The Study
Effect of <i>Eurycoma longifolia</i> water extract (Physta <sup>®</sup> ) on menopausal quality of life and mood states
This study is like a trial where some women got the real supplement and some got a fake pill (placebo), and neither they nor the doctors knew which they got. This is one of the best ways to test if a treatment works, so we can say the supplement likely caused the improvements seen. But because the study was a bit small and the results were not super strong, we need to be careful not to say it's definitely a cure.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Women going through menopause often have hot flashes, trouble sleeping, and other bothersome symptoms. Scientists wanted to test a supplement made from a root called tongkat ali. They gave some women the supplement and others a fake pill. After 3 months, the women who took the higher dose felt better overall, especially with body aches and sexual problems. The supplement seemed safe.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 590 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1This suggests the supplement might genuinely help some menopause symptoms, but we need bigger studies to be sure it's really effective.
- 2Women taking 100 mg of the supplement reported about 34% fewer symptoms, while women taking the fake pill reported about 23% fewer.
- 3The difference was probably real for physical and sexual symptoms.
- 4Mood also got better, but the improvement wasn't strong enough to prove the supplement helped with mood.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
World Journal of Clinical Cases
Year
2025
Authors
Subashini Muniandy, Hanis Mastura Yahya, Suzana Shahar, Ixora Kamisan Atan, Zaleha Abdullah Mahdy, Nor Fadilah Rajab, Hanif Farhan Mohd Rasdi, Annie George, Sasikala M Chinnappan
Related Content
Claims (10)
Taking Tongkat ali improves overall mood and lowers daily feelings of tension and anger.
In a 12-week study, women going through menopause took either a supplement made from the herb Eurycoma longifolia or a fake supplement with no active ingredient. Both groups felt their mood problems get better, but the supplement group did not improve more than the fake supplement group. So the supplement did not have a real effect on mood.
Women going through menopause took a daily plant-extract supplement (from Eurycoma longifolia, sold as Physta®) for 12 weeks. They had no serious side effects, and their blood pressure, liver, kidney, and metabolism tests stayed normal compared to women taking a placebo. That means the supplement is safe to use for a few months.
Taking a water-based extract of the Eurycoma longifolia plant (a herbal supplement) at up to 100 mg per day for 12 weeks does not change the levels of key sex hormones (like estrogen, testosterone, and related hormones) in menopausal women. Within that 12-week period, this supplement has a neutral effect on those hormone levels.
Women aged 40 to 55 going through menopause who took a daily 100 mg supplement of a plant extract called Eurycoma longifolia for 12 weeks had their menopause symptoms drop by about 34% from the start. That was a bigger drop than the 23% seen in women taking a placebo, and they also felt better physically and sexually.
A plant extract called Eurycoma longifolia, taken as a daily drink for 12 weeks, is safe for women going through menopause. It causes no serious side effects and does not change important health measures like blood pressure, heart rate, liver function, kidney function, or metabolism.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.