Update 3/17/22. Massularia acuminate is an herb that’s reputed to raise testosterone levels and is one of the principal ingredients in a testosterone supplement called Pink Magic as well as other products. Here is my original review of Pink Magic if you care to read it. I am writing this review specifically about Massularia acuminate and supplements that contain Massularia because of all the emails I have gotten recently. Does Massularia acuminate work – raise testosterone or improve sex drive? Let's see what the clinical research says.
Does Massularia acuminate Raise Testosterone Levels?
The fervor over Massularia supplements and testosterone can likely be traced to a study that was published in 2008 in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
In this study 60 male rats were divided into 4 groups. Each group received a different amount of Massularia acuminate for 21 days.
Group A –control group. No Massularia supplement
Groups B, C and D received Massularia in the following amounts:
- Group B. 1 ml 250 milligrams per kilogram of body weight
- Group C. 1 ml 500 milligrams per kilogram of body weight
- Group D. 1000 milligrams per kilogram of body weight
On days 1, 7 and 21 of the study, the rats were analyzed to see if Massularia acuminate had any effects. The study seemed to show that there was some effects such as an increase in testes to body weight ratio, testosterone and luteinizing hormone to name a few.
But does this mean that supplements like Pink Magic will raise YOUR testosterone levels? Well, let’s consider this:
- You are not a rat.
- This is just one study (I couldn’t find any human studies).
- How much Massularia acuminate did they use?
This study used 250 – 1000 milligrams PER KILOGRAM OF BODY WEIGHT in rats. Since we are not a rat, we need to convert this to people's dosages.
The human dosage was between 40 – 160 mg/kg body weight.
Since everybody weighs differently, convert your body weight to kilograms and multiply by these amounts to find a dosage that might be right for you.
Remember, this is just an extrapolation based on a lab rat study. Whether or not these dosages are correct for people can't really be known until clinical studies on people are published.
See the Tribulus review for the research on that testosterone booster.
How Much Massularia Acuminate Is in Pink Magic?
They don’t say. Instead, you get a “proprietary blend” of 1600 milligrams that’s made up of
- Massularia acuminate
- Neiumbo Nucifera
- Rhamnus Nakaharai
Massularia acuminate is the first ingredient in the blend so it likely makes up most of the 1600 mg. That is good.
That plus the lack of human studies makes me skeptical as to whether Massularia acuminate supplements like Pink Magic that contain Massularia acuminate would raise testosterone levels or make people bigger or stronger.
Update. It appears Pink Magic has been discontinued. I'm not surprised.
Does Massularia Acuminate Help Sex?
Is Massularia acuminate an aphrodisiac? The same lead researchers who did the rat study summarized above published another rat study in 2011. This study, titled, Effect of Aqueous Extract of Massularia acuminata Stem on Sexual Behaviour of Male Wistar Rats, noted that dosages of between 500 mg/ kg body weight and 1000 mg/kg body weight improved testosterone and amorous behavior in the male rats.
Again, in human dosages, this would be: 80 – 160 mg/ kg body weight.
It is noteworthy that the researchers stated that a massularia dosage of 250 mg/kg body weight (human dose, 40 mg/kg body weight) did not raise testosterone. Yet, in the 2008 rat study summarized above, it did. Why did that dosage work in one study but not in another study?
While I do view this as a possible weakness of one or both of these rat investigations, it might also mean that men looking to raise testosterone or improve bedroom performance may need more than 40 mg/ kilogram of body weight. That is of course, assuming that these rat studies are replicated in humans. When human studies are published, I'll update this review.
Massularia Side Effects
Until human research is published, it is difficult to know what the Massularia acuminate are. That said, here are some general thoughts to consider. This list is not complete
- Speak to your doctor if you take ANY medications.
- Don't take if you are pregnant/breastfeeding.
- Stop taking Massularia acuminate at least 2 weeks before having surgery.
- One rat study noted liver problems might be related to this herb.
For more personalized advice, speak go your pharmacist and doctor especially if you have any health issues or take any medications.
Does Massularia Acuminate Work?
Whether or not Massularia Acuminate raises testosterone or improves sexual dysfunction needs more research. The research to date is limited to lab animal research. I'd like to see some human research on Massularia Acuminate and supplements that contain it as their main ingredient. For the moment, I remain skeptical, but if it worked for you, let me know.
Here is Massularia acuminate on Amazon.
What do you think?