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New Evidence Further Links Tribulus Terrestris Extract to Testosterone Support


For years, researchers have been finding evidence that protodioscin-rich botanical extracts, derived from the herb Tribulus terrestris, may have positive effects on testosterone production in males. That research continues, and as a result we have been learning more about what Tribulus terrestris is, how it works, and what its key active ingredient (when standardized for clinically indicated potency) can do for men everywhere.

Remarkably, over 70 different chemical compounds have been identified in Tribulus terrestris, some of which are the subject of medical research concerning antioxidant activity, antibacterial activity, antihyperglycemic effect (blood sugar regulation), anti-inflammatory properties, and beneficial effects on the central nervous system [1 Ștefănescu]. For our purposes, however, the main point of focus is on the protodioscin content in Tribulus.

The first thing to know about Tribulus terrestris is that the geographical location of its sourcing matters. For instance, protodioscin is present in Tribulus harvested in Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Macedonia, Iran and Serbia, while Tribulus from Vietnam and India contains no protodioscin at all (2 Dinchev D). Of the Eastern European and Mideast-sourced Tribulus, Bulgarian Tribulus has always been most prized.

Protodioscin is considered to be the primary pharmacologically active steroidal saponin in Tribulus. Steroidal saponins are literally plant hormones; they mimic human steroids in both form and function. In fact, plants use steroidal saponins in much the same way humans do: to make hormones that regulate cell growth and reproduction. In the case of humans, the steroidal saponins in protodioscin have been linked to the stimulation of luteinizing hormone. Luteinizing hormone (LH) regulates the expression of 17-beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, which is the enzyme that transforms androstenedione into testosterone (3 Banihani).

Given the differences observed in source composition by geographical location and the overall quality of the plant organs used to obtain the extract, the need for advanced extraction methods targeted at the relevant phytocompounds is paramount for the successful standardization of Tribulus terrestris extracts in dosages consistent with physiological efficacy. Until recently, the manufacturing challenges involved in arriving at a bioactive standardization of protodiosin proved too difficult to overcome. That, we will see, is no longer the case.

Clinical Studies Cast a Spotlight on the Benefits of Protodioscin

As the science of extracting and refining Tribulus has advanced, new research investigations have yielded encouraging results. In one double-blind placebo-controlled study conducted in the Ukraine, test subjects supplementing with Tribulus extract over 20 days showed increases in anaerobic muscle power and serum testosterone [4 Milasius].

In another double-blind placebo controlled study, 70 older test subjects with reported histories of erectile dysfunction and lower levels of total and free testosterone were separated into two groups, with one receiving a 5 mg dosage of Tribulus terristris extract, glucosamine and n-acetyl-D-glucosamine. After two months, this group experienced both improved libido and increased testosterone levels [5 Iacono].

More recently, in a report published in Andrologia in 2016, 65 men (aged 18-65) with no hormonal issues took an herbal extract containing 112 mg of protodioscin daily for 12 weeks. Body fat percentage, lean muscle mass gain, steroid hormone levels and all semen quality parameters were analyzed during the period of treatment. It was concluded that taking the protodioscin-rich extract led to an increase in blood dihydrotestosterone levels, which coincided with decreased body fat percentage, and increases in lean mass [6 Salgado RM].

Along similar lines, in a pilot study published in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy (2016), 30 male patients with clinical androgen deficiency were given 750 mg of a protodioscin-rich extract daily for 3 months. The research team found that this supplementation produced a 33% increase in total testosterone and 6% increase in free testosterone in this cohort [7 Roaiah MF].

A comprehensive review of the phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological properties of Tribulus terrestris, published in May of 2020, summarized literally dozens of highly encouraging investigations of the effects of Tribulus extract on various markers of health and wellness [1 Stefanescu].

The First Real Clinical Grade Natural Testosterone Support Technology

The research team at ProSource has been following this developing story in medical journals for over a decade. Clearly there was a connection between the potency and purity of the Tribulus extract and its effectiveness with regard to testosterone support. Developing a process for extracting and refining this valuable ingredient in sufficient quantity and potency, however, was a project that took many years.


The Tribulus extract that would be used in AndroTest would be subjected to a rigorous and highly complex multiple-extraction process under the most stringent protocols utilizing state-of-the-art laboratory procedures. This meticulous process, which would entail up to twenty different extractions, would result in a Tribulus extract standardized to contain an unprecedented 40% to 48% protodioscin, which is up to 40 times more potent than existing Tribulus-based products. The result was the first true clinical-grade, bioactive form of this technology ever made available as a nutritional supplement.

Even then, though, the research team at ProSource was not satisfied. Their next step was a big one: to subject AndroTest to an independent product-specific clinical study. It was a bold step and one that AndroTest passed with flying colors.

In that randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind clinical study, AndroTest produced statistically significant increases in total testosterone levels, averaging 59.88% over baseline, with some subjects showing total increases as high as 275% over baseline. And major increases in free testosterone, averaging 59.75% over baseline, with some subjects reaching up to 218% over baseline. The evidence was in. AndroTest was the real deal.

Real Results For Men Of All Ages

Since AndroTest's first appearance, countless men across America have expressed genuine satisfaction with this revolutionary testosterone-support technology. Again and again, we hear from men reporting increased vitality and virility, faster recovery from exercise, better sleep, better mood, and better focus. We've had men submit to blood tests before and after AndroTest administration, and seen them register significant improvements in T-levels.

Most tellingly of all, a first-time buyer of AndroTest tends to be a repeat buyer of AndroTest, with men adding AndroTest to their regimen for years at a time. If you've ever felt your vitality and stamina slipping away, if you've ever wondered if your best days were behind you, it may be time to join the many, many men who have used AndroTest to rediscover their best selves.

1 Ruxandra Ștefănescu, Amelia Tero-Vescan, Ancuța Negroiu, Elena Aurică, and Camil-Eugen Vari. A Comprehensive Review of the Phytochemical, Pharmacological, and Toxicological Properties of Tribulus terrestris L. Biomolecules. 2020 May; 10(5): 752.

2 Dinchev D, Janda B, Evstatieva L, Oleszek W, Aslani MR, Kostova I. Distribution of steroidal saponins in Tribulus terrestris from different geographical regions. Phytochemistry. 2008 Jan; 69(1):176-86.

2 Banihani S.A. Testosterone in males as enhanced by Allium cepa l. Biomolecules. 2019;9:75.

3 Banihani S.A. Testosterone in males as enhanced by Allium cepa l. Biomolecules. 2019;9:75.

4 K Milasius, R Dadeliene, Ju Skernevicius. The influence of the Tribulus terrestris extract on the parameters of the functional preparedness and athletes' organism homeostasis. Fiziol Zh. 2009;55(5):89-96.

5 Fabrizio Iacono, Domenico Prezioso, Ester Illiano, Giuseppe Romeo, Antonio Ruffo, Bruno Amato. Sexual asthenia: Tradamixina versus Tadalafil 5 mg daily. BMC Surg. 2012;12 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S23.

6 Salgado RM, Marques-Silva MH, Gonçalves E, Mathias AC, Aguiar JG, Wolff P. Effect of oral administration of Tribulus terrestris extract on semen quality and body fat index of infertile men. Andrologia. 2016 Jul 12. doi: 10.1111/and.12655. [Epub ahead of print]

7 Roaiah MF, E Khayat YI, GamalEl Din SF, Abd E Salam MA. Pilot Study on the Effect of Botanical Medicine (Tribulus terrestris) on Serum Testosterone Level and Erectile Function in Aging Males With Partial Androgen Deficiency (PADAM). J Sex Marital Ther. 2016 May 18;42(4):297-301.



Use as directed. Read product label and warnings thoroughly before use. In a 4 week placebo-controlled study of AndroTest, healthy males showed a 59.75% average increase in free testosterone compared to baseline, and 59.88% average increase in total testosterone, compared to baseline. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.