and one null, in cyclists. The reviewers judged the trials too few and small for firm conclusions.
- A 2023 analysis pooled two trials (79 men with mild erectile difficulty) and found a small improvement in erectile-function score; the authors still called the evidence limited.
Our take
Maca is the gentlest of the four and the one with the thinnest evidence. It is in MFormula at about 100 mg of extract per sachet as part of the four-herb blend — not because 100 mg will do what the trials' larger, food-level doses did. If you want maca specifically, a maca powder from the pharmacy is the honest choice.
Herb 4
Ashwagandha: the stress and sleep herb — with the longest caution list
What it is
Withania somnifera root, the central 'adaptogen' of Ayurvedic medicine. The trials used standardised root extracts; many pharmacy products do not say what theirs is standardised to.What the research shows
- Stress and anxiety: a 2022 meta-analysis of 12 trials in 1,002 adults found lower anxiety and stress than placebo, with the stress benefit at 300–600 mg a day. The reviewers rated the certainty low. A 2026 analysis of 23 trials found cortisol fell and testosterone rose in men (by about 57 ng/dL), with high variation between studies.
- Sleep: a Universiti Sains Malaysia team pooled five trials in 400 adults in 2021 and found a small improvement in sleep, larger in people with insomnia, at 600 mg or more a day, for eight weeks or longer. Certainty: moderate.
- Testosterone: one crossover trial in men aged 40–70 found salivary testosterone 14.7% higher than placebo — and no difference in fatigue, vigour or sexual well-being.
Who should be careful
More people than for the other three. Rare cases of liver injury (jaundice 2–12 weeks after starting, resolving on stopping) are documented. The NCCIH advises against it in pregnancy and in hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, and notes interactions with diabetes, blood-pressure, thyroid, sedative, anticonvulsant and immunosuppressant medicines. Denmark banned it in supplements in 2023 and the Dutch health institute advised against it in 2024; Malaysia registers it as a traditional product.
Our take
If your problem is a racing mind at 11 pm rather than an empty tank at 3 pm, ashwagandha is the herb with the most relevant evidence. It is in MFormula for exactly that reason — most men who feel 'tired' are also stressed — but at a lower amount than the 600 mg sleep trials used, and the amount is not stated on our label. If sleep is the whole problem, a registered ashwagandha capsule at 600 mg is the more direct route.
Bonus ingredients
L-arginine and zinc: what they add, and one warning
L-arginine
An amino acid your body turns into nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels. A 2019 pooled analysis of ten small trials in 540 men found a modest benefit at 1.5–5 g a day, with minor side effects in 8% of men. The important caution: a trial of arginine after heart attacks was stopped early because more patients on arginine died, and since 2006 Malaysia's NPRA has required arginine supplements to warn that they are not recommended after a heart attack. MFormula contains about 670 mg per sachet — far below the trial doses, but the warning applies regardless: if you have had a heart attack, ask your doctor first.
Zinc
Zinc deficiency lowers testosterone, and correcting it restores the level — shown in a small 1996 study. In men who were not deficient, a 2020 trial of 30 mg a day (with folic acid) for six months in 2,370 couples found no effect on semen quality or live births, and more stomach complaints. Zinc is in MFormula as zinc lactate at an amount not stated on the label; the daily upper limit from all sources is 40 mg, so count it alongside any multivitamin.
Decision guide
Which one should you take?
| If your main problem is… | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Run down past 40, slower recovery, low drive | Tongkat ali | Strongest testosterone evidence is in older men with low levels; get a blood test too |
| Flat energy through the day, no caffeine wanted | Ginseng — ideally in a multi-herb formula | The fatigue benefit appeared in multi-herb formulas, not ginseng alone |
| Low desire, otherwise fine | Maca | Small trials, consistent direction, very low risk |
| Stress, racing mind, poor sleep | Ashwagandha | Most consistent stress and sleep evidence of the four |
| A bit of all of the above, and you stop taking capsules by week three | A combination you will actually take daily — MFormula is ours | Lower amount of each herb, all four in one dose, no capsules |
The trade-off in one sentence: single-ingredient products give you depth (a full trial dose of one herb), combinations give you breadth (all four, each at a smaller amount). Neither is wrong; what is wrong is paying for either and not taking it for eight weeks.
Combining
Can you take them together?
Yes — registered Malaysian products already pair tongkat ali with maca or ginseng, and MFormula combines all four. Four rules:
- Morning, not night, if ginseng or tongkat ali affects your sleep.
- Medicines first. Diabetes drugs (ginseng, ashwagandha), warfarin and other blood thinners (ginseng), thyroid and sedative drugs (ashwagandha), a past heart attack (L-arginine). Ask your pharmacist before combining.
- Pregnancy, surgery within three months, G6PD deficiency: none of them.
- Do not stack a combination on top of singles. MFormula plus a tongkat ali capsule plus an ashwagandha capsule is three products' worth of overlap with no evidence that more is better.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Tongkat ali vs ginseng — which is better?
They do different jobs. Tongkat ali has the better evidence for raising testosterone in men whose level is low, and for lowering cortisol. Ginseng's evidence is for everyday energy, and it is modest — no overall effect on fatigue across 19 trials, with small benefits in general fatigue and in multi-herb formulas. If you are over 40 and run down, tongkat ali; if you want a daily energy herb, ginseng, preferably in a formula with other herbs.
Tongkat ali vs maca — what is the difference?
Tongkat ali is a Malaysian root extract with evidence for testosterone and stress hormones; maca is a Peruvian root vegetable with limited evidence for sexual desire, and it is a food rather than a hormone. Maca is gentler and eaten as a food; tongkat ali is a standardised extract taken at 200 mg a day in trials. Many Malaysian products, including MFormula, contain both.
Ashwagandha vs tongkat ali for testosterone?
Tongkat ali has the larger body of evidence: a meta-analysis of five trials, with a significant rise in men with low testosterone. Ashwagandha has one crossover trial in men aged 40–70 showing a 14.7% rise in salivary testosterone, and a 2026 pooled analysis suggesting a rise of about 57 ng/dL in men. Ashwagandha's stronger evidence is for stress and sleep, not testosterone.
Can I take tongkat ali and ashwagandha together?
Yes — MFormula does, as a functional food, and we are not aware of an interaction between the two herbs. Take them in the morning if either affects your sleep, and check with a pharmacist if you take thyroid, diabetes, blood-pressure or sedative medicines, because ashwagandha can interact with all of them. Neither is suitable in pregnancy.
Which herb is best for energy?
None of the four has strong evidence for energy in healthy men. The best-supported routes are tongkat ali in older men with low testosterone (reduced fatigue over 12 weeks) and ginseng in multi-herb formulas (small benefit). If you are tired every day, rule out sleep, iron, thyroid, blood sugar and mood before buying any herb.
Which herb is best for sleep?
Ashwagandha, at 600 mg or more a day for eight weeks or longer, based on a 2021 analysis of five trials by a Malaysian team. Ginseng and tongkat ali can make sleep worse in some people; take them earlier in the day.
Do any of these work like Viagra?
No. None is a medicine. The Cochrane review found ginseng's effect on erectile function trivial; tongkat ali's two trials showed no significant change; maca's evidence is limited; L-arginine showed a modest effect only at 1.5–5 g a day. Erectile difficulty can be an early sign of heart or blood-sugar problems — a Malaysian study estimated moderate-to-severe erectile dysfunction in 31.6% of sexually active men — so see a doctor rather than a supplement shelf.
Is it better to buy one herb or a combination?
Single-herb products give a full trial dose of one ingredient and make it easy to see what works. Combinations such as MFormula give all four herbs at lower amounts in one dose, which suits men who want breadth and will not keep up with several capsules. Whichever you choose, take it daily for eight weeks before judging.
Are these herbs halal?
The plants are halal; what matters is the product's certification. MFormula is JAKIM/JAIS certified (certificate number and expiry on our Safety & Quality page). For other products, look for a halal certificate on the official page rather than a logo on the box.
Read next: Best tongkat ali in Malaysia: 7 products compared · 10 best men's supplements in Malaysia · Does tongkat ali have side effects?
Sources
Sources
Every evidence statement above links to the review or trial it comes from. Where reviewers rated their own certainty low, we say so.
- Leisegang K. et al. (2022). Eurycoma longifolia improves serum total testosterone in men: systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicina. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9415500/
- Kotirum S. et al. (2015). Efficacy of tongkat ali on erectile function: systematic review and meta-analysis. Complementary Therapies in Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2015.07.009
- Chinnappan S.M. et al. (2021). Physta tongkat ali in ageing men with low testosterone: randomised, placebo-controlled trial. Food & Nutrition Research. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8254464/
- Talbott S.M. et al. (2013). Tongkat ali, stress hormones and mood in moderately stressed subjects. JISSN. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3669033/
- European Food Safety Authority (2021). Safety of Eurycoma longifolia root extract as a novel food. https://efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/6937
- Lee H.W. et al. (2021). Ginseng for erectile dysfunction. Cochrane, CD012654. https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD012654_ginseng-improving-erectile-function
- Li et al. (2023). Efficacy of ginseng for fatigue: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1089/jicm.2022.0532
- NCCIH (2025). Asian ginseng. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/asian-ginseng
- Yuan C.S. et al. (2004). American ginseng reduces warfarin's effect in healthy patients. Annals of Internal Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15238367/
- Shin B.C. et al. (2010). Maca for improving sexual function: systematic review. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2928177/
- Lee, Lee & Kil (2023). Maca for erectile dysfunction: meta-analysis. Journal of Men's Health. https://www.jomh.org/articles/10.22514/jomh.2023.003
- Akhgarjand C. et al. (2022). Ashwagandha for anxiety and stress: systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytotherapy Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7598
- Fornalik et al. (2026). Ashwagandha, cortisol and testosterone: meta-analysis of 23 trials. Planta Medica. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2802-8363
- Cheah K.L. et al. (2021). Ashwagandha extract and sleep: systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8462692/
- Lopresti A.L. et al. (2019). Ashwagandha in overweight men aged 40–70: randomised crossover trial. American Journal of Men's Health. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6438434/
- NCCIH (2023). Ashwagandha. https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/ashwagandha
- Björnsson H.K. et al. (2020). Ashwagandha-induced liver injury: a case series. Liver International. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31991029/
- NutraIngredients (Jul 2026). Timeline of ashwagandha regulation in Europe and India. https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2026/07/06/timeline-will-authorities-de-throne-the-king-of-herbs/
- Rhim H.C. et al. (2019). L-arginine supplementation for erectile dysfunction: systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Sexual Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30770070/
- Schulman S.P. et al. (2006). L-arginine therapy in acute myocardial infarction (VINTAGE-MI). JAMA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16391217/
- NPRA (2006). Health supplements containing arginine — labelling requirement. https://npra.gov.my/index.php/en/component/content/article/51-english/press-release/press-release-2006/845-health-supplements-containing-arginine.html
- Prasad A.S. et al. (1996). Zinc status and serum testosterone levels of healthy adults. Nutrition. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8875519/
- Schisterman E.F. et al. (2020). Folic acid and zinc supplementation in men (FAZST). JAMA. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31910279/
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements — Zinc. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/
- Rezali M.S. et al. (2023). Erectile dysfunction among Malaysian men: NHMS 2019 data. Scientific Reports. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10700487/
- Watsons Malaysia — Naturelish MFormula 10 sachets × 10g (ingredient list). https://www.watsons.com.my/naturelish-mformula-10-sachets-x-10g/p/BP_1032780
- MFormula — Safety & Quality page. https://mformulamy.com/pages/safety-quality
This article is general information only and does not replace advice from your doctor or pharmacist. Prices and stock change often; check the retailer before you buy.
About the author: Andrew Foo is a physiotherapist and co-founder of MFormula.