{"ok":true,"entry":{"slug":"tribulus","kind":"supplement","name":"tribulus","aliases":["Tribulus terrestris","puncture vine"],"brands_sg":["California Gold Nutrition","Nutricost","NOW Foods","Swanson Vitamins","Force Factor"],"class":"botanical","tags":["mens-health","fitness"],"use_for":"limited human evidence — no clear effect on testosterone","use_after":"trials dosed morning, evening, or after training","use_duration":null,"take_with":null,"pros":["no tribulus-induced toxicity in the sport review","erectile function improved in 3 of 5 trials","lipid profile improved in the sport review"],"cons":["no robust evidence it raises testosterone","ods: no effect on strength or lean body mass","may push the t/e urine ratio past wada's 4:1 limit"],"dose_note":"sport studies used 450–2,700 mg a day for 20 days to 12 weeks; the sexual-function review covered 400 mg to 12 g a day for 4 weeks to 3 months, with erectile-function benefit reported at 400–750 mg a day for 1–3 months; ods lists doses up to 3.21 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks; aecosan put the recommended daily intake at 250–9,000 mg; saponin content of the products varied from 40% to 100%","dosage":{"ul":null,"unit":"mg","fda_dv":null,"rda_ai":null,"ul_status":"none_established","population":"general adult male","hsa_max_daily":null},"ul_status":"none_established","sg_class":null,"cautions":["kidney or liver problems — case reports of nephrotoxicity, hyperbilirubinemia, hepatotoxicity and neurotoxicity","1,000 mg a day or more — sleep disturbance, exhaustion, fatigue, hypertension and raised heart rate reported","drug-tested athletes — not banned by wada, but may cause an inadvertent positive testosterone test","ods: safety not well studied, with one case report of harm from a product labelled as tribulus"],"clashes":[],"sources":[{"id":"ods_tribulus","url":"https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-HealthProfessional/","label":"NIH ODS — Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance (Tribulus terrestris row)","quote":"No effect on strength, lean body mass, or sex hormone levels … up to 3.21 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"ods_tribulus_safety","url":"https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/ExerciseAndAthleticPerformance-HealthProfessional/","label":"NIH ODS — Exercise and Athletic Performance (Tribulus terrestris: safety)","quote":"Safety not well studied; no safety concerns reported … One case report of harm from product labeled but not confirmed to contain Tribulus terrestris","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"fernandez2022","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC9368143","label":"Effects of Tribulus terrestris L. on sport and health biomarkers in physically active adult males: a systematic review (Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022)","quote":"participants supplemented with TT displayed significant improvements in lipid profile … no TT-induced toxicity was reported … there was no clear evidence of the beneficial effects of TT supplementation on muscle damage markers and hormonal behavior","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"fernandez2022_doses","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC9368143","label":"Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022 — doses and durations of the included studies","quote":"Total dose (mg) × day−1 1875 … 1800–2700 … 1250 … 900–1800 … 770 … 500 … 450 Duration 12 weeks … 6 weeks … 5 weeks … 4 weeks … 2 weeks … 20 days","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"fernandez2022_schedule","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC9368143","label":"Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022 — dose schedule of the included studies","quote":"Dose schedule After exercise and before going to sleep … a.m. … a.m. and before going to sleep … a.m. and p.m. … No reported","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"fernandez2022_safety","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC9368143","label":"Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022 — reported adverse effects","quote":"gynecomastia, priapism, nephrotoxicity, hyperbilirubinemia, hepatotoxicity, and neurotoxicity … Sleep disturbances, exhaustion and fatigue, hypertension, and elevated heart rate have been reported after administration of TT at doses ≥1000 mg per day","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"fernandez2022_doping","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC9368143","label":"Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022 — anti-doping status","quote":"TT has not been listed as a banned substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). However, TT may increase the testosterone/epitestosterone ratio in urine above the WADA permitted limits (4:1)","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"fernandez2022_aecosan","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC9368143","label":"Fernández-Lázaro et al., IJERPH 2022 — AECOSAN intake range","quote":"The report of the Scientific Committee of the Spanish Agency for Consumer Affairs, Food Safety and Nutrition (AECOSAN) reported that the recommended daily intake of TT would be between 250 and 9000 mg","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"vilar2025","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC11990417","label":"Effects of Tribulus supplementation on erectile dysfunction and testosterone levels in men — a systematic review of clinical trials (Vilar Neto et al., Nutrients 2025)","quote":"TT supplementation at doses of 400 to 750 mg/d for 1 to 3 months improved erectile dysfunction in 3 of the 5 studies that assessed this parameter","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"vilar2025_conclusion","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC11990417","label":"Vilar Neto et al., Nutrients 2025 — conclusion","quote":"TT supplementation has a low level of evidence regarding its effectiveness in improving erectile function in men with erectile dysfunction, and no robust evidence was found for increasing testosterone levels","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"vilar2025_safety","url":"https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC11990417","label":"Vilar Neto et al., Nutrients 2025 — side effects and dosage regimens","quote":"No study reported side effects. Regarding the TT supplementation protocol, the dosage regimens varied from 400 mg to 12 g/day for 4 weeks to 3 months","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"hsa_prohibited_2025","url":"https://file.go.gov.sg/hsa-chp-prohibited-restricted-ing-guidelines.pdf","label":"HSA — Guidelines on Prohibited and Restricted Ingredients in Health Supplements and Traditional Medicines, GL-CHPB-1-012 Rev 001 (Oct 2025)","quote":"The objective of this guideline is to highlight the substances of concern when used in HS and TM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list [Tribulus terrestris not listed in Annex A or B]","accessed":"2026-08-27"},{"id":"iherb_sg","url":"https://sg.iherb.com/c/tribulus","label":"iHerb Singapore — Men's Health > Tribulus category (SG$ pricing, default order)","quote":"California Gold Nutrition, Sport, Tribulus, 1,000 mg … Nutricost, Tribulus, 240 Capsules (750 mg per Capsule) … NOW Foods, Sports, Tribulus, 1,000 mg … Swanson Vitamins, Mega Tribulus Extract, 250 mg … Force Factor, Fundamentals, Tribulus Terrestris","accessed":"2026-08-27"}],"brand_certs":[{"brand":"Force Factor","example":null,"programme":"NSF Certified for Sport","matching_products":0,"brand_total_certified":6}],"updated_at":"2026-08-30T17:59:36.026222+08:00"},"disclaimer":"kozen-x is not a medical device and does not give medical advice. it lists what published sources have written down. absence of a record is not the same as safe."}