A southern African herb traditionally used as a male aphrodisiac and now sold as a natural testosterone booster. The testosterone claims come from short rat studies, not men, where higher doses reversed the gains. The same animal doses strained the liver and kidneys. The only human study checked short-term safety, finding no clear harm. (Full Review)
| Marker | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Total testosterone | ~500–900 ng/dL (men) | Primary target outcome |
| Free testosterone | ~15–25 pg/mL (men) | Biologically active fraction |
| Estradiol | ~20–30 pg/mL (men) | Tracks conversion of testosterone to estrogen |
| Luteinizing hormone (LH) | ~2–8 mIU/mL | Shows whether any effect is central or testicular |
| ALT / AST | ~10–30 U/L | Detects liver-cell strain |
| ALP / GGT | ALP ~40–100 U/L; GGT <30 U/L | Sensitive liver signals seen in animal and human data |
| Creatinine / eGFR | Creatinine ~0.8–1.1 mg/dL; eGFR >90 | Detects kidney strain |
| Fasting lipid panel | HDL >50 mg/dL; triglycerides <100 mg/dL | Captures the adverse lipid shift seen in animals |
Cadence: Liver and kidney panels at ~4 weeks; reassess hormones after a full cycle; repeat every 3–6 months if use continues, stopping earlier if liver enzymes rise