Updated Nov 1, 2024. Tribulus terrestris has been around for years and continues to be one of the most popular natural testosterone boosters out there. It's in MANY dietary supplements. So, does it build muscle or boost testosterone levels – or is it a scam? Does it have any side effects? In this review, you will learn the results of the clinical studies on this herbal ingredient. Is it safe? Let's see what the research says.
What Is Tribulus Terrestris?
Tribulus (also called puncture vine), is a plant that is found throughout the world. The term puncture vine stems from rumors that the plant’s thorns are able to puncture bicycle tires. The word Tribulus is Latin for “to tear”, another reference to the plant's ability to do damage.
Trivia: the name refers to a medieval weapon called a caltrop that was thrown on the grown during warfare to stop enemy horses from advancing. The caltrop was the forerunner of tire spikes, used by law enforcement agencies around the world to puncture car tires.
Tribulus Testosterone Clinical Studies
The theory behind this herb is it's supposed to elevate luteinizing hormone (LH), which in turn sends instructions to the testes causing them to make testosterone. More LH means more testosterone is made. And, as most know, higher testosterone levels might mean more muscle growth, energy, better erections etc.
Tribulus Research Video
Here's a quick video I made to summarize some of the studies below
In theory, it all sounds plausible but is it true? Let's look at some of the clinical studies.
Study 1
In one study, researchers tested the herb in 24 elite rugby players. The players were split into 2 groups. One group got a placebo, while the other received 450 mg of Tribulus Terrestris. All subjects performed the same weight-lifting exercise program, and the study lasted five weeks.
Results
- No change in muscle mass or strength
- No decrease in body fat
- No change in testosterone levels
- No change in the testosterone to estrogen ratio (TE Ratio)
Study 2
Prior to this, other researchers gave either Tribulus -or a placebo – to 15 healthy weight lifters (18 – 35 years of age). The amount used in this study was 3.21 mg per kilogram of body weight.
How much is that?: A kilogram is 2.2 pounds. So, if you weighted 180 pounds, this equals 82 kilograms. For an 82 kg person, the amount would be 82 x 3.21 mg = 263 mg of the herb.
All subjects performed the same weightlifting program 3 days per week
Results
- Tribulus did not promote any significant changes in body weight, and it did not reduce body fat.
- Both groups – the placebo group and the Tribulus group – improved strength and endurance.
- Those getting the placebo showed MORE muscle endurance (that's weird!)
Those taking the placebo could do more repetitions on the bench press and leg press than did those who received the supplement. Those taking Tribulus did improve their muscle endurance -but only on the leg press- and the improvement was less than those who got the placebo. This study did not measure testosterone levels.
Study 3
This investigation involved a supplement called Andro 6. This supplement contains many ingredients in addition to the 750 mg of Tribulus. The men took either a placebo or Andro 6 for 8 weeks. All worked out three days per week.
Results
- The Andro 6 supplement did not raise testosterone levels or make people stronger.
- Androstenedione, however, was elevated after Andro 6 supplementation.
This study did not specifically say that Tribulus didn't work. Rather, it found that the supplement Andro 6 didn't work.
Andro 6 contained several ingredients (Saw palmetto, DHEA, androsteinedione etc.) in addition to tribulus. In theory it could be possible that the other ingredients in Andro 6 suppressed tribulus, but that is pure speculation.
Study 4
In this interesting investigation, researchers looked not only at testosterone levels but also at sperm quality. This may help couples trying to get pregnant. Researchers involved 30 men with unknown fertility problems who were randomly given either a placebo or 750 mg a day of Tribulus Terrestris for 3 months.
Results
- No change in total testosterone, free testosterone, or luteinizing hormone.
- Tribulus did not produce any benefits to sperm concentration or sperm mobility.
Tribulus /Testosterone Research Summary
Here's a quick rundown of human studies.
| Study | Subjects | Amount of Tribulus Used | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| The effect of five weeks of Tribulus terrestris supplementation on muscle strength and body composition during preseason training in elite rugby league players | 24 rugby players | 450 mg/day for 5 wks | no change in strength or testosterone or body fat |
| The effects of Tribulus terrestris on body composition and exercise performance in resistance-trained males | 15 weight lifters | 3.21 mg/kg of body weight for 8 weeks | no change in body weight or fat loss. no better strength improvements over placebo. |
| Effects of anabolic precursors on serum testosterone concentrations and adaptations to resistance training in young men | 20 young men | 750 mg (contained in Andro 6 supplement) | No change in testosterone or strength vs placebo |
| Prospective Analysis on the Effect of Botanical Medicine (Tribulus terrestris) on Serum Testosterone Level and Semen Parameters in Males with Unexplained Infertility | 30 men with unknown fertility issues. | 750 mg for 3 months | No change in total testosterone, free testosterone, luteinizing hormone or sperm motility |
Can Tribulus Help Women?
Study 1
What about women who take this herb? Can it help them? In a small study, researchers gave the herb to 2 women (yes, just two women) for two days to see what would happen. The women took 1500 mg per day.
Results
- Tribulus did not alter testosterone, luteinizing hormone, DHEA or testosterone.
Study 2
Researchers gave 7.5 mg of Tribulus -or a placebo – to 60 women with low sex drive for a month. The amount used was 7.5 mg per day.
Results
Women filled out before and after questions and said the herbal ingredient helped them. The researchers, unfortunately, did not measure any hormones.
Study 3
This 3-month investigation involved 40 premenopausal women who were given either a placebo or 750 mg of Tribulus Terrestris. Women filled out questionnaires of sexual functioning and they also measured testosterone levels too.
Results
- Both the Tribulus and placebo groups scored similarly to each other on sexual functioning questionnaires.
- Tribulus did not raise total testosterone
- Tribulus did raise free testosterone and serum testosterone
An issue with this study was that 24 of the 40 women were excluded from the study results. That's over a 50% dropout rate. This may have played a role in the outcomes.
Tribulus And Libido
Does Tribulus improve erections or help men have better sex? Given the reputation this herb has for raising testosterone, it's natural it would be used in male enhancement supplements, too. So, does it work?
Study 1
Researchers gave 750 mg of Tribulus per day to 30 men complaining of having issues associated with low T and ED. The study lasted 3 months.
Results
- Tribulus significantly raised total and free testosterone but not the Luteinizing hormone.
- Men also reported -that they had better erections.
This study had no placebo group. Since Tribulus is rumored to raise Luteinizing hormone, it's odd the study did not show this, in spite of seeing a boost in testosterone levels.
Non-Human Research
- Researchers gave the herb to 8 rabbits. The herb was noted to improve erections in rabbits.
- In another investigation, the herbal extract was noted to improve sexual activity in “sexually sluggish” lab rats.
Lab animal is interesting but it's not as important as human clinical research.
Tribulus vs. Testofen
Testofen is a patented extract from the fenugreek herb. Some research suggests fenugreek/testofen extract may raise anabolic hormone levels in men. Research comparing tribulsus vs testofen cannot be located. See this video for the testofen-testosterone proof.
Tribulus Side Effects
I'm not sure about long-term safety. Most studies do not last very long. While it may be safe in healthy people, I noticed a strange side effect when I took this supplement for a few weeks. See my experiment with Tribulus for more info.
Here are some basic considerations when taking this supplement. This list is not complete:
- Start with less than recommended for the first week.
- Don't take this supplement if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
- Stop taking the supplement at least 2 weeks before having surgery, including dental surgery.
- Speak to your doctor/pharmacist if you take any medications, including blood thinners.
One report details a male bodybuilder who was treated for gynecomastia (male breast enlargement) after taking an herbal supplement containing this herbal ingredient. Since the supplement contained many ingredients, it's not known which was responsible for this effect.
There is some speculation Tribulus might lower blood sugar levels. This may be an issue for diabetics who use Tribulus supplements.
Preliminary evidence (lab animals) hints that it may increase the size of the prostate. This may be a problem for men who have prostate issues like BPH. This effect has not been proven in humans as far as I know.
I experienced heart palpitations and sipped heartbeats when I experimented with Tribulus for 30 days. This began after I stopped taking the herb and lasted for about a month.
Does Tribulus Raise Testosterone?
I see no good proof for Tribulus Terrestris as an effective testosterone booster in men. Based on the evidence, I believe it's a dud. That said, most of the research on this herb is less than spectacular. I might change my opinion if I see some better proof. Did it work for you?
Related Reviews
I bought and took the “Now Foods 1000 Tribulus.” Initially I was experimenting with taking several libido boosters including Red Ginseng, Maca Root and several others. Eventually I isolated and took only the tribulus. I can say it definitely does increase my libido. I don’t think it does much else though.
And when I tried to combine the tribulus with 400mg of testosterone cypionate a week, I noticed for some reason the tribulus made me feel like crap then. It again, increased my libido but it made me feel all tired and crappy.
I know that it was not the testosterone because after I stopped the tribulus for a couple days, I felt better. So, based on my experience, tribulus increases my libido and that’s all. By what action I do not know, but I don’t think it has to do with testosterone.
Hi Juice, that is an interesting experiment you did. Thanks for sharing.
I have tried tribulus in combination with a homepathic hgh, and I had a lot more energy in the gym, which led to lifting heavier, and the results I obtained were very impressive. I cannot say that this would work for everyone, nor do I care about what would work for everyone, I only care about what works for me.
It is sort of like, if I use a pick up line on a girl and the result is it works. If some other guy uses the same pick up line and the result is that she threatens to slap the smirk off of his face, then it does not work for him. It says nothing about the pick up line, though. Different folks, different strokes.
The studies don’t mean much as the dosage of Tribulus is way too low. For the average person between 120 lbs and 180 lbs, you would need at least 3 grams. I say this as an herbalist with years of experience. Three grams for a single herb alone is pretty much the minimal dosage for efficacy in most cases, although that can go lower dependent on age and weight.
JoeV, thanks for sharing. I have to ask for evidence to substantiate 3 grams of tribulus is the right amount. While I’m not an herbalist, I don’t think we can make a blanket statement that 3 grams is the minimum amount for herbs across the board. I think differences in absorption, species used and gender among others, make this a very difficult question to answer.
I agree, I did get good results from Bulgarian Tribulus Terrestris but I was already an advanced natural powerlifting style bodybuilder so I lifted heavy and high intensity.
I don’t remember exactly which brands and how much I was taking, but I believe it was 2x750mg caps 3 or 4 times a day I had some lower potency 250mg caps and I remember taking 4-6 of those at a time, again 3-4 times a day… I know they were at least 45% but am not sure if they were the 90% variety saponins.
I would do it for 3 weeks, take a week off and repeat for a 3-4 month cycle. Granted I didn’t get steroid gains but it was much better than not using it and I did put on about 10 pounds with some good strength and size gains… once I added glutamine, Vanadyl sulphate, and creatine to the mix, I added another 20lbs (lost 10 of water after going off creatine)
Lots of people told me Vanadyl Sulphate and Tribulus didn’t work for them, but they took the amount on the bottle… I did the research at the time and took considerably more while keeping it in a healthy range and had no ill effects…
now about 20 years later I am giving tribulus a go again… considering at my age now, testosterone may be a fair bit lower so hopefully it gives me that added kick.. especially with the 90%, 750mg caps I can get now
A late response, but I hope it could be of some help (even sharing old news). I tried some of the Bulgarian products discussed above, but to no noticeable results. At the end, I ended up preparing the simplest solution – a homemade infusion (tea) by the original herb itself (Bulgarian grown).
After just a few days of use, I definitely feel a sensible improvement in my libido and my physical tone in general. I doubt it to be a placebo effect, as I did it with no expectation to achieve anything (just had some of the herb already purchased and abandoned on the shell).
I will continue using it and eventually will share more results. But it seems to me it is wiser not to trust the industry (especially in Bulgaria) and I personally will not to continue experimenting with suspicious supplements. The closest to the original seems the better.
meleager, thank you for sharing and I am happy that you are seeing improvements from your tea infusion.
meleager, thanks for sharing your results. Can i know how and where did you find the herb itself? I am in Canada, so was wondering where i can buy that herb? did you buy a tea bag or just put the root and the flower of that herb in hot water and drank the tea. Thanks
Hi, Kevin.
I bought the herb itself from a local shop online. If I’m not very much mistaken it was the one called “Билкова аптека” (Herb drug-store). I see they are offering a tincture on e-bay. Perhaps you could ask them for the herb.
Most of the Bulgarian online stores are only in Bulgarian and aim to the local market.
I trust the oldest one – “Zoya”. They also seem to offer a tincture (a local product), which perhaps could be a good alternative (I’m already considering to give it a try). But you can ask them for the herb too. I have no idea if they are shipping to international customers, but at least they have a version of their site in English. zoya.bg/en/category
My claim that the herb has driven immediate results could be a bit misleading. Apologies for that. Now I realize there is something I failed to mention in my previous comment. Right before I started taking the herb, I also started eating meat and eggs again, after a few vegetarian (at times even vegan) years. Perhaps that gave me an extra kick too. I still believe the herb is better by default though.
Please read the following article concerning Tribulus terrestris:
mensfitness.com/nutrition/supplements/supplement-guide-tribulus-terrestris
It’s amazing how many “independent people” are touting some sort of Tribulus terrestris as being the best. Test show otherwise. “Oh but this one is different….” I love supplement geek because of REAL research and results without trying to sell lies.
Thank u Joe
Swain, thank for saying that 🙂
after a bad auto accident my back L5 broke, and all supporting muscle surrounding my lower spine back sides front and rear were mush, gone, out to lunch, laying in bed for 6 months gave me some ideas to try as soon as i got out of the support brace,,Tribulus was one idea, as well as whey protein, i tried both at different times to help with strength to support my back, I am still using Tribulus even though i took a 2 year break from it I had to take again recently for more strength support,
I read your personal study, my only thought is you may lack magnesium at that time, but for me Tribubus gave me strength support as well as all other claims that go with Tribulus, lasting erections,etc, the whey protein products could never deliver a clean product free of sugars, carrageenan, dye/food colors etc, in my 60’s i feel 28 and recovering from the pain,
Hi Peter, anything is possible. I did not have my magnesium tested. Regardless, I am really glad that you are recovering so well from what sounds like a horrific car accident.
There are a number of supplements that promise results but don’t deliver. From my personal experience, no testosterone booster will be as effective unless it is also paired with a proper diet plan and a good workout protocol. Both of these will additionally be key to success.
Hi Joe,
You said that you could not find results of clinical studies done on human with tribulus. I have found this study on Tribulus terrestris for treatment of sexual dysfunction in women. Here is the link and tit seems compelling.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24773615
Le bon, thanks for bringing this to my attention. I’ve updated my review and included the study. It’s interesting. The women noted that they had better sex lives after taking tribulus (7.5 mg per day) compared to women who took a placebo. While the researchers did not measure hormone levels, I still found it interesting. I noticed the researchers appeared to take pains (rightly so) in making sure they were getting the real deal tribululs. Might differences in study outcomes be due to lack of quality of tribulus? I do not know. Id like to see this study confirmed by another study and compare the survey results to changes in hormone levels.
Hi Joe, I can attest to that as well. I took Tribulus as recommended for woman, from Day 5 of cycle to ovulation as I haven’t been ovulating regularly. After one month of 500 mg 2x/day. My sex drive went up and I had my first ever postive lutinizing hormone test two days in a row! It’s recommend to take only during those periods for woman and no more than six months. I was truly surprised.
I wasn’t aware of the sugar levels. I don’t have PCOS or diabetes but many of those women have issues with ovulating, I’d be curious if it would help. Anyways…just wanted to let you know from someone who is wanting to get pregnant this seemed to jump start my ovulation!! Thanks for the info!!
Hi Cortney, thanks for the feedback. I do think the effects of tribuls on women should be studied more. I like your website by the way. you have a great science background! If you come across anything on this topic, do let m know 🙂
You have to carfare where you get these supplements at, it may say it on the bottle but it may not be the real deal. tribulus is working for me, noticing a huge increase in strength, etc. recommended dose of 1mg 3 times daily
Justin, Thanks for the feedback. All I can say is I used what others said worked for them. Happy its working for you.
Hi all!
I am a 43 years old Bulgarian and I have never used Tribulus in my life. Recently I have experienced some problems with my libido and testosterone levels in general (my muscles cannot recover well after a workout). To go to a doctor in my city is equal to go ask a gypsy “healer” for a health advice. So, I have decided to try Bulgarian Tribulus on my own. I have checked the web, especially Bulgarian MMA and fitness communities (the largest consumers of all kind of supplements) and it seems there is a local “winner” among all products. It is called VemoHerb Bulgarian Tribulus (I have ordered it already); here is a link to the product on the manufacturer’s website: http://vemoherb.com/shop/index.php/vemoherb-bulgarian-tribulus.html (it is not an affiliate link and I have nothing do with these guys). It claims to offer 60% saponins of furostanol type and many people who use it say it is working more than well.
As for Sopharma, it is the local equivalent of a typical pharmaceutical “giant”, but in our case, it is more former socialist mafia type of a “corporation”, since it was beyond competition since the yearly 50-ties of the last century. You can read some details about it here in case you find it interesting: http://www.sopharma.us/About-Sopharma/About-Sopharma/history-of-sopharma.html. Their product Tribestan is widely recognized on the Balkans (I cannot say anything about Europe and the rest of the world, although I have found with a click or two this info: http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/soph/trib.html). I personally don’t like monopolists.
I intend to share how this product has affected me after a month or more (hope to survive the treatment).
Meleager, I hope it helps you. I went to the website of the product you mentioned. They listed this address for the company that makes the bulgarian tribulus product you ordered: 13 Shumen str., 1309 Sofia, Bulgaria. If you google that address you will see what the company looks like. It might be worth a look.
Thanks. Actually I am not quite sure the exact address is shown on that poor picture, but you are right – what is shown looks scary. But on the other hand, the whole country has been looking scary for the last 20+ years and I am pretty sure I have made more damage to my health by simply buying and consuming the most common food products on our market (trying to get rid of it already – not an easy task though).
Anyway, the company claims these are their production facilities: http://www.vemo-vsv.com/ and if so, it looks quite alright to me. I intend to try their product and in case I notice some drastic change in my heart rhythm or anything of the sort, I will simply stop taking it.
Meleager, I hope it helps you.
I have been using Tribulus and I have to say I feel amazing I going to try it for 6 weeks and see what happen. I had the best work out in a long time last night
I have tried Bulgarian Tribulus Terrestris for about 1 week. I have noticed some increase in blood flow increasing erections also noticed a drop in blood pressure and blood sugar levels. I am a diabetic with high blood pressure My personal experience with this herbal pill has been somewhat beneficial.
Frank, thanks. What was your blood sugar and blood pressure before and after taking tribulus?
The common mistake people (and researchers) make with supplements like this is that they CANNOT be prescribed unversally. Gokshura is mostly used in the Ayuvedic formulary and the principles of ayurvedic pharmocology do not support a one-size-fits-all approach. Herbals are not only prescribed for the presenting symptoms but for the patient’s unique physiology. Consequently, even identical twins presenting with the same symptoms–let’s say a flu–might be given different medicines.
This will be quite a story, but read it please 🙂
So:
I`m originally from an eastern european country not too far from Bulgaria, but i live in Germany. Before trying tribulus, i`ve heard and read that only bulgarian grown tribulus has an actual effect (soviet and eastern european athletes and researchers used bulgarian tribulus only), but i didn`t take that serious, since by my logic was tribulus is tribulus, finish. So i tried various pretty expensive products from german, american and polish companies. The price ranged from 15 – 25€ for like 60 pills with 600 – 900mg extract (the polish one had even 1200mg). The american company (it`s the product on the picture above) even claims that their tribulus is from bulgaria, but the effect fo all three of them was absolutely zero.
I then decided to get a product directly from Bulgaria. The obvious choice would be Tribestan by Sopharma, because this is the product that was actually used by eastern european athletes as well as for research back in communist times, but that one was too expensive after all the disappointment before (like 25€ for 60 tablets with 250mg). So i searched bulgarian pharmacy sites (i`m a russian speaker so this was no problem) for alternatives and finally found one. .The Price directly from the company was 6€ per can (60 pills, 250mg each) which means it was DIRT-CHEAP in comparison, and contrary to my expectations that stuff did absolutely everything that tribulus is supposed to do.
2 – 3 pills a day (i wasn`t taking anything other than these at that time) gave me the following effects:
– skyrocketed libido and sperm production + constant spantaneous boners. I was feeling like a 15 years old teenager.
– energy level and endurance was much higher than usual.
– I was sweating like a bull when working out and feeling great afterwards. It gave me a general good feeling, i don`t even know how to describe it.
– I can`t tell with guarantee that i raised my testosterone since i did no test, but going by the feeling after taking it for a few days, it probably did. Like i said, i was feeling like a teenager.
You can believe it or not, but the difference between the bulgarian stuff and the chinese/indian tribulus extracts (along with fillers and other bullshit) that are used by all the common western supplement companies is like day and night.
The smell and taste alone is enough to tell that the bulgarian ones are completly different. I once opened one pill to compare the look, smell and taste of the extract with 2 of the useless products i bought before, and again, it`s like day and night. The Bulgarian extract is dark brown, it is almost black, and the smell is really strong. The taste is so extremly bitter that you won`t be able to keep it in your mouth longer than a few seconds because it hurts. It is also extremly hygroscopic and since the bulgarian one doesn`t have any fillers in it, it had already drawn moisture and was a hard mass instead of a powder.
Now first one that i compared it with was a dry powder (it had fillers in it) and the extract was much brighter, kinda greyish-brown with a much weaker and different smell. The taste was by far not as bitter as the bulgarian one (tribulus is supossed to be extremly bitter).
The second one was also a powder which was not as dry as the other one, but still dry enough to tell that they had fillers in it. The colour was brown, but still lighter than in the bulgarian one and the smell and taste was again much weaker. As i said before, they were both completly useless, just trash.
If you now ask how the same plant can have different characteristics and effects (or no effect at all) think about apples for example: There are hundreds of sorts, and every each is different from the other when it comes to the content of sugar, vitamines etc. Hemp is also a great example. You won`t get any effect from smoking industrial hemp, and even the ones that are used for smoking all have huge differences in the amounts of the working ingredient (THC).
It all depends on the conditions in which these plants are grown, the soil, the climate, the air and many many other things.
So what i want to tell you is: If you want tribulus that actually works, get it DIRECTLY from Bulgaria.
Bulgarian tribulus is grown in the specific climatic conditions of Bulgaria (this is probably why it actually works) instead of industrial chinese greenhouses, and this is also exactly the reason you`ll find it in Bulgarian products ONLY. They just don`t have the capacity to provide the whole world with their product, since it`s naturally grown.
Also, don`t believe all the bullshit statements about astronomic amounts of like 90% saponines/protodioscine and all the other nonsense which the supplement companies use for selling their crap. Serious bulgarian brands (not speaking about stuff like “Trybest” which seems dubious to me) have always the same writing on their products, which is: 40 – 45% FUROSTANOL Saponines. You won`t find anything about protodioscine etc and no claims of 90% saponine content, which is nothing more than a scam.
And at last a short look on the leaflet of the Sopharma product. Sopharma is an actual pharmaceutical company.
Product is used for:
– Lack of libido and infertility in men and women
– climacteric syndrome in women
– dyslipoproteinemia
Contraindications:
– heavy heart and kidney disease
– prostate adenoma
– Children under 16 years
– pregnancy and lactation
Interactions/precautions
– Tribulus and medications for ovulation stimulation increase each others effect
– could increase effects of diuretics
– could increase the effects of blood-pressure lowering medications
whoiswho, interesting stuff. I took a look at this after reading your comment. Since Sopharma is a pharmaceutical company figured they had a website. I did see “Sopharma.com” listed in google so that’s good.
I then looked up sopharma.com in Whois.com, a website that sometimes can give useful info about websites. Whois.com said that the website name, sopharma.com, was registered in 1999 by someone named VASSIL LOUTCHEV of the BULGARIAN PHARMACEUTICAL GROUP LTD. Here’s the the thing. The address of the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical group is Las Vegas, Nevada! Why isn’t the Bulgarian Pharmaceutical group in Bulgaria?
Here is the whois.com file for the company http://www.whois.com/whois/sopharma.com
For those who want to check it out, here is Tribestan on Amazon.
Hi,
never heard of Sopharma.com. Maybe they tried to establish themselves on the US-market with that website, or maybe it`s a fake at all, i don`t really know. It doesn`t look quite up to date. Anyway, The original website is http://www.Sopharma.bg
http://www.whois.com/whois/sopharma.bg
I mentioned their product just as an example since it`s the most famous in eastern europe, but like i said, i bought another one from Bulgaria which was much cheaper. It was this one: http://apteka.framar.bg/30025329/%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%B1%D1%83%D0%BB%D1%83%D1%81-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BF%D1%81-250-%D0%BC%D0%B3-60-%D0%BF%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%B5%D0%BA%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%82
The producers had some cheap website which seems to be not more avaible, so i contacted them directly and they agreed to send it to germany. Like i said before, it was satisfying and the price was awesome.
I`ve also tried the one from Sopharma later (got it from Moldova while visiting my grandmother) and since it has the same effect but is much more expensive, especially when you have to buy it from Germany or generally western europe, i didn`t bother to buy it again.
I think all the products from Bulgaria use the same extract so it doesn`t really matter which one to buy.
I`ve also found some interesting information about Tribulus here:
http://examine.com/supplements/Tribulus+terrestris/#summary1-2
Under “Variability” for example it says that the eastern european and western asian (mainly Bulgarian, Macedonian and Turkish) species have more than double the amount of Protodioscin compared to the Indian/Chinese ones.
It also says that “the Bulgarian Tribulus is the only extract to possess sulphated spirostanol and furostanol saponins[18] and chinese tribulus seems to be the only compound with cisA/B ring junctures in their saponins”
Please don`t ask me what that means, i don`t have a clue…
The “Interactions with hormones” and “Interactions with sexuality” part is also an interesting read. It seems to interact somehow with the androgenic receptors in the brain (again the bulgarian tribulus) but there is no evidence that is raises testosterone or other hormones in the body. But then again “In persons with low sperm count given 6g of tribulus root daily for two months (where almost half of participants reported erectile problems) there was significant improvements in the loss of erection (6.03%), rigidity (9.41%), premature ejaculation (6.12%), and lack of orgasm (9.76%)”.
It`s all very confusing, but i can only speak about myself. The sexual effects and the effects on my energy level were pretty distinctive while taking it and did go away as soon as i stopped taking them. Since i didn`t take anything other with the tribulus and didn`t change anything in my lifestyle while taking them, the effect was clearly coming from the tribulus. I didn`t notice any significant changes in muscle mass/building though and i don`t really believe that it has an anabolic effect.
WhoisWho, well now, that is a different company then! I guess what threw me off is that Tribestan is mentioned on the “.com” sopharma website. I dont know if they are the same company or not and I agree it all can be very confusing. If it helps you I’m really happy. I do wish there was better research on tribulus (including the Tribestan version).
I do think men should get their testosterone levels checked anyway before starting any tribulus supplement. this will at least give them a baseline idea of what their T levels are and, I hope, open up a conversation with their doctor because ED is not just about testosterone levels. It can be an early sign of heart disease.
I practiced corporate law in Texas for a few years in the late 80’s and early 90’s. A Las Vegas, Nevada address in whois is not itself an indication of an illegitimate or fraudulent company. In fact, it may indicate they have a corporate legal department with international finance expertise. (Or it could just mean the company owner/CEO had lunch with a golfing buddy and heard it was a good idea.)
It is not unusual for foreign (i.e., not USA), privately-held companies to set up a Nevada corporation to do business both in the USA and internationally. Nevada corporate laws are conducive to international corporate transactions, and the fees and requirements are much less expensive than Delaware, which domestic and publicly-traded companies prefer.
If the company does in fact set up a Nevada corporation, having the website “situs” also be in Nevada is a prudent technique, among others, to prove that the corporation really is “domiciled” in the state. That could have big tax implications in the home country (e.g., Bulgaria or other European nations).
Loye, thanks for the feedback. I just use whois to see if I can find a physical location for a company. You bring up some very good points. I like your website and your writing style too. I enjoyed your tithing article.
I wonder whether if you are referring to the same plant which grows around here..I am from Thessaly, Greece and we know it as trivoli. it is a real PROBLEM in the summer for kids because it is so hard it can penetrate anything (balls to bicycle tires) and it works as a landmine ; you don’t see it, once you fall on it (it is abundant on the ground) you are going to feel like a ninja attacked you with morning stars. I wonder if it is the same plant (it not far from Bulgaria here and it is way colder there so it might be just the same-no major terrain differences)
Hi Bill, it could be or at least a related plant. The puncturing of bicycle tires makes me think there is at least some relationship to tribulus.
I suppose I could do some research and ask an expert on the subject…maybe I will look for any older medicine practices, since the area around here and especially the mount Olympus (very close by-yes the one Zeus and Olympian gods used to rule) has a vast variety of herbs and plants…. Perhaps even some kind of effect any domestic herbivore animal had by feeding upon it
Bill, that is so cool to live near Mount Olympus ! 🙂
Yes, also known as Puncture vine.
James, yes Tribulus is also called puncture vine. I read once that in medieval times puncture vine was thrown on the ground to try to stop invading armies on horseback. So it was sort of a medieval version of tire spikes police use.
Apologies for lack of any lab data…
I started taking a supplement with trib in it back in 2011 (at 41yo) and noticed similar to other comments here. I am a healthcare practitioner (not in the area of supplements). A practice where I worked sold this particular line of ‘practitioner only’ supplements. After a social conversation about lacking energy and feeling worn out, another practitioner gave me the supps saying “try these they might pick you up”…
I’m saying this to communicate that I really had no idea what to expect. The supps stated they ‘may help with male sexual function’ etc. No claims of test increases etc.
The before and after results were similar to others.
Waking up with ‘diamond cutter’ morning erections, where previously there was none.
Increase in libido – actually I felt like I was 20yo again.
Sexual performance increase (erection strength, duration, volume of ejaculate number of times).
In fact ejaculate volume was a source of amusement/shock for quiet a few girls.
I was resistance training consistently both before and after starting the supplements. I must say that after being on the supps for 3 months there was a golden time for my training, with a lot of peaks in strength and lean muscle gain.
The energy levels did improve. But I was shocked at the other sexual performance results. Feedback to the original practitioner caused a laugh and… “Yeah, that can happen”.
Main points of my feedback:
The practitioner told me about the effects after the fact, stating it can be hit and miss.
The supplement had other co-factors etc added that can also assist if deficient.
Hard to directly link but I can associate them with the best training cycles of my life.
4 years later I still cycle this product occasionally during heavy training cycles and will hit it for a couple of weeks when the sexual aspect of a relationship needs a kick. Have recommended it to others and, again, it has been hit and miss. some good results, some so-so and others noticed nothing.
This was the product:
metagenics.com.au/products/tribulus-synergy-60-tablets
A, thanks for writing. I looked up the Metagenics tribulus synergy supplement on Amazon. While I could not see the entire ingredients label I was able to see that it contains more than tribulus. That means that whatever effects you said occured, cant be attributed to tribulus alone. It looked like the product also had Ashwagandha which has been in a few product Ive looked at before. Here is a list of all of them.
Have you heard about any scams on Amazon, people sell fake stuff through there, putting something else in the bottles. This makes me skeptical of going through Amazon. Have you or anyone else heard this?
Scott I’ve never heard of fake stuff being sold on amazon. Distributors of several products I’ve looked at have made this claim but show me no proof. While I’m sure there are knock off brands out there for most popular things, since I hear it so much, I wonder if it is talking points for the most part.